Former prosecutor known for high-profile cases and advocacy for Soviet Jews faces legal trouble after retirement, charged with a sex offense.
Eugene Gold, a former Brooklyn district attorney known for his tough stance on crime, passed away at the age of 100 on August 5 at his residence in Woodstock, New York. He gained recognition for his role in prosecuting David Berkowitz, the notorious Son of Sam serial killer, in the late 1970s. Gold served as district attorney for 13 years until 1981, during which he also advocated for the emigration rights of Jews in the Soviet Union. However, his reputation was tarnished in 1983 when he faced charges related to a sex offense involving a minor.
Gold was among the three district attorneys in New York City who sought to bring Berkowitz to justice, but he was the first to take action against him. Berkowitz, a postal clerk from Yonkers, was arrested in August 1977 for a series of shootings that resulted in the deaths of six individuals, mostly young people, and injuries to seven others. The attacks, carried out over a year in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, instilled fear in the residents of New York City, earning Berkowitz the moniker “the .44-caliber killer” while he was still at large.
Source: The NY Times
