{"id":2576,"date":"2022-04-08T09:39:32","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T13:39:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/?page_id=2576"},"modified":"2022-05-02T12:56:21","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T16:56:21","slug":"son-of-sam","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/son-of-sam\/","title":{"rendered":"Son Of Sam"},"content":{"rendered":"<section id=\"builder-section-1464791023609\" class=\"builder-section-first builder-section builder-section-text builder-section-next-postlist builder-text-columns-1\" style=\"background-repeat: repeat;background-position: center center;\">\n<h3 class=\"builder-text-section-title\">\n        Son Of Sam    <\/h3>\n<div class=\"builder-section-content\">\n<div class=\"builder-text-row\">\n<div class=\"builder-text-column builder-text-column-1\" id=\"builder-section-1464791023609-column-1\">\n<div class=\"builder-text-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_2893\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2893\" style=\"width: 637px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2893 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/View_looking_S_towards_Brooklyn_Heights._Jack_Boucher_photographer_1978._-_Brooklyn_Bridge_Spanning_East_River_between_Park_Row_Manhattan_and_Sands_Street_Brooklyn_New_York_HAER_NY31-NEYO90-9.tif_-1-637x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"637\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/View_looking_S_towards_Brooklyn_Heights._Jack_Boucher_photographer_1978._-_Brooklyn_Bridge_Spanning_East_River_between_Park_Row_Manhattan_and_Sands_Street_Brooklyn_New_York_HAER_NY31-NEYO90-9.tif_-1-637x500.jpg 637w, https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/View_looking_S_towards_Brooklyn_Heights._Jack_Boucher_photographer_1978._-_Brooklyn_Bridge_Spanning_East_River_between_Park_Row_Manhattan_and_Sands_Street_Brooklyn_New_York_HAER_NY31-NEYO90-9.tif_-1-268x210.jpg 268w, https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/View_looking_S_towards_Brooklyn_Heights._Jack_Boucher_photographer_1978._-_Brooklyn_Bridge_Spanning_East_River_between_Park_Row_Manhattan_and_Sands_Street_Brooklyn_New_York_HAER_NY31-NEYO90-9.tif_-1-768x603.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/View_looking_S_towards_Brooklyn_Heights._Jack_Boucher_photographer_1978._-_Brooklyn_Bridge_Spanning_East_River_between_Park_Row_Manhattan_and_Sands_Street_Brooklyn_New_York_HAER_NY31-NEYO90-9.tif_-1.jpg 1528w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2893\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Although this photo, overlooking Brooklyn Heights from over the Brooklyn Bridge, was taken the year after Berkowitz was apprehended, the city still bared an almost perfect resemblance to the one Son of Sam terrorized (Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>(Given the heavy subject matter, I thought I would offer a slight reprieve by compiling a playlist of the top 20 songs on the <em>Billboard<\/em> Hot 100 from the weeks of July 31, 1976 and August 6, 1977, which mark the beginning and the end of Son of Sam&#8217;s reign. Feel free to listen and get into the mindset of the time period!)<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"ttfmake-embed-wrapper aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 960px;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Spotify Embed: Sounds of &amp;apos;76 &amp; &amp;apos;77\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/playlist\/5Bx7nCHnosd8ozk1xC9CUG?si=80dc5fb743b14d3e&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>New Yorkers should have sensed that something terrible was brewing in the summer of 1976. It was as if the stars had aligned, and the universe was plotting against the city. Everything seemed to point to disaster. The top song on the <em>Billboard <\/em>Hot 100 was \u201cKiss and Say Goodbye\u201d by The Manhattans.<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a> The highest grossing movie at the box office was \u201cThe Omen.\u201d<a href=\"#_ftn2\" name=\"_ftnref2\">[2]<\/a> Even the charts were telling the city to beware.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2900\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2900\" style=\"width: 280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2900\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/PelhamBaySt-280x210.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"280\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/PelhamBaySt-280x210.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/PelhamBaySt-667x500.jpeg 667w, https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/PelhamBaySt-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/PelhamBaySt-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/PelhamBaySt.