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Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America
At last, the true story of a crime that shocked the world. New York City, 1964. A young woman is stabbed to death on her front stoop--a murder the New York Times called "a frozen moment of dramatic, disturbing social change." The victim, Catherine "Kitty" Genovese, became an urban martyr, butchered by a sociopathic killer in plain sight of thirty-eight neighbors who "didn't want to get involved." Her sensational case provoked an anxious outcry and launched a sociological theory known as the "Bystander Effect."
That's the narrative told by the Times, movies, TV programs, and countless psychology textbooks. But as award-winning author Kevin Cook reveals, the Genovese story is just that, a story. The truth is far more compelling--and so is the victim.
Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of her murder, Cook presents the real Kitty Genovese. She was a vibrant young woman--unbeknownst to most, a lesbian--a bartender working (and dancing) her way through the colorful, fast-changing New York of the '60s, a cultural kaleidoscope marred by the Kennedy assassination, the Cold War, and race riots. Downtown, Greenwich Village teemed with beatniks, folkies, and so-called misfits like Kitty and her lover. Kitty Genovese evokes the Village's gay and lesbian underground with deep feeling and colorful detail.
Cook also reconstructs the crime itself, tracing the movements of Genovese's killer, Winston Moseley, whose disturbing trial testimony made him a terrifying figure to police and citizens alike, especially after his escape from Attica State Prison.
Drawing on a trove of long-lost documents, plus new interviews with her lover and other key figures, Cook explores the enduring legacy of the case. His heartbreaking account of what really happened on the night Genovese died is the most accurate and chilling to date.
That's the narrative told by the Times, movies, TV programs, and countless psychology textbooks. But as award-winning author Kevin Cook reveals, the Genovese story is just that, a story. The truth is far more compelling--and so is the victim.
Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of her murder, Cook presents the real Kitty Genovese. She was a vibrant young woman--unbeknownst to most, a lesbian--a bartender working (and dancing) her way through the colorful, fast-changing New York of the '60s, a cultural kaleidoscope marred by the Kennedy assassination, the Cold War, and race riots. Downtown, Greenwich Village teemed with beatniks, folkies, and so-called misfits like Kitty and her lover. Kitty Genovese evokes the Village's gay and lesbian underground with deep feeling and colorful detail.
Cook also reconstructs the crime itself, tracing the movements of Genovese's killer, Winston Moseley, whose disturbing trial testimony made him a terrifying figure to police and citizens alike, especially after his escape from Attica State Prison.
Drawing on a trove of long-lost documents, plus new interviews with her lover and other key figures, Cook explores the enduring legacy of the case. His heartbreaking account of what really happened on the night Genovese died is the most accurate and chilling to date.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2014
60 people are currently reading
3028 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Cook
67 books120 followersKevin Cook, the award-winning author of Titanic Thompson and Tommy’s Honor, has written for the New York Times, the Daily News, GQ, Men’s Journal, Vogue, and many other publications, and has appeared on CNN and Fox TV. He lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
April 6, 2014
Too many detours in the early part of the book. For instance, why is there basically a one-page discussion of the Detroit Tigers and Hank Greenberg (pp. 33-34)? Do we really need to know that Al Kooper produced "Sweet Home Alabama" (p. 40)?
April 9, 2014
If you've heard the name Kitty Genovese, then you probably know of her as I did: she's the person who was stabbed on a New York City street while many of her neighbors overheard and/or watched, doing nothing. She became a symbol of the apathy of modern society, and, more specifically, of what is wrong with New York City and the people who live there. This book aims to revise the myth and present the facts.
This would have made a good, solid magazine article, but unfortunately, it was padded out to book-length form. There is way too much extraneous material added, such as three paragraphs on the colorful history of Hank Greenberg and the 1945 Detroit Tigers (Why, you ask? Well, that's the killer's father's favorite baseball team.) and stuff of the "and that fellow changed his name to Bob Dylan and the rest is history" variety. I did learn a little about the nascent underground gay and lesbian scene, and the now-unthinkable and ridiculous way they were harassed by the police, but most of the other "color" was completely unnecessary, except to make the book longer.
An actual interesting and informative part is the social psychology aspect, how Kitty's story has become fodder for countless textbooks and college classes (thus perpetuating the inaccuracies of the story people have been told), and the concept of the bystander effect, in which the larger the crowd, the less likely someone is to take action, believing/hoping someone else (or many someone elses) will do it instead. And I did not know that Kitty's death led, in a roundabout way, to the development of the 911 emergency phone system.
But there is also a passage at the the end of the book in which author Kevin Cook replays the crime to show us that a neighbor did appear to comfort Kitty until the police came. This feels like a cheat to give the book a "pow!" ending (Why didn't he tell us this the first time he laid out the events?), and while it is tasteful and respectful to Kitty's memory not to go into graphic detail of the sexual nature of the assault (and really, I was fine with that; I'd gleaned enough from what was written earlier), it also seemed a bit prudish and wanting to have it both ways from a person writing a true crime book.
Overall, a so-so book about a tragic and famous crime.
This would have made a good, solid magazine article, but unfortunately, it was padded out to book-length form. There is way too much extraneous material added, such as three paragraphs on the colorful history of Hank Greenberg and the 1945 Detroit Tigers (Why, you ask? Well, that's the killer's father's favorite baseball team.) and stuff of the "and that fellow changed his name to Bob Dylan and the rest is history" variety. I did learn a little about the nascent underground gay and lesbian scene, and the now-unthinkable and ridiculous way they were harassed by the police, but most of the other "color" was completely unnecessary, except to make the book longer.
An actual interesting and informative part is the social psychology aspect, how Kitty's story has become fodder for countless textbooks and college classes (thus perpetuating the inaccuracies of the story people have been told), and the concept of the bystander effect, in which the larger the crowd, the less likely someone is to take action, believing/hoping someone else (or many someone elses) will do it instead. And I did not know that Kitty's death led, in a roundabout way, to the development of the 911 emergency phone system.
But there is also a passage at the the end of the book in which author Kevin Cook replays the crime to show us that a neighbor did appear to comfort Kitty until the police came. This feels like a cheat to give the book a "pow!" ending (Why didn't he tell us this the first time he laid out the events?), and while it is tasteful and respectful to Kitty's memory not to go into graphic detail of the sexual nature of the assault (and really, I was fine with that; I'd gleaned enough from what was written earlier), it also seemed a bit prudish and wanting to have it both ways from a person writing a true crime book.
Overall, a so-so book about a tragic and famous crime.
August 25, 2020
In March of 1964 a twenty-eight-year-old bar manager named Kitty Genovese was stalked and stabbed to death at 3:00 a.m. by a stranger, a resentful loner who was a good employee by day, a sexual psychopath by night. Genovese's murder shocked her neighbors in Kew Gardens, a placid Queens railroad suburb that had gradually amalgamated into Greater New York. Yet many of those same neighbors did nothing as Genovese screamed for help.
