The mysterious disappearance of a newborn in 1956 | Forensic Files

[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website today's episode features a crime
committed against an infant child it won't be suitable for all listeners on July 4th 1956 confetti show at New York
City's Fifth Avenue as soldiers march down the street in celebration of Independence Day people flocked to the
state's beaches and boardwalks settling in to wait for the firework displays planned later in the north baseball
teams the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers played each other in front of a packed crowd at the Polo
Grounds Stadium in Upper Manhattan radios were blasting a broadcast of a concert in Memphis where Elvis Presley
was performing in front of thousands of adoring fans but the holiday celebrations were far more modest in
Westbury a small suburban village about 30 miles east of Manhattan Westbury was at the time a fairly new
village inland having gone from farmland to a small community in the late 30s when world war ii broke out 20% of
Westbury left to serve the country this was the highest percentage of any comparable community in the United
States after the war with the growth of New York City housing developers set their sights on Long Island and the
Westbury became the perfect area for housing estates aimed at middle-income baby boomers in the ten years between
1950 and 1960 the population doubled going from around 7,000 to 15,000 people then they ran out of land to develop and
the population has stayed about the same ever since for 4th of July celebrations
in Westbury in 1956 families piled in the station wagons and headed to the local park or recreation hall for
communal festivities backyard barbecues and pool parties for common as was the sight of children on push bikes circling
the streets others opted to spend the holiday at home relaxing settling in around their black-and-white televisions
tuned into the local news or their favorite cereals that day 32 year old schoolteacher Betty Weinberger was one
of those who stayed at home Betty lived with her 48 year old husband Boris their two-year-old son Lewis and
their newborn baby Peter the Weinberger family were emblematic of 1950s suburban America they were polite
well respected and proud members of the community they took great pride in their
presentation their home was tidy their lawn was mowed and their clothes were iron
on hot days Betty and Morris would Leon joined her a large beach umbrella in their backyard
as Lewis splashed about in an inflatable kiddie pool they were an unassumingly normal family with the same minor
struggles as others but their life was good they lived on Albemarle Road Westbury Albemarle Road was located in a
suburban block off the heavily traveled Northern State Parkway a multi-lane Road
that cut along the northern half of Long Island and serviced traffic in and out of the small communities along the way
their street was wired lined with cedar and pine trees and featured multiple medium sized family homes phones were on
spacious properties with enough room to give residents privacy lawns were green and well-kept with colorful gardens
surrounded by low hedges it was only a short walk to the main shopping strip of Post Avenue and it was close to Westbury
schools and library making it an ideal street to live for the Weinberger's Betty had only given birth to youngest
son Peter 33 days earlier the blue-eyed sandy haired one month old weighed just knowing peons
he was an affectionate and curious baby and his mother rarely left he saw it [Music]
marwan Booga had left the house earlier that day to take two-year-old Lewis on a
drive around town and Betty remained home with Peter Betty was a naturally maternal woman and she loved being a
mother that day she dressed baby Peter in a yellow on white kimono and matching blue trim to pique yellow cap and a
cloth diaper clipped together with a large safety pin about 3:00 p.m. she carried Peter out to the backyard patio
where she fed him the bottle it was a cool and overcast summer's day so she decided to let Peter have his after
bottle nappy outside amongst the patio furniture was a baby carriage it was pushed against the window that
looked inside into the living area Betty wrapped Peter in a light yellow blanket and placed him into the carriage
once Peter settled Betty pulled a sheet of mosquito netting over the carriage and walked back inside to retrieve a
fresh cloth diaper approximately 10 minutes later Betty looked out the living room window and saw the mosquito
netting on Peters carriage was curled open she immediately went outside to fix it but when she looked into the carriage
her chest tightened and she felt the dizzying sensation of blood draining from her body the carriage was empty
pale and breathless time slow is Betty's mind raced through a variety of illogical explanations
did Peter fall out of the carriage did Morris come home and get Peter while she was inside had she moved Peter elsewhere
and forgotten her numbness turned to terror when she noticed the torn piece of paper on the patio that read
attention I'm sorry this had to happen but I'm in bad need of money and couldn't get it any other way
don't tell anyone who'll go to the police about this because I am watching you closely I'm scared stiff and will
kill the baby at your first wrong move just put two thousand dollars in small bills in a brown envelope and place it
next to the signpost at the corner of Albemarle Road and Park Avenue at exactly ten o'clock tomorrow morning if
everything goes smooth I will bring the baby back and leave him on the same corner safe and happy at exactly 12:00
noon no excuses I can't wait sign your babysitter [Music] detective Edward Curran was scheduled to
take the 4th of July holiday off but he decided to duck into their Nassau County
police precinct to sort through a pilot paperwork anyway with most of his co-workers on holiday the office was
quiet and the day was uneventful it didn't surprise the few officers that were on duty to see Karen at his desk on
his day off Karen was considered a one of a kind a top-shelf detective fully dedicated to his job that afternoon the
precincts received an unusual emergency call distressed parents were reporting their one month old child missing the
baby had been abducted from the back yard of their home in Westbury and the kidnapper had left her a ransom note
even though the kidnapper had instructed the family not to contact the police they still call as they thought it would
be the best way to get their son back when news of the kidnapping reached detective Curran he said quote they got
a baby missing out in Westbury to me that was a logical we had no serious crime how the hell could a baby
been missing in the new suburbia we were a youngest society with young children and only the rich babies were kidnapped
