Securing the Homeland: Western New York's Anti-terrorism Measures
September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.
Terrorism -- United States -- Prevention.
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 also in the works to develop a system of mass immunization. 3 Close to a million dollars in new federal money has been dedicated to improving anti-terrorist training and response programs in Erie County. Response to a dirty bomb incident would require declaring the radioactive area off limits for quite some time, depending on the strength of the radioactive material used in the device. 4 The post 9/11 era calls for greater security and more sophisticated background checks of employees at airports. “Ultra-scan, a new device developed in Western New York, identifies people through finger imaging. Its accuracy is believed to approach one hundred percent. 5 A new state-of-the art Emergency Operations Center at an undisclosed location in Western New York is near completion. (The location is later revealed to be in Cheektowaga). New York Governor George Partaki, urges New Yorkers not to fall victim to fear. Deputy Erie County Executive Carl Calabrese, one of the local Homeland Security leaders, says an effective response to terrorist threats rests on “having the right information at the right time in the right peoples’ hands.” Erie County Emergency Services Commissioner Mike Walters says, “There has to be a spot where major decisions are made, and we have that capability here better than we’ve ever had it before in this community.” 6 More details are revealed about the new $2 million dollar Emergency Command Center where life saving decisions would be made during a terrorist incident or natural disaster. The facility can accommodate 105 emergency coordinators who have direct access to immediate lines of communication, including video conferencing and satellite downlink capability. A new “800 Megahertz Wireless System” statewide would allow emergency responders from different agencies to talk to each other. 7 A major response exercise is conducted using actors as would-be victims of a terrorist attack is carried out on the campus of Buffalo State College. The drill creates a hostage situation following a terrorist hijacking of an NFTA bus. The Buffalo SWAT Team goes into action. NFTA spokesman Douglas Hartmayer says first responders believe there may be some explosives onboard the bus. The drill is carried out using smoke bombs, the Erie County Sheriff’s helicopter, and a Buffalo SWAT Team storming of the bus. The drill is deemed to be successful, due to effective cooperation between agencies and a unified command situation. 8 More details on the drill that started on the streets of Buffalo. WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg said “it looked so real it was somewhat frightening.” The exercise includes a scenario where the terrorists who hijacked an NFTA bus and took hostages, had radioactive material onboard. Rich Newberg reveals that the Transit Police who gave chase to the would-be hijacked bus, had not been told this was a drill. 9 Another drill is carried out involving first responders from Western New York and Southern Ontario. They dealt with the need for emergency chemical containment should terrorists attack the region. Western New York is third in the nation in the amount of hazardous material shipped through an area. Buffalo Hazmat Team leader, firefighter Captain Tommy Fitzpatrick, says there toxic industrial chemicals could become a target for terrorists. Six agencies were represented in this drill including the FBI, airport rescue and fire and Twin City Ambulance. 10 More details on the above mentioned Buffalo Hazmat drill that took place at the Training Center in Cheektowaga. Special attention is paid to the potential disruption of a rail line or pipeline carrying hazardous chemicals. 11 The US Coast Guard is bolstering homeland security on Western New York’s border with Canada. Coast Guard Buffalo is about to be equipped with machine gun capability. Since 9/11, there are more patrols on the water. A new 25 foot fast and powerful response boat is ordered for homeland security in Buffalo. There is also a higher level of cooperation between the Coast Guard and US Border Patrol. Citizen boaters are also being asked to report anything suspicious. 12 More details on the beefing up of US Coast Guard stations. Chief Steven Barr of Coasts Guard Buffalo says the new security boat will be able to turn at high speeds and will be “cabonized” for greater crew protection. 13 FBI Director Robert Mueller, who took over the agency seven days before 9/11, visits Buffalo’s FBI office. The Lackawanna Six was the major topic of discussion. Mueller says the men charged with providing material support to al-Qaeda by attending a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan can be considered, in his opinion, a “sleeper cell.” He says the Muslim community in Lackawanna was a big help in brining the case to a successful conclusion. Mueller also said the US war effort in Iraq was aided by Iraqis in the Buffalo area and across the country. Relating to another case, Mueller praised the Buffalo FBI office for its work on the James Kopp case. Kopp was arrested for the murder of Buffalo abortion provider Dr. Barnett Slepian. He also gives credit to the Joint Terrorism Task Force comprised of twenty agencies assisting in anti-terrorism efforts. 