In the intervening 50 years between the Genovese murder and this book's publication, the "Kitty Genovese Syndrome" endured as a paradigm of urban terror and alienation. Kevin Cook's book tells the story of Genovese, her assailant Winston Moseley, and their families, with a focus on Moseley's murder trial. (While incarcerated, Moseley sprung a surprise on the prison authorities.) It also corrects many misconceptions about the Genovese case that have hardened into urban legend over the years at the hands of NEW YORK TIMES editor Abe Rosenthal, who preferred to paint in quick, dramatic strokes rather than craft and update an evolving story. This book also refreshingly deals with Kitty's lesbianism and the blonde from New England she shared an apartment with, a frankness that was out of the question in the middle 1960's.
On its surface this book is well written enough, despite an occasionally choppy prose style and an overreliance on the fads and popular entertainments of its day, its TV shows and Beatles tunes and the '64 World's Fair. But there are errors:
1) Cole Porter, not George Gershwin, wrote "Anything Goes" (p. 29);
2) The "Pentagon Papers" were published in 1971, not 1979, as the math implies (pp. 162-63); and
3) Well-known writer Harlan Ellison is correctly referred to as "Harlan" in text, but "Harlon" in the Select Bibliography (p. 227).
A book from a major publisher deserved more care.
from the book:
Under the banner of the world's leading news source, the NEW YORK TIMES at the height of its influence, a two-week-old story became a sensation. Newspapers in England, Russia, Japan and the Middle East picked it up. As recast by [editors] Rosenthal and Gansberg, Kitty's murder had irresistible elements of noir fiction: a gritty urban setting, craven bystanders, [and] a defenseless young woman. (p. 100)
In the intervening 50 years between the Genovese murder and this book's publication, the "Kitty Genovese Syndrome" endured as a paradigm of urban terror and alienation. Kevin Cook's book tells the story of Genovese, her assailant Winston Moseley, and their families, with a focus on Moseley's murder trial. (While incarcerated, Moseley sprung a surprise on the prison authorities.) It also corrects many misconceptions about the Genovese case that have hardened into urban legend over the years at the hands of NEW YORK TIMES editor Abe Rosenthal, who preferred to paint in quick, dramatic strokes rather than craft and update an evolving story. This book also refreshingly deals with Kitty's lesbianism and the blonde from New England she shared an apartment with, a frankness that was out of the question in the middle 1960's.
On its surface this book is well written enough, despite an occasionally choppy prose style and an overreliance on the fads and popular entertainments of its day, its TV shows and Beatles tunes and the '64 World's Fair. But there are errors:
1) Cole Porter, not George Gershwin, wrote "Anything Goes" (p. 29);
2) The "Pentagon Papers" were published in 1971, not 1979, as the math implies (pp. 162-63); and
3) Well-known writer Harlan Ellison is correctly referred to as "Harlan" in text, but "Harlon" in the Select Bibliography (p. 227).
A book from a major publisher deserved more care.
from the book:
Under the banner of the world's leading news source, the NEW YORK TIMES at the height of its influence, a two-week-old story became a sensation. Newspapers in England, Russia, Japan and the Middle East picked it up. As recast by [editors] Rosenthal and Gansberg, Kitty's murder had irresistible elements of noir fiction: a gritty urban setting, craven bystanders, [and] a defenseless young woman. (p. 100)
February 7, 2017
Most Americans know the Kitty Genovese story, a woman whose murder was ignored by 38 neighbors. This incident led to the concept of "the bystander effect" - the idea that if there are multiple witnesses of a violent event, each person will wait for someone else to help. Kitty was a 20-something bartender who live in Kew Gardens, Queens, a neighborhood that was so safe, many people didn't lock their doors. Kitty was an outgoing woman, who drove a red Fiat, and lived with another woman, who was her lover. I didn't know that Kitty was a lesbian until I heard a story a few months ago. Most of Kitty's neighbors and her family were aware of her sexual orientation. The book includes details of life in New York in the 1960's for gay men and lesbians, especially the Greenwich Village scene.
The focus of the story is the myth. There were neighbors who tried to intervene. There was no 9-1-1 system at the time, and after Kitty's murder, changes were made so that reaching the police in an emergency became simpler and more effective.
The book held my interest and was well developed. The story of her murderer was also a big part of the book. The reason I rated this 4 rather than a 4.5 was that I found the narrator more suitable to reading a straightforward history book, or something less dramatic. This is a book for readers interested in true crime, New York City in the 1960's, as well as the gay community of the time.
The focus of the story is the myth. There were neighbors who tried to intervene. There was no 9-1-1 system at the time, and after Kitty's murder, changes were made so that reaching the police in an emergency became simpler and more effective.
The book held my interest and was well developed. The story of her murderer was also a big part of the book. The reason I rated this 4 rather than a 4.5 was that I found the narrator more suitable to reading a straightforward history book, or something less dramatic. This is a book for readers interested in true crime, New York City in the 1960's, as well as the gay community of the time.
February 15, 2023
I read this book super fast and enjoyed the writing style. Cook doesn't waste time and keeps the story moving. There is a bit of confusion on what the point of this book is, as he says he is going to debunk the myth of 38 witnesses and perhaps he changes the number but it doesn't really change the fact that even 5-10 people didn't do anything. I liked it and am glad I read it but it wasn't a total debunking for me.
March 23, 2014
Great book debunking the "38 bystanders watched from their windows and did nothing as a young woman was attacked not once but three times" myth arising from a horrific murder in Queens, New York in March 1964. This crime has been used as the prime example of the sociological theory of "Bystander Effect" in psychology and sociology textbooks for years. The author sets out not only to set the record straight as to what really happened on that terrible night but also - through the memories of her family and friends - reminds us that Kitty Genovese was a real woman with hopes, dreams, and a generous spirit, much more than just "The Victim" in a notorious crime. He succeeds admirably on both fronts - a terrific read, I could not put this book down.
September 12, 2014
The author overpromises: everything we know about the Kitty Genovese murder from our Psych 101 classes is wrong. But that's not really the case.
Reporting on her rape and murder, clearly The New York Times got some of the details wrong; and the most shocking (but erroneous) detail was subsequently told and re-told by pretty much every authoritative source until lately. Yet eventually it dawns on the reader that the theory of the "bystander effect" (which was my own Kitty Genovese take-away from Psych 101) isn't being debunked here.
So we have a bit of over-hype from the author, as well as the usual breezy and breathless tone of the true-crime genre. Also, a few stones were left unturned (I kept hoping the author would land interviews with some of the key players), and there was more for the author to explore (such as the self-interest involved when a police detective tips a journalist, the legal insanity defense, and more).
I very much liked, however, the author's time-and-place descriptions of Greenwich Village, Kew Gardens, and the country's life and times in the early 1960s—a fun time capsule, and a surprise window into New York City gay life at the time. It was also interesting to read about some reforms that were inspired by the case, as well as politicians' subsequent spin on the murder and its legacy.
