Securing the Homeland: Western New York's Anti-terrorism Measures
subject: September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.
subject: Terrorism -- United States -- Prevention.
description: Following the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks on America, assessments were made on Western New York’s vulnerability as a target. Its location on the border with Canada, the power grid, chemical companies located in Niagara Falls, and its position on the Great Lakes, all placed Western New York among the nation’s top fifty vulnerable regions. Efforts quickly got underway to prepare for a worst-case scenario, including heightened training for emergency responders and those involved with intelligence gathering. A new center for homeland security in Buffalo was also created. The following collection of reports by former WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg documents the stepped-up efforts to protect the citizens of Western New York through cooperative efforts among many municipalities and agencies across the Niagara Frontier. 1 WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg presents an exclusive report on plans for a local Homeland Security Department in the soon-to-be-built Public Safety Campus on Buffalo’s East Side. The 250,000 thousand square foot campus will house Central Police and Emergency Services, and state of the art forensic lab facilities. There are also plans for Erie County to join forces with the state for the nation’s largest wireless government communications system. The new system would allow police, fire and emergency medical services personnel to talk to each other. Hard lessons were learned when New York City firefighters and police officers could not communicate with each other during the Twin Towers attacks. 2 1:01:12 - 1:03:26 The Erie County Medical Center conducts a drill for a radiation exposure emergency. Mobile units are training to respond to a terrorist attack. Concern here is for a potential dirty bomb or bio chemical attack that could affect the health of eighty to a hundred thousand people. Fifty-thousand tons of antidotes are now in place and could be deployed by air or ground. More protective gear is also on its way to Buffalo. Plans are…
creator: Newberg, Rich
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: Post 9/11/2001
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital collections of the B&ECPL.
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image
coverage: 2001-

Day of Sorrow, Year of Change : Remembrance at Ground Zero
subject: September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.
description: Commemorates the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Documents the stories of two Western New Yorkers who mourned the loss of loved ones and includes the reflections of Buffalo area paramedics and firefighters who responded to the crisis. Hosted by WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent at "ground zero" in New York City.
description: Originally aired on WIVB-TV.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)
creator: Vetter, Tom (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
creator: Musial, Chris (Producer)
creator: Schlaerth, Joseph (Executive Producer)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2002-09-11
contributor: Lent, Pamm (Contributing Producer)
contributor: Schlaerth, Joe (Contributing Producer)
contributor: Flynn, Lisa (Contributing Reporter)
contributor: Richert, George (Contributing Reporter)
contributor: Beauchamp, Steve (Photographer, Editor)
contributor: Ersing, Rich (Photographer, Editor)
contributor: Baker, Boe (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Root, Kim (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
contributor: Vinciguerra, Jerry (Graphic Artist)
contributor: Baxter, Tim (Imix Editor)
contributor: Mombrea, John (Imix Editor)
contributor: Battilana, Tony (Director)
contributor: Dadey, Kelly (Director)
contributor: Clemons, Michael (Technical Director)
contributor: Masse, Dave (Videotape Operator)
contributor: Benzel, Gary (Audio Engineer)
contributor: Brown, Dave (Chyron Graphics)
contributor: Serio, Sam (Master Control Operator)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

On the Homefront : is WNY Prepared?
subject: Erie County (N.Y.)--Defenses
subject: Niagara County (N.Y.)--Defenses
subject: Terrorism--Prevention
subject: September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001
description: On the homefront gives Western New York its first comprehensive report of the region's ability to handle any potential terrorist incidents. The attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 put the country on high alert. The Erie-Niagara region is considered one of the nation's more vulnerable areas, in part, because of the Niagara Power Project, bridge and border crossings with Canada, and chemical and petroleum plants. During a period of anthrax scares, this television special shows how the Hazmat and SWAT teams and health and disaster coordinators are preparing for any potential assault on public safety.
description: Originally aired on WIVB-TV.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)
creator: Vetter, Tom (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
creator: Musial Chris (Executive Producer)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2001-10-30
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
contributor: Ersing, Rich (Contributing Photographer, Editor)
contributor: Mombrea, John (On-line Editor)
contributor: Flynn, Lisa (Contributing Reporter)
contributor: Rice, Marie (Contributing Reporter)
contributor: Le, Lani (Contributing Reporter)
contributor: Beauchamp, Steve (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Root, Kim (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Woodson, Paul (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Goldschlag, Dave (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Swan, Ray (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Dawkins, Don (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Greene, Terry (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Ersing, Matt (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Battilana, Tony (Director)
contributor: Masse, Dave (Audio Engineer)
contributor: Palmatier, Scott (Videotape Operator)
contributor: Brown, Dave (Chyron Operator)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

