Latest news with #RobertViolante
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Yahoo
Survivors of the "Son of Sam" serial killer in their own words
This story was originally posted on Aug. 10, 2017. It was updated on Aug. 2, 2025. On July 31, 1977, Robert Violante and Stacy Moskowitz were on their first date sitting in his parked car in a Brooklyn "lovers lane" when they were suddenly shot in their heads by the "Son of Sam" serial killer who terrorized New Yorkers for more than a year before his arrest on Aug. 10, 1977. "The doctors said I was not going to make it, and that Stacy would," Violante told CBS News in 2017. A .44 caliber slug destroyed Violante's left eye and damaged his right eye as it tore across his skull. But it was Moskowitz, a 19-year-old college student, who succumbed to her wounds, and it was Violante, 20, who faced a life forever shattered by a maniac's bullets. Incredibly, just four days earlier, Violante landed a modeling job at the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency after taking an hour subway into "the city" — Manhattan. Once the agents saw the 6-feet-1 Violante, with his John Travolta looks, they immediately signed him up starting the following Monday. In many ways, he was a real-life Tony Manero, the character Travolta played in that year's iconic movie "Saturday Night Fever." The next night, he met Moskowitz while out celebrating his good fortune at a "Gong Show" event at a popular "Beefsteak Charlies." The eatery was "wall to wall people," he recalled, and in the crush Violante found himself face-to-face with Stacy. "She was a beautiful, beautiful girl," Violante said. "And what a pleasant, pleasant girl. A very bubbly, full of life young lady." They hit it off, talked for hours, and agreed to see each other that Saturday night, July 31, even though they, like all New Yorkers, were worried about the "Son of Sam." The serial killer had killed five and wounded six others, but he had never struck in Brooklyn. His female victims had shoulder-length dark hair. "Stacy's a blonde," Violante reassured his mother as he headed out on their maiden date. They went to the movie, "New York, New York," and then drove to Shore Parkway stopping near the water, where they strolled and played on a set of swings. "We were like two little kids," Violante recalled. A figure lurking in the shadow, however, with his arms crossed, spooked Moskowitz. She asked to leave, and they got into Violante's car, but he said, "Let's stay five minutes." He would forever wish he immediately drove away. Within two minutes, the car glass suddenly exploded. Everything went dark, and he thought he was dead. "I was shot in the head, totally blind and full of blood," Violante recalled. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! He killed us." Then he heard Moskowitz moaning and realized he was alive. Although gravely wounded and unable to see, Violante managed to open the car door, and wrap his hand around a nearby light pole. Screaming, "We've been shot, we've been shot," he pressed his other hand on the car horn, honking it until the battery died, and he collapsed in the street. Days later, his father — "my best pal" —broke the news Violante had lost his sight. Weeks later, he told Violante that Moskowitz had died 18 hours after the shooting. "I cried like a baby," Violante recalled. Violante never asked "why me, because that would mean why not someone else." He became a portrait in courage, summoning an inner strength he never knew he had, and seemingly willing his damaged eye to improve enough to avoid the need of a Seeing Eye dog. "I swore I would never have one," he said. Ultimately, after long stretches of rehabilitation, he obtained a rigorous mailer's position with the U.S. Postal Service, for which David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam," ironically also worked. Violante handled mail for 35 years until his retirement. He never married, and always wondered what might have evolved with Moskowitz had their young relationship been given time to blossom. Nearly a year earlier and a borough away, Carl Denaro, then a 20-year-old who had just enlisted in the Air Force, had his life shattered by another .44 caliber slug in Flushing, Queens. Denaro, who was more hippie than Tony Manero, met Rosemary Keenan, 18, at a local bar on Oct. 23, 1976. They took a short drive to a nearby park, where gunfire suddenly shattered the windows of his Volkswagen Beetle. The bullets missed Keenan, and Denaro "yelled at her to start the car, (and) let's get out of here," he told CBS News. They returned to the bar, where Denaro said, "I don't feel too good." He rested his head on a table, and a large pool of blood spilled out from beneath his shoulder-length hair and shirt. At the time, no one had heard of the "Son of Sam" because he had yet to leave a note for police to figure out there was a pattern to the madness. In fact, police initially were suspicious of Denaro, and