He also takes great care to transform this iconic victim into a human being, with Everyman's dignity, dreams, and loves. We get to know Kitty, which makes her tragic ending especially painful. That time capsule comes with a creeping dread, as you know where her life is heading even as you're just getting to know and like her.
Then there are two individuals in particular who make you want to jump through time and throw a few punches. I'm not talking about the murderer (a real-deal sicko), but about two people who could have changed the outcome yet chose not to. One man dithered; the other took a nap.
Reporting on her rape and murder, clearly The New York Times got some of the details wrong; and the most shocking (but erroneous) detail was subsequently told and re-told by pretty much every authoritative source until lately. Yet eventually it dawns on the reader that the theory of the "bystander effect" (which was my own Kitty Genovese take-away from Psych 101) isn't being debunked here.
So we have a bit of over-hype from the author, as well as the usual breezy and breathless tone of the true-crime genre. Also, a few stones were left unturned (I kept hoping the author would land interviews with some of the key players), and there was more for the author to explore (such as the self-interest involved when a police detective tips a journalist, the legal insanity defense, and more).
I very much liked, however, the author's time-and-place descriptions of Greenwich Village, Kew Gardens, and the country's life and times in the early 1960s—a fun time capsule, and a surprise window into New York City gay life at the time. It was also interesting to read about some reforms that were inspired by the case, as well as politicians' subsequent spin on the murder and its legacy.
He also takes great care to transform this iconic victim into a human being, with Everyman's dignity, dreams, and loves. We get to know Kitty, which makes her tragic ending especially painful. That time capsule comes with a creeping dread, as you know where her life is heading even as you're just getting to know and like her.
Then there are two individuals in particular who make you want to jump through time and throw a few punches. I'm not talking about the murderer (a real-deal sicko), but about two people who could have changed the outcome yet chose not to. One man dithered; the other took a nap.
April 6, 2014
I started this book already aware of the major spoiler: that there really weren't 38 people who watched Kitty Genovese's murder without making any effort to assist. Mr. Cook has done an excellent job of fleshing out the major characters involved, but he seemed to get held up with a lot periphery information about the culture of the times. I'm glad I read it, but it didn't provide the scope I would have liked.
April 2, 2014
Another instance of NYT fraud. Editor AM Rosenthal knowingly ballyhooed a tragic story to further his career. He was emotional, say those who seek to protect him, but actually he was a vainglorious psychotic.
April 21, 2014
Utterly fantastic. I first learned of the case of Kitty Genovese from the Harlan Ellison story inspired by the case, The Whimper of Whipped Dogs. It was a disturbing story and Ellison spoke of the inspiration in detail and I was even more disturbed. I had never seen an entire book on the case until I came across this one.
Really well written, amazingly researched and just fantastic in every way. Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death by a serial rapist/killer named Winston Moseley while walking home to her apartment from her car in Kew Gardens, New York. She was attacked in front of an apartment building and many witnesses (not the 38 originally claimed) saw some of the attack but did not leave their homes and mostly did not call the police. Wounded, she stumbled to the back part of another apartment building which was dark and Moseley returned to finish the job. It's a horrible crime on it's own and the idea that her "neighbors" had stood by and done little or nothing became a sensation. The case has since been a staple in psychology books an sociology texts and led to what became the 911 system and caused many, many studies in what is referred to as "bystander syndrome".
Cook sets out to debunk the sensationalism that went into the reporting of the case and blackened the names of her neighbors (some of which quite frankly deserved their names blackened) and their neighborhood. While he does a good job explaining the true facts of the case, at least 2 of the neighbors (one a fairly close friend of Kitty's) witnessed enough to have called the police if they did not have the guts to attempt to help. An assistant superintendent in an apartment building across the street probably deserves the most disgust as he is the only person who saw clearly that this was a knife attack (though she did scream that she had been stabbed) and essentially watched for a few moments and then went downstairs to take a nap. Even when interviewed by police he showed no particular remorse for his behavior. The other most responsible person is probably Kitty's friend and neighbor, a notorious coward who actually looked out his apartment door and saw the killer over Kitty's prone body with the knife and slammed his door shut and and then peeked out again--and then called a friend. Kitty was collapsed at the bottom of his stairwell and would be raped and robbed as she lay dying and her "friend" hid inside the safety of his apartment.
Cook clearly wanted to write without hysteria and without a lot of judgement which is appropriate but at times is hard to take--while these people did not stand in their window watching the entire time, the excuse of it being late at night and possibly a couple's argument does not really hold water with me--they may have not been the monsters they were portrayed as and a few were helpful (at least one called the police) but they did not do enough in my personal opinion. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Kitty's friend Sophie Farrar, a 4'11 young mother ran out of her apartment when Kitty collapsed in the stairwell, oblivious to her own safety and cradled Kitty's head in her arms and comforted her as she was dying. She's the biggest hero in this story to me.
There are also chapters on how the case influenced many sociological studies and impacted the country (all 50 states now carry some type of Good Samaratin law, mostly due to this case) and the more personal way it affected Kitty's family, friends and partner. Overall, really well balanced, well written and probably the fullest portrait of Kitty as more than a victim and martyr. Highly recommend.
Really well written, amazingly researched and just fantastic in every way. Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death by a serial rapist/killer named Winston Moseley while walking home to her apartment from her car in Kew Gardens, New York. She was attacked in front of an apartment building and many witnesses (not the 38 originally claimed) saw some of the attack but did not leave their homes and mostly did not call the police. Wounded, she stumbled to the back part of another apartment building which was dark and Moseley returned to finish the job. It's a horrible crime on it's own and the idea that her "neighbors" had stood by and done little or nothing became a sensation. The case has since been a staple in psychology books an sociology texts and led to what became the 911 system and caused many, many studies in what is referred to as "bystander syndrome".
Cook sets out to debunk the sensationalism that went into the reporting of the case and blackened the names of her neighbors (some of which quite frankly deserved their names blackened) and their neighborhood. While he does a good job explaining the true facts of the case, at least 2 of the neighbors (one a fairly close friend of Kitty's) witnessed enough to have called the police if they did not have the guts to attempt to help. An assistant superintendent in an apartment building across the street probably deserves the most disgust as he is the only person who saw clearly that this was a knife attack (though she did scream that she had been stabbed) and essentially watched for a few moments and then went downstairs to take a nap. Even when interviewed by police he showed no particular remorse for his behavior. The other most responsible person is probably Kitty's friend and neighbor, a notorious coward who actually looked out his apartment door and saw the killer over Kitty's prone body with the knife and slammed his door shut and and then peeked out again--and then called a friend. Kitty was collapsed at the bottom of his stairwell and would be raped and robbed as she lay dying and her "friend" hid inside the safety of his apartment.
Cook clearly wanted to write without hysteria and without a lot of judgement which is appropriate but at times is hard to take--while these people did not stand in their window watching the entire time, the excuse of it being late at night and possibly a couple's argument does not really hold water with me--they may have not been the monsters they were portrayed as and a few were helpful (at least one called the police) but they did not do enough in my personal opinion. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Kitty's friend Sophie Farrar, a 4'11 young mother ran out of her apartment when Kitty collapsed in the stairwell, oblivious to her own safety and cradled Kitty's head in her arms and comforted her as she was dying. She's the biggest hero in this story to me.