The Case Against The Lackawanna Six
subject: Terrorism--New York (State)
subject: Yemeni Americans --New York (State)--Lackawanna
description: In September 2002, six Yemeni-American friends from Lackawanna, New York, eight miles outside of Buffalo, were arrested and charged with giving material support to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. It was the one year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. They had attended a al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan in the Spring of 2001, just months before the attacks on the United States. In his State of the Union address in 2003, President George W. Bush referred to the six as being part of an “al-Qaeda cell.” He said that along with other alleged cells broken in Hamburg, Milan, Madrid, London and Paris, “We have the terrorists on the run. We’re keeping them on the run. One by one the terrorists are learning the meaning of American justice.” The men had grown up in the second largest Yemeni community in America and were all native born or naturalized U.S. citizens. One was a soccer star in high school. Another was voted “friendliest” in his graduating class. There was never proof that the six had been plotting terror attacks on American soil or that they were, in fact a homegrown terrorist cell. However, in December 2003, faced with possible long prison sentences if found guilty during a trial, all pleaded guilty to “providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.” They were given sentences ranging from seven to ten years. Author Dina Temple-Raston, who wrote the book “The Jihad Next Door: The Lackawanna Six and Rough Justice in an Age of Terror,” says the men left the training camp early when they realized America would be a target. During a 2007 interview on National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation,” Temple-Raston, NPR’s FBI correspondent, said the men were addressed by Osama bin Laden, who told them there were suicide bombers ready to take action against the United States and Israel. After returning to Lackawanna, she said the men were not truthful to the FBI about their activities in Afghanistan and were later arrested. As part of th…
creator: Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo,N.Y>) Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2002-09-10
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.

The Lackawanna Six - Case Revisisted
subject: Terrorism--United States
subject: Yemeni Americans--New York(State)--Lackawanna
subject: Muslims--Civil rights--New York (State)--Lackawanna
description: On April 24, 2004, Fox journalist Geraldo Rivera originated his “At Large” program from Buffalo City Hall. The purpose was to take a second look at the case against the so-called “Lackawanna Six.” His guests included the prosecutors and some of the defense attorneys who took part in case. Discussions centered on whether or not the six friends from Lackawanna, New York, just outside of Buffalo, were actually part of a terrorist “sleeper cell.” Questions were raised about the practice of what has been called “preemptive justice,” meaning the arrest of individuals who were considered possible threats for violent acts that were never committed. Prosecutors argued that attendance at a terrorist training camp and failure to disclose the fact to the FBI, were grounds for the arrests. All the defendants ended up pleaded guilty to “providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.” They were given sentences ranging from seven to ten years. Defense attorneys maintained that their clients were lured into attending the training camp and realized too late what they had gotten into. They accepted plea bargain agreements that limited their prison terms. They agreed to cooperate with the U.S. government regarding information they had obtained during their time in the Middle East. During their stay at the camp in Afghanistan the men from Lackawanna had been addressed by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden who said the United States would be a target of terrorist activity. Most of the defendants, according to their attorneys, decided they wanted to leave the camp early and have nothing to do with any attacks on America. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hochul said the defendants were told by bin-Laden that “forty to fifty men (would be) enroute to attack America,” but chose to remain silent when they returned home in the summer of 2001. He questioned whether that information might have helped avert the attacks on 9/11. Defense attorney John Molloy said all six h…
creator: Newberg, Rich (Guest on “At Large with Geraldo Rivera”)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: Fox News Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2004-24-04
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
rights: Copyright held by Fox News. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.