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2900\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This image, taken in 2007, showcases a street similar to Buhre Avenue, where Donna Lauria lived and ultimately, where she died (Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Buhre Avenue is an unassuming street in the Pelham Bay neighborhood of the Bronx. Even as of 2022, it looks remarkably unchanged from the 1970s. One side of the street is composed of a series of brick rowhouses. The other houses a large apartment building, the Buhre Arms. All things considered, it\u2019s a pretty typical snapshot of the Bronx. That is, of course, if you don\u2019t take into consideration its sordid past. In the early morning hours of July 29, 1976, Donna Lauria and Jody Valenti sat in Jody\u2019s car in front of the Buhre Arms building discussing the events of their evening.<a href=\"#_ftn3\" name=\"_ftnref3\">[3]<\/a> The 18- and 19-year-old friends had no reason to be afraid. Donna lived right inside the building, they had just seen her parents walking back in after their own night out, and Jody\u2019s house was nearby.<a href=\"#_ftn4\" name=\"_ftnref4\">[4]<\/a> Pelham Bay was a low-crime, middle class neighborhood. It should have been safe, and it was, until Donna and Jody were shot at point-blank range by a stranger with a .44-caliber. Jody survived the shooting. Donna was killed immediately. No one knew it at the time, but the attack on the girls in Pelham Bay would become the beginning of the yearlong reign of terror of New York\u2019s most infamous serial killer.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 New York has never been a stranger to crime. With the city\u2019s population inching closer and closer to 8 million as of the 1970 U.S. Census,<a href=\"#_ftn5\" name=\"_ftnref5\">[5]<\/a> there was bound to be a healthy dose of civil unrest. Donna Lauria\u2019s murder was one of over 1600 in 1976 alone.<a href=\"#_ftn6\" name=\"_ftnref6\">[6]<\/a> The NYPD was exhausted and the investigation into Donna\u2019s death brought forth no leads. It seemed for a while that she would be resigned to forever be just another nameless, faceless victim of the trademark violence of New York in the 70s.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2905\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2905\" style=\"width: 280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2905\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/ForestHills-StationSq-280x210.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"280\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/ForestHills-StationSq-280x210.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/ForestHills-StationSq.jpeg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2905\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This updated photo of the Forest Hills Station Square in Queens gives a glimpse of the landmark that served as the site of the murders of Christine Freund and Virginia Voskerichian (Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Aside from a few nonfatal shootings with no apparent connection, the rest of 1976 went by relatively smoothly. January 30, 1977, however, brought back chaos. Christine Freund and her fianc\u00e9 John Diel were parked across the street from the Forest Hills Station in Queens. Forest Hills was known for its affluence, with the median household income significantly surpassing that of the rest of the city, and for its overwhelmingly white, Jewish population.<a href=\"#_ftn7\" name=\"_ftnref7\">[7]<\/a> Today, the Forest Hills Station Plaza is beautiful. Overall, not a bad place to close out an evening, at least, that\u2019s presumably what Christine and John thought until three .44-caliber bullets crashed through the window of John\u2019s car, one of which lodged itself in Christine\u2019s head.<a href=\"#_ftn8\" name=\"_ftnref8\">[8]<\/a> The bullet to the head was ruled as her cause of death when she died as St. John\u2019s Hospital several hours later.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It was at this point when connections began to form between the cases. A string of shootings, all with the same type of firearm, all aiming into the closed windows of parked cars, could hardly be a coincidence. Alarm bells sounded even louder on March 8, 1977, when 19-year-old Columbia University student Virginia Voskerichian was shot and killed on her walk home, only half a block from the site of Christine Freund\u2019s murder less than two months earlier.<a href=\"#_ftn9\" name=\"_ftnref9\">[9]<\/a> Police concluded that the same weapon killed both Christine and Virginia, leading them to believe that these killings were the work of a single person, who came to be known as \u201cThe .44-Caliber Killer.\u201d<a href=\"#_ftn10\" name=\"_ftnref10\">[10]<\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2908\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2908\" style=\"width: 183px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2908 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/Suriani_Esau_Son_of_Sam_April_1977-183x210.