There are also chapters on how the case influenced many sociological studies and impacted the country (all 50 states now carry some type of Good Samaratin law, mostly due to this case) and the more personal way it affected Kitty's family, friends and partner. Overall, really well balanced, well written and probably the fullest portrait of Kitty as more than a victim and martyr. Highly recommend.
May 4, 2014
What an amazing book. I read it in one marathon sitting. As a Queens resident and a New York City history buff, I found it to be irresistible. Well researched and full of rich details and facts that other accounts were missing. I really loved this book.
February 14, 2014
Full blog review in progress.
+ Well and concisely written. Didn't feel focus too heavily on the actual crime, which I must state that I liked with the exception of the lack of the neighborhood to respond.
+ Gave an excellent profile of Kitty, which I did love instead of brushing over her for the sake of the crime.
+ Felt that the focus early on regarding the response of the neighborhood was interesting. Particularly after the fact.
+Loved the follow-up as to the fallout even decades later.
+ I had studied "Bystander Effect" both in my criminal justice and psychology courses; however, we never studied the victim behind the crime. It was nice to "meet" her and who she was.
+ There was a segment on the show FoxFiles that discussed this crime, as it is the 50th anniversary, and the "profile" of Walter Mosley. I found it "interesting" not yet surprising that he wrote to another author who has written a book on Kitty and Bystander Effect in which he stated "I am not sure why people feel sorry for the victim. They should feel sorry for me. She only suffered for a couple of minutes. I have had to suffer my entire life in prison."
+ Well and concisely written. Didn't feel focus too heavily on the actual crime, which I must state that I liked with the exception of the lack of the neighborhood to respond.
+ Gave an excellent profile of Kitty, which I did love instead of brushing over her for the sake of the crime.
+ Felt that the focus early on regarding the response of the neighborhood was interesting. Particularly after the fact.
+Loved the follow-up as to the fallout even decades later.
+ I had studied "Bystander Effect" both in my criminal justice and psychology courses; however, we never studied the victim behind the crime. It was nice to "meet" her and who she was.
+ There was a segment on the show FoxFiles that discussed this crime, as it is the 50th anniversary, and the "profile" of Walter Mosley. I found it "interesting" not yet surprising that he wrote to another author who has written a book on Kitty and Bystander Effect in which he stated "I am not sure why people feel sorry for the victim. They should feel sorry for me. She only suffered for a couple of minutes. I have had to suffer my entire life in prison."
July 30, 2015
Fascinating look at who Kitty Genovese was, who her killer was, and what was up with all those witnesses. In reality, there were not 38 neighbors who did nothing. One person yelled for the attacker to "leave that girl alone," and he did. At least 2 people called the police. There were two people who were in real positions to help, a night watchman and a friend of Kitty's. They did nothing but turn and walk away. The disgust and anger that people feel towards "38 witnesses" really belong to those two men who did not act. Yet the 38 witnesses, the apathy towards a fellow person, and later, the escape of the killer, have all contributed to the enduring legend and why people keep talking and thinking about this young woman. I remember first learning about this story in 6th grade. I had to look in my social psychology textbook and found 38 witnesses and the fictional details of the murder contained within. The story we know lives on because it makes us squirm. It makes us think. And it's not nearly the truth.
April 30, 2018
Not to be missed. The author takes Rosenthal's Thirty-Eight Witnesses: The Kitty Genovese Case, With A New Introduction as his starting point but digs much, much deeper into the story and tells us a great deal more about this iconic crime. He listed a lot of other notorious cases that have fallen into the Valley of Forgetting since they made headlines, and discussed why Kitty's never has. The portrait of her killer was extremely chilling, and there's not much that chills me at this late date. The end reduced me to tears.
September 11, 2014
I thought the content was extremely interesting. However, it seemed like the author was caught up in shocking everybody to the detriment of a thoughtful analysis about why we ended up with such a misunderstanding of this situation. Revelations in the last chapter could have made for very interesting discussion.
June 19, 2019
I cried.
RTC.
RTC.
March 18, 2025
Kew Gardens, Queens, NY of 1964 is the setting of this story. For a span of about thirty-three minutes, Kitty Genovese was brutally attacked and killed shortly past three AM. What followed was the outrage of the nation.
The murder was a minor event at first but picked up steam after Abe Rosenthal of the NY Times met with the police commissioner two weeks later and published a front page story proclaiming that thirty-eight witnesses ignored Kitty's screams. Research by the author has proven the article to be false. Most of the people interviewed by the police were asleep during the attack and two had actually called the cops. This was before 911 and the emergency number was initiated in 1968, largely due to this now infamous event.
The background history of New York City is covered in detail by Mr. Cook and the undercurrent of homophobia is a major part of the narrative. Kitty was a lesbian and the media never reported it at a time of anti-sodomy laws, even in effect in "liberal" NYC. The roommate and lover was interviewed and recalled harassment by law enforcement at the same sex clubs at the time.
The killer, Winston Moseley, was a brilliant young Black man and he confessed to the crime after being arrested for burglary. He was at Attica during the riots there and was still in prison in 2014 when this book was published.
Kevin Cook has written an unforgettable book.
The murder was a minor event at first but picked up steam after Abe Rosenthal of the NY Times met with the police commissioner two weeks later and published a front page story proclaiming that thirty-eight witnesses ignored Kitty's screams. Research by the author has proven the article to be false. Most of the people interviewed by the police were asleep during the attack and two had actually called the cops. This was before 911 and the emergency number was initiated in 1968, largely due to this now infamous event.
The background history of New York City is covered in detail by Mr. Cook and the undercurrent of homophobia is a major part of the narrative. Kitty was a lesbian and the media never reported it at a time of anti-sodomy laws, even in effect in "liberal" NYC. The roommate and lover was interviewed and recalled harassment by law enforcement at the same sex clubs at the time.
The killer, Winston Moseley, was a brilliant young Black man and he confessed to the crime after being arrested for burglary. He was at Attica during the riots there and was still in prison in 2014 when this book was published.
Kevin Cook has written an unforgettable book.
May 25, 2014
In March 1964 Kitty Genovese, a bar manager, was on her way home in the early hours of the morning when she was attacked and murdered. According to news reports at the time, she was attacked three times over half an hour, outside her Queens, New York apartment building, within view of 38 witnesses, none of whom came to her aid or called the police. The case has always invoked great indignation and been used as an indictment of contemporary society and its lack of concern for other people.
But in this fascinating and well-researched short book, journalist and writer Kevin Cook re-examines the case and corrects many of the myths and misconceptions that have arisen and contends that the accepted scenario is inaccurate.
