David Berkowitz

David Berkowitz

David Berkowitz was born as Richard David Falco. His mother had him out of wedlock when she had an affair with a married real-estate agent named Joseph Klineman. Her husband Tony Falco had left her a few years before that. His mother gave him up for adoption to Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz who named him David Berkowitz Chicago. Being rejected by his birth mother caused David to develop an inferiority complex especially with women and thought he was unappealing to them. He worked as a postman and a security guard. In 1974 he 'heard voices' in his head that ordered him to kill. Berkowitz began to blame these voices on his neighbor Sam Carr's black Labrador that kept him up at night by its barking. He would send hate letters to Carr and in April 1977 even shot and wounded the dog. On July 29, 1976 he killed his first official victim. His modus operandi was to approach unsuspecting people late at night, pull out a gun from a brown paper bag and shoot them at point blank range. Most of his victims were couples, necking in their cars or in a park late at night. His female victims tended to be brunettes with long hair, which caused a scare in parts of New York and had women 'blonding' themselves and cutting their hair short to avoid being targeted. Couples were also advised not to stay out late at night by the local authorities as the serial killings escalated. They were all shot with a .44 caliber bulldog gun and hence his first nickname by the press - ".44 Caliber Killer". Most crimes occurred in the boroughs of Bronx and Queens but other parts of the city felt the terror too. The police task force for the case - 'Operation Omega' was formed. Inside the car of one of the victims the police found a letter. One was addressed to Cpt. Joseph Borelli and another to NY columnist Jimmy Breslin (June 1, 1977). The killer identified himself as "Sam's" and now the press had a new moniker - "Son of Sam". The last "S.o.S" killing took place on July 31, 1977. A witness had seen a young man (David) near the crime scene walking away with something tucked under his jacket. He was observed removing a parking ticket from a yellow Ford Galaxie that had blocked a fire hydrant. The police traced tickets in that area to Berkowitz address in Yonkers. Inside the car they found a loaded .44. They waited for him and when he approached the car they arrested the pudgy unassuming postman. He surrendered without a fight and confessed to being 'Son of Sam'. Though diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic he was found sane enough for trial. On August 23, 1977 he was sentenced to six life sentences.

  • Title: David Berkowitz
  • Popularity: 1.239
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1953-06-01
  • Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Richard David Falco
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David Berkowitz Movies

  • 2017
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    Son of Sam: The Killer Speaks

    Son of Sam: The Killer Speaks

    1 2017 HD

    David Berkowitz terrorized New York City by killing six people and wounding seven others in seemingly random shootings from July 1976 to July 1977....

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  • 1998
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    Son of Sam, Son of Hope

    Son of Sam, Son of Hope

    1 1998 HD

    The Son of Sam, David Berkowitz testimony of his involvement into the occult, his descent into cold-blooded murder, his arrest, and his surprising...

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  • 2021
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    Hymns from the Abyss

    Hymns from the Abyss

    1 2021 HD

    Images of moral panic, cult followings and the edges of madness from sex and death.

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  • 1984
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    Murder: No Apparent Motive

    Murder: No Apparent Motive

    7 1984 HD

    This documentary about serial killers and FBI Behavioral Sciences profilers features interviews with Ed Kemper and Ted Bundy as well as crime victims...

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  • 2017
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    Son of Sam: The Hunt for a Killer

    Son of Sam: The Hunt for a Killer

    6.8 2017 HD

    A shocking serial murder case terrorized New York 40 years ago. Surviving victims, families of the deceased, and the detectives who worked on the...

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  • 1981
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    The Killing of America

    The Killing of America

    7.2 1981 HD

    A documentary of the decline of America. Featuring footage (most exclusive to this film) from race riots to serial killers and much, much more.

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  • 2007
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    NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell

    NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell

    7.5 2007 HD

    New York City, 1977 - It was a time when the city had fallen into decay, with too few jobs, money, police, schools, and social services. There was a...

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  • 2012
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    Serious Serial Killers

    Serious Serial Killers

    1 2012 HD

    A documentary covering various serial killers including BTK, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Son of Sam and more.

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  • 2021
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    The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness

    The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness

    7.1 2021 HD

    The Son of Sam case grew into a lifelong obsession for journalist Maury Terry, who became convinced that the murders were linked to a Satanic cult.

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  • 2016
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    The Lost Tapes

    The Lost Tapes

    10 2016 HD

    Encounter the Pearl Harbor attacks, the L.A. riots, the Son of Sam murders and Patty Hearst's kidnapping the way they unfolded on TVs and radios...

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  • 2010
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    Twisted

    Twisted

    10 2010 HD

    TWISTED takes an in-depth look at the world's most prolific serial killers through first-hand accounts and testaments of those closest to them, and...

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  • 2005
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    Born to Kill?

    Born to Kill?

    7.7 2005 HD

    Born To Kill is a British true crime television series, made by Twofour Productions. Each episode is an in-depth look at the childhood, and formative...

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