Burt Pugach
Encyclopedia
Burton N. "Burt" Pugach a New York
based lawyer
who spent fourteen years in prison for hiring men to throw lye
in the face of his former girlfriend and future wife, Linda Eleanor Riss (born February 23, 1937).
from the City College of New York
and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School
where he graduated cum laude. After admission into the New York State bar, Burt and Herb Weitz built the law firm of Weitz and Pugach. The firm, specializing in negligence cases, became highly influential. The success, however, was short lived - on November 19, 1958, the Special Committee on Professional Conduct formally charged Weitz and Pugach for engaging in illegal activity relating to fee splitting
.
in her face, leaving her blind in one eye (she lost her sight in the other eye during heart surgery) and permanently scarred. Pugach went to jail for 14 years, during which time he continually wrote to Riss. When he was released in 1974, Pugach and Riss resumed their relationship and married soon thereafter. In 1976 they co-wrote a book, A Very Different Love Story.
In 1997, Pugach was once again accused of threatening another woman with whom he was having an affair. Linda R. Pugach appeared at the trial as a character witness on behalf of Pugach.
about Burt and Linda Pugach.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
based lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who spent fourteen years in prison for hiring men to throw lye
Lye
Lye is a corrosive alkaline substance, commonly sodium hydroxide or historically potassium hydroxide . Previously, lye was among the many different alkalis leached from hardwood ashes...
in the face of his former girlfriend and future wife, Linda Eleanor Riss (born February 23, 1937).
Legal career
At the age of 16, Pugach graduated from Evander Childs High School. He later received a Bachelor of Business AdministrationBachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
from the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School is a law school located in Brooklyn Heights, in Downtown Brooklyn, New York.-History:Founded in 1901 by William Payson Richardson and Norman P. Heffley, Brooklyn Law School was the first law school on Long Island. Using space provided by Heffley’s business school, the law...
where he graduated cum laude. After admission into the New York State bar, Burt and Herb Weitz built the law firm of Weitz and Pugach. The firm, specializing in negligence cases, became highly influential. The success, however, was short lived - on November 19, 1958, the Special Committee on Professional Conduct formally charged Weitz and Pugach for engaging in illegal activity relating to fee splitting
Fee splitting
Fee splitting is the practice of sharing fees with professional colleagues, such as physicians or lawyers, in return for being sent referrals .-Fee splitting in medicine and healthcare:...
.
First marriage/daughter
Pugach married Francine Rifkin on June 24, 1951 and they had their only child, daughter Caryn Brenda Pugach on July 21, 1954—who was mentally disabled and died on April 7, 1995, at age 40.Linda Riss
In 1959, Pugach began an infamous affair with Linda Riss, a 21-year-old woman from East Bronx. Upon discovering he had a wife and child, Riss broke off their relationship. Pugach threatened to kill or hurt Riss if she left him. "If I can't have you, no one else will have you, and when I get through with you, no one else will want you." Riss reported the matter to the New York Police Department to no avail. Upon hearing of her engagement to Larry Schwartz, Pugach hired three assailants to attack Riss, throwing lyeLye
Lye is a corrosive alkaline substance, commonly sodium hydroxide or historically potassium hydroxide . Previously, lye was among the many different alkalis leached from hardwood ashes...
in her face, leaving her blind in one eye (she lost her sight in the other eye during heart surgery) and permanently scarred. Pugach went to jail for 14 years, during which time he continually wrote to Riss. When he was released in 1974, Pugach and Riss resumed their relationship and married soon thereafter. In 1976 they co-wrote a book, A Very Different Love Story.
In 1997, Pugach was once again accused of threatening another woman with whom he was having an affair. Linda R. Pugach appeared at the trial as a character witness on behalf of Pugach.
Crazy Love
In 2007, filmmaker Dan Klores produced the documentary Crazy LoveCrazy Love (2007 film)
Crazy Love is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Dan Klores and Fisher Stevens. The screenplay by Klores explores the troubled relationship between New York City attorney Burt Pugach and his considerably younger mistress Linda Riss, who was blinded and permanently scarred when thugs hired...
about Burt and Linda Pugach.
External links
- Article by Emanuel Levy
- For Worse and for Better: Documenting an Obsession article from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Crazy Love (movie)
- Official site for Crazy Love
- Burt and Linda Pugach: the story behind Crazy Love
- Riss v. New York, a lawsuit filed by Linda Riss against the New York City Police Department for failing to protect her