It remains a chilling crime, but Cook treats it sensitively, and although we know the outcome still manages to imbue his account with tension and suspense. He bases his argument on his extensive research into police records, interviews and newspaper reports, and puts the events into their historical context, with much interesting detail about the political, cultural and racial tensions of the time. Skilfully paced, with good characterization, and never judgmental, this is an absorbing and eye-opening book. I imagine the case will be familiar to a US audience and less so to a UK one. Certainly I’d never heard of Kitty Genovese, so I very much enjoyed discovering what had happened to her and how the case has become legendary over the past 50 years whilst remaining both controversial and of enormous human interest.
But in this fascinating and well-researched short book, journalist and writer Kevin Cook re-examines the case and corrects many of the myths and misconceptions that have arisen and contends that the accepted scenario is inaccurate.
It remains a chilling crime, but Cook treats it sensitively, and although we know the outcome still manages to imbue his account with tension and suspense. He bases his argument on his extensive research into police records, interviews and newspaper reports, and puts the events into their historical context, with much interesting detail about the political, cultural and racial tensions of the time. Skilfully paced, with good characterization, and never judgmental, this is an absorbing and eye-opening book. I imagine the case will be familiar to a US audience and less so to a UK one. Certainly I’d never heard of Kitty Genovese, so I very much enjoyed discovering what had happened to her and how the case has become legendary over the past 50 years whilst remaining both controversial and of enormous human interest.
April 5, 2014
On a 34 degree night in February of 1964, in the Kew Gardens community of Queens, New York, Winston Mosely brutally murdered Kitty Genovese at 3:30 in the morning as she was walking the last few yards to her apartment after parking her car. Neighbors heard her cries for help but no one came to her aid. After attacking her with a knife and stabbing her repeatedly, Mosely left her and moved his car and then went back to look for her again and found that she had walked/staggered to the vestibule of a nearby apartment where she had collapsed. Mosely found her and proceeded to stab her through her lungs and larynx ending her life. Kevin Cook not only covers the crime and dispels some myths about the crime itself, but he also covers the trial and does a good job of giving the history and demographics of the Kew Garden neighborhood. He points out this case raised a national outcry about the apathy and fear that people have about "getting involved" even if another persons life is at stake. He also covers the rather amazing escape of Mosely in 1968 and his recapture after committing more violent crimes. Thank goodness Mosely is still in prison and is the longest serving inmate in the New York corrections system. I recommend this good book to all.
Frank
Frank
April 10, 2015
This was an interesting account of the Kitty Genovese case. Cook researched the case thoroughly and added lots of detail about the time-period surrounding the murder. The main problem is Cook added too much detail about the time period. It distracted from the main points of the case. If some of the extra details had been edited out, the book would have moved at a much better pace.
June 14, 2014
In this novel about Catherine “Kitty” Genovese, instead of telling the usual story – 38 witnesses, 38 witnesses who stood at their windows and watched a helpless girl being stabbed to death – Cook seeks to tell the truth. Not Abe Rosenthal’s “truth,” or Martin Gansberg’s. The actual truth.
Kitty Genovese was born in 1935, and was 28 in 1964. At five foot one, she was a tiny but formidable woman, a bartender who was fearless and outgoing. She was the manager of Ev’s 11th Hour, a sports bar, while her girlfriend Mary Ann worked instead at Club Chris. The two had their own cozy, if tiny, apartment, where they strove to make a home. Mary Ann, Kitty and their poodle Andrew lived on Austin Street, their apartment building opposite from the large Mowbray. Their friends and neighbors included: Karl Ross, a nervous dog groomer (Kitty had bought Andrew from him), and the Farrar family. Sophie Farrar was one of Kitty’s closest friends, someone she was comfortable enough with to tell her deepest secrets to. Downstairs at their furniture store, there was also Billy Corrado and his dad, who helped Kitty when she and Mary Ann were first moving in. Everyone Kitty met thought she was interesting and funny, and though she was obviously very pretty, they said Kitty had “something more.” There was something about Kitty, something appealing. Victor Horan, who Kitty worked with, also attested to Kitty’s kindness and sensitivity, but also her sternness. She was not easily pushed around, but she was fundamentally a kind soul.
Cook wants us to know Kitty for Kitty. Not Kitty “the murder victim,” not Kitty “the martyr,” but Kitty the person. Kitty who was bright, who loved her girlfriend, who wanted to have children someday. Kitty who worked hard, Kitty who preferred nonfiction books and newspapers over fiction. He wants us to know Kitty outside of her murder, outside of her connection to Winston Moseley, outside of the tragedy that she ultimately faced. That’s one of the parts that I so admire about Cook’s book, even though overall I think it had more cons than pros. In one part of the book, when he retells Kitty’s fate for us, he skips over the sexual assault. Instead of giving into the salacious nature of most people, the urge to pry into dark things and know the most harrowing details, Cook instead just tells us how Kitty died. But more importantly than that, he tells us how Kitty lived.
The biggest issue I had with the book was the continual facts that I didn’t care to know. Every single time that I felt myself being sucked into the book, reading about Kitty’s life or Winston Moseley’s early days, I was put off by Cook suddenly telling us about the Mets, or Hank Greenberg, or the invention of the telephone itself. I can see Cook has a passion for New York and New York’s history, and while I can understand to some degree his inclusion of these things (New York is a big part of the story, not just the setting or the background, but almost a character herself), I wanted to read about Kitty. I didn’t purchase this book to have random facts drilled into my head. And more to the point, it was without any subtlety at all. It was heavy-handed. There are some tidbits that worked in the book better than others. For instance, reading about Greenwich Village – I felt that was a big part, because it showed us what Kitty liked to do, the clubs she and Mary Ann went to. The acknowledgment of Malcolm X, race riots, the rampant homophobia, and the brutality at the police’s hands were all important to not only history but also to Winston Moseley’s life, and Kitty’s. Another nicely done fact is the parallels of Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy attending the World Fair shortly after her husband’s death, and Mary Ann attending the same event so soon after Kitty had been murdered. That was really well done. But the sports teams, the facts about Alexander Graham Bell, the constant name-dropping of famous people who lived near or in Kew Gardens – it felt unnecessary and drew me away from the story.
I can tell, however, that Cook put a ton of research into this book, so I applaud his dedication. I just wish that he had kept it primarily about Kitty, her life, and Winston Moseley, instead of going off about these only tangentially – if that – related things. I know the book is slim at only 220 pages, but it felt like half of that were these random, pointless factoids. Even if he had had to slim down the book further, it would’ve worked much better as a 130 page book, or even a 119 page one, instead. I felt like Cook really respected Kitty, though, and admired her too. And that’s important in a book like this. It was nice to feel that Cook genuinely cared about Kitty, and at that, showing us that she lived a full life and could’ve lived a much fuller one if her future hadn’t been cut off so brutally. My heart broke for Mary Ann, for Kitty’s family and friends. But most of all, my heart broke for Kitty.
