Son of Sam’s first shooting victim, now 88, shaken by sudden encounter with killer’s pal

A woman shot by “Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz nearly 60 years ago found herself in the crosshairs again this week when she was confronted by a friend of the serial killer who lectured her about the murderer’s innocence.

Wendy Savino was at Valley Cottage Library in Rockland County Wednesday when Frank DeGennaro — who became friends with the heartless killer 30 years ago — confronted her and insisted Berkowitz did not shoot her

Savino was shot three times as she sat in her brand new silver Jaguar XJS on April 9, 1976, in the Bronx.

She played dead when she realized the killer was still outside, but was shot twice more in the back. Bleeding profusely, she crawled down a street and into a restaurant.

NYPD investigators determined last year that Savino was the first of the .44-caliber killer’s victims — he killed six and wounded eight victims, most of them women — in a series of shocking crimes that paralyzed the Big Apple from 1976 to 1977.

Berkowitz was never charged with shooting her because the statute of limitations had run out.

The mother-of-two sons lost an eye in the attack and went into hiding in England, where she is from.

After listening to DeGennaro boast about his friendship with Berkowitz, the terrified but quick-thinking Savino asked the man to write his name down so she could share it with her son, she said.

She and her son, Jason Savino, immediately reported the incident to the Clarkstown Police Department

“I’m very nervous,” she said. “I was always afraid someone would come to me and say ‘I’ll finish you off for David.'”

Related to that:

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https://medium.com/@paulhart2/it-is-interesting-that-joe-savino-had-no-problem-remembering-what-he-talked-about-on-the-phone-in-06b1269a05f0

It is interesting that Joe Savino had no problem remembering what he talked about on the phone in Nina’s restaurant with his mistress Rosiland (setting up a date for the following evening), but couldn’t remember ANYTHING he spoke about with Richard “Richie” Nacleario when he was interviewed by police. Anyone in law enforcement would find that contradiction highly suspicious. I’m sure the NYPD was aware of Naclerio’s numerous mob connections. He was part of Gennaro Crispino’s inner circle. He was involved with the Gambino gang’s kickback and money laundering operations in the NYC construction industry through Naclerio Contracting. It seems likely Joe Savino was calling Naclerio LATE at night from Nina’s to see if Naclerio had heard anything about any possible hits on himself or his family. Remember, two of Joe’s offices had already been attacked in the past according to the NYPD. It seems he had been angering some dangerous people, who were determined to send him increasingly serious warnings. And a close associate of Joe’s, _________, who was involved with the Lucchese crime family (and their narcotics trafficking) had a mob partner, Anthony Accetturo, who ran afoul of Lucchese bosses Vittorio Amuso and Anthony Casso when Accetturo was caught skimming funds. They put out a murder contract on both Accetturo and his WIFE. So wives were not off limits.

Much more at:

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https://medium.com/@criminaljusticechris/guilty-until-proven-innocent-wendy-savino-the-grossman-files-the-nypd-politics-the-mafia-529cd65b81cc

On 9 April 1976, at 11:00 pm as reported by the New York Times, Wendy Savino was shot in the parking lot at Nina’s restaurant in the Bronx. Wendy Savino and her husband, Joesph A. Savino Jr., took separate vehicles, he left before his wife, and following his departure, she was shot multiple times with a .32 caliber. Her injuries were significant, causing permanent damage to her face and one eye, but she fortunately survived the shooting.

Following the shooting, it was reported by multiple media sources that witnesses saw the shooter flee with other men: the Daily News, the Olympian, the Kansas City Star, the Lubbock-Avalanche Journal, the Springfield Ledger Press, just to name a few. At no time did the NYPD reach out of the media sources to ask for retractions or corrections related to the reported witness statements. Nina’s was on a highly trafficked road.

Due to her husband’s heated political campaign against a local democrat, Wendy Savino feared she might have been targeted, feared for her life, and subsequently moved out of the county to Brittan. When a grand jury was most likely called a few month later to possibly indict a suspect, which is suspected due to Wendy Savino being issued a subpoena, she refused questioning. Which begs the question: Who exactly was Joseph A. Savino Jr?. . .

Joseph A. Savino Jr. was a prior NYPD officer, was a partner at the Wakefield Detective Bureau, owned an insurance company, as well as other businesses, and was a Republican party councilman in the Bronx. Joseph A. Savino Jr. also has a well documented criminal record.

In Daniel Ilich’s “The Briefcase Man Volume II,” he writes about the shooting at Nina’s restaurant, noting it was well known that Joseph A. Savino Jr. was involved with the mafia. Ilich knew about Savino’s background because he had security clearance and purchased a restaurant of Joseph A. Savino Jr when he ran into trouble with the law in the late 60s.

Ilich writes Nina’s was a well-known hang out for the five families, the five borough district attorneys, politicians, and other influential people. It was a restaurant where long business meetings were held; large business transactions were taken care of with a simple handshake. Nina’s was owned by Joe Greco, Mike Greco’s twin brother. Mike owned Mike’s Deli in the Bronx, a popular establishment and was also involved in the filming of “A Bronx Tale” and “Six Degrees of Separation”. Nina’s was well known for a mobster that was found hanging on a meat hook in the kitchen. When Joe Greco was questioned by the police, he said he didn’t know who did it or how the body got there. Ilich writes this added to the mystique of Nina’s making it a popular dining destination. . .

The Wakefield Detective Bureau also wasn’t short of scandals. While a Secretary of State search for the Wakefield was completed, it appears the state of New York has purged the documents because no incorporation documents can be found. But, an appellate document was located on the bureau.

In the 50s, one partner, Calvello, was brought up on charges — sex with minors — appearing as though human trafficking possibly was involved. The girls traveled to New York from a Florida reformatory school when they were about 15-years old, were provided with makeup, clothes, and an apartment. . .

Patrick J. Twomey is the father-in-law of Richard Sperazza, one of David Berkowitz’s prior business associates. It has been established by witness statements that Richard Sperazza drove the get-away car when the Neto dog was shot. Richard Sperazza married Patrick J. Twomey’s daughter in the 90s, they all attended the same church, which begs the question: How long did Richard Sperazza and Patrick J. Twomey know one another?

Other scandals the Wakefield Detective Bureau has been involved in include the Donnie Brasco, Shah jewelry heist. The Wakefield Detective Bureau provided protective service for the Shah’s son, Reza Pavlavi.

In other news reports, it is stated that Joseph A. Savino’s office was burned down in a suspected arson two years before the shooting. And five weeks before the shooting, his office was vandalized. It is not clear whether the office was the Wakefield Detective Agency, his insurance office, or his political office.

Other Savino family scandals include Joseph A. Savino Jr’s father who was brought up on bribery charges for plastering contracts in the early 70s and his son, Joseph J. Savino, who was involved in the bribery of a mayoral election in NYC and was subsequently disbarred.

In the late 70s, shortly after Wendy Savino was shot, Joseph A. Savino Jr. and his parents filed a lawsuit against E.F. Hutton for fraud and failure of fiduciary duty. Over $300k. It appears based on this document alone that Joseph A. Savino was experiencing financial difficulties. There is also a latter lawsuit filed by American Transit Insurance for misappropriation of reinsurance premium payments, well over $500k, in the name of Joseph A. Savino Jr. It is unclear if this is the same Joseph A. Savino Jr., but the geographic region is the same and the lawsuit was also filed against two corporate entities that were controlled by him. The author attempted to gain access to the full appellate document, but the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Department only archives back to 2003 and it was not available on Westlaw. . .

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