The Lackawanna Six - President George W. Bush Visits Buffalo
subject: Terrorism--United States--Prevention.
subject: Yemeni Americans--New York(State)--Lackawanna.
subject: Muslims--Civil rights--New York (State)--Lackawanna.
subject: Civil rights--United States.
subject: Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
description: On April 20, 2004, President George W. Bush came to Buffalo to push for an extension of the Patriot Act, which granted the FBI the right to secretly conduct surveillance activities on American citizens without proving probable cause. This included physical searches and wiretaps. President Bush maintained that The Patriot Act had been instrumental in the arrests of the so-called “Lackawanna Six,” a group of friends from a small city outside of Buffalo, New York who attended a al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan just months before the 9/11/2001 terror attacks on the United States. While President Bush had referred to these men as belonging to a “terrorist cell,” their defense attorneys said the six had been lured to attend the camp, not realizing what it was all about. After being addressed by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-laden, most tried to leave the camp early. According to their attorneys, they wanted nothing more to do with al-Qaeda. Faced with a trial and potentially lengthy prison sentences, they all pleaded guilty to “providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.” They received sentences of seven to ten years in prison and agreed to share information with the US government. WIVB-TV senior Correspondent Rich Newberg reports on President Bush’s visit to Buffalo and the Patriot Act support he received from US Attorney Michael Battle and Buffalo FBI Agent In Charge Peter Ahearn. Four days after the president’s visit, Fox News journalist Geraldo Rivera conducted a debate on the Patriot Act during a live Fox News Channel cablecast originating from Buffalo’s City Hall. “At Large with Geraldo Rivera” took a second look at the case of the The Lackawanna Six. In reviewing the case, Rivera reports that the FBI had been tipped off by an anonymous letter that a group of Arab Americans that had traveled to Afghanistan was there to “meet bin-Laden and stay in his camp for training.” Rivera states that the men had told their neighbors they were g…
creator: Newberg, Rich (Guest on “At Large with Geraldo Rivera”)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: Fox News Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2004-24-04
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
rights: Copyright held by Fox News. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.

Cynthia Dwyer: 53rd Hostage
subject: Dwyer, Cynthia.
subject: Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981.
description: On April 10, 1980, Cynthia Dwyer, a 49 year old wife and mother of three young children, decided to travel to Iran to learn more about the revolution that had toppled the Shah, and to find out anything new about 52 people from the American Embassy in Tehran who had been taken hostage on November 4, 1979 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Mrs. Dwyer, a freelance writer and book editor, had obtained an Erie County Sheriff’s press card and had a long history of taking up causes of the underdog. Despite warnings that travel to Iran could be dangerous, she made the journey, only to be arrested on May 5th, 1980 and charged with being a spy for the CIA. She may have been set up for arrest by possible agents of the revolutionary government who had spoken to her of a plan to free five American hostages separated from the larger group. There had earlier been an aborted U.S. rescue attempt that ended with a helicopter crash and the loss of eight American service personnel. Inside the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, Mrs. Dwyer said she was subjected to about 50 hours of interrogation. She was quoted as saying she “heard executions of many Iranians accused of treason.” She later said she had lived in “constant fear of death” during her nine months of incarceration. On February 4, 1980, two weeks after the 52 hostages were released, Cynthia Dwyer was tried and convicted of espionage. She had been denied a lawyer and called the proceedings a “kangaroo trial…complete nonsense.” However, five days later, thanks, in part, to intervention by the Swiss government, Mrs. Dwyer was released by the Ayatollah Khomeini and expelled from Iran. She arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York on February 11, 1981 and was immediately reunited with her family. Her husband, John Dwyer, Chairman of the English Department at Buffalo State College, had kept Cynthia’s story in the headlines. WIVB-TV news reporter Rich Newberg had established a trusted relationship with the family and provided Buffalo, CN…
creator: Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
creator: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, editor)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 1980
date: 1981
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
contributor: Yearke, Don (Photographer)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