in the suburban village of Westbury the threat of local children being kidnapped
for ransom didn't exist town life in Westbury was harmonious no one was a stranger it attracted everyday families
of moderate income not the sort of families criminals would usually target for a ransom
with little threat from outsiders Westbury residents didn't even bother locking their doors children were free
to wander the streets without adult supervision this sense of community safety allowed mothers like Benny Wong
burger to leave they're napping babies alone on their backyard patios without concern detective Edward current took
the lead of The Wanderer kidnapping investigation his superiors permitted him a team of eight detectives the
Weinberg is one story ranch-style house sat on an angle to a curve to turn on Albemarle Road it featured a steep roof
wine white window shutters a brick facing front and an attached garage when approaching the house Curran noticed
that at a very specific spot on Albemarle Road he could see clean into the Weinberger's fenceless backyard and
from there he could clearly see the patio where Peter had been snatched meeting Betty and Morris Wong burger
didn't give detective Curran any answers as to why they would be targeted for a kidnapping and ransom
neither Betty or Morris were wealthy well-known or influential they lived off Morris's modest income as a pharmacist
as Betty was on maternity leave and they didn't exude affluence at all their property and belongings were humble
memories of previous high-profile kidnapping cases throughout the country flashed through detectives nines
12 year-old Mary Ann Parker was abducted in December 1927 her father was a prominent banker in Los Angeles 20 month
old Charles Lindbergh jr. was taken from his home in March 1932 his father was renowned aviator Charles Lindbergh 22
year old Brookhart was abducted in November 1933 his father was the owner of a department store six year old June
Robles was abducted in April 1934 her father owned an electric company with these high-profile kidnappings in
mind police considered the ordinary Weinberger family an atypical target so they started to consider the grim
possibility that the kidnapping story was a cover maybe the Weinberger's harmed their own
baby and set up a fake kidnapping it seemed unlikely but as Karen questioned the couple his team searched
the home for any signs of foul play they found nothing detective Karen thought Betty looked
like any other ordinary mother she was wearing a long dress in cardigan and her hair was tightly curled into a short
sophisticated style she certainly didn't look like she could have harmed her child as he questioned her she inhaled
one cigarette after another the sticks dangling loose in her shaking hands Karen felt her inability to hold it
together was indicative of her intense care for her baby he was starting to believe the kidnapping was genuine
despite the unusual choice of family that was targeted Morris Weinberger had the stark opposite
reaction to his wife wearing an hi and collared shirt tucked into slacks the lean older man barely spoke and kept his
emotions internalized running his hands across his thin slicked back graying hair Morris had little to say to
detectives his weary glassy eyes indicated a staunch father suffering a lot of internal pain as detectives put
together a profile of the Juan burger family it became clear that the parents were good people who loved their
children detective Curran concluded that the Weinberger's had nothing to hide and
there was a kidnapper at large [Music] Caron inspected the ransom note left on the patio curiously it didn't appear to
be the hasty scribblings of a lowly young educated criminal the handwriting was neat and consistent words were
written in straight lines across the page spelling and grammar were correct the lettering was small except for the
loops of longer letters the kidnapper signed to the notice babysitter but the Weinberger's had never employed a
babysitter to look after their children to Curren the $2,000 ransom was unusually specific $2,000 wasn't a large
sum of money in a kidnapping case in previous cases ransom demands hid five figures and hire Peter Weinberg his
kidnapper claimed they were in bad need of money and it looked like they were only seeking the specific amount they
needed Betty and Morris were under immense pressure to make an incredibly difficult decision how were they going
to respond to the kidnappers demands authorities were reluctant to pay ransoms as it rewarded the kidnappers
and encouraged copycats but the Weinberger's decision was unwavering they would pay the kidnapper
whatever it took to get Peter back home safe due to the fourth of July holiday all the banks were closed but detectives
arranged to have one opened to release money for the ransom the Weinberger's didn't have enough savings to pay the
complete amount so detectives improvised by wrapping wads of paper with banknotes
to give the illusion there was more money than there actually was the serial numbers on the banknotes were recorded
to ensure they could be traced detectives also bugged the Wando his telephone to record incoming calls
as they were getting ready to drop the money Curran realized the rancid note carried flawed instructions it demanded
the money be left at the corner of Albemarle Road and Park Avenue but the kidnapper failed to realize that
Albemarle Road winning a semi-circle and the road intersected with Park Avenue twice at either end of the semicircle
18o section featured a signpost meaning there were two possible drop zones to be
safe detectives prepared to ransom packages one for each possible drop zone [Music]
within the hours of the kidnapping the local media heard whispers of the unusual crime in Westbury and began to
pry around Nassau County police headquarters looking for a scoop Betty and Morris made a private plea to the
five major New York City newspaper publications please hold off printing news of their
son's kidnapping while they are in negotiations with the kidnapper they feared if the media announced news of
the crime and may scare the kidnapper and put their son in danger police supported Betty and Morris and
request that a one-day news blackout on the crime the media outlets agreed to comply
as the July 4th evening newspapers appeared on stands and doorsteps Betty and Morris one bogus settled in for a
long emotional night without their baby the media outlets honored the request to
keep Musa pitas kidnapping out of the papers except one the New York Daily News evening edition newspaper took
advantage of their competitors silence and featured a front-page story on Peter Weinberger's kidnapping in an act that
had the potential to sabotage the ransom drop and the police operation scheduled