Also nice was the portrait painted of Winston Moseley. It’s hard to be involved in a book, in some ways, that tells the story of so horrific a killer. However, despite this fact, Winston’s life is fleshed out, too. Truly a merciless person, undeserving of sympathy, but Cook was true to the case. He showed us the life Winston had made for himself, told us what he thought and why, in some parts, he thought it. No excuses, no justifications – just Moseley’s story. I wish, though, that Cook would’ve just used “black people,” “black person/woman/man,” or “African-American,” even. I know his word usage was true to 1964 but in the narration it wasn’t necessary to keep using it, unless it was a quote. I know it’s the “better” word as opposed to another, but it’s still ultimately not okay to use. Hopefully I’m making sense here. I’m white, so this topic would be better suited to someone who understands the issue. So I’m kind of just running my mouth here.
I loved reading about the “bystander effect” and “diffusion of responsibility.” Because while it might not have been exactly as Rosenthal claimed, the phenomenon exists. The fact that only two people called the police (technically four, but two didn’t go through with their calls anyways); the fact that two men watched, uncaring, as Kitty died, without the excuse that some people had of not knowing exactly what was going on, proves it. And if Rosenthal had never did what he did, the efforts taken afterwards would not have happened, and people wouldn’t know the name of Kitty Genovese. And Kitty Genovese deserves to be known – but as Cook portrays her. As a real, living, breathing human being.
On the anniversary of Kitty’s meeting with Mary Ann, March, Friday the 13th, Kitty Genovese was murdered. Remembering Kitty is important. Kitty’s death changed and touched a lot of lives, the way police work, and the way crime is reported. If anyone deserves to be remembered, it’s her.
Kitty Genovese was born in 1935, and was 28 in 1964. At five foot one, she was a tiny but formidable woman, a bartender who was fearless and outgoing. She was the manager of Ev’s 11th Hour, a sports bar, while her girlfriend Mary Ann worked instead at Club Chris. The two had their own cozy, if tiny, apartment, where they strove to make a home. Mary Ann, Kitty and their poodle Andrew lived on Austin Street, their apartment building opposite from the large Mowbray. Their friends and neighbors included: Karl Ross, a nervous dog groomer (Kitty had bought Andrew from him), and the Farrar family. Sophie Farrar was one of Kitty’s closest friends, someone she was comfortable enough with to tell her deepest secrets to. Downstairs at their furniture store, there was also Billy Corrado and his dad, who helped Kitty when she and Mary Ann were first moving in. Everyone Kitty met thought she was interesting and funny, and though she was obviously very pretty, they said Kitty had “something more.” There was something about Kitty, something appealing. Victor Horan, who Kitty worked with, also attested to Kitty’s kindness and sensitivity, but also her sternness. She was not easily pushed around, but she was fundamentally a kind soul.
Cook wants us to know Kitty for Kitty. Not Kitty “the murder victim,” not Kitty “the martyr,” but Kitty the person. Kitty who was bright, who loved her girlfriend, who wanted to have children someday. Kitty who worked hard, Kitty who preferred nonfiction books and newspapers over fiction. He wants us to know Kitty outside of her murder, outside of her connection to Winston Moseley, outside of the tragedy that she ultimately faced. That’s one of the parts that I so admire about Cook’s book, even though overall I think it had more cons than pros. In one part of the book, when he retells Kitty’s fate for us, he skips over the sexual assault. Instead of giving into the salacious nature of most people, the urge to pry into dark things and know the most harrowing details, Cook instead just tells us how Kitty died. But more importantly than that, he tells us how Kitty lived.
The biggest issue I had with the book was the continual facts that I didn’t care to know. Every single time that I felt myself being sucked into the book, reading about Kitty’s life or Winston Moseley’s early days, I was put off by Cook suddenly telling us about the Mets, or Hank Greenberg, or the invention of the telephone itself. I can see Cook has a passion for New York and New York’s history, and while I can understand to some degree his inclusion of these things (New York is a big part of the story, not just the setting or the background, but almost a character herself), I wanted to read about Kitty. I didn’t purchase this book to have random facts drilled into my head. And more to the point, it was without any subtlety at all. It was heavy-handed. There are some tidbits that worked in the book better than others. For instance, reading about Greenwich Village – I felt that was a big part, because it showed us what Kitty liked to do, the clubs she and Mary Ann went to. The acknowledgment of Malcolm X, race riots, the rampant homophobia, and the brutality at the police’s hands were all important to not only history but also to Winston Moseley’s life, and Kitty’s. Another nicely done fact is the parallels of Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy attending the World Fair shortly after her husband’s death, and Mary Ann attending the same event so soon after Kitty had been murdered. That was really well done. But the sports teams, the facts about Alexander Graham Bell, the constant name-dropping of famous people who lived near or in Kew Gardens – it felt unnecessary and drew me away from the story.
I can tell, however, that Cook put a ton of research into this book, so I applaud his dedication. I just wish that he had kept it primarily about Kitty, her life, and Winston Moseley, instead of going off about these only tangentially – if that – related things. I know the book is slim at only 220 pages, but it felt like half of that were these random, pointless factoids. Even if he had had to slim down the book further, it would’ve worked much better as a 130 page book, or even a 119 page one, instead. I felt like Cook really respected Kitty, though, and admired her too. And that’s important in a book like this. It was nice to feel that Cook genuinely cared about Kitty, and at that, showing us that she lived a full life and could’ve lived a much fuller one if her future hadn’t been cut off so brutally. My heart broke for Mary Ann, for Kitty’s family and friends. But most of all, my heart broke for Kitty.
Also nice was the portrait painted of Winston Moseley. It’s hard to be involved in a book, in some ways, that tells the story of so horrific a killer. However, despite this fact, Winston’s life is fleshed out, too. Truly a merciless person, undeserving of sympathy, but Cook was true to the case. He showed us the life Winston had made for himself, told us what he thought and why, in some parts, he thought it. No excuses, no justifications – just Moseley’s story. I wish, though, that Cook would’ve just used “black people,” “black person/woman/man,” or “African-American,” even. I know his word usage was true to 1964 but in the narration it wasn’t necessary to keep using it, unless it was a quote. I know it’s the “better” word as opposed to another, but it’s still ultimately not okay to use. Hopefully I’m making sense here. I’m white, so this topic would be better suited to someone who understands the issue. So I’m kind of just running my mouth here.
I loved reading about the “bystander effect” and “diffusion of responsibility.” Because while it might not have been exactly as Rosenthal claimed, the phenomenon exists. The fact that only two people called the police (technically four, but two didn’t go through with their calls anyways); the fact that two men watched, uncaring, as Kitty died, without the excuse that some people had of not knowing exactly what was going on, proves it. And if Rosenthal had never did what he did, the efforts taken afterwards would not have happened, and people wouldn’t know the name of Kitty Genovese. And Kitty Genovese deserves to be known – but as Cook portrays her. As a real, living, breathing human being.
On the anniversary of Kitty’s meeting with Mary Ann, March, Friday the 13th, Kitty Genovese was murdered. Remembering Kitty is important. Kitty’s death changed and touched a lot of lives, the way police work, and the way crime is reported. If anyone deserves to be remembered, it’s her.
dnf
June 5, 2018DNF 58 PAGES
again. i just don't have the patience for this books...
again. i just don't have the patience for this books...