14 New York State Police Superintendent James McMann, a Rochester native, is named by Governor George Pataki as coordinator of the state’s counter-terrorism efforts. The Buffalo-Niagara region is named as one of 30 strategic regions in the country and will receive a federal $10 Million dollar counter-terrorism grant. $8 Million will go for planning, training and equipment. $2 Million for overtime costs in relation to Code Orange terrorist alerts. 15 Dr. Fred Cowie, an anti-terrorism expert, conducts as seminar in Buffalo. He is wearing orange prison garb and is handcuffed. He looks just like the Unabomber Ted KaczynskI and was once arrested by a police officer who mistook him for the suspect responsible for killing three people and injuring twenty-three others during bombings in various parts of the country between 1978 and 1995. He is from the same Montana town where Kaczynski was jailed. Cowie gets the attention of emergency planners attending the session to learn the latest in anti-terrorism training techniques. Former FBI Agent In Charge Bernie Tolbert also addresses the group. He is now running security for the NBA. He says big sports venues such as arenas and stadiums need to step up security. 16 More on the homeland security seminar mentioned above. Dr. Fred Cowie says, ”We have to find new ways, exciting ways to deliver the message and say ‘hey, that flammable liquid that took down the World Trade Center, that’s the same one your cop car is going to be pulling up to in a gasoline truck.” 17 The “nerve center” of Erie County’s emergency response operations is officially put into service. The Emergency Operations Center offers a high tech response to the worst of disasters. The center is located on Broadway in the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga. The center is equipped with a 105 seat training auditorium. 18 More on the Erie County Emergency Operations Center which will help coordinate responses by the county’s five thousand volunteer fire fighters and EMS providers. 19 The position of Buffalo Disaster Coordinator falls victim to budget cuts. Jack Sneiderhan was in working on an $880,000 thousand dollar grant for the city’s disaster efforts when his job was eliminated. Plans are in the works for Erie County to take over Buffalo Police and fire dispatch functions. It will all be housed under one roof in the soon-to-be built new public safety campus on Buffalo’s East Side. John Gibb, head of the New York State’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Task Force says the Western New York region has become a model for inter-agency, inter-regional cooperation. He is the point man for two $10 Million dollars grants to the Buffalo-Niagara region. 20 More on plans to put regional police and fire dispatchers under one umbrella in a Homeland Security campus being developed. 21 Erie County works to link up core buildings under one surveillance system. A new control center has the capacity to monitor 500 cameras. Erie County’s Public Works Commissioner Maria Lehman calls it “one stop shop surveillance for everything that’s going on in the buildings.” 22 A new million dollar alarm and communication system pinpoints the fire on any given floor in Buffalo’s major high-rise buildings. On every floor, firefighters have direct contact with the Control Center and are no longer dependent on cell phones. 23 New York State Homeland Security Chief Jim McMahon announces that $5.5 Million dollars in anti-terrorism funding is on its way to Erie County. Some of the funds are earmarked for anti-terrorism training. Some of the training will take place on a new Public Safety Campus on Oak Street. The building is nearing completion. A top priority in spending will also go toward a new Rescue One truck for Buffalo. It will be equipped to respond to a terrorist attack. Money will also be spent on new protective gear for Buffalo firefighters responding to hazardous situations. 24 More on Homeland Security funds for Erie and Niagara counties. The state will pick up $2 Million dollars in labor costs for dispatchers. 25 Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg gives Western New York its first look at plans for a new $31 Million dollar Regional Training Center at Oak and Elm streets in Buffalo. The first building designed to house local Homeland Security departments and a state-of-the-art forensic lab. The new Training Center will bring in ECC criminal justice students and potentially offer anti-terrorism training for officers across the Northeast. An outdoor training facility simulating terrorist situations is another high priority. A quarantine center is tops on the Erie County Health Department’s list. Erie County is also looking to partner with the University at Buffalo to make Western New York a “Region of Excellence” for terrorism research. 26 New York State is ready to award a contractor to install America’s most advanced emergency communications network. It would allow first responders from different agencies to communicate with one another. Erie County Deputy Erie County Executive Carl Calabrese says the new Public Safety campus could potentially serve as the “brain center” for the new system. 