the following morning the article detailed the kidnappers ransom demands and revealed the involvement of police
in the case Betty and Morris Weinberg awoke from a restless night to morning newspapers featuring bold front page
headlines detailing Peters kidnapping the article in the evening edition of the New York Daily News had opened the
media floodgates the following morning every other media outlet released a story as well they didn't want to miss
out on the huge sales the kidnapping story it would provide reporters swarmed the front lawn of the
Weinberger family home detectives were trying to prepare for the ransom drop but were bombarded by interfering media
whose presence jeopardized the entire operation extra police were called in to try and disperse the media before the
kidnapper arrived to collect the ransom at 9:55 a.m. Betty and Morris dropped a ransom package at each of the two
possible drop locations the packages were placed against the street signposts as ordered by the kidnapper they then
returned home to await the outcome what police staked out at each location there
were few places to hide along the Albemarle Road the wired road and open front lawns lacked decent cover making
it difficult for police to maintain discreet surveillance of the drop locations to any keen and watchful eye
their presence would have been noticeable 10:00 a.m. arrived and there was no sign of the kidnapper 10 minutes
slowly tick by with nothing then a taxi carrying a female passenger circled the street multiple times passing the
Weinberger house three times before driving away a red station wagon with a female driver then pulled up at one of
the drop locations but drove away moments later police didn't follow either the taxi or the red station wagon
they didn't want to blow their cover as time passed no one appeared to claim me the ransom package the drop had
failed the kidnapper was a no-show [Music] reporters flanked the weinberger home
Betty emerged surrounded by a police escort emotionally volatile Betty blamed the media for sabotaging the ransom drop
I could cuddle your throat she yelled between gut-wrenching sobs the Weinberger's were taken to Nassau County
Police Headquarters Peters kidnapping was now making national news and was thrusting the quiet town into the media
spotlight Westbury locals were struck by a fear they never knew doors were locked
and children were kept inside all the while Betty and Morris battled with the uncertain fate of their baby boy in the
hands of a kidnapper who no longer trusted them at 2:00 p.m. that afternoon police hold a press conference
since the media had preemptively exposed their investigation police decided to be
up front the family is awaiting further instructions they told the media we have
made no progress at all we've had several vague leads but all have gone nowhere betty was near-collapse she was seated
on a bench as the media crowded her she held a written statement in shaking hands and spoke in a low unsteady voice
quote I am the mother of Peter Weinberger who was taken from me yesterday whoever you are I now plead
for the return of my baby who needs the care of his mother I assume you are desperately in need of
money and I am willing to cooperate in any way I can to get my baby back most of all liar Betty broke down sobbing she
dropped her a written statement and then spoke candidly off-script directly to Peter's kidnapper
please please please call anyone leave a note anywhere I shall see that you get what you want
Betty then fainted and was gently carried away by family detective Curran picked up Betty's written statement
stood before the media and finished it on her behalf quote most of all I am concerned for the
well-being of my son who is in need of a special feeding which I will now give you
Karin read out the ingredients of a special baby formula PETA required 17 ounces of sterile water one and a half
level tablespoons of sugar and one 13 ounce can of evaporated milk this was to be divided into feedings of five ounces
each and given six times a day at intervals of four hours Peter was also in need of vitamin b12
and five drops of doze X Karin explained that Peter needed the special formula to survive and the
recipe required a pharmacist knowledge the media in public were unaware that the recipe was completely fabricated by
police Peter didn't require a special formula at all police concocted the recipe hoping it
would compel the kidnapper to visit a pharmacy if the pharmacist recognized the very specific formula requests they
could tip off detectives the following day a heavyset man walked into a pharmacy in Stamford Connecticut about
40 miles away from Westbury the man inquired about two of the ingredients listed in Peters phoney baby formula
vitamin b12 and doze X the pharmacist didn't have the items available so the man quickly left when police were
informed the unknown man was long gone and never identified in the meantime police started a thorough search for
Peter in Westbury despite believing with utmost certainty that their son was still alive Betty and Morris felt
increasingly anxious as more than 100 police officers canvassed the streets around their home peed down drains
lifted manhole covers ripped apart bushes and sifted through piles of soft dirt the wooden have quelled Betty and
Morris's anxiety when the media spun the police search as proof law enforcement assumed Peter was dead this was
incorrect it was simply a step police had to take they didn't mean Noah treating it as a homicide to Betty and
Morris's relief no sign of Peter was found the media continued to stalk the family their front yard was full of
reporters and photographers who bombarded them with intrusive and insensitive questions whenever they
appeared police canvassed the Albemarle Road to see if any residents noticed anyone suspicious in the area on July
4th two young boys came forward who were walking down Albemarle Road on their way
to play baseball that afternoon they saw a bushy head shabbily dressed me in reading a newspaper in a green car
parked near the wand ogre home the boys were able to identify the green car as a Chrysler Plymouth no one in the
street owned a car that matched that description detectives noted this as their first
major clue beyond the ransom note three days passed with no new compelling leads
and concern grew for Peters well-being the longer Peter was gone the less likely his basic needs such as feeding
cleaning and sleeping were being met if the kidnapper chose Peter because he was
an easy target to snatch they might not have considered the newborn baby would also be a difficult hostage to tend to
so with each new day came an increased sense of urgency determined to crack the case detective Curran worked day and
night he didn't even go home he slept on a cot at police headquarters Betty and Morris called another press conference