it took months before the NYPD realized they had a serial killer on the loose and Denaro was one of his victims. Doctors told Denaro that he was lucky. They put a plate in his head and he eventually returned to playing softball with friends. His military career derailed, and he went on to work for Merrill Lynch and in telecommunications financing before retiring. He recalled, however, that he lived for years with gawkers pointing out he was shot by the "Son of Sam." Both Denaro and Violante rejoiced when David Berkowitz, a postal worker from Yonkers, was charged as the "Son and Sam" on Aug. 10, 1977. Neither is certain Berkowitz acted alone. And Violante admits he wanted Berkowitz to receive the death penalty. But they both are thrilled he is off the streets forever. "Thank God," Violante recalled shouting when he heard the news decades ago in his hospital room. "At least now he won't be able to harm anyone else." Black swimmers teach others amid history of aquatic segregation Not exactly wasting away in this Margaritaville AARP and the business of an aging audience
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Taconic State Parkway accident: What we know about May 14 fatal crash in Westchester
A multi-car crash on the Taconic State Parkway in Westchester Wednesday, May 14 killed four people and left a fifth person in critical condition, state police said. Read on for what we know now. New York State Police have identified those killed, and the person injured, in Wednesday's crash. According to a press release, three New Jersey men who were passengers in a Ram ProMaster van — Odenis Balladares Martinez, 20, of Neptune; Harrison Mauricio Reyes Rivera, 34, of Long Branch; and Bryan Aguilar Castillo, 45, of Asbury Park — were pronounced dead at the scene. The van, driven by Yader A. Reyes, 50, of Long Branch, NJ, collided head on with the 2024 Honda Accord driven by Robert Violante, 45, of Granite Springs, whose car was traveling in the northbound passing lane. Violante, who was New Jersey's Bergenfield High School head football coach and a former star Somers High School athlete, was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to injuries and was pronounced dead, according to police, Reyes is in critical condition at Westchester Medical Center, police said. Related: Police identify NJ, NY victims in fatal Taconic State Parkway crash in New Castle Wednesday's fatal crash happened on the Taconic in the town of New Castle, at mile marker 9.2 near exits 8 and 9, according to a press release from New York State police. A Sprinter van traveling southbound on the Taconic Wednesday afternoon crossed the median and collided with a Honda sedan that was traveling north in the left lane, police said. The van flipped over and burst into flames. Three of the van's passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver of the Honda died after being taken to a hospital. The van driver was in critical condition at Westchester Medical Center, police said. Related Four people killed in Taconic State Parkway crash: Police Police have not yet identified victims in the Taconic State Parkway crash. Four people have died, and one person, whom police said was driving the Sprinter van, was injured and is in critical condition. On social media, the New Jersey and Lower Hudson Valley sports communities have identified one of the victims as Robert Violante, a coach at Bergenfield High School in Bergen County, NJ. According to a report from the The Record/ the New Jersey Football Coaches Association put out a statement on Thursday morning on X, formerly known as Twitter: "The NJFCA has waken up to the tragic news of Coach Rob Violante's sudden passing. He was an outstanding coach, mentor, friend & family man." New York State Police are investigating the May 14 crash. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has relevant information is urged to contact the police at 845-677-7300. Traffic was diverted off Exit 8 and the northbound lanes of the Taconic State Parkway remained closed for several hours on Wednesday. State police announced the roadway had reopened at 11:20 p.m. As of 8:10 a.m. Thursday, traffic appeared to be moving as normal and all lanes were open on the Taconic. Contributing: lohud's Michael P. McKinney, Peter Carr, Ashley Fontones and Jonathan Bandler; Darren Cooper of USA TODAY Network's (This is a developing story and will update.) This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Taconic State Parkway accident: What we know now about fatal crash
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police identify NJ, NY victims in fatal Taconic State Parkway crash in New Castle
