'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Between July 1976 and July 1977, David Berkowitz, known as the "Son of Sam," killed six and injured at least seven others through a series of shootings in New York City. Netflix's Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes features David Berkowitz's case.
He reportedly used a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver for the attacks, and most of the victims were young women and couples in parked cars. The shootings occurred in various neighborhoods, including the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn.
The case caught the city’s attention and instilled widespread fear until David Berkowitz's arrest on August 10, 1977. According to The New York Times, Berkowitz was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for each murder, which were to be served consecutively.
Trending
As per CBS News, his victims included 18-year-old Donna Lauria of the Bronx, Barnard College student Virginia Voskerichian, killed steps from her home, and Stacy Moskowitz, victim of a fatal shooting on a first date in Brooklyn. Some surviving victims never fully recovered, such as Joanne Lomino, who was permanently disabled.
In the case of Carl Denaro and Robert Violante, they survived gunshot wounds to the head. They were able to rebuild their lives after the attacks. Carl Denaro built a career in finance, and Robert Violante worked for the Postal Service before retiring.
Victims of David Berkowitz: Who were they and what happened to them?
According to NBC News, Savino was recently identified by the New York Police Department as the first confirmed victim of Berkowitz. During the attack, she was shot five times, three initially, and two more in the back. She recalled hearing David Berkowitz's laugh before she pretended to be dead and managed to reach a nearby restaurant for help. Savino spent two months in intensive care recovering from her injuries.
On July 29, 1976, 18-year-old Donna Lauria was shot by David Berkowitz in the neck and killed while sitting in a parked car in the Bronx. Her friend, Jody Valenti, survived the attack.
A few months later, on October 23, 20-year-old Carl Denaro and 18-year-old Rosemary Keenan were shot while seated in Denaro’s parked car in Queens. Denaro sustained a gunshot wound to the head, while Keenan was injured by shattered glass.
On November 27, Berkowitz shot 18-year-old friends Donna DeMasi and Joanne Lomino outside Lomino's home in Queens. DeMasi survived the shooting without permanent physical harm, but Lomino was left paralyzed from the waist down. Another attack followed on January 30, 1977, in Flushing, when Christine Freund was fatally shot while sitting in a parked car with her fiancé, John Diel, who survived the incident.
On March 8, 1977, Virginia Voskerichian, a 19-year-old Barnard College honor student, was shot in the face and killed about a block from the site of the previous attack.
Later on June 26, 1977, Judy Placido, 17, and Sal Lupo, 20, were shot while leaving a nightclub in Queens. While Placido was shot three times, both individuals survived the incident.
The final known shooting occurred on July 31, 1977. 19-year-old Stacy Moskowitz and 20-year-old Robert Violante were shot while on their first date in Brooklyn. Moskowitz succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head. Violante was critically injured, having been shot in the temple. Though doctors initially feared for his life, he ultimately survived, as reported by CBS News.
"The doctors said I was not going to make it, and that Stacy would," Violante told CBS.
Where are the survivors now?
Several of Berkowitz's victims survived, though many were left with lasting physical and emotional scars. Robert Violante continued to live with the consequences of the attack that nearly took his life. He lost his left eye entirely and suffered permanent damage to his right eye.
Violante had handled letters and parcels at the U.S. Postal Service for 35 years of his life, until his recent retirement. He never got married and often wondered what would have happened if he and Stacy had had the time to nurture their youthful connection.
Carl Denaro, who was also shot in the head during the attacks, underwent surgery in which a metal plate was implanted to replace shattered bone. Despite the trauma, he was able to resume a relatively normal life. Though his military aspirations were curtailed, he later pursued a career at Merrill Lynch and worked in telecommunications financing until his retirement, as reported by CBS News.
Other survivors from David Berkowitz's attack have stayed away from the public spotlight and haven't made any public appearances or statements since the trial.
Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes was released on July 30, 2025, on Netflix.