it was held in the back yard of their home Betty was dry eyed and emotionally exhausted Morris stood silently beside
her covered in a thick blanket behind them was the courage Peter had been snatched from Betty said once again in
desperation we appeal to you who have our baby we beg you to let us have word is the baby will please take care of him
he needs attention so much we don't want any revenge we want our baby please please use the church or clergyman to
make contact with us drop a note in the collection box the clergy men are all committed to us not to turn over the
information to police the police have given their word they won't interfere tomorrow is Sunday and the churches all
over the city will be open New York churches and synagogues supported the Weinberger's by keeping
their doors open all day and all night however the kidnapper didn't show up days later a telephone operator in New
York received a call the male caller said the kidnap baby will be left in the 168 Street subway station he then hung
up police swooped on the station in Washington Heights witnesses at the station described seeing a man in a
light grey suit carrying a package police searched for the man in gray but concluded the call was a hoax and the
meaning great was not related to the kidnapping this was the start of a spate of hoax calls and letters that bombarded
the Weinberger's Betty and Morris received over 10 prank calls a day the calls came from as far away as Chicago
and Michigan callers claimed to be pitas kidnapper and attempted to take advantage of the desperate mother and
father during one call Betty was instructed to take the ransom money to a movie theater in Queens
police were worried that it was another hoax but Betty was determined she was going to attend the job with or without
them so 30 undercover police officers went to the theater and took seats throughout to keep an eye on the
exchange Betty arrived at the theater with the ransom payment in her purse she took a
seat alone in the second-last row within minutes I mean sprinted at her snatched
her purse and attempted to escape all 30 undercover police left from their seats
and jumped on the men but they later discovered he was nothing more than an opportunistic petty criminal totally
unrelated to the kidnapping into the phone call he targeted Betty not knowing who she was but because she was alone in
the theater and he thought she was an easy target for a robbery the initial caller who orchestrated the
theater ransom job wasn't heard from again at 10:45 a.m. on July 10th six days after Peter was taken the telephone in
the Weinberger house rang once more Morris answered and a male voice instructed him to place ransom money in
a mailbox off exit 26 on the Northern State Parkway Morris followed through with the mailbox drop but no one arrived
to collect the money police put the core down to yet another hoax but later that
same afternoon the Weinberger's telephone rang again betty answered this time as police secretly listened in and
recorded the conversation the male caller said listen do you want to see a kid or don't you who is this Betty asked
well it's the party you would be interested in I called up earlier and I don't know who answered I made an
appointment and nobody showed up but he said he made an appointment with my husband what did you ask him to do go
over to exit 26 the caller responded yes we kept that appointment my husband went
no nobody was there I was there for over an hour well near on exit 28 if you want right
by the sign I'll be there in at most the half-hour you'll find a blue bag there put the money in and take the note and
it'll tell you where you'll find the baby in any hour's time although the possibility of this being another hoax
crossed the tech t'v currents mind he dressed several police officers in ragged clothing and sent them to exit 28
they would pretend to be workers picking up rubbish along the Parkway whilst maintaining a visual on the drop site to
their surprise there was a large blue duffel bag resting by the base of the exit twenty-eight sign just like the
caller had said there would be the undercover police lined the Parkway as Betty and Morris approached the bag with
the ransom package inside the bag was a handwritten note Betty and Morris collected the note and placed the ransom
money in the bag before driving away undercover police kept a close eye on the bag for an extended period of time
but no one showed up to take the money police retrieved to the bag and abandoned of the operation
however the drop wasn't the futile hopes police had suspected to their surprise the note Betty and Morris retrieved from
the bag featured the exact same handwriting as the ransom note left on their patio finally after six long days
pitas kidnapper was communicating even though the kidnapper had made no previous attempt to retrieve the ransom
packages this new note demanded a larger sum of $5,000 the instructions were for
the money to be left underneath a pile of old car seat covers further down the Northern State Parkway
the note ended with quote if everything goes smooth the baby will be left wrapped in an army blanket and placed at
the exit of the parkway closest to your house in exactly one hour signed your babysitter Betty and Morris
found the pile of car seat covers and placed the five thousand dollar ransom underneath them as the kidnapper had
instructed but again to the detectives frustration that was ignored the kidnapper didn't show up to collect the
money so police grabbed to the car seat covers and left police felt the kidnapper was playing with them but for
what purpose they couldn't determine Polk was starting to fade amongst everyone that Peter would be found safe
everyone except his parents Betty and Morris firmly believed Peter was still alive
during the 1950's the FBI only got involved in kidnapping cases after one week they could act earlier if the
victim was taken across state lines but there was no evidence of that in this case so the FBI didn't become involved
until July 11th exactly one week after Peters kidnapping 55 FBI agents from the New York office
swarmed to Nassau County professional jealousy and personal pride created an immediate rift between local detectives
and FBI agents the FBI's arrival signified the inability of local detectives to solve the case and they
weren't eager to hand over their investigation to dispel the tension between the two groups detective Curran
asked his superiors to match the FBI's presence with an equal number of local officers this would help Nassau County
Police feel like that was still an integral part of the investigation Curran was given the additional
personnel which enabled each FBI agent to be teamed up with a local officer this eased the tension and the extra
