The murder of Kitty Genovese became one of the most infamous crime stories in New York City history, not only because of the brutality of what happened in Kew Gardens, Queens, on March 13, 1964, but because of the story that followed. For decades, Americans were told that dozens of witnesses heard or saw Kitty Genovese being attacked and did nothing. That version of the case helped shape the psychological theory known as the bystander effect, while also fueling a harsh image of New Yorkers as cold and indifferent. Yet the deeper story of Kitty Genovese, her brother Bill’s search for answers, and the people who did try to help reveals something far more complicated and human.
Photo: New York Police Department [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The Story That Shocked New York
A little over a month after the Beatles took New York, a new story rocked the headlines, and another six-year-old’s life was horribly, suddenly impacted forever. The child was William Genovese, the kid brother of Catherine “Kitty” Genovese, who, as the story went, was brutally murdered in the early hours of March 13 while thirty-eight witnesses stood by and did nothing. Along with the news story went a photo of a doe-eyed Italian American beauty wearing a winsome expression. Kitty Genovese was what we called a “cute girl,” her hair in a trendy short cut. To this day, I think of Annette Funicello when I look at that photo.
That picture would go on to grace psychology and sociology articles and textbooks for decades. Kitty Genovese became the poster girl for the “bystander effect.” A New York Times article carried the headline “37 Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call Police.” Eventually, that number would round up to thirty-eight as people all over the city, the country, and then the world shook their heads about those cold New Yorkers who stood around watching that girl being massacred and couldn’t be bothered to interfere. In our Bronx neighborhood, the men stood around exhaling cigarette smoke with a “Jeez, whatsamatta with dem?” or “That’s Queens for ya.” The grisly details were mostly captured by print journalism and in the deep recesses of DD-5 NYPD reports. The bottom line of the story was that if you were getting murdered in New York, you were on your own.
Remembering Kitty Genovese From The Streets Of New York
It wasn’t until the late 1970s, while working in Manhattan, that I thought again about Kitty. Making my way down toward Grand Central Station to catch the 11:15 train after a waitress shift at the Lexington Hotel, there were usually plenty of people still parading up and down the street, hustling from here to there. One thought, however, pinged my nerves. If someone were to just go crazy and start stabbing me, would anyone, any of these people, respond to my screams? Would they avert their tired eyes while I bled out like Kitty Genovese? What would I do if I saw someone being attacked? Would I risk my safety to intervene? Decades ago, strangers were, as a rule, reluctant to get involved in disputes, as couples fought violently or even as kids were smacked upside the head anywhere and everywhere if they didn’t behave. We were, as a nation, desensitized to violence. Keep your head down, tuck in your purse, and keep moving was my mantra.
Later in college, I became a bit of a student expert on the case, writing what I thought were dazzling papers for my psych professors about the bystander effect. After all, I knew all there was to know about the murder from newspapers and my overpriced university textbook, right? I was later to learn how wrong I, the journalists, the publishers, my professors, and practically everyone else had been about the event.
Bill Genovese And The Search For The Truth
In recent years, I see it through the eyes of a contemporary. In 1964, at the time of his sister’s famous murder, Bill lived with the rest of Kitty’s family in New Canaan, Connecticut. The Genoveses had moved to get out of the Brooklyn crime zone. However, being in her late twenties and quite independent, their oldest child, Catherine, chose to stay in the city. Even then, living in New York wasn’t cheap, so that meant she worked two jobs, office worker by day and bar manager by night, to support herself and live life on her terms. Kitty worked hard, but she was living the career girl’s dream.
At the time of her murder and for years afterward, much has been made of the “relationship” between Kitty and her roommate, Mary Ann Zielonko. Back then, the rumors were whispered. Now the affection between the women has been openly blogged about and debated. Like much of Kitty’s life, questions remain, and fifty years later, her brother Bill, having grown up, served his country, and lost his legs in the Vietnam War, went looking for some clear answers about what really happened in Kew Gardens starting at approximately 3:20 a.m. and lasting for over half an hour on March 13, 1964. His journey was made into a brilliant 2015 documentary called The Witness.
What Really Happened In Kew Gardens
One of the most poignant and perhaps reassuring takeaways of Bill’s painstaking research is that some people did respond. The attack happened in motion, with the murderer leaving the scene and then returning to finish the job as Kitty stumbled from the LIRR parking lot toward her apartment. Some people, hearing snatches of the attack, yelled out the window. Some did nothing. Many weren’t sure what was happening. Among the residents of the neighborhood were immigrants and concentration camp survivors who feared notifying authorities. The police meant trouble to many.
Despite the mysteries that still remain, Bill Genovese found, most importantly, a treasure among the ruins: his big sister did not die alone. A neighbor, Mrs. Sophia Farrar, had literally pushed into a blood-covered doorway to hold Kitty in her arms as she took her last breath. Revisiting her life, including a reenactment of the fateful night, created a portrait of a fun-loving woman who was loved by so many. And that iconic photo? Well, it was later revealed to be a mugshot of Kitty from an arrest for bookmaking in 1961. Kitty was a real young woman with joys, passions, and frailties. She was, and still is, much more than a symbol of tragedy or a case history for social scientists.
The Legacy Of Kitty Genovese
Some will argue that the New York Times rushed to judgment in order to get a headline. However, the counterargument is that the story fueled a movement to inspire people not to stand by as innocent bystanders when they can help someone being attacked. Questioning the motive of the New York Times story can only be answered by those responsible for publishing it. In the end, the tragedy of Kitty Genovese has probably haunted anyone who has ever stood by or walked away from someone in desperate need of help. The loss of a life so young and innocent, though, is the most tragic part.
For more artciel like this on ClassicNewYorkHistory.com, check out our firsthand account of experiencing life in the Bronx during the Son of Sam Murders or the terrifying story of Willowbrook and Cropsey.
Article updated June 29, 2026
This horrible murder still haunts Kew Gardens. I would walk past that spot often and think about poor Kitty and the loss her loved ones felt. We all should never, ever forget her.