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

[rosemadderlake]

:what:

Yes, I guess publicity is relative to the time. The resources were very different then- no Websleuths, AMW, etc. It certainly does look, though, like the police took "no publicity" to mean "just forget about it"

I remember reading one story about a missing young woman back in the day (late 70's maybe) in my local paper. Perhaps the press was generated by the family.

The missing person networks in place today must have been game changer in assisting in these cases when they were set up. Missing children appeared on milk cartons in the 80's?

I believe one would have to "photo off set" a picture in the 70's to make flyers. Xerox and Thermofax copies were really expensive, too, but could be done.

 

[Jmoose]

I remember reading one story about a missing young woman back in the day (late 70's maybe) in my local paper. Perhaps the press was generated by the family.

The missing person networks in place today must have been game changer in assisting in these cases when they were set up. Missing children appeared on milk cartons in the 80's?

I believe one would have to "photo off set" a picture in the 70's to make flyers. Xerox and Thermofax copies were really expensive, too, but could be done.

Yes, everything was much more complicated and expensive. My children laugh and laugh when we discuss what they take for granted. If Sylvia left the area, it would have been much more difficult to find her in the 70's. But not now-which is why I am sure she is no longer with us. With the advent of computers, it's very easy to "creep on" the family you left behind, and I believe she would have done so, maybe finding out that her father had died-she could have contacted her mother, but didn't?

 

[rosemadderlake]

I thought of another possible reason why not much attention would have been given to her disappearance.

I think the mid-70's were the height of the problems in the Bronx - the drugs, arsons, shootings, muggings, etc. Although it's a different borough, it's still part of NYC and probably took up a great deal of the department's resources.

Maybe a missing adult from Staten Island just wasn't as pressing.

bbm: Also, many runaways ended up in Manhattan?

 

[rosemadderlake]

Do we know yet if she was classified ?

Skeet - says here on case report "Missing" "Cold Case". Is that what you are referring to?

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/case_report_html/7574

 

[rosemadderlake]

What kind of publicicity could LE really effect anyway, were they going torun commercials in the local area? Were they going to place a missing poster on a phone pole? It's a non-issue, IMO\.

--True, no TV "have you seen, help us find" commercials like today, but radio stations covered local news and events, made public announcements, and calls to the public for help. --I wonder if her disappearance was ever publicized locally?

 

[Jmoose]

Skeet - says here on case report "Missing" "Cold Case". Is that what you are referring to?

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/case_report_html/7574

what is interesting to me is that this report says that she had a fight with the BF and took off on Sept 6th 1975, but it also says that she was last seen Sept 7th 1975-can this be right?

 

[rosemadderlake]

what is interesting to me is that this report says that she had a fight with the BF and took off on Sept 6th 1975, but it also says that she was last seen Sept 7th 1975-can this be right?

And it was reported on Sept 7th 1975. It also lists her glasses..

Clothing and Accessories
Clothing and accessories are unknown
Clothing and accessories are described below

Clothing
White sweater
Green Shirt
Brown Shoes
Footwear
Brown shoes

Jewelry
Heart shaped engagement ring
Watch

Eyewear
glasses

Accessories
Brown Hand Bag

 

[Dushi]

what is interesting to me is that this report says that she had a fight with the BF and took off on Sept 6th 1975, but it also says that she was last seen Sept 7th 1975-can this be right?

Last seen and date reported missing Sept 7

thats strange

 

[epiphany]

What kind of publicicity could LE really effect anyway, were they going torun commercials in the local area? Were they going to place a missing poster on a phone pole? It's a non-issue, IMO\.

Respectfully BBM

Perhaps, not LE, but her parents...same way her family obviously used the newspapers with a photo to publish the announcement of Sylvia's engagement.

IMO, not a non-issue...22 yo beautiful college-educated daughter has gone missing...why didn't her parents use the local media to help locate her or generate interest?