manpower provided a much-needed boost to the failing investigation the to ransom notes written by the
kidnapper were the biggest leads they had so they were analyzed by handwriting experts from the FBI their analysis
showed that 16 letters in the kidnappers handwriting had what were considered distinctive characteristics these were
habitual or unavoidable patterns in the style of writing that were unique to the
author most notably the kidnapper had a very unusual way of angling the letter M
which made it look like it was the letters ed the handwriting experts created what they called the happy
birthday letter it was a scripted birthday greeting that used every letter of the alphabet when people were under
suspicion by investigators they were asked to rewrite the happy birthday letter their writing sample was then
compared to the ransom notes dozens of happy birthday letters were written by potential suspects including
close friends and relatives of the Weinberger's but there was no match copies of the kidnappers handwriting
were distributed to law enforcement agencies across the country detectives worked around the clock for weeks
cross-checking the kidnappers handwriting to large volumes of court documents driver's license registrations
voting registrations tax records and probation files while this was happening technicians inspected the car seat
covers retrieved from the most recent ransom drop site from the wear and indentations on the fabric they were
able to determine that the car seat covers were frequently used by someone weighing approximately 160 pounds they
also established the brand of vehicle the seat covers came from an early 1950s Chrysler Plymouth the same car that
witnesses saw parked near the Weinberger home on the afternoon of the kidnapping
on August 22nd almost seven weeks after the kidnapping a probation officer based
in Brooklyn arrived at Nassau County Police Headquarters he carried a pile of documents
pertaining to a man who lived in plain view a suburb less than six miles away from Westbury the Plainview man had
recently completed a year of probation for bootlegging in Suffolk County the probation officer had been sent the
information regarding the kidnappers handwriting and as he read through his monthly probation reports he kept the
sample close by in case he noticed a match while reading a report he came across the signature of a man on
probation named Angelo Lusaka but the probation officer examined the signature more closely and realized he had misread
the surname what he first interpreted as the letter Z was actually an M written on a sloping angle it was a distinct
writing characteristic associated with Peters kidnapper the men's name was actually Angelo
LaMarca FBI handwriting experts compared Angelo LaMarca handwriting on his probation
documentation compared his ransom notes they spotted several more substantial similarities
when they did a background check on Angelo LaMarca they discovered he owned a green 1951 Chrysler Plymouth the same
vehicle witnessed neither weinberger home around the time of the kidnapping previous police reports on LaMarca had
him weighing 160 pounds the exact weight which correlated to the wear of the seat
covers recovered from the final unsuccessful ransom drop that was enough for detective Curran in
the early hours of August 23rd 51 days after Peters kidnapping police took up positions surrounding lemarcus home and
the properties belonging to his known relatives detective Curran screamed go over the radio and police stormed each
of the properties simultaneously [Music] it was 2 a.m. when 8 detectives rushed into the LaMarca family home on
Richfield street in Plainview Angelo LaMarca was inside his quaint house with his wife Donna
the couple had the night to themselves as lemarcus parents were babysitting his two young children LaMarca didn't put up
a fight the scrawny man was half asleep his eyelids were heavy his dark hair was
unkempt and his lower face was shady with stubble police kicked open doors and searched closets and cupboards
inside the house but they found a no sign of Peter LaMarca denied any involvement in the crime with a suspect
in custody the cooperation between nasa county police and the FBI broke down the
FBI took lamarka away without notifying Nassau County they took him straight to their FBI headquarters on Manhattan's
East Side detective Curran stormed into the FBI office and demanded custody of LaMarca he said the FBI couldn't lay
claim to him because there was no indication he had violated federal law the FBI relented and permitted current
to lead the questioning of lamarka as FBI agents watched through two-way glass detective Curran entered the
interrogation room currently introduced himself and attempted to establish a connection to
lamarka but divulging that they grew up in the same area and that the detective actually lived on the same street as
LaMarcus parents he told him he was the only friend he had and encouraged him to
start talking but LaMarca continued to deny involvement he paid his kidnapping so detective Curran brought lemarcus
wife Donna into the interrogation room she was distraught and said Angelo did you kidnap this child think of that
baby's mother Angelo if you did this and all as the mother would want to know where he is
LaMarca barked at the detective to get his wife here current thought that LaMarcus agitated voice sounded very
familiar current through a copy of LaMarcus probation report that contained his handwriting under the table he then
placed a copy of the ransom notes next to it the similarities in the handwriting were undeniable LaMarca
remained silent for a long time he then nodded and admitted that he wrote the ransom notes he explained he wrote them
along with several others in jest for friends afterwards he threw them in a wastebasket he said that someone must
have taken them out of the wastebasket and used them in pitas kidnapping the explanation was far-fetched the best but
LaMarcus stood by it so detective current considered his next play Karin had recognized LaMarcus distinct
voice the moment he heard the man snap at his wife so he asked for a reel-to-reel tape recorder to be brought
into the room Curran played the recorded telephone calls the kidnapper had made to the Weinberger's when LaMarca heard
his voice on the recordings he crumbled and started the talk 31 year old Angelo LaMarca swage of $1 80 Pereira was
barely enough to provide for his young family the LaMarcus were struggling to pay off
their 116 dollar monthly mortgage as well as several other debts including $900 on a freezer $500 for the storm
windows on their home and $400 owed to a loan shark unpayable bills swamped the couple and the loan shark was
threatening the family when the marker wanted to take his wife Donna out for dinner in a movie to celebrate their