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"183\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/Suriani_Esau_Son_of_Sam_April_1977-183x210.jpeg 183w, https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/Suriani_Esau_Son_of_Sam_April_1977.jpeg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 183px) 100vw, 183px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2908\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Despite his targeting primarily of couples parked in cars, Valentina Suriani and Alexander Esau were the only couple that Son of Sam successfully killed together (Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Public interest was piqued at the prospect of a serial killer in New York City, but absolutely exploded after the bodies of Valentina Suriani and Alexander Esau were found inside a car parked in front of 1878 Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx on April 17. Tucked inside the broken window, amongst broken glass and Valentina and Alexander\u2019s blood, was a handwritten note addressed to the NYPD Captain, presumably left by the killer. He addressed himself as the \u201cSon of Sam,\u201d and the rambling note, riddled with misspellings, reads as the ravings of a madman. He taunted the police for not catching him and expressed intense desire to carry on his legacy. Once the note was released to the public and the new self-imposed nickname was adopted, New York began to truly live up to the nickname \u201cthe city that never sleeps.\u201d The air became thick with the putrid scent of mortal terror. People began changing their routines to avoid the killer at all costs. No one went out after dark. No one walked the streets alone. And absolutely no one dared to sit around in a parked car. The risk was too great; Son of Sam was indiscriminately killing people, with no apparent preference or shared victimology. Anyone could be next. Upon the release of a composite sketch of the killer, minds began to wander. One <em>Wall Street Journal <\/em>article quoted a woman who admitted she sized up anyone on the subway who looked like they had the \u201cright haircut.\u201d<a href=\"#_ftn11\" name=\"_ftnref11\">[11]<\/a> Every single newspaper and tabloid was printing article after article about the Son of Sam. Speculations about his identity and motive were varied and wide-reaching. Detectives operated under the assumption that he believed he was possessed by a demon, while psychologists pegged him as a paranoid schizophrenic.<a href=\"#_ftn12\" name=\"_ftnref12\">[12]<\/a> The fascination with this mysterious figure grew by the hour.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The concept of media sensationalism is nothing new. Historian Joy Wiltenburg estimates that sensational reporting has its roots in the 16<sup>th<\/sup> century, despite the term \u201csensationalism\u201d not appearing in the vernacular until the 1800s.<a href=\"#_ftn13\" name=\"_ftnref13\">[13]<\/a> True crime, specifically, has always been subject to sensationalism. Morbid curiosity combined with the human compulsion for rational explanation is the perfect recipe for the relentless barrage of crime media coverage. Early in its history, crime media focused primarily on victims, giving little publicity to criminals themselves, but at some point, the lines between individual victims began to blur. They became interchangeable tropes and, after an initial spurt of pity from the public, they were thrust out of the public eye just as quickly as they had entered it. This was when media began to focus on the criminals, who provided a much more enthralling story. Victims were typically normal, everyday people. Criminals, more specifically, murderers, represented the epitome of human depravity.<a href=\"#_ftn14\" name=\"_ftnref14\">[14]<\/a> They existed on the outskirts of societal norms and people were simultaneously disgusted and awed by their stories. This is why the Son of Sam craze came as no surprise. In 1977, he was New York\u2019s biggest celebrity, and no one even knew who he was.<a href=\"#_ftn15\" name=\"_ftnref15\">[15]<\/a> The speculation alone was enough to feed millions of New Yorkers hungry for juicy, heinous details.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2987\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2987\" style=\"width: 187px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2987\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/1st_Son_of_Sam_letter.