NY NY - 45 year old Missouri native William Jerome Gangwisch disappears from Manhattan on December 7, 1977

[MadMcGoo]

WILLIAM JEROME GANGWISCH
Aliases: Billy, Billie, Bill

Bill, newspaper clipping, public Ancestry tree (date unknown), FindAGrave

Missing Since: December 7, 1977
Missing From: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Sex: Male
Date of Birth: June 27, 1932
Age: 45
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 160 pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Distinctive Features: Appendectomy scar, a large mole in the middle of his back, unusually large toes.

Clothing: Grey pinstriped suit, navy blue cashmere overcoat, a Russian style hat which may have Danish labels. His shirt size is 15 1/2 X 32 and his shoe size is 8 1/2D.

Vehicle: 1976 yellow Datsun Honeybee with New Jersey license plate number 919 FCE. He had left the bee symbols on both sides of his car but had painted out a black stripe that comes on those models. The car is missing with him.

William Jerome Gangwisch (1932-1982) - Find a... (This shows a date of death, 7 Dec 1982, but newspapers as of at least 1991 show him to still be missing)

20 Dec 1977, 1 - The Central New Jersey Home News at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

23 Dec 1977, Page 39 - Asbury Park Press at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

1 Apr 1979, 319 - Daily News at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

1 Jul 1978, Page 3 - The Courier-News at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

 

[MadMcGoo]

26 Apr 1982, 11 - The Central New Jersey Home News at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

 

[MadMcGoo]

Anyone familiar with getting cases added to NamUs?? Especially considering there are only old newspaper articles (that I could find).

 

[madamx]

Wow @MadMcGoo … great newspaper find. I never heard of this guy before!!!

 

[MadMcGoo]

Wow @MadMcGoo … great newspaper find. I never heard of this guy before!!!

I’ve been finding so many missing people in old newspaper articles lately. During a time when there were no Facebooks or Instagrams, that was the way.

I didn’t realize until recently that anyone registered on NamUs could submit new cases (they must be approved before being published), so I entered my first one a few days ago. I’ve started making a list of other older cases to submit in case this first one is published. I’m adding William to that list.

 

[ifindedout]

The Datsun "Honeybee" was the B210.

Nissan Sunny - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

ETA: photo and source. I remember this one well.

B+ Honey Bee: 1977 Datsun B-210 Honey Bee | Barn Finds

 

[madamx]

I’ve been finding so many missing people in old newspaper articles lately. During a time when there were no Facebooks or Instagrams, that was the way.

I didn’t realize until recently that anyone registered on NamUs could submit new cases (they must be approved before being published), so I entered my first one a few days ago. I’ve started making a list of other older cases to submit in case this first one is published. I’m adding William to that list.

That is so amazing that you have found so many! You súper rock!!!
Yes the days before the internet everything was on print. Omg let me know if it gets published that will be awesome!
Yes I have found some old missing cases mostly Florida though in the Sheriffs Star.

The Florida Sheriffs Association

Founded in 1893, FSA provides affordable training and legal services to all 66 of Florida's 67 counties that have elected Sheriffs as well as the appointed...

www.flsheriffs.org

 

[madamx]

I wonder if he was drinking at the party? I also wonder if it was snowing or how the weather was. I wonder if he was drinking did he end up driving into the River?
Also 42nd st 9th Ave area was a bit shady at the time too. He could of been drinking had car trouble ended up stopping somewhere and was killed for the car. If he ended up in the river with out the car his body would of prob come back up in spring. The car could of been stripped and parted out. Just a thought.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Does anyone know anything about patents/trademarks? There are multiple records listed under his name after the date of his disappearance. I know it’s him and am fairly certain he’s never been seen since the event in 1977, but…?

The latest application date I’m finding is Sept 1982, 3 months before the DOD listed on his Find A Grave. Is there a delay in applying for patents? I have no clue how any of that works.

These are just a couple of examples. Join Ancestry®

 

[Same Old Stella]

I wonder if he was drinking at the party? I also wonder if it was snowing or how the weather was. I wonder if he was drinking did he end up driving into the River?
Also 42nd st 9th Ave area was a bit shady at the time too. He could of been drinking had car trouble ended up stopping somewhere and was killed for the car. If he ended up in the river with out the car his body would of prob come back up in spring. The car could of been stripped and parted out. Just a thought.

The route from NYC to his apartment in East Brunswick, New Jersey shows as much water as land. I didn't know until just now by checking the route(s) he might have driven to get home that New Jersey is the only state surrounded on 3 sides by water. It's night, maybe he was drinking and might have needed a change in his eyeglasses prescription. That last one is something I've been known to put off and shouldn't. Maybe a medical emergency while driving; my first and only thought is, he drove into the water, but where?