Terry Anderson: Freed Hostage
description: Terry Anderson, who grew up in Batavia, New York, was abducted by Hezbollah militants in Beirut, Lebanon on March 16, 1985. He was serving as the Associated Press’ chief Middle East correspondent at the time he was taken hostage. Anderson was held for six years and nine months, the longest of a group of Americans taken hostage at the time. The abductions were an attempt to drive U.S. military forces from Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war. Anderson was released on December 4, 1991. From the time of his abduction, his sister Peggy Say worked tirelessly for his release. Her efforts were covered extensively by the Buffalo news media and often made national and world headlines. She was perhaps the most covered of all the hostages’ relatives. On December 4, 1991, Terry Anderson was finally released by his captors. His 2,455 days as a prisoner included about a year and a half in solitary confinement. WIVB-TV anchor, the late Bob Koop, traveled to Wiesbaden, Germany for Anderson’s first meeting with the press. His report includes Peggy Say’s joyful embrace of her brother, one of the most moving moments of his newly found freedom. This series of reports begins with a CNN recap of Anderson’s ordeal and later life activities. A sequence of reports follows, beginning with the time leading up to his release, his reunion with his sister, first statements as a free man, reaction in Batavia, and finally, Anderson’s return to Batavia in 2011 while on a “mission of peace.”
creator: Newberg, Rich (Reporter, Archivist)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 1985 - 2011
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
contributor: Michael Terranova (Digital Editor)
contributor: Koop, Bob (Reporter)
contributor: McClintick, Michele (Reporter)
contributor: CNN (from YouTube)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
format: Video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image
coverage: 1990-2015

Capozzi : Wrongly Convicted
subject: Capozzi, Anthony
subject: Sanchez, Altemio C.
subject: Judicial error--United States--Cases
description: In one of the great miscarriages of justice a Buffalo man was wrongly convicted in 1995 of two rapes and served more than twenty years in prison before he was exonerated. Capozzi, who suffered from schizophrenia, always had the support of his family, who never gave up on the hope that his name might someday be cleared. In this special investigative report, Capozzi's story is told, along with the capture of the true rapist and killer, Altemio Sanchez. A Buffalo cold case detective, Dennis Delano, played a key role in Capozzi's release and exoneration. Reported by WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg and Investigative Reporter Luke Moretti.
description: Originally aired on WIVB-TV.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)
creator: Moretti, Luke (Producer, Writer, Host)
creator: Schlaerth, Joseph (Executive Producer)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2007-04-23
contributor: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, Editor)
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
contributor: Vinciguerra, Jerry (Graphic Artist)
contributor: Root, Kim (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Hutchinson, David (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Carroll, John (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Paszkowsky Danylo (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Summerville, Dan (Contributing Photographer)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

Lynn DeJac Exonerated
subject: DeJac, Lynn
subject: Criminal investigation--United States--Case studies
description: Lynn DeJac of Buffalo, New York served thirteen years in prison for a crime she did not commit. In 1994 she was wrongly convicted of murdering her fourteen-year-old daughter, Crystallynn Girard. In 2007, DeJac’s conviction was vacated after Buffalo Police cold case detective Dennis Delano brought forth DNA evidence he claimed linked DeJac’s ex-boyfriend, Dennis Donohue, to Crystallynn’s death. Donohue could not be charged because he had testified before a grand jury and was granted immunity from prosecution. However, he was later convicted of murdering a woman he had once dated. DeJac, according to the Innocence Project, became the first woman to be exonerated of murdering someone based on DNA evidence. She had given birth to twin boys while behind bars and later married their father, Chuck Peters, while serving her sentence. She also had an older, estranged son, Edward. WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg and News 4 Chief Photographer Mike Mombrea Jr. were with DeJac the day of her release and also documented the reunion with her family. During a live interview that evening, DeJac told Newberg, "The truth will set me free." Shortly after the state of New York paid DeJac a settlement of $2.7 million dollars, she was diagnosed with cancer. She died at age fifty on June 18, 2014. Her husband and twin sons, Keith and Douglas were with their mother when she passed away.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
creator: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, Editor)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2007-11-28
date: 2014-6-18
contributor: Hutchinson, Dave (Photographer)
contributor: Micole, Mike (Live truck technician)
contributor: Meegan, Martha (WIVB-TV Assignment Editor)
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic artist)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.

John Rigas Indicted
subject: Rigas, John J., 1924-
subject: Adelphia Communications Corporation
description: On July 24, 2002, 77 year old John Rigas, the founder and CEO of Adelphia Communications Corporation, was indicted on charges of securities, wire, and bank fraud. Two of his sons, Timothy and Michael were also charged, along with two company executives. Timothy had been Adelphia’s financial officer. Michael served as chief operating officer. John Rigas, the son of Greek immigrants, had started Adelphia in 1952 with a $300 dollar investment. He grew the company to the nation’s fifth largest cable company. Following the indictments, John Rigas talked exclusively with WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg, refuting federal charges of conspiring to defraud investors, looting corporate accounts, and failing to disclose $2.3 billion dollars in company debts.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
creator: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, editor)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2003-01
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