10th wedding anniversary on June 9th 1956 Donna protested she felt they couldn't afford it
this led to their first heated argument about money by the end of the night Donna noticed the change in her husband
from that moment on Angelo lost sight of himself and was constantly nervous and prone to arguments he would regularly
yell at their two children something he rarely did before he stopped communicating with Donna and it seemed
like his mind was constantly elsewhere Donna lamarka quote he didn't sleep very well he would get up at night and walk
around go downstairs then he would come up and try to sleep again then get up and go downstairs again I know he needed
a haircut badly he used to pull his hair and his fists against the table finally Angelo LaMarca fell into a long
bout of what Donna described as a sullen mood LaMarca was desperate for quick money to protect his family seemingly
out of his mind and incapable of understanding the consequences of such actions he devised
the plan to kidnap a baby for ransom but only for the $2,000 he needed to get out
of his immediate debts he didn't want the police to get involved as he intended to return the child back to his
family once his ransom demands were met on the day of July 4th 1956 lamarka drove the residential streets of
Westbury in his Chrysler Plymouth looking for a target when cruising down Albemarle Road he glimpsed Betty
Weinberger on the patio in her back yard feeding a newborn baby he pulled over in
a spot that allowed him to inconspicuously observe the mother and son when Betty placed Peter in the
carriage and went inside lamarka was watching he tore a piece of paper from a notebook and scrawled the
ransom note on it within the ten minutes Betty was inside the house lemarcus snatch Peter from the patio left the
note and drove away what lamarka did with Peter directly after the kidnapping is unclear he
claimed he didn't take Peter back to his own home and when police questioned his
wife Donna they absolved her of any involvement LaMarca said he had an accomplice who
kept the baby overnight and fed it he named the accomplice but then recanted and confessed he just
named an acquaintance he didn't like to cause the man grief he then provided another name for his accomplice shorty
but he couldn't provide any further details about shorty and police couldn't find a match detective Karen firmly
believed lamarka was lying about having an accomplice he was making up the story
as a means to deflect responsibility away from himself nevertheless LaMarca continued to shape
his version of events around this unknown accomplice on the morning of July 5th the day of the first ransom
drop lamarka claimed he waited at exit 31 of the Northern State Parkway about two miles away from the Wando kohonen he
said surely drove Peter to Albemarle Road to pick up the ransom while he waited at exit 31 Shirley returned at
10:15 a.m. and lamarka was surprised to see Peter was still in the car shorty said he abandoned to the ransom because
there were too many police and reporters around the drop zone LaMarcus spoke with
shorty for about 15 minutes and then drove to a diner to continue their conversation leaving Peter in the car
the men decided they didn't want to go through with the kidnapping Claude any further and contemplated leaving Peter
at a nearby church but then changed their minds LaMarca ended his statement with the following quote the baby was
left on July 5th 1956 still alive in the bushes by exit 37 on Northern State Parkway at about 11:40 a.m. detectives
weren't buying lemarcus story about shorty the accomplice they believed the evidence suggested
lamarka acted alone but they checked out his story about leaving Peter and exit 37
it was nearing 7:00 p.m. on August 23rd when the marker was taken to exit 37 by detectives he pointed to a small dirt
track leading off the service road that curved into a goldenrod meadow the meadow was a tangle of vines and
shrubbery shadowed by tall wild cherry and scrub oak trees LaMarcus said it was to the right where
the baby was left police marched arms-length from each other but the bushland was so dense they couldn't see
anything under the tall growth of overgrown scrub the search had to be temporarily abandoned at 8:30 p.m. when
the darkness of night blanketed the area early the following day August 24th 60 local detectives and FBI agents came
together on a nun seasonably cold morning to trudge through the thick bush land to search for Peter hours passed
with no find one detective who felt the underbrush was too thick the scene - from a standing position got on his
hands and knees and started crawling he tore at an overgrown honeysuckle and he noticed the glimmer of a metallic object
when he what the dirt away from the item he identified it as a large safety pin it was closed and not yet rusted Betty
and Morris Weinberger were informed of the arrest of Angelo LaMarca surrounded by handful of supportive friends and
family they waited a home for updates as Angelo wasn't initially charged with murder they held out hope Peter would be
found alive Betty stated there's no question in my mind that my baby is still alive
the detective who found the safety pin kept searching if he had pieces of faded yellow decomposed cloth then beyond the
cloth he found the skeletal remains of an infant child Betty and Morris received word only five minutes later
one relative said there was a profound silence and Betty and Morris looked at each other
there was little any of us could say their reaction was very very severe Betty was asked to identify the items
that were discovered around the infant's remains the large safety pin confirmed nothing there was a standard diaper pin
used by many parents it wasn't until Betty was shown the second item that she broke down the decomposed cloth found by
the remains was from an infant's kimono and hat originally a bright yellow and white color Betty loved the way the
color yellow complemented her baby's bright personality medical examiner's confirmed Peter had been placed beneath
the honeysuckle bush approximately fifty days of earlier this match lemarcus confession that he abandoned Peter the
day after he kidnapped him the cause of death couldn't be confirmed science showed Peter could have died from either
asphyxia starvation exposure or a mixture of all of those things the definitive time of death could not
be determined Angelo LaMarca was charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder
at the time the federal kidnapping Act made the death penalty mandatory for convicted kidnappers who physically
harmed their victims the indictment stated the defendant honor about the fourth day of July 1956 willfully and
feloniously did take carry away entertain one Peter Wong burger with intent to keep and conceal sent Peter
