NY NY - Sylvia Lwowski, 22, Staten Island, 6 Sept 1975 - #1

[alliemay]

I lived on SI at the time but had not even started kindergarten yet when she went missing. From what I can recall, the theater was in a large shopping center near the mall, but not in the mall or even in the mall parking lot. It would have been quite a walk home from there, so if she did have any money whatsoever, and she got out of the car after an argument, she more than likely would have walked to one of the stores (or even the mall) to use a pay phone, but it sounds like she didn't call her parents - or maybe she tried, there were no answering machines/call waiting/etc then. Or she could have caught a bus anywhere along Richmond Avenue, and it would have taken her close to home.

If she did walk, the majority of her walk would have been on Richmond, which is a busy street, not a likely place for someone to grab her, especially when it was light out.

Maybe not grab her, but thinking maybe she would have accepted a ride from someone, back that it was common to put out your thumb if you needed a ride, just a thought.

 

[Dushi]

Maybe not grab her, but thinking maybe she would have accepted a ride from someone, back that it was common to put out your thumb if you needed a ride, just a thought.

A woman who was upset.. I assume she was.. could draw attention

 

[Saracen]

Think the report said when she disappeared she had her purse on her.

Ok so she wants to get away fast, she has her purse, taxi cabs, buses, trains?. how far was she from home?.

 

[Saracen]

Then was it left in the car? it had to be somewhere, she was carrying a handbag, from my experience you could unlock the secrets of the universe with the contents of a womans handbag...[/QUOTE]


If you are brave enough t0 look inside... LOL

well i hope LE might be..

 

[rosemadderlake]

Rose :great:


I haven't seen an early photo
Its interesting that he is not even in the engagement photo

I agree, its important to put the pieces together... who she was.. how she lived

Thank you for joining us

:star: Dushi!!!!!!! :star2:

Back then engagements usually only featured a picture of the bride to be. I wonder what newspaper her announcement was published in? Did they have a wedding date?

And photos were so much more rare. Any photos from college, performances in musical societies, polaroids were popular.

Was he as good looking as she was?

 

[epiphany]

Maybe even a letter? its hard to remember, but this was in the days before cell phones ect; people communicated in a more evident way, the written word was used..

Perhaps, that is where the info about an earlier pregnancy termination came from: a diary, since IF that information has been "evidenced and vetted," it certainly would not have come from any health care provider even back then in NYC 1975.

The existence of a diary might also explain her Mother's use of the word "Depressed" to describe her mental state on the PR.

IF insider information is true and accurate, need WS insider verification. OW, simply rumor and speculation.

 

[rosemadderlake]

Yes PI report would be very helpful, and a Verified insider would make the info a little more credible IMO. Will hang in here for a little bit but with out more info not sure how I can help? Looking for facts on any thread I join, I could do without the theatrics, think I'm burnt out from the SM thread with that

:star: Skeet!!!!!!!! :star:

bbm: In your experience, are archival LE and PI reports like this difficult to obtain? -And, wouldn't this be a missing persons story in the newspaper 1975?

Ain't that the truth

 

[rosemadderlake]

Then was it left in the car? it had to be somewhere, she was carrying a handbag, from my experience you could unlock the secrets of the universe with the contents of a womans handbag...

:star: Saracen!!!!!!!!!! :star:

bbm: So true! A diary might be in her night stand, but letters? Yes, I used to carry my correspondences in my purse, poems, note pad, a book, lip gloss, hairbrush, keys, no credit card, but most young women always had a little cash, dime for the telephone and bus/taxi fair at least.

 

[Jmoose]

Hi – I am a refugee from the SM thread. R.I.P. Sarah. -- I see really excellent sleuths here!

I read through this thread tonight. --Very mysterious. Seeing pieces and timeline form is so interesting. Here are some initial impressions and questions. Please forgive me if I am dense.

Sylvia--she sure is pretty. Are there any pictures of the fiancé, in 1975, especially?

My strongest impression is the fight with her father could be significant. His drinking and embarrassing her in front of her friends is significant. She was not talking to her father for 3 days and runs out on her fiancé after a fight? Was her fiancé like her father?

I am trying to get a sense of the surroundings. It is Saturday evening 1975, 6pm at the Island movie theater, 2875 Richmond Avenue, New Springville, NY 10314? Is that the exact location? Is it her home town, or in the vicinity of? --If she ran away, where would she run? ? Is this a town or a Mall setting?

It’s interesting to be thinking back to this era before GPS everything.

I am a few years younger than Sylvia and from NJ. As I think back to the 70’s, there were a lot of conservative kids. And, there were kids running away from home back then--trying to get as far away from the “establishment” as possible. There were cultish groups, as well. There is MOB activity, & NYC was edgy and very dangerous in parts. But this is Staten Island. I guess what I am wondering-- is her life conservative, contained to her neighborhood or did she venture in to Manhattan often, have connections there? -Music connections?

It’s so nice to see some of my fellow sleuths from SM’s thread here!! --I am hooked on WS! I have to get my life back in order after sleuthing non-stop for the last month or so, but I wanted to introduce myself and put some thoughts out there.

This is a thought-provoking and distressing “without a trace” disappearance.

-The night Owl

Welcome, RoseMadderLake!

 

[rosemadderlake]

I lived on SI at the time but had not even started kindergarten yet when she went missing. From what I can recall, the theater was in a large shopping center near the mall, but not in the mall or even in the mall parking lot. It would have been quite a walk home from there, so if she did have any money whatsoever, and she got out of the car after an argument, she more than likely would have walked to one of the stores (or even the mall) to use a pay phone, but it sounds like she didn't call her parents - or maybe she tried, there were no answering machines/call waiting/etc then. Or she could have caught a bus anywhere along Richmond Avenue, and it would have taken her close to home.

