Shivangi Sinha
David Berkowitz, infamously known as the Son of Sam, was responsible for a series of shootings in New York City during the mid-1970s that left six people dead and several others wounded. Following his arrest in 1977, there was not only relief that the killings had stopped, but also a wave of curiosity and speculation about his early life and upbringing. He had been adopted as an infant by Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz, a working-class couple who raised him in the Bronx. Netflix’s ‘Conversations With a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes’ explores these early years in depth, shedding light on his relationship with his adoptive parents and the psychological issues that may have been present long before his crimes began.
Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz Raised David in the Bronx Till Pearl Passed Away
Nathan Herman Berkowitz was born on May 2, 1910, and Pearl Schwimmer was born on June 8, 1915, in Manhattan, New York. Both of them were raised in Jewish families and eventually found their way to one another. After getting married, they settled in the Bronx and built a stable, modest life together. They ran a hardware store and lived in a predominantly Jewish and Italian neighborhood. While their life appeared secure and fulfilling, one thing was missing: they had no children of their own. Longing to become parents, the couple adopted a 2-week-old baby named Richard David Falco in June 1953 from Betty Falco.
The couple named their adopted son David Richard Berkowitz and raised him with deep love and devotion. When David turned seven years old, they sat him down and told him he had been adopted. The revelation had a profound emotional impact on him. As he grew older, troubling signs began to emerge. He suffered several head injuries and became increasingly mischievous, often setting small fires around the house. Concerned by his behavior, his parents took him to see a psychologist, hoping early intervention would help. Despite their efforts, David’s behavioral issues persisted. By the time he was 13, he had begun displaying deeply disturbing tendencies, including torturing and harming animals. One report alleged that he killed his mother’s pet parakeet, Pudgy, by slowly poisoning it with small doses of cleaning fluid over three weeks.
Pearl and Nathan were strict but well-meaning parents who always tried to do what was best for David. He shared a particularly close bond with his mother, and her death on October 5, 1967, due to complications from breast cancer, had a deep emotional impact on him. He harbored resentment against his father since he believed he downplayed the seriousness of Pearl’s illness and did not prepare him for her loss. Despite his anger, he continued living with his father, and that same year, the two moved into a four-and-a-half-room apartment at 170 Dreiser Loop in Co-op City. In 1971, David graduated from high school, and that was also the year Nathan remarried. His new wife, Julia, and he soon relocated to Florida.
Nathan Berkowitz Spent His Later Years in Florida With His Second Wife
It remains unclear whether Nathan Berkowitz maintained regular contact with his son after moving to Florida. However, following David’s arrest in November 1977, the court appointed Nathan to manage his son’s modest estate, which consisted of a 1970 Ford, a $200 checking account, two uncashed paychecks totaling $500, and a $500 security deposit for his Yonkers apartment. At the time, the judge remarked that the two “had a good relationship,” implying that some level of communication may have been preserved over the years. Nathan spent the remainder of his life in Florida. His second wife, Julia Berkowitz, passed away in 2008. A few years later, on March 4, 2012, Nathan met his demise at the age of 101. He was laid to rest near Boynton Beach, Florida.
Read More: Rosemary Keenan: What Happened to the Son of Sam Survivor?
