“What will you have for July 29?” demanded the Son of Sam in a letter last May.
It was a taunt – or warning – from a psychopath to remember the first anniversary of a year of terror, during which he had killed five persons and wounded six others with a .44-caliber Charter Arms Bulldog revolver, that mobilized hundreds of plainclothes men, uniformed and off-duty New York policemen for a 48-hour period that ended yesterday at dawn.
“That’s what makes it so frustrating. We have no theories. We have no leads. And that is just the truth.” Dowd
Throughout the evening and into the early morning hours the inspector managed to appear unruffled. He remained neatly dressed in his blue-cord suit and tightly knotted tie as his men – nearly all dressed in sports shirts and slacks or dungarees – continued to hunt.
A man waiting for half an hour in front of the 109th Precinct station was searched by a suspicious detective. The embarrassed policeman discovered that the man was just waiting for his wife to arrive at the corner bus stop. “Still, it could have been Sam. It would have been just like him to come right to our front door,” the detective insisted.
Excerpt from Howard Blum 07/31/77 New York Times
Sunday, July 31, 1977
Friday, July 29, 1977
Nationwide Poll Finds 6% Think New York is a Good Place to Live
A national poll conducted after the blackout in New York City on July 13-14 found that 6 percent of those polled think New York is a good place to live and 34 percent think it is a good place to visit.
The finding indicate that New York’s negative image in the country is strong. In Kansas City MO someone said, “We had looting here in the summer of 1967. New York has no monopoly on that sort of thing. It could happen anywhere.”
Someone from Miami said, “It’s just what you expect from New York. Most of us expect the worst and New York didn’t let us down.”
As a place to live 1% rated the city as “excellent,” 5% “good,” 19% “fair,” and 65% “poor.” Better numbers for visit but “poor” was the largest vote getter.
Last year after Operation Sail and the DNC won praise for New York from tens of thousands of visitors, it was widely believed that many Americans were taking a more positive attitude toward New York. (Bicentennial vibes wore off fast).
“New York still is the Big Apple as far as I’m concerned. It is still the most interesting city in America. Its problems, like its good points, just seem bigger.”
“Its another black eye for New York. I suspect more taxpayers will leave. After last year’s DNC its like two steps forward and one step back. The big question is can Con Ed operate and is New York manageable?
Commenting on 5 explanations on why so many people participated in the looting, half said it was because “they are out of work and frustrated.” Two-thirds said they were “the kind of people who always steal if they think they can get away with it.” More than three-quarters said it was not because “they are poor and needy.”
excerpt from Michael Sterne NYT 7/29/77
The finding indicate that New York’s negative image in the country is strong. In Kansas City MO someone said, “We had looting here in the summer of 1967. New York has no monopoly on that sort of thing. It could happen anywhere.”
Someone from Miami said, “It’s just what you expect from New York. Most of us expect the worst and New York didn’t let us down.”
As a place to live 1% rated the city as “excellent,” 5% “good,” 19% “fair,” and 65% “poor.” Better numbers for visit but “poor” was the largest vote getter.
Last year after Operation Sail and the DNC won praise for New York from tens of thousands of visitors, it was widely believed that many Americans were taking a more positive attitude toward New York. (Bicentennial vibes wore off fast).
“New York still is the Big Apple as far as I’m concerned. It is still the most interesting city in America. Its problems, like its good points, just seem bigger.”
“Its another black eye for New York. I suspect more taxpayers will leave. After last year’s DNC its like two steps forward and one step back. The big question is can Con Ed operate and is New York manageable?
Commenting on 5 explanations on why so many people participated in the looting, half said it was because “they are out of work and frustrated.” Two-thirds said they were “the kind of people who always steal if they think they can get away with it.” More than three-quarters said it was not because “they are poor and needy.”
excerpt from Michael Sterne NYT 7/29/77
Thursday, July 28, 1977
Grocer Is Held as Revenge Killer After Slaying of His Wife in Holdup
A Brooklyn grocer whose wife was shot to death by robbers Monday night was arrested on a murder charge yesterday afternoon, accused of having killed one of his wife’s assailants.
The grocer, Hector Sepulveda, who became a widower and a murder suspect within 24 hours, was found in Maimonides Hospital, where he had been admitted under an assumed name, after his 18-year-old son, Hector Jr.,was arrested and told police where his father was.
The son, the father, and a family friend, Felix Diou, 51, were said to have waited all day Tuesday in a station wagon on a block of Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn for Berrios Santiago, 38, who the police said was one of three men who robbed Mr. S’s grocery Monday night. During the robbery Gladys S. 33, was slain. “For $200 they shot my mother in the head.”
At 5:30pm Tuesday, the S’s and Mr. Diou allegedly approached Mr. Santiago while he sat in front of the house where he lived in Park Slope. There was a brief gun battle with 10 rounds fired. Mr. Santiago died on the sidewalk. Mr. S was wounded, but fled with his son while Mr. Diou was arrested and booked on a murder charge.