John Rigas Trial and Conviction
subject: Rigas, John J., 1924-
subject: Adelphia Communications Corporation.
description: On July 8, 2004, John and Timothy were found guilty of conspiracy, securities and bank fraud. They were convicted of hiding $2.3 billion in debt, while looting Adelphia of $100 million. Michael avoided prison by pleading guilty to making a false entry in a financial record. Michael Mulcahey, the former director of internal reporting for Adelphia, was acquitted. The government’s main witness, James Brown, Adelphia’s former vice president for finance, had pleaded guilty to fraud in 2002. Less than a year later, on June 20, 2005, John Rigas, who at age 80 suffered from heart problems and bladder cancer, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. His son Timothy received a 20-year prison sentence. John’s sentence was later reduced to 12 years, and Timothy’s to 17 years, after a federal appeals court threw out part of the government’s case. John and Timothy began serving their prison terms on August 13, 2007, when their initial appeals were denied. Two weeks earlier, John sat down with WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg, proclaiming his innocence and desire to clear the family name. U.S. District Judge Leonard Sand had also ruled that after serving two years, John could regain his freedom if he were diagnosed with less than three months to live. On February 19, 2016, after serving 8 years in federal prison,Rigas, at age 91, was granted a compassionate release. He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
creator: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, Editor)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2004-02
date: 2004-03
date: 2004-07
date: 2007-07-31
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

Survival of Gayle Wolfer : the movie made about her tragic shooting
subject: Wolfer, Gayle.
description: On March 25, 1988 Western New York real estate agent Gayle Wolfer was showing a house in Sardinia, southeast of Buffalo, when a man posing as a prospective buyer shot her in the face, chest and neck. He had been tipped-off that there was alleged drug money stashed in the house. The owner of the house, Craig Bush, was allegedly a cocaine dealer looking to sell his home and get out of the drug dealing business. He was also shot and suffered brain damage. His fiancé had been handcuffed by the shooter but managed to escape from the house during the time when Ms. Wolfer was being shot. Wolfer put up a struggle after the assailant’s handgun initially jammed. She survived her three bullet wounds and less than five months later, by sheer coincidence, came upon the man who shot her. She identified the shooter as Edward Beaufort-Cutner, an Erie County sheriff’s deputy who happened to be mounted on a horse during a patrol at the Erie County Fair. During his trial it was determined Beaufort-Cutner had stolen $2,600 cash from Bush’s home before he shot his victims. Beaufort-Cutter was convicted of attempted murder, robbery, burglary, and weapons counts. He was sentenced to 29 to 50 years in prison. Ms. Wolfer’s story was so compelling that a made-for-TV movie called “With Murder In Mind” aired on CBS in 1992. The late actress Elizabeth Montgomery played Wolfer’s character. Gayle and her companion Robert Sprague, who had played a key role in her recovery, attended the filming in Atlanta and served as extras in the movie. Sprague’s character was played by Robert Foxworth. WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg and photographer-editor Jack Keller documented the making of the movie in a four-part series that aired in May 1992. There were two other Buffalo connections to the making of the movie. Jack Maurer, the executive producer, and Joanie Cuff, an associate producer, were from Western New York. Cuff personally knew Ms. Wolfer and attended school with her children.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
creator: Keller, Jack (Photographer, Editor)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 1992-05-10
date: 1992-05-12
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

