Murder Along the Way: A Prosecutor's Personal Account of Fighting Violent Crime in the Suburbs

A prosecutor's personal account of two decades of fighting crime in the New York suburbs describes his involvement with such famous cases as the Brinks robbery and the murder of art dealer Andrew Crispo

Suburban Rockland County lies just to the north of New York City; Gribetz and freelance writer Jeffers have composed an excellent study of murder cases that developed there during the 14 years Gribetz was the county district attorney. They focus on three of the most sensational murders: the slaying of Arnold and Elaine Sohnin in 1980 by a member of their daughter's drug sub-culture; the 1981 massacre of guards and police officers in the holdup of a Brink's armored truck carried out by a radical group that allied itself with the Black Liberation Army; the killing of gay Norwegian fashion student Eigil Dag Vesti in 1985 at the conclusion of a sado-masochistic chance encounter with gallery owner Andrew Crispo that began in Manhattan and ended in Tomkins Cove. Several less lurid stories are also told, but all are narrated carefully while Gribetz offers running commentary on the job of district attorney. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gribetz, district attorney of Rockland County, New York, discusses the murder cases he has prosecuted, including that of Kathy Boudin, a Weather Underground fugitive finally caught after a brutal robbery of a Brinks truck; and Bernard LeGeros, charged with the famous "Mask Murder" which also implicated his employer, New York City art dealer Andrew Crispo. While these two cases are covered in depth, Gribetz gives somewhat cursory accounts of his other, less famous ones. Still, this is an intriguing look at the prosecutor's role in a suburban area, and how murder can be found even on the quiet streets of small New York towns. Recommended for true crime collections.
- Sally G. Waters, Stetson Law Lib., St. Petersburg, Fla.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.