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"187\" height=\"202\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2987\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Son of Sam&#8217;s letters to the police and to journalists were instrumental in garnering his fame. When the letters were published in the city&#8217;s newspapers, New Yorkers got a first-hand glimpse into the mind of a killer (Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What would become Son of Sam\u2019s final killing occurred two days after the one-year anniversary of Donna Lauria\u2019s death, on July 31, 1977. Twenty-year-olds Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante were kissing in Robert\u2019s car after what was, apparently, a pretty good first date. They were parked on the corner of Shore Parkway and Bay 14<sup>th<\/sup> Street in Bath Beach, Brooklyn when several rounds were fired through the passenger window, one of which resulted in Stacy\u2019s death.<a href=\"#_ftn16\" name=\"_ftnref16\">[16]<\/a> The manhunt for the killer continued for another week and a half until police found a gun identical to the model that had killed all of Son of Sam\u2019s victims in an illegally parked car not far from the scene of Stacy\u2019s murder.<a href=\"#_ftn17\" name=\"_ftnref17\">[17]<\/a> The car belonged to 24-year-old David Berkowitz, a short, boring, and frankly, unattractive postal worker. When confronted by police at his home in Yonkers, Berkowitz reportedly gave a slight smile before stating, simply, \u201cWell, you got me.\u201d<a href=\"#_ftn18\" name=\"_ftnref18\">[18]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The media coverage of the apprehension, trial, and subsequent conviction of David Berkowitz led to vehement debates about the ethics of journalism that still have relevance to this day. Given the scope of New York City\u2019s influence and the richness of its journalistic history, it seems natural that the debate would originate within the confines of the five boroughs. Freedom of the press was called into question. Critics of tabloids\u2019 handlings of the case questioned whether journalists were abusing their freedom and shirking certain civil responsibilities in favor of selling a story.<a href=\"#_ftn19\" name=\"_ftnref19\">[19]<\/a> There continues to be a fine line between reporting the news and exploiting it. This is not just isolated to New York City, either. The media tendency to capitalize on crime has surged in a national capacity for decades following the Son of Sam murders. It begs the questions: What do we really want to know? The truth or the spectacle?<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 At the time of Berkowitz\u2019s arrest, the two most popular New York City tabloids were <em>The Daily News <\/em>and <em>The New York Post<\/em>. The two newspapers were repeatedly accused of sensationalizing the crimes in order to increase their circulation, something editors vehemently denied. But the numbers speak for themselves. On an average news day, <em>The Post <\/em>sold around 600,000 copies and <em>The News <\/em>sold upwards of 1.5 million. On the day of Berkowitz\u2019s arrest, circulation increased to 1 million for <em>The Post <\/em>and over 2 million for <em>The News<\/em>.<a href=\"#_ftn20\" name=\"_ftnref20\">[20]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The story of Son of Sam, his victims, and the city he held captive serve as a reminder to us, even 45 years later, of the capacity of humankind for cruelty. Whether that cruelty comes in the form of point-blank shots to the face or the exploitation of the deaths of six young people is up to the individual. But no matter how you slice it, the Son of Sam saga was one that transfixed the city of New York and created a unique and generational breed of fear, as well as an undying thirst for the knowledge of the most unspeakable acts of humankind.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> \u201cThe Hot 100.\u201d Billboard. Billboard, March 18, 2022.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref2\" name=\"_ftn2\">[2]<\/a> \u201c50 Top-Grossing Films.\u201d <em>Variety<\/em>. July 28, 1976.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref3\" name=\"_ftn3\">[3]<\/a> Oppenheimer, Jerry. \u201cSon of Sam Survivor Breaks Her Silence after 40 Years.\u201d New York Post. New York Post, July 18, 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref4\" name=\"_ftn4\">[4]<\/a> Oppenheimer, \u201cSon of Sam Survivor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref5\" name=\"_ftn5\">[5]<\/a> U.S. Census Bureau; 1970 Second Count File B.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref6\" name=\"_ftn6\">[6]<\/a> Cooney, John E., Georgette Jasen, and Jonathan Kwitny. \u201c&#8217;Son of Sam&#8217; Creates Special Fear in a City Accustomed to Crime.\u201d <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>. August 10, 1977.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref7\" name=\"_ftn7\">[7]<\/a> Soffer, Jonathan M. \u201c9 New York: Divided and Broke (1973-77).\u201d Chapter. In <em>Ed Koch and the Rebuilding of New York City<\/em>, 105\u201320. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2012.