If she did walk, the majority of her walk would have been on Richmond, which is a busy street, not a likely place for someone to grab her, especially when it was light out.

Ok, so she could have ducked into the shopping center (if she felt threatened)? Any parks, places to take a stroll near there? Places where kids and young adults would hang out? -Bars? Are there neighborhoods nearby or just highways because it is a shopping mall?

Maybe she called a friend because of her state of mind? Someone to talk to?

 

[rosemadderlake]

Welcome, RoseMadderLake!

:star2: Jmoose!!!!!!!! :star2:

So nice to see you here! Don't change your name, ever..... But fluffy dog is a great addition!!!

 

[alliemay]

:star: Skeet!!!!!!!! :star:

bbm: In your experience, are archival LE and PI reports like this difficult to obtain? -And, wouldn't this be a missing persons story in the newspaper 1975?

Ain't that the truth

Not really speaking from much experience, but I would think unless the family makes the PI report public there would be no way anyone else would be able to see it.

With LE, I would imagine since she was never found this would be considered an "active" case (I use that term lightly) so they would not give you much under the freedom of Information Act laws.

One of the cases I used this for did not give me much but they did send me a copy of the initial missing police report, so at least that was something.

Any one can try the worse they can tell you is no.

As far as a newspaper article on her being missing, you would think one would be able to find one in an "archived" newspaper, or by going to the local library and searching on microfilm. BUT....I think it also depends on how she was classified. Was she classified in their initial report as Runaway or Missing? If classified as runaway its possible the newspaper would not have printed a story on her.

 

[Saracen]

Maybe not grab her, but thinking maybe she would have accepted a ride from someone, back that it was common to put out your thumb if you needed a ride, just a thought.

If you were desperate to get away as fast as possible I could see that happening, but by all accounts she was a sensible woman and with purse in hand i would hope she would used a more obvious mode of public transport..

 

[rosemadderlake]

Ok so she wants to get away fast, she has her purse, taxi cabs, buses, trains?. how far was she from home?.

bbm: I am wondering too. If the addresses are correct, about 6 miles.

Address from engagement announcement: 63 Goodall St, Staten Island, NY 10308. -And theatre: 2875 Richmond Avenue, New Springville, NY 10314-

-House looks very surburban. Attached google map theatre to home. and zillow on the house.

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/63-Goodall-St-Staten-Island-NY-10308/32349005_zpid/

 

[Saracen]

:star: Saracen!!!!!!!!!! :star:

bbm: So true! A diary might be in her night stand, but letters? Yes, I used to carry my correspondences in my purse, poems, note pad, a book, lip gloss, hairbrush, keys, no credit card, but most young women always had a little cash, dime for the telephone and bus/taxi fair at least.

This just shows you how things have changed, no credit cards, no DNA profiling, only an ink pad and someones fingers!, no HUD's in police cars, no data bases, communicating by the old dog and bone ( for the non english thats the telephone)..

 

[rosemadderlake]

Quote:
Originally Posted by skeet View Post
Maybe not grab her, but thinking maybe she would have accepted a ride from someone, back that it was common to put out your thumb if you needed a ride, just a thought.

If you were desperate to get away as fast as possible I could see that happening, but by all accounts she was a sensible woman and with purse in hand i would hope she would used a more obvious mode of public transport..

bbm: Depends on her neighborhood, hitchhiking was common in the 70's for boys especially, and not without risk for girls. And no guarantee someone would pick her up right away either. I would not want to be hysterical on the highway. -Much depends on if she felt threatened? -Hiding mode? Or upset and angry? -Need a friend?... imo

 

[Dushi]

:star: Dushi!!!!!!! :star2:

Back then engagements usually only featured a picture of the bride to be. I wonder what newspaper her announcement was published in? Did they have a wedding date?

And photos were so much more rare. Any photos from college, performances in musical societies, polaroids were popular.

Was he as good looking as she was?

Thank you Rose
I learned something new!!
I did not know that

 

[Dushi]

Perhaps, that is where the info about an earlier pregnancy termination came from: a diary, since IF that information has been "evidenced and vetted," it certainly would not have come from any health care provider even back then in NYC 1975.

The existence of a diary might also explain her Mother's use of the word "Depressed" to describe her mental state on the PR.

IF insider information is true and accurate, need WS insider verification. OW, simply rumor and speculation.

YES


It changes everything

 

[Dushi]

So, three scenarios?

She got out of the car and ran, off on her own, never to be seen again

She got out of the car and ran... into another kind of trouble, never to be seen again

OR

She never got out of the car and ran

 

[Dushi]

Not really speaking from much experience, but I would think unless the family makes the PI report public there would be no way anyone else would be able to see it.

With LE, I would imagine since she was never found this would be considered an "active" case (I use that term lightly) so they would not give you much under the freedom of Information Act laws.

One of the cases I used this for did not give me much but they did send me a copy of the initial missing police report, so at least that was something.

Any one can try the worse they can tell you is no.

As far as a newspaper article on her being missing, you would think one would be able to find one in an "archived" newspaper, or by going to the local library and searching on microfilm. BUT....I think it also depends on how she was classified. Was she classified in their initial report as Runaway or Missing? If classified as runaway its possible the newspaper would not have printed a story on her.

Especially with that no publicity tag....