The .22 Caliber Killer
subject: Christopher, Joseph G.
subject: Serial murders -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
subject: Racism -- New York (State) -- Buffalo.
description: Joseph Christopher, a white Buffalo native who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, began his killing spree on September 22, 1980. Within a 36 hour period, using a sawed-off .22 caliber rifle, Christopher murdered four African American men. Two weeks earlier he had sought to be admitted to the Buffalo Psychiatric Center but was deemed not to be a danger to himself or others. Psychiatric counseling was recommended. Catherine Pelonero, author of the book “Absolute Madness,” makes the case that “Christopher’s crimes might have been prevented if he had received the psychiatric help he was seeking.” Ms. Pelonero provides the on-camera introduction and conclusion to this compilation of WIVB-TV reports. An intensive search for “The .22 Caliber Killer” ensued after the first four homicides. Two more African American men were murdered on October 8th and 9th. They were taxi cab drivers who had their hearts cut out. Christopher would later confess to these two killings, although evidence pointed away from Christopher as the perpetrator. Both cases remain open and unsolved. In November 1980, Christopher enlisted in the U.S. Army. While on Christmas furlough, he journeyed to Manhattan and, on December 22nd, allegedly stabbed four people to death. He then became known as “The Midtown Slasher.” A week later, on December 29th, after returning to Buffalo, another black man was stabbed to death. The following day, on December 30th, an African American male in Rochester was slashed and died from his injuries. In January, Christopher reported back to his Army base at Fort Benning, Georgia and attacked a black soldier with a knife. The soldier lived and Christopher was confined to the stockade, where he attempted to take his own life with a razor. In a session with a psychiatrist at the base, it has been reported that Christopher said he “had to” kill Blacks. At that point, Christopher’s home was searched by the police. They found evidence linking him to three murders. In April 1981, J…
creator: <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=%3Cp%3E%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fdigital.buffalolib.org%2Fitems%2Fbrowse%3Fadvanced%255B0%255D%255Belement_id%255D%3D39%26amp%3Badvanced%255B0%255D%255Btype%255D%3Dis%2Bexactly%26amp%3Badvanced%255B0%255D%255Bterms%255D%3DNewberg%252C%2BRich%2B%2528Writer%252C%2BReporter%2529%22%3ENewberg%2C+Rich+%28Writer%2C+Reporter%29%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E"> Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 1980, 1981
contributor: <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=37&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=%3Cp%3E%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fdigital.buffalolib.org%2Fitems%2Fbrowse%3Fadvanced%255B0%255D%255Belement_id%255D%3D37%26amp%3Badvanced%255B0%255D%255Btype%255D%3Dis%2Bexactly%26amp%3Badvanced%255B0%255D%255Bterms%255D%3DMurphy%252C%2BKurt%2B%2528Graphic%2BArtist%2529%22%3EMurphy%2C+Kurt+%28Graphic+Artist%29%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E"> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
contributor: Vetter, Tom (editor)
contributor: Terranova, Michael (editor)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.

City Grill Massacre
subject: McCray, Riccardo.
subject: Murderer--New York (State)--Buffalo.
subject: Murder investigation--New York (State)--Buffalo
description: One of the most horrific crimes in Buffalo history unfolded in the early morning hours of August 14, 2010. A gunman shot four people to death, execution style, and wounded four others. It happened at the City Grill restaurant on Buffalo’s Main Street. The shootings followed an argument inside the restaurant. One of the victims who were shot to death had been celebrating his first wedding anniversary. The gunman escaped, and during the days that followed, many Buffalo inner city residents lived in fear that there would be more bloodshed. Although there were more than a hundred patrons in the restaurant at the time of the shootings, authorities said they were having a hard time locating people willing to cooperate. Buffalo police had arrested a suspect less than 12 hours after the shootings, but he turned out to be the wrong man. Eleven days later, as authorities were closing in on another man who had emerged as the main “person of interest,” 23-year-old Riccardo McCray decided he would rather surrender peacefully than risk a showdown with Buffalo Police. On August 25, 2010, community activists Darnell Jackson and Bishop Perry Davis brought McCray to WIVB-TV studios in North Buffalo. Jackson had contacted the station’s senior correspondent, Rich Newberg, the night before, indicating McCray was seeking a safe haven to surrender. Newberg had a long history of reporting on the struggles of inner city residents, and had provided nightly updates following the City Grill shootings. While McCray waited for his attorney to arrive, Newberg interviewed the suspect, who volunteered the fact that he had been at the City Grill at the time of the shootings, but denied being the shooter. McCray was then peacefully taken into Buffalo Police custody and charged with first and second-degree murder and possession of a weapon. At McCray’s trial, Newberg was called as a witness for the prosecution. His entire interview of McCray was played for the jury in a packed courtroom. McCray was fo…
description: FEATURED REPORTS CITY GRILL MASSACRE RETROSPECTIVE 1. WIVB-TV Anchor/Reporter Dave Greber’s retrospective dating back almost ten years includes footage from the City Grill massacre that had never been made public before. Greber interviews former WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg who reflects on the day Riccardo McCray was brought to him to surrender. McCray was later convicted of murder, attempted murder, and criminal possession of a weapon. February 17, 2020 (Runs: 6:18) SURRENDER OF RICCARDO MCCRAY 2. Shortly after handling the surrender of Riccardo McCray, the primary suspect in the City Grill shootings, WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg gave a first hand account of how it all unfolded. It was posted on the WIVB-TV website. Newberg would later testify at McCray’s trial. He was a witness for the prosecution. His entire interview of McCray was played for the jury. August 2010 (Runs: 4:05) FIRST TELEVISED REPORTS OF MCCRAY’S SURRENDER WIVB-TV / News 4 Buffalo August 25, 2010 (Runs: 13:44) 3. Reports begin with “Breaking News” cut-in to programming followed by Rich Newberg’s first reports on McCray’s surrender, McCray being charged with the City Grill shootings, community reaction, and potential use of Newberg’s interview with McCray as evidence by prosecutors. MCCRAY ARRAIGNMENT WIVB-TV / News 4 Buffalo August 26, 2010 (Runs: 2:05) 4. Riccardo McCray is arraigned on charges including murder attempted murder, and weapons possession. EXPERTS REVIEW MCCRAY SURRENDER AND INTERVIEW September 3, 2010 (Runs: 3:00) 5. WIVB-TV Legal Analyst Terry Connors and former New York State Attorney General Dennis Vacco review the video showing the McCray surrender and interview. They believe the interview by Rich Newberg could be used in court. RICH NEWBERG TESTIFIES AT MCCRAY TRIAL (March 25, 2011) (Runs: 2:32) 6. WIVB-TV Investigative Reporter Luke Moretti reports on Rich Newberg’s testimony in court as a witness for the prosecution. Newberg said his role was to obta…
creator: Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
creator: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, editor)
creator: Woodson, Paul (Photographer)
creator: Ersing, Rich (Photographer)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2010-08-14 (Shootings take place) 2010-08-25 (McCray surrenders) 2011-03-31 (Found Guilty) 2011-06-02 (Sentenced to life without parole)
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