December 13, 2019
Good book, well written, but too much superfluous information. 3.5, rounded to 4.
October 15, 2014
This book lacerated my conscience. It is easy – living in New York City – to attach a sort of pride to our metropolitan indifference. A true New Yorker is difficult to shock, or move to tears. A true New Yorker has already seen it all.
But at what price?
*
Kevin Cook painstakingly recounts the story of Kitty Genovese: a pretty, diminutive twenty-eight year old, murdered on a cold March night in 1964, mere steps away from her Kew Gardens apartment. According to a report published in The Times two weeks after her death, thirty-eight people either saw or heard Kitty’s cries for help. Also, according to that report, no one went to her aid. This was the article that would launch nation-wide soul searching, and searing indictments about urban indifference, because Kitty was attacked, not once, but twice. Her attacker, Winston Moseley backed away the first time when a neighbor called from his window, “Leave that girl alone!” Kitty got up and attempted to stumble to her apartment, collapsing instead in the vestibule at the foot of the stairs leading to a friend’s apartment. Moseley returned – this time wearing a fedora – to stab her again, several more times, and when that was done, he raped her.
The attack that killed Kitty Genovese lasted about 30 minutes. What turned Kitty’s story into legend was the suggestion that thirty-eight people could have saved her life. Yet, how many of the thirty-eight actually heard Kitty’s cries, or could have been sure that she was being attacked from their vantage points two or three floors above street level? How could any witness be certain that someone else hadn’t already called the police? Is the thirty-eight even an accurate number, or merely a convenient one?
Cook answers all these questions, and more, constructing a life for Kitty Genovese, tracing her childhood and youth, interviewing her lover, family, friends, and neighbors. He draws a portrait of her murderer also, tracking his childhood, his family life, his trial, and afterwards, his life in prison. He situates the story of Kitty’s life and death solidly in New York, taking care to include the major events that took place around the time of Kitty’s death – like the assassination of J.F. Kennedy and the 1964 World Fair – as well as a discussion of the reforms that came after her death, that is, the institution of “Good Samaritan” laws – the answer to Kitty’s “bad Samaritan” neighbors.
This book is easy to read and well-researched. The information it reveals is chilling. But perhaps even more important than this, it is a wake-up call to those of us who have succumbed to urban indifference. Better to err on the side of humanity – to know that we tried to help – even in situations where it would have been (or would be) easier not to see or hear.
But at what price?
*
Kevin Cook painstakingly recounts the story of Kitty Genovese: a pretty, diminutive twenty-eight year old, murdered on a cold March night in 1964, mere steps away from her Kew Gardens apartment. According to a report published in The Times two weeks after her death, thirty-eight people either saw or heard Kitty’s cries for help. Also, according to that report, no one went to her aid. This was the article that would launch nation-wide soul searching, and searing indictments about urban indifference, because Kitty was attacked, not once, but twice. Her attacker, Winston Moseley backed away the first time when a neighbor called from his window, “Leave that girl alone!” Kitty got up and attempted to stumble to her apartment, collapsing instead in the vestibule at the foot of the stairs leading to a friend’s apartment. Moseley returned – this time wearing a fedora – to stab her again, several more times, and when that was done, he raped her.
The attack that killed Kitty Genovese lasted about 30 minutes. What turned Kitty’s story into legend was the suggestion that thirty-eight people could have saved her life. Yet, how many of the thirty-eight actually heard Kitty’s cries, or could have been sure that she was being attacked from their vantage points two or three floors above street level? How could any witness be certain that someone else hadn’t already called the police? Is the thirty-eight even an accurate number, or merely a convenient one?
Cook answers all these questions, and more, constructing a life for Kitty Genovese, tracing her childhood and youth, interviewing her lover, family, friends, and neighbors. He draws a portrait of her murderer also, tracking his childhood, his family life, his trial, and afterwards, his life in prison. He situates the story of Kitty’s life and death solidly in New York, taking care to include the major events that took place around the time of Kitty’s death – like the assassination of J.F. Kennedy and the 1964 World Fair – as well as a discussion of the reforms that came after her death, that is, the institution of “Good Samaritan” laws – the answer to Kitty’s “bad Samaritan” neighbors.
This book is easy to read and well-researched. The information it reveals is chilling. But perhaps even more important than this, it is a wake-up call to those of us who have succumbed to urban indifference. Better to err on the side of humanity – to know that we tried to help – even in situations where it would have been (or would be) easier not to see or hear.
November 3, 2014
Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime That Changed America by Kevin Cook is an outstanding analysis of the crime, perpetrator and victim. I picked this book to read because I remember reading about this crime in my Social Psychology Class. Little did I know that I have been physically close to the area where the crime was committed three months earlier. I had attended the New York World’s Fair in 1964 which was not far from where Kitty Genovese lived and later died.
Kevin Cook brings the victim, Kitty Genovese to life. Kitty was pretty, spunky, a hard worker, loved folk music and people. She was brought up in an Italian Catholic family in Brooklyn. Her family was not connected to the mob despite his last name. He wanted his family to be as American as possible. When her mother saw someone murdered, her dad decided to move his family to Connecticut. But Kitty loved the New York City so much that she refused to go. She found a job, later on a job as a barmaid and a place to stay and fell in love with Mary Ann Zielonko, a smart and pretty blonde. That was back when you didn’t dare to say that you loved the same sex. They lived together and went to underground clubs.
William Mosely’s mother abandoned him when he was young and his father was left to raise him. He didn’t make friends growing up and kept to himself. That was not the end of his bad experiences with women. He focused on his ant farm at home. When he got a job it was punching cards by machine for a company, a mind numbing job. He was a neat freak and didn’t seem to have feelings. A warning here about his crimes, prepared for graphic violence. I believe the details are necessary in this book to form an idea of what he had become.
This book is researched to lay out the precise details about the crime and who actually watched it without doing anything. This crime became famous because of the people who heard or saw the crime but did nothing. Kevin Cook tells the full story, the true story and takes it apart to find out why Kitty Genovese died instead of being rescued.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the full and correct details about this crime and the anti-crime measures that derived from this crime.
I received this book from FirstReads but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in my review.
Kevin Cook brings the victim, Kitty Genovese to life. Kitty was pretty, spunky, a hard worker, loved folk music and people. She was brought up in an Italian Catholic family in Brooklyn. Her family was not connected to the mob despite his last name. He wanted his family to be as American as possible. When her mother saw someone murdered, her dad decided to move his family to Connecticut. But Kitty loved the New York City so much that she refused to go. She found a job, later on a job as a barmaid and a place to stay and fell in love with Mary Ann Zielonko, a smart and pretty blonde. That was back when you didn’t dare to say that you loved the same sex. They lived together and went to underground clubs.
William Mosely’s mother abandoned him when he was young and his father was left to raise him. He didn’t make friends growing up and kept to himself. That was not the end of his bad experiences with women. He focused on his ant farm at home. When he got a job it was punching cards by machine for a company, a mind numbing job. He was a neat freak and didn’t seem to have feelings. A warning here about his crimes, prepared for graphic violence. I believe the details are necessary in this book to form an idea of what he had become.