27 A new approach to tracking victims of a biological attack is being developed in Erie County. A system using mobile computers at hospital bedsides would feed information into a central site for instant analysis. Mike Moskal of the Calspan UB Research Center says it would be possible to prevent the spread of a disease further or start treating patients faster. Paramedics would also be able to electronically record information while a patient is being transported to a hospital. Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Anthony Billittier says health officials need information to determine if there is a disease spreading or victims are suffering from a terrorist event. 28 Western New York’s most spectacular tourist attractions, including the Maid of the Mist boat ride at Niagara Falls, have become a major security concern. All ports and vessels must soon comply with new safety regulations. Training sessions are held warning venue owners what to look for as tourists enter their attractions. Checking passengers for weapons on cruise vessels and tourists boats and security cameras are among the security measures taken. 29 More on anti-terrorism training sessions for tourist operators of major attractions on the Niagara Frontier. Emphasis is placed on monitoring suspicious behavior of tourists, not their skin color, cultural attire or ethnic background. Training should be made available to the ticket-taker to the deckhand. All of the nation’s ports and vessels must soon comply with tighter security measures. The belief is that terrorists will try to find the venue that is not protected. 30 Another major federally-funded drill has a hundred emergency responders from Western New York training for major “dirty bomb” attacks. The exercise includes the scenario of an attack on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge. The drill takes place at the Emergency Operations Center in Cheektowaga. Public Health agencies are notified. A decision is made to shut down traffic on the Thruway. The drill is conducted by federal emergency experts from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). In the drill, the Boulevard Mall is targeted by terrorists. There is also another threat on the New York State Thruway. The exercise provides an opportunity for emergency responders from different agencies get to know each other. Representatives from Canadian agencies, including the Niagara Region Public Health Department, took part in the session. The exercise took a year to plan. 31 More on the above drill, testing the ability of emergency responders to handle a terrorist “dirty bomb” attack on the Peace Bridge in Buffalo and Boulevard Mall in the Town of Tonawanda. A decision is made to keep people sheltered in their homes and businesses. The exercise includes a mock TV news anchorman who presents updates as the drill unfolds. The idea is to help define the information that citizens would need to know for protection. The lines of communication during a crisis situation is a critical element that must be considered. 32 A plan is put forward to consider a state-of-the art training center at the Niagara Falls International Airport. The piece opens outside of Rochester, New York where a drill is underway, challenging firefighters from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to respond to a mock-up 737 plane whose cabin is on fire. It simulates a terrorist attack. Deputy Erie County Executive Carl Calabrese attends the drill. He is considering a joint proposal that would have Erie and Niagara Counties building a training center on land at the Niagara Falls Airport. A feasibility study is underway. There is a long history of mutual aid. 34 More on the above story that includes graphic video showing response training for a terrorist attack on an airplane. It is pointed out that computers often drive training programs like this one. In this exercise, sensors show whether the firefighting techniques employed are effective. WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg shows viewers what it looks like inside the cabin of the mock-up plane after flames were extinguished. The NFTA firefighters are given a good review by a training instructor.
Newberg, Rich
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
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.
eng
2001-
Day of Sorrow, Year of Change : Remembrance at Ground Zero
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.
Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)
Vetter, Tom (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Musial, Chris (Producer)
Schlaerth, Joseph (Executive Producer)
WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
Lent, Pamm (Contributing Producer)
Schlaerth, Joe (Contributing Producer)
Flynn, Lisa (Contributing Reporter)
Richert, George (Contributing Reporter)
Beauchamp, Steve (Photographer, Editor)
Ersing, Rich (Photographer, Editor)
Baker, Boe (Contributing Photographer)
Root, Kim (Contributing Photographer)
Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
Vinciguerra, Jerry (Graphic Artist)
Baxter, Tim (Imix Editor)
Mombrea, John (Imix Editor)
Battilana, Tony (Director)
Dadey, Kelly (Director)
Clemons, Michael (Technical Director)
Masse, Dave (Videotape Operator)
Benzel, Gary (Audio Engineer)
Brown, Dave (Chyron Graphics)
Serio, Sam (Master Control Operator)
Erie County (N.Y.)--Defenses
Niagara County (N.Y.)--Defenses
Terrorism--Prevention
September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001
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.