State police have identified the four people killed, and the person critically injured, in Wednesday's two-car Taconic State Parkway crash in New Castle. Preliminary investigation indicates a 2014 Ram ProMaster van driven by Yader A. Reyes, 50, of Long Branch, New Jersey, was traveling south May 14 on the Taconic when it crossed the median into the northbound lanes, a New York State Police news release said. The van collided head on with the 2024 Honda Accord driven by Robert Violante, 45, of Granite Springs, whose car was traveling in the northbound passing lane. Taconic State Parkway accident: What we know now about May 14 fatal crash in Westchester Three passengers in the Ram ProMaster, all men from New Jersey — Odenis Balladares Martinez, 20, of Neptune; Harrison Mauricio Reyes Rivera, 34, of Long Branch; and Bryan Aguilar Castillo, 45, of Asbury Park were —pronounced dead at the scene. Violante, who was New Jersey's Bergenfield High School head football coach and a former star Somers High School athlete, was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to injuries and was pronounced dead, according to police, Reyes, the van's driver, is in critical condition at Westchester Medical Center, the police said Crash victim remembered: Bergenfield coach, former Somers HS athlete Rob Violante killed in Taconic crash The crash's cause is unknown and the investigation is ongoing, police said Thursday. Wednesday's crash, which occurred at mile marker 9.2 near exits 8 and 9, caused the van to overturn and catch fire, according to the police. A stretch of the Taconic was closed for hours after the crash and traffic was diverted off Exit 8. The state police ask that anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who has relevant information to contact the police at 845-677-7300. Contributing: lohud's Alexandra Rivera, Peter Carr, Ashley Fontones, and Jonathan Bandler; Darren Cooper of USA TODAY Network's This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Police ID 4 people killed, 1 injured in Taconic State Parkway crash
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Taconic State Parkway crash victim Robert Violante was a beloved N.J. football coach
Robert Violante, head football coach at New Jersey's Bergenfield High School, was killed in a horrific accident on the Taconic State Parkway in New York. Bergenfield's superintendent and mayor confirmed Violante was one of the four people who died in the fiery collision Wednesday in Westchester County. "It is with profound sorrow that I write to inform you of the passing of our beloved high school faculty member, head football coach, and track coach, Mr. Robert Violante — known affectionately to many as "Coach V," Bergenfield Superintendent Christopher Tully wrote in a letter to students, staff and parents Thursday. "His unexpected loss is deeply felt across our entire school community, and we know that Bergenfield High School and our town will never be the same without him. He died in a tragic car accident on the way home from school yesterday." Violante started working for the district as a special education teacher 15 years ago, the letter said. Robert Violante, head football coach at New Jersey's Bergenfield High School, died in the fiery crash on the Taconic State Parkway on May 14, 2025, officials confirmed. Bergenfield Public School District "Many fondly compared him to Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in Kindergarten Cop, a gentle giant guiding young children with care and strength," Tully wrote. "His heart of gold and unwavering support made him a beloved figure in our schools." Grief counselors are being made available to Bergenfield students and staff in the wake of Violante's death, the superintendent said. "Our community is grieving right now, especially the kids in school," Mayor Arvin Amatorio said in a statement to CBS News New York. The New Jersey Football Coaches Association said on social media, "The NJFCA has waken up to the tragic news of Coach Rob Violante's sudden passing. He was an outstanding coach, mentor, friend & family man. Please join us in sending our collective support to his loved ones, his staff, his players & the Bergenfield community. RIP Coach Violante." Information about memorial services for Violante will be shared on the school's website when available, Tully said. 4 dead in Taconic State Parkway crash The fatal crash happened at around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday near Saw Mill River Road in New Castle. New York State Police said the driver of a Sprinter van going southbound crossed the median into the northbound lanes and struck a Honda sedan. The van overturned and burst into flames. Three people in the van were pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver was hospitalized in critical condition. The Honda driver died from their injuries at the hospital. Officials did not immediately say which car Violante was in. The names of the three other victims have not yet been released. Mark Prussin Mark Prussin is a digital producer at CBS New York. He covers breaking news, sports, politics and trending stories in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Mark joined the CBS New York team in 2019. contributed to this report.