Weinberger from his parents and to extort and obtain money and reward for the return and disposition of said Peter
Wong burger whilst then and there engaged in the commission of a felony did it kill said a Peter Wong burger
[Music] the marker applied to have the trial heard outside of New York on the basis
that the crime was so widely publicized popular opinion of him was biased the saturation coverage on television radio
and newspapers had already resulted in people forming the opinion that he was guilty meaning it would be impossible
for him to get a fair trial but his application was denied the trial commenced on November 5th 1956 lamarka
pled not guilty by reason of insanity the defense argued that LaMarcus spiraled into a deep depression spurred
on by overwhelming and increasing debt in a moment of temporary insanity that diseased his otherwise sane mind he
devised the kidnapping plot to get out of a hopeless and desperate situation that threatened to the livelihood of his
family in his unstable mindset LaMarcus kidnapping plot seemed like a viable solution to his problems he was so
detached from reality he was unable to perceive right from wrong the defense also argued that he was not technically
a murderer LaMarca had no intention to harm Peter he intended to return him to his parents but was forced to act
otherwise when he discovered the media presence in and around the proposed drop site the defense asked the jury for
mercy as lamarka was himself the father of a nine-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl
the district attorney responded what mercy was shown baby Peter when he was left in the woods on December 7th 1956
the jury found Angelo LaMarca guilty on both counts he was sentenced to death by electric chair when the
sentence was read in court LaMarcus legs buckled and he needed others to support him to stay standing
his wife fainted the district attorney said quote this man lamarka has passed that sentence on himself literally and
actually with the life of that little child in the palm of his hand he determined his own fate when he said to
himself shall that baby live or shall that baby die his hands closed and he chose death when that baby's life
expired lemarcus life expired too after the trial betty and morris warren burger
completely sealed themselves away from the publicity they denounced the mainstream media for interfering and
sabotaging the investigation during its initial stages and for the immoral and heartless way they pursued and
publicized the story the parents traumatic experience raised questions about the ethical obligations of the
media in this particular case they were more interested in selling newspapers than protecting the integrity of a
delicate investigation their abrasive aggressiveness in seeking new information and scoops was done with no
sensitivity to the victims in response the New York public became critical of the media in question if they had
succeeded in murdering an infant Peter's quiet and private funeral was held on September 10th 1956
two months and five days after being kidnapped for the first time since his kidnapping the media honored the
Weinberger's pleased to stay away and give them privacy the Weinberger's later moved and lived the remainder of their
lives in relative obscurity they eventually had another son together the crime changed the village of Westbury
and had a profound effect on other small suburban communities throughout America
nothing like it had ever happened before the assumed sense of communal security was lost forever until America's
conviction didn't relate this sense of fear America's families weren't safe not even in their own backyards years later
a reporter for a Long Island newspaper tracked down an elderly 79 year old Morris Weinberger the reporter asked
Morris if he still thought about the kidnapping Morris replied no he felt no sense in doing so after the death of his
son he had continued to live life as it came along as a direct result of Peters case
Congress changed the law that required seven days to pass before the FBI could enter a kidnapping investigation today
the FBI can get involved within 24 hours of the crime Angelo LaMarca was incarcerated on death
row in New York Sing Sing prison he became severely depressed the prospect of facing the electric chair or what his
fellow inmates called old Sparky consumed his every thought as a distraction he did something he had
never done before he began sketching art and writing poetry the creative outlet gave him peace he wrote a poem called a
love stronger than steel I am trapped in a web of cold iron and steel for something I did when my mind
wasn't right for 18 months lamarka appealed his death sentence on the basis that his trial was unfair vanya some low
to middle income members of the public came to view LaMarca with sympathy they felt that he was not an evil predatory
monster who enjoyed murdering children the suffering that led to his desperate Act was relatable many local families
understood what it was like to be destitute and hopeless they donated money food clothing and toys to lemarcus
wife and children they didn't want their children to suffer for the sins of their
father ultimately Angelo LaMarca sixth and final appeal failed and his execution was ordered to take place on
August 7th 1958 the day of his execution LaMarca was met by his young children he told them to do
well in school and to look after their mother when his play first day of execution was rejected a Catholic
chaplain in to be Sol and the two prayed quietly LaMarca was then led down the corridor to the execution chamber his
whimpers echoed down the hall detective Edward Curran was sitting in the glass tin audience section of the execution
chamber he didn't particularly want to be there but Betty Wong burger had asked him to attempt so he felt compelled to
do so it wasn't in the Weinberg his interest to personally watch la marca door they never sought revenge they just
wanted their baby back for Karen this was the final chapter of a long painful story but as the heavy
door opened and lamarka was marched into the room where he would soon die current
felt nothing lamarka was dressed in a white shirt dark grey trousers and black loafers
when he saw her old Sparky he turned to the chaplain who offered him a crucifix to kiss six guards a isla marker into
the electric chair his limbs were strapped down tight a heavy leather mask was placed over his head to cover his
eyes and mouth before it was tightened he said his final words what are you trying to do choke me to thousand volts
of electricity shot through his body via the electrodes strapped to his head and
lakes within seconds he was unconscious when the electricity was turned off lemarcus mast-heads slump board a
physician pressed the stethoscope to his chest and said this man is dead [Music]
you