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref8\" name=\"_ftn8\">[8]<\/a> Terry, Maury. <em>The Ultimate Evil: The Truth about the Cult Murders: Son of Sam &amp; Beyond<\/em>. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1989.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref9\" name=\"_ftn9\">[9]<\/a> McQuiston, John T. \u201cColumbia Coed, 19, Is Slain on Street In Forest Hills.\u201d <em>The New York Times<\/em>, March 9, 1977.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref10\" name=\"_ftn10\">[10]<\/a> \u00a0Ivins, Molly. \u201cStalking a Man Called &#8216;Son of Sam,&#8217; the .44-Caliber Killer.\u201d <em>New York Times<\/em>, May 21, 1977.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref11\" name=\"_ftn11\">[11]<\/a>Cooney et al., \u201cSpecial Fear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref12\" name=\"_ftn12\">[12]<\/a> Ivins, \u201cStalking \u2018Son of Sam.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref13\" name=\"_ftn13\">[13]<\/a> Wiltenburg, Joy. \u201cTrue Crime: The Origins of Modern Sensationalism.\u201d <em>The American Historical Review<\/em> 109, no. 5 (December 2004): 1377\u20131404.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref14\" name=\"_ftn14\">[14]<\/a> Wiltenburg, \u201cModern Sensationalism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref15\" name=\"_ftn15\">[15]<\/a> Wiest, Julie B. Dissertation. <em>Serial Killers as Heroes in the Media&#8217;s Storybook of Murder: A Textual Analysis of the New York Times Coverage of the &#8220;Son of Sam&#8221;, the &#8220;Boston Strangler&#8221;, and The &#8220;Night Stalker&#8221;<\/em>, 2003.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref16\" name=\"_ftn16\">[16]<\/a> Sanyal, Pathikrit. \u201cNeysa Moscowitz: Mother of David Berkowitz&#8217;s Last Victim Forgave Serial Killer &#8216;Son of Sam&#8217;, Here&#8217;s Why.\u201d MEAWW, May 5, 2021.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref17\" name=\"_ftn17\">[17]<\/a> Moritz, Owen, Michael Oreskes, Albert Davila, and Patrick Doyle. \u201cDavid Berkowitz Arrested for Son of Sam Killings after Biggest Manhunt in New York City History.\u201d <em>Daily News<\/em>. August 11, 1977.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref18\" name=\"_ftn18\">[18]<\/a> Moritz et al., \u201cDavid Berkowitz Arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref19\" name=\"_ftn19\">[19]<\/a> Winfrey, Carey. \u201c&#8217;Son of Sam&#8217; Case Poses Thorny Issues for Press.\u201d <em>The New York Times<\/em>, August 22, 1977.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref20\" name=\"_ftn20\">[20]<\/a> Winfrey, \u201cThorny Issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"builder-text-row\">\n<div class=\"builder-text-column builder-text-column-2\" id=\"builder-section-1464791023609-column-1\">\n<div class=\"builder-text-content\">\n<ul class=\"lcp_catlist\" id=\"lcp_instance_0\"><li><h5><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/bath-beach\/\">Bath Beach<\/a><\/h5><p class=\"lcp_excerpt\">After a pleasant first date on July 31, 1977, 20-year-olds Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante were closing out the night with some goodbye kisses in Robert&#8217;s car. Almost like clockwork, the elusive Son of Sam appeared, brandishing his famed .44 caliber, and shot through the passenger window. Both Stacy and Robert were shot in the ...<\/p><\/li><li><h5><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/forest-hills\/\">Forest Hills<\/a><\/h5><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/forest-hills\/\" title=\"Forest Hills\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/ForestHills-StationSq-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"lcp_thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Forest Hills\" \/><\/a><p class=\"lcp_excerpt\">On January 30, 1977 Christine Freund, 26, and her fianc\u00e9 John Diel, 30, had just enjoyed an evening showing of Rocky\u00a0and were sitting in John&#8217;s car planning the rest of their night when out of nowhere, a stranger fired a .44 caliber through the closed passenger-side window. Christine was shot in the head and, although ...<\/p><\/li><li><h5><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/hutchinson-river-parkway\/\">Hutchinson River Parkway<\/a><\/h5><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/hutchinson-river-parkway\/\" title=\"Hutchinson River Parkway\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/Suriani_Esau_Son_of_Sam_April_1977-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"lcp_thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Hutchinson River Parkway\" \/><\/a><p class=\"lcp_excerpt\">On a quiet service road on the Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx, Valentina Suriani, 18, and Alexander Esau, 20, were sitting in Alexander&#8217;s brother&#8217;s car, only a block away from Valentina&#8217;s house. They were confronted by an armed man on the evening of April 17, 1977, when both were fatally shot. Valentina died instantly ...