 

[epiphany]

Police Report:

Publcity: No

Yet, engagement announcement w/photo published in what appears to be local SI media.

Sylvia had been attending or graduated from a private college.

Unusual no publicity desired by same parents. Again, why?

 

[Odyssey]

I just found Sylvia's father's WWII enlistment record - he was born in 1914 (died 1993), was living in New Jersey in 1942 and is listed as "Single, with dependents."

Does that mean he had children from another marriage prior to WWII?

I wonder if he met Sylvia's mother while stationed in Germany, where they stayed for awhile and had Sylvia. Her mother was born in 1927 (died 2007) so she was 13 years younger than him and was only 15 when he enlisted...

 

[epiphany]

I just found Sylvia's father's WWII enlistment record - he was born in 1914 (died 1993), was living in New Jersey in 1942 and is listed as "Single, with dependents."

Does that mean he had children from another marriage prior to WWII?

I wonder if he met Sylvia's mother while stationed in Germany, where they stayed for awhile and had Sylvia. Her mother was born in 1927 (died 2007) so she was 13 years younger than him and was only 15 when he enlisted...

BBM

Was he indeed married back then...not unheard of esp in both European countries and military to have dependents without marriage (gasp) even back then...

 

[rosemadderlake]

Respectfully BBM

Perhaps, not LE, but her parents...same way her family obviously used the newspapers with a photo to publish the announcement of Sylvia's engagement.

IMO, not a non-issue...22 yo beautiful college-educated daughter has gone missing...why didn't her parents use the local media to help locate her or generate interest?

bbm: really good point - but do we know that they didn't?

 

[rosemadderlake]

Police Report:

Publcity: No

Yet, engagement announcement w/photo published in what appears to be local SI media.

Sylvia had been attending or graduated from a private college.

Unusual no publicity desired by same parents. Again, why?

bbm: I wonder if at the time of the police report filing they were asked if any publicity was generated? Or, is that stating the wishes of the parents?

 

[epiphany]

bbm: really good point - but do we know that they didn't?

We can't find it...my guess, IF it exists would be the Staten Island local paper...anyone find it, or has accessed it?

Someone must know the answer to that since there is a photo/copy of their engagement announcement...but no source nor date published provided.

 

[Dushi]

bbm: I wonder if at the time of the police report filing they were asked if any publicity was generated? Or, is that stating the wishes of the parents?

Thats a good point. It is rather unclear

 

[epiphany]

bbm: I wonder if at the time of the police report filing they were asked if any publicity was generated? Or, is that stating the wishes of the parents?

BBM

MOO...parent/s.

 

[epiphany]

Sylvia's birth certificate?
Sylvia's passport?
Sylvia's social security number?
Sylvia's driver's license?

Which of the above exist (IF she had each, a few or just BC)?

 

[rosemadderlake]

Originally Posted by rosemadderlake View Post
bbm: I wonder if at the time of the police report filing they were asked if any publicity was generated? Or, is that stating the wishes of the parents?

BBM

MOO...parent/s.

Sometimes publicity has the opposite effect of the desired intention. Drive her further away?

So now I am wondering, there should be two sets of parents concerned here. The fiance's parents, this was their future daughter-in-law. This surely had to be big news in social circles, local businesses, etc. on SI.

 

[epiphany]

Staten Island 1975.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened late November 1964.

Two things come to mind:

Some Brooklynites exited to SI, many from working-class middle-class type backgrounds.

Yet, some of these Brooklynites still commuted from SI to Brooklyn and lower Manhattan to work.

Many NYC employees moved to SI when the V-N Bridge opened. Among them, FDNY and NYPD employees...could afford to purchase home here, rather than homes in other areas of Brooklyn and rather than rent, etc.

Always could find at least one FDNY or NYPD employee in either the neighborhood or the family or through marriage in NYC circa 1970s.

Wonder if any NYPD connections in either family, and the impact they may or may not have had. May have worked in precincts outside the borough, but still NYPD.