Case 64: Peter Weinberger

“Attention.

I’m sorry this had to happen but I am in bad need of money and couldn’t get it any other way. Don’t tell anyone or go to the police about this because I am watching you closely. I am scared stiff and will kill the baby at your first wrong move.

Just put $2000 in small bills in a brown envelope and place it next to the signpost at the corner of Albemarle Road and Park Avenue at exactly 10 o’clock tomorrow morning. If everything goes smooth I will bring the baby back and leave him on the same corner safe and happy at exactly 12 noon.

No excuses, I can’t wait!

Signed, Your babysitter.”

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-64-peter-weinberger

Brief Summary

The 1956 kidnapping of Peter Weinberger leads to a tragic investigation and the arrest of Angelo LaMarca, who is later executed for the crime.

Key points

The Ransom Note. Betty discovers a chilling ransom note demanding money for her kidnapped baby.
A Baby is Missing. Detective Curran is shocked to learn about the kidnapping of a one-month-old baby.
Media Frenzy. The kidnapping case becomes national news, overwhelming the Weinberger family.
Desperate Plea for Peter's Return. Betty and Morris appeal to the kidnapper during a press conference, begging for their baby's safe return.
Ransom Note Communication. After days of silence, the kidnapper sends a note demanding a larger ransom and providing instructions.
FBI Joins the Investigation. The FBI gets involved a week after Peter's kidnapping, creating tension with local detectives.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I could cuddle your throat!

Betty's emotional outburst blaming the media for the ransom drop failure.

18:03WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from Casefile

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.