Olga Cruz said that people in the neighborhood believed Mr. Sepulveda had given the police an exact description of the robbers and their getaway car, but that the police didn’t do anything about it. Police, however, said they thought Mr. Sepulveda had a much better idea of who had killed his wife than he had given police.
excerpt from Molly Ivins NYT 7/28/77
The grocer, Hector Sepulveda, who became a widower and a murder suspect within 24 hours, was found in Maimonides Hospital, where he had been admitted under an assumed name, after his 18-year-old son, Hector Jr.,was arrested and told police where his father was.
The son, the father, and a family friend, Felix Diou, 51, were said to have waited all day Tuesday in a station wagon on a block of Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn for Berrios Santiago, 38, who the police said was one of three men who robbed Mr. S’s grocery Monday night. During the robbery Gladys S. 33, was slain. “For $200 they shot my mother in the head.”
At 5:30pm Tuesday, the S’s and Mr. Diou allegedly approached Mr. Santiago while he sat in front of the house where he lived in Park Slope. There was a brief gun battle with 10 rounds fired. Mr. Santiago died on the sidewalk. Mr. S was wounded, but fled with his son while Mr. Diou was arrested and booked on a murder charge.
Olga Cruz said that people in the neighborhood believed Mr. Sepulveda had given the police an exact description of the robbers and their getaway car, but that the police didn’t do anything about it. Police, however, said they thought Mr. Sepulveda had a much better idea of who had killed his wife than he had given police.
excerpt from Molly Ivins NYT 7/28/77
Friday, July 22, 1977
104 Degrees in New York Ties for 2nd Hottest
New York City suffered through a blistering 104 degrees yesterday – the second-highest temperature ever recorded here – with wilting discomfort but no disaster.
The peak temperature was reached at 2:40pm and tied a previous reading of 104 on August 7, 1918. It was second only to the 106 degrees of July 9, 1936.
New Yorkers clung to air-conditioned offices and the shady side of the streets when they had to venture out. On the Staten Island Ferry, stokers had to contend with temperatures of 145 degrees in the boiler rooms.
excerpt from David Bird NYT 7/22/77
The peak temperature was reached at 2:40pm and tied a previous reading of 104 on August 7, 1918. It was second only to the 106 degrees of July 9, 1936.
New Yorkers clung to air-conditioned offices and the shady side of the streets when they had to venture out. On the Staten Island Ferry, stokers had to contend with temperatures of 145 degrees in the boiler rooms.
excerpt from David Bird NYT 7/22/77
Lightning Hits 5 in Central Park and a Queens Bather
Five persons were struck by lightning yesterday in Central Park and a sixth was struck on the beach in Jacob Rils Park, Queens. The five in Central Park were standing at or near a baseball diamond at 100th Street, near the center of the park.
The National Weather Service advises staying away from telephones and other electrical equipment during a lightning storm. If caught outdoors people are advised to stay away from trees but to seek refuge inside caves, ditches or hollows or to lie flat in an open field.
excerpt from NYT 7/22/77
The National Weather Service advises staying away from telephones and other electrical equipment during a lightning storm. If caught outdoors people are advised to stay away from trees but to seek refuge inside caves, ditches or hollows or to lie flat in an open field.
excerpt from NYT 7/22/77
Wednesday, July 20, 1977
102 Sets New York City Record As Heat Broils Most of the Nation
The heat broke the previous record for the day – 98 degrees in 1930 – but it was short of the highest ever recorded – 106 on July 9, 1936.
excerpt from NYT 7/20/77
excerpt from NYT 7/20/77
Tuesday, July 19, 1977
Sutton, Palmer Start for All-Stars Tonight
For the first time in 13 summers, baseball will stage its All-Star Game in New York tonight, when the American league tries to escape one of the strangest slumps in the history of its rivalry with the National League: five straight loses and 13 in the last 14 years. 25 of the last 31 (including this game).
Each has pitched in three previous All-Star games; neither has allowed a run yet. Palmer, three times voted the best pitcher in the AL, might have added to his stats last July, but was left off the roster by Darrell Johnson whom he promptly described as “an idiot.”
Billy Martin did not initially select Nolan Ryan but chose his teammate Frank Tanana who developed shoulder trouble. When the managers picked the eight pitchers for each team, Martin chose Tanana of the Angels but ignored Ryan who had won 13 games with four sutouts and 222 stikeouts. Then Tanana developed a strained shoulder and was replace belatedly by Ryan, who refused the nomination. Martin claimed, “It’s difficult because you have to select at least one player from every team.”
NYT Joseph Durso NYT 7/19/77
Each has pitched in three previous All-Star games; neither has allowed a run yet. Palmer, three times voted the best pitcher in the AL, might have added to his stats last July, but was left off the roster by Darrell Johnson whom he promptly described as “an idiot.”
Billy Martin did not initially select Nolan Ryan but chose his teammate Frank Tanana who developed shoulder trouble. When the managers picked the eight pitchers for each team, Martin chose Tanana of the Angels but ignored Ryan who had won 13 games with four sutouts and 222 stikeouts. Then Tanana developed a strained shoulder and was replace belatedly by Ryan, who refused the nomination. Martin claimed, “It’s difficult because you have to select at least one player from every team.”
NYT Joseph Durso NYT 7/19/77
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