Book Description

"Characters galore, both good guys and gangsters, leap from the pages" (The New York Times) in this irresistible, authentic look at 175 years of true crime cases from the NYPD archives, packed with photos, artifacts and expert revelations. From atrocities that occurred before the establishment of New York's police force in 1845 through the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 to the present day, this chronological visual history is an insider's look at more than 80 real-life crimes that shocked the nation, from arson to gangland murders, robberies, serial killers, bombings, and kidnappings, including: Architect Stanford White's fatal shooting at Madison Square Garden over his deflowering of a teenage chorus girl. The anarchist bombing of Wall Street in 1920, which killed 39 people and injured hundreds more with flying shrapnel. Kitty Genovese's 1964 senseless stabbing, famously witnessed by dozen of bystanders who did not intervene. Robert Chambers, the handsome, wealthy ex-Choate student, who murdered Jennifer Levin in Central Park, called "The Preppy Murder Case." Son of Sam, a serial killer who eluded police for months while terrorizing the city, was finally apprehended through a simple parking ticket. Perfect for crime buffs, urban historians, and fans of American Crime Story, this riveting collection details New York's most startling and unsettling crimes through behind-the-scenes analysis of investigations and more than 250 revealing photographs.