Growing Up Tough
subject: Gangs--New York (State)--Buffalo
subject: Teenagers--New York (State)--Buffalo
description: Gang members on Buffalo's Lower West Side were getting recruited at younger ages as gang violence was on the increase. WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg and photographer Mike Mombrea Jr. spent a week on the streets of these neighborhoods. Their findings were that young teenagers were engaging in violence for the sake of violence alone, and that they had little regard for their own futures or those of their neighbors. "There is a ruthlessness on the streets, on a growing scale," observes Newberg, "that's new to our city."
description: Originally aired on WIVB-TV.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Reporter)
creator: Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 1991-07
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

The Guardian Angels
subject: Sliwa, Curtis, 1954-
subject: Sliwa, Lisa
subject: Guardian Angels (Organization)
subject: Crime prevention--United States--Citizen participation
description: When crime fighters who wore red berets appeared on the mean streets of Buffalo in the early 1980s, people wanted to know more about the young crime fighters calling themselves the Guardian Angels. Their leaders, Curtis and Lisa Sliwa, invited WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg and photographer Mike Mombrea Jr. to cover the group's activities in the Bronx, where they began organizing subway safety patrols in 1979. Newberg got an up close and personal view of the Sliwas, who lived in poverty on Manhattan's Lower East Side. They lived on $9,000 dollars in 1982 and didn't own a car or have life insurance. They called their apartment "The Roach Motel." Yet they were effective in organizing chapters in big cities including Toronto and Cleveland. Sliwa was shunned by Buffalo Mayor Jimmy Griffin when he accused city officials and police of taking payola in the areas of prostitution and drug dealing. Griffin said Sliwa could not produce evidence that this existed. Interviews include Buffalo Police Commissioner James Cunningham, Curtis and Lisa Sliwa.
description: Originally aired on WIVB-TV.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Reporter)
creator: Mombrea, Mike, Sr. (Photographer, Editor)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 1983-06
contributor: Sliwa, Curtis (Guardian Angels Founder)
contributor: Sliwa, Lisa (Guardian Angels Founder)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

