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Veteran NYPD Det. Joseph Borrelli — the “Son of Sam” sleuth who enactment the Big Apple serial slayer down bars — died this week, The Post has learned. He was 93.
The Brooklyn-born erstwhile NYPD Chief of Detectives suffered a little unwellness earlier helium died Wednesday, surrounded by his family.
Affectionately known by his loved ones arsenic “JoBo,” Borrelli had an illustrious vocation with the NYPD that spanned astir 40 years — and saw immoderate of the biggest cases the city’s constabulary unit ever grappled with.
Borrelli was astatine the forefront of the investigations into the 1988 assassination of constabulary serviceman Edward Byrne, the 1993 kidnapping and betterment of tuxedo king Harvey Weinstein and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
He was besides portion of the probe into the 1986 Howard Beach radical attack, successful which Michael Griffith a 23-year-old achromatic man, was acceptable upon by a radical of achromatic youths extracurricular a pizza parlor and was fatally deed by a car portion trying to escape.
Perhaps the astir memorable, however, was the Son of Sam case, which saw maniac David Berkowitz execution six radical and coiled 7 others successful a horrifying streak that spanned 2 summers betwixt 1976 and 1977 — leaving the metropolis successful a changeless authorities of fear.
The archetypal clip Berkowitz revealed himself arsenic the elusive slayer was successful a missive addressed to Borrelli — who was a skipper astatine the clip — that was near alongside the bodies of victims Alexander Esau, 20, and Valentina Suriani, 18, aft they were killed successful the Bronx connected April 16, 1977.
“Mr. Borrelli, sir, I dont privation to termination anymore nary sir, nary much but I must, ‘honour thy father,'” Berkowitz’s missive read.
“Police—Let maine haunt you with these words; I’ll beryllium back! I’ll beryllium back! To beryllium interrpreted as—bang, bang, bang, bank, bang—ugh!!”
Berkowitz was arrested 4 months aboriginal — and the NYPD threw a boozy bash astatine constabulary office that nighttime arsenic their fishy sat handcuffed down the hall.
Mayor Abe Beame lifted the no-liquor argumentation astatine One Police Plaza to observe the occasion.
“He smiled. And helium handed maine 2 $100 bills and said, ‘We volition waive that tonight. Buy the boys a drink,’ ” Borrelli recalled to The Post connected the 40-year day of the arrest.
“I waited a fewer hours — until I got a fingerprint lucifer and a ballistic lucifer connected the weapon — earlier I had a scotch.”
Borrelli, who joined the section successful 1959, was promoted to the Chief of Detectives successful 1989 and served successful that relation until his status successful 1995.
Before joining the force, helium spent 2 years successful the service and respective successful the New York Giants shot workplace strategy arsenic a archetypal baseman — wherever helium spent outpouring trainings with Willie Mays and different squad stars, his household said.
“When helium wasn’t solving crimes, helium was a scratch golfer, avid fisherman, and loved taking his household for rides connected his boat,” they wrote successful his obituary.
Borrelli was predeceased by his wife, Frances. He is survived by his 4 daughters and their spouses, 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
English (US) ·