eyewitness accounts of the Son of Sam killer's victims
On a fateful summer evening of July 31, 1977, Robert Violante, a young man resembling John Travolta, and Stacy Moskowitz, a 19-year-old college student, embarked on their first date. The pair met at a "Gong Show" event at the popular eatery, Beefsteak Charlies. After an evening spent watching the movie "New York, New York", they found themselves near the water, playing on a set of swings.
However, their idyllic date took a tragic turn when they were both shot by the notorious Son of Sam serial killer, David Berkowitz, in a Brooklyn "lovers lane". Robert Violante was hit by a .44 caliber slug, which destroyed his left eye and damaged his right. Stacy Moskowitz, mortally wounded, succumbed to her injuries 18 hours later.
The Son of Sam, as Berkowitz was known, had been terrorizing New York City since April 1976, killing six people and wounding seven others, often targeting young women and couples in parked cars. He taunted police and the media by leaving handwritten letters signed "Son of Sam" at crime scenes.
Key details of the Son of Sam case include the first known attack on Wendy Savino on April 9, 1976, and the killer's revelation of his identity through a note left at a June 1977 crime scene. Police arrested Berkowitz on August 10, 1977, and he confessed the next day, claiming demonic possession by a neighbor's dog.
Robert Violante's life was forever changed by the shooting. He was informed by his father that he had lost his sight days after the incident. Despite this, he managed to avoid needing a Seeing Eye dog and focused instead on overcoming his injuries. Violante never asked why he was shot, choosing to move forward rather than dwell on the past.
Violante's life took a different turn after the shooting. He worked for 35 years as a mailer with the U.S. Postal Service and never married. He often wondered about the potential of his relationship with Stacy Moskowitz.
The shooting also impacted the life of Carl Denaro, a 20-year-old who enlisted in the Air Force. Denaro was shot by a .44 caliber slug nearly a year before Violante, in Flushing, Queens. His military career was derailed due to the shooting. Denaro met Rosemary Keenan at a local bar and was shot in a nearby park.
Both Denaro and Violante were relieved when Berkowitz was charged as the serial killer on Aug. 10, 1977. The arrest ended a 13-month reign of terror that deeply affected New York City in the 1970s.
[1] "David Berkowitz: The Son of Sam." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 10 Mar. 2023.
[2] "The Son of Sam Murders." Crime Museum. Crime Museum, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2023.
[3] "The Son of Sam Killings." FBI. Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2023.
[4] "The Son of Sam." Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 14 Feb. 2023. Web. 10 Mar. 2023.
- The tragic story of Robert Violante and Stacy Moskowitz, who were shot by the Son of Sam serial killer, was a major part of the crime and justice news in 1977.
- The Son of Sam case, marked by a series of violent crimes, was a significant event in both the general news and politics of New York City in the 1970s.