Rebirth on the Waterfront
subject: Waterfronts--New York (State)--Buffalo--Planning
subject: Urban renewal--New York (State)--Buffalo
subject: Buffalo (N.Y.)--Economic conditions
subject: City planning--New York (State)--Buffalo
description: Shows why, after a century of missed opportunities, there is solid evidence of progress on waterfront development in Buffalo, N.Y., and the money to back it up. Features the major players working behind the scenes to map out the city's future, such as Larry Quinn, Brian Higgins, Mark Goldman, Rich Tobe, Mike Powers. Shows the progress in completing the Inner Harbor Erie Canal project, as well as an overview of the plans at the foot of Main Street, and more.
description: Originally aired on WIVB-TV.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)
creator: Ersing, Rich (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
creator: Moretti, Luke (Investigative Reporter)
creator: Schlaerth, Joseph (Executive Producer)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2006-12-19
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
contributor: Richert, George (Reporter)
contributor: Flynn, Lisa (Reporter)
contributor: Walker, Jacquie (Reporter)
contributor: Root, Kim (Photographer, Editor)
contributor: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, Editor)
contributor: Ersing, Matt (Photographer, Editor)
contributor: Hutchinson, Dave (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Swenson, Scott (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Dee, Joe (Contributing photographer)
contributor: Gabalski, Ron (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Carroll, John (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Ivancic, Paul (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Vinciguerra, Jerry (Graphic Artist)
contributor: Tielman, Tim (Historical Consultant)
contributor: Blanchard, Tom Jr. (Historical Consultant)
contributor: Goldman, Mark (Historical Consultant)
contributor: Tobe, Rich (Historical Consultant)
contributor: Newberg, Rich (Researcher)
contributor: Ersing, Rich (Researcher)
contributor: Moretti, Luke (Researcher)
contributor: Schlaerth, Joe (Researcher)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

In Our Lifetime
description: The triumphant grand opening of Buffalo's inner harbor, based on the theme of the Erie Canal, symbolized a new era of hope for the city. The rebirth of Buffalo's waterfront allows visitors to relive the heyday of the Erie Canal, when the Queen City of the Great Lakes was the nation's 'Gateway to the West.' In this television special, WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent takes viewers back in time when Buffalo's bawdy Canal District was among the toughest of its kind in the world. There is also a special segment paying tribute to the city's beloved Memorial Auditorium, which was taken down to make way for new waterfront development. Featuring Buffalo Congressman Brian Higgins, whose vision and actions helped make Buffalo's revival, through waterfront development, possible.
description: Originally aired on WIVB-TV.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)
creator: Ersing, Rich (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
creator: Schlearth, Joseph (Executive Producer)
creator: Musial, Chris (Executive Producer)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2008-08-26
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
contributor: Vinciguerra, Jerry (Graphic Artist)
contributor: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Consulting and Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Cornwell, Craig (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Summerville, Dan (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Woodson, Paul (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Ivancic, Paul (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Baker, Boe (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Paszkowsky, Danylo (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Phillips, Shane (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Dee, Joe (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Carroll, John (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Root, Kim (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Swenson, Scott (Contributing Photographer)
contributor: Vogel, Mike (Historical Consultant)
contributor: Tielman, Tim (Historical Consultant)
contributor: Blanchard, Tom Jr. (Historical Consultant)
contributor: Newberg, Rich (Researcher)
contributor: Ersing, Rich (Researcher)
contributor: Schlaerth, Joseph (Researcher)
contributor: Musial, Chris (Researcher)
contributor: Yeomans, Doug (Musical Performer for "The Stringmen")
contributor: Perry, Geoffrey (Musical Performer "The Stringmen")
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image

Buffalo Remembers Governor Mario Cuomo
subject: Cuomo, Mario M., 1932-2015.
subject: Governors--New York (State)
description: The late three term New York governor Mario Cuomo (June 15, 1932 - January 1, 2015) had a soft spot in his heart for Buffalo, according to former Queen City Mayor Anthony Masiello. In 2015, following Cuomo’s death at age 82, WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg talked with Masiello and the governor’s former spokesman in Buffalo, Tim Clark, about Cuomo’s unique ability to connect with people, even if they did not agree with him politically.
creator: Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
creator: Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Editor)
source: Rich Newberg Reports Collection
publisher: WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
publisher: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
date: 2015-01-02
contributor: Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
rights: Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
relation: Digital Collections of the B&ECPL
format: video/mp4
language: eng
type: Moving Image