This book is researched to lay out the precise details about the crime and who actually watched it without doing anything. This crime became famous because of the people who heard or saw the crime but did nothing. Kevin Cook tells the full story, the true story and takes it apart to find out why Kitty Genovese died instead of being rescued.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the full and correct details about this crime and the anti-crime measures that derived from this crime.
I received this book from FirstReads but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in my review.
April 26, 2014
"For more than half an hour, 38 respectable, law-abiding citizens in Queens watched a killer stalk and stab a woman in three separate attacks in Kew Gardens."
Thus begins the New York Times' iconic coverage of the murder of Kitty Genovese, whose death became synonymous with urban crime and moral decay, and spawned 50 years worth of social science and psychology research into the root causes of bystander apathy.
The problem is, the story wasn't true. Like most stories, the truth is much more complicated.
In his meticulously researched book, Kevin Cook tracks down and interviews family members, co-workers, neighbors, and police and court officials to reconstruct what actually DID happen to Kitty Genovese that night. The result is a rich portrayal of a lovely young woman who had everything to live for -- and well could have, had just a handful of circumstances been different. He tells us about the psychopathic serial rapist -- on his way to becoming a serial killer -- who happened upon Kitty that night and who continues to serve time in prison for her murder today. And Cook tells us about the police, the courts and the general public who all were complicit in creating the urban legend known as Kitty Genovese.
This book is engaging and informative. And, to me, it was reassuring, because I learned that Kitty Genovese did not die abandoned and alone that night. She breathed her last while caught up in the comforting embrace of a dear friend, who was telling her that help was on the way.
June 30, 2017
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
This is the story of the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in New York. Kitty had screamed for help and, in the wake of her murder, an article was published claiming that 38 witnesses had basically stood by and allowed this woman to be murdered. Though this version of the murder has survived more than 50 years, this book tells a somewhat different story - that there was not complete disregard and callousness that fateful night (the revised story is at the end of the book). But the debate following the '38 Witnesses' meme led to studies in the area of psychology regarding 'urban apathy' in big cities. The outcomes of the studies that were done in the decades following her murder were interesting.
The author did a wonderful job of describing, in great detail, the unsettling times of the 1960s in America, and in NYC, in particular. Of course, there was no 9-1-1 at the time. This case was a contributing factor in the implementation of the national E911 number. The author also explained that residents of NYC generally felt that the police were inefficient and uncaring. He also detailed the backgrounds of both the murderer and the victim, so that the reader could better mentally acquaint himself with both prior to going into the story of the murder.
This book comes highly recommended.
This is the story of the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in New York. Kitty had screamed for help and, in the wake of her murder, an article was published claiming that 38 witnesses had basically stood by and allowed this woman to be murdered. Though this version of the murder has survived more than 50 years, this book tells a somewhat different story - that there was not complete disregard and callousness that fateful night (the revised story is at the end of the book). But the debate following the '38 Witnesses' meme led to studies in the area of psychology regarding 'urban apathy' in big cities. The outcomes of the studies that were done in the decades following her murder were interesting.
The author did a wonderful job of describing, in great detail, the unsettling times of the 1960s in America, and in NYC, in particular. Of course, there was no 9-1-1 at the time. This case was a contributing factor in the implementation of the national E911 number. The author also explained that residents of NYC generally felt that the police were inefficient and uncaring. He also detailed the backgrounds of both the murderer and the victim, so that the reader could better mentally acquaint himself with both prior to going into the story of the murder.
This book comes highly recommended.
July 18, 2024
I picked up this book for work, needing only to grab a few quotes from the first chapter. Then as I started reading, I decided the book was short enough and topic interesting enough that I would give the entire thing a read.
I have a lot of respect for journalists. As an on and off again one myself, I know that it takes a lot of work to write a good piece. It takes even more skill to write something people will want to read and that has integrity.
I have never found myself particularly drawn to the true crime genre, though I’ve begun to explore it because of work over the last few months. Instead, more than anything, I found “Kitty Genovese” told two equally tragic stories: that of two people who collided horrifically, and that of an urban legend’s birth.
The second story, the story of a newspaper article that grabbed world headlines and never looked back, is a fascinating peek into human psyche. Did good come of an outrageous lie of 38 inhumane people standing by as a neighbor was murdered? Debatable, but altogether yes. Should there have been such a lie in the first place? Absolutely not.
Journalists can do great, world-improving work, but they can also tear down vestiges of hope in the same stroke of a pen. “Kitty Genovese” is the story of both happening simultaneously, becoming dangerously intertwined.
I have a lot of respect for journalists. As an on and off again one myself, I know that it takes a lot of work to write a good piece. It takes even more skill to write something people will want to read and that has integrity.
I have never found myself particularly drawn to the true crime genre, though I’ve begun to explore it because of work over the last few months. Instead, more than anything, I found “Kitty Genovese” told two equally tragic stories: that of two people who collided horrifically, and that of an urban legend’s birth.
The second story, the story of a newspaper article that grabbed world headlines and never looked back, is a fascinating peek into human psyche. Did good come of an outrageous lie of 38 inhumane people standing by as a neighbor was murdered? Debatable, but altogether yes. Should there have been such a lie in the first place? Absolutely not.
Journalists can do great, world-improving work, but they can also tear down vestiges of hope in the same stroke of a pen. “Kitty Genovese” is the story of both happening simultaneously, becoming dangerously intertwined.
April 12, 2016
This effort presents as being a well-researched book about the murder of Catherine ("Kitty") Genovese; On the other hand, so much has been written about the events, it seems that the author struggles to get his 220 pages and remain dynamic. I particularly enjoyed the careful description of Genovese's upbringing, her social interactions, and markers for the period (hit songs, movies, trends, and so forth); this enabled me to get a feel for her as a person. Cook eloquently describes the short relationship between Genovese, and Mary Ann Zeilonko; they went to the "village" to enjoy great musicians who they would later befriend; exchanged special gifts (billfolds); endured a judgmental era; fell in love and settled into a cozy apartment. At times, the book read like a novel. The description of the horrible crime was exquisite. Cook drives home the tragic failure of the bystanders to take any action to assist, and how such reactions are all-to-common. There is some coverage about how the case led to improvement in reporting crime when you witness it such as 911's history. I recommend this book.
June 3, 2014
A well written account of the life and death of Kitty Genovese. I knew of her in relation to the "bystander effect" phenomenon, but I wasn't aware of the discrepancy in the reporting of 38 witnesses. While 38 people may not have ignored her murder (as has been reported), it was disturbing to read about those who did witness it but chose to do nothing (neighbor Karl Ross as an example). I understand someone's hesitation to get involved out of fear for their own safety, but to not simply make a phone call to police is inexcusable. If someone is in an emergency situation and needs help, then step up and help. You'd want someone to do the same for you.
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