A maniac just released from a psych ward pushed an elderly man to his death down Manhattan subway steps in a brutal unprovoked attack late Thursday, police said.

The brute — seen in a surveillance image obtained by The Post — allegedly hurled total stranger Ross Falzone, 76, down the steps leading to the No. 1 train station at West 18th Street and 7th Avenue around 9:30 p.m., cops said.

Falzone was a high school teacher who lived an active life, and especially enjoyed the symphony, his neighbors recalled.

The person of interest, seen in a surveillance image, allegedly trailed Falzone for about 30 yards before rushing him. Obtained by NY Post

“He must [have] been coming home from wherever he was,” said neighbor Marc Stager, 78, who moved into Falzone’s Upper West Side building in 1981 and knew the senior since then. “He’s just a helpless old guy.…