<\/p><\/li><li><h5><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/pelham-bay\/\">Pelham Bay<\/a><\/h5><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/pelham-bay\/\" title=\"Pelham Bay\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/PelhamBaySt-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"lcp_thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Pelham Bay\" \/><\/a><p class=\"lcp_excerpt\">In the 1970s, the Pelham Bay neighborhood of the Bronx was a low-crime, middle-class area of the city. It wasn&#8217;t until 18-year-old Donna Lauria and 19-year-old Jody Valenti were shot through the closed passenger window of Jody&#8217;s car while parked outside of Donna&#8217;s building, the Buhre Arms, that there was any reason to be afraid. ...<\/p><\/li><li class=\"current\"><h5><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/son-of-sam\/\">Son Of Sam<\/a><\/h5><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/son-of-sam\/\" title=\"Son Of Sam\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/files\/2022\/04\/View_looking_S_towards_Brooklyn_Heights._Jack_Boucher_photographer_1978._-_Brooklyn_Bridge_Spanning_East_River_between_Park_Row_Manhattan_and_Sands_Street_Brooklyn_New_York_HAER_NY31-NEYO90-9.tif_-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"lcp_thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Son Of Sam\" \/><\/a><p class=\"lcp_excerpt\">\n\n        Son Of Sam    \n\n\n\n\n(Given the heavy subject matter, I thought I would offer a slight reprieve by compiling a playlist of the top 20 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 from the weeks of July 31, 1976 and August 6, 1977, which mark the ...<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\n\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"builder-section-postlist_33\" class=\"builder-section-prev-text builder-section builder-section-postlist builder-section-next-panels -mode\" style=\"background-size: cover; background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: center center;\">\n<div class=\"builder-section-content container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ttfmp-post-list columns-2 thumbnail-top has-excerpt\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ttfmp-post-list-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ttfmp-post-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<header class=\"ttfmp-post-list-item-header\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"ttfmp-post-list-item-title\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/bath-beach\/\">\n\t\t\tBath Beach\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"ttfmp-post-list-item-date\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/bath-beach\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">\n\t\t\tApril 27, 2022\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/span>\n\t<\/header>\n<div class=\"ttfmp-post-list-item-content\">\n\t<p>After a pleasant first date on July 31, 1977, 20-year-olds Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante were closing out the night with some goodbye kisses in Robert&#8217;s car. Almost like clockwork, the elusive Son of Sam appeared, brandishing his famed .44 caliber, and shot through the passenger window. Both Stacy and&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/2022\/04\/27\/bath-beach\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"builder-section-panels_31\" class=\"builder-section-prev-postlist builder-section builder-section-panels builder-section-last accordion-mode\" style=\"background-size: cover; background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: center center;\">\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Son Of Sam (Given the heavy subject matter, I thought I would offer a slight reprieve by compiling a playlist of the top 20 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 from the weeks of July 31, 1976 and August 6, 1977, which mark the beginning and the end of Son of Sam&#8217;s reign. Feel free &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5308,"featured_media":2893,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-builder.php","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[332],"tags":[363,159,360,361,140,362,359],"class_list":["post-2576","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-son-of-sam","tag-1970s","tag-brooklyn","tag-crime","tag-media-sensationalism","tag-queens","tag-son-of-sam","tag-the-bronx"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5308"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2576"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3180,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2576\/revisions\/3180"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/nyc-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}