Naman Shrestha
In Netflix’s ‘Conversations With a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes,’ the primary focus is on David Berkowitz and his reign of terror across New York in the 1970s. Although he claimed multiple victims, there were also several survivors. Judy Placido was critically wounded after Berkowitz shot her, but she managed to make it out alive. The three-part documentary series also focuses on the attack that was carried out on the 17-year-old teenager as well as other young women.
Judy Placido Was With Her Boyfriend When the Shooting Took Place
Just a few days after graduating from St. Catherine’s Roman Catholic High School in the Bronx, 17-year-old Judy Placido came face-to-face with the Son of Sam — David Berkowitz. She had big plans for her future, such as attending Pace University’s College of White Plains the following fall with a partial scholarship and pursuing a career in law. She used to live at 2208 Wickham Avenue, in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, with her aunt, Judith Carioscia, who was also her legal guardian. Judy also had a couple of siblings — a brother named John and a sister named Donna.
On the night of June 25, 1977, Judy and her boyfriend, Salvatore “Sal” Lupo, went to the Eléphas discothèque at 211th Street and Northern Boulevard in Queens, New York City, alongside a couple of other friends. Although her friends left early, Judy decided to stay behind with her boyfriend. After a fun night at the disco, the couple walked to the parked car, which belonged to Sal’s friend, after 3 am, outside 45‐39 211th Street, just south of 45th Road. As they were sitting inside the car, they were attacked by an armed man who fired multiple rounds of a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver at them.
The 17-year-old girl suffered gunshot wounds in the right temple, right shoulder, and the back of the neck. Meanwhile, Sal was shot in the right forearm. After the attack, he went to the discothèque to get help for Judy, who managed to walk a few steps out of the car before collapsing in the middle of the street. Their injuries were treated and operated on at Flushing Hospital and Medical Center. Fortunately, both of them survived the shooting.
Judy Placido Fulfilled Her Dream of Becoming a Legal Assistant
More than two decades later, in June 1999, Judy Placido broke her silence and talked about the aftermath of the traumatic incident of the summer of 1977. Having been traumatized by the events of the night, she spoke out about it in an interview with the New York Post. “I was in denial for 22 years. Until now,” she said. It all came flooding back to her soon after she passed the set of Spike Lee’s ‘Summer of Sam’ in the summer of 1998 while going to work. She even met with the filmmaker and requested him to drop the project, but she claimed that he assured her that her incident would not be portrayed.
In early 1999, she reportedly experienced a panic attack while she was working in her Manhattan office. She claimed, “I was reliving that night over and over and over.” Following the episode, Judy was hospitalized for a couple of weeks, putting a halt to her busy life. She decided to speak up “because I want the people responsible for taking me down to know what they’ve done. How they disrupted my life this past year. The public needs to know.”
She added, “They’ve heard from the victims’ families. Now it’s time to hear from the victims. We are still suffering from the pain of 22 years ago.” At the time, she was working as a legal assistant in the Manhattan borough of New York City. On the personal front, she was married and even had a four-year-old son. Moreover, she had a close-knit bond with an elderly aunt, who was also a significant part of her life. After recovering from the episode, she seemingly returned to work and continued with her life.
Read More: Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz: What Happened to Son of Sam’s Adoptive Parents?