Musial Chris (Executive Producer)
Ersing, Rich (Contributing Photographer, Editor)
Mombrea, John (On-line Editor)
Rice, Marie (Contributing Reporter)
Le, Lani (Contributing Reporter)
Beauchamp, Steve (Contributing Photographer)
Woodson, Paul (Contributing Photographer)
Goldschlag, Dave (Contributing Photographer)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Contributing Photographer)
Swan, Ray (Contributing Photographer)
Dawkins, Don (Contributing Photographer)
Greene, Terry (Contributing Photographer)
Ersing, Matt (Contributing Photographer)
Masse, Dave (Audio Engineer)
Palmatier, Scott (Videotape Operator)
Brown, Dave (Chyron Operator)
Terrorism--New York (State)
Yemeni Americans --New York (State)--Lackawanna
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 the plea bargain agreements, the defendants agreed to cooperate with federal terrorism investigators. A seventh suspect from Lackawanna, Jaber Elbaneh, escaped from a Yemeni prison but later turned himself in to Yemen authorities in 2007. He had been placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list. The alleged recruiter of the Lackawanna Six, Kamal Derwish, was killed by a drone in Yemen on November 3, 2002.
Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo,N.Y>) Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
Terrorism--United States
Yemeni Americans--New York(State)--Lackawanna
Muslims--Civil rights--New York (State)--Lackawanna
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 had remained silent “out of fear.” He said they “were petrified” on 9/11 and that “they were afraid that they were next.”
Newberg, Rich (Guest on “At Large with Geraldo Rivera”)
Fox News Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
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
Terrorism--United States--Prevention.
Yemeni Americans--New York(State)--Lackawanna.
Muslims--Civil rights--New York (State)--Lackawanna.
Civil rights--United States.
Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
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 going to Pakistan for religious instruction. President Bush had stated that the Patriot Act “helps us to be able to connect the dots.” However, University at Buffalo constitutional law professor Dr. Lee Albert maintained that The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 had already allowed the CIA and FBI to cooperate in the Lackawanna Six case. “I don’t think the Patriot Act had a lot to do with this case,” he said. FBI Special Agent Peter Ahearn disagreed and said, “The dots were connected” through the Patriot Act. He said shared information between the CIA and FBI led to the connection to a foreign terrorist organization. He said it had started as a criminal investigation but that the “spin of this case” changed. He added that seeing “the whole picture” helped reveal “how al-Qaeda operated overseas.” During the debate, Patriot Act proponent Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute maintained that there had been “utter paralysis in the country’s intelligence community before 9/11.” She added, “For months after 9/11 the political community, the media, was railing against our failure to connect the dots. The Patriot Act solved that.” Patriot Act critic, former US attorney Bob Barr, said there has never been a federal law that prohibits intelligence agents and prosecutors to talk with each other. He said there is a danger that the Patriot Act could be used “as a subterfuge to undermine the Bill of Rights.” He added, “If we say, well prosecutors should be able to get anything, anytime, anywhere that they want simply because they say it’s to fight terrorism, then we might as well just throw the Bill of Rights, and especially the 4th Amendment (the right against unreasonable searches and seizures) out the window, and I don’t think we ought to do that as a country.”
Dwyer, Cynthia.
Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981.
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, CNN, and CBS Newsfeed with updates during Mrs. Dwyer’s ten-month odyssey.
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, editor)
WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
Yearke, Don (Photographer)
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.”
Newberg, Rich (Reporter, Archivist)
Rich Newberg Reports Collection
Michael Terranova (Digital Editor)
Koop, Bob (Reporter)
McClintick, Michele (Reporter)
CNN (from YouTube)
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.
Capozzi, Anthony
Sanchez, Altemio C.
Judicial error--United States--Cases
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.
Moretti, Luke (Producer, Writer, Host)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, Editor)
Hutchinson, David (Contributing Photographer)
Carroll, John (Contributing Photographer)
Paszkowsky Danylo (Contributing Photographer)
Summerville, Dan (Contributing Photographer)
DeJac, Lynn
Criminal investigation--United States--Case studies
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.
Hutchinson, Dave (Photographer)
Micole, Mike (Live truck technician)
Meegan, Martha (WIVB-TV Assignment Editor)
Murphy, Kurt (Graphic artist)
Rigas, John J., 1924-
Adelphia Communications Corporation
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.
Adelphia Communications Corporation.
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.
Survival of Gayle Wolfer : the movie made about her tragic shooting
Wolfer, Gayle.
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.
Keller, Jack (Photographer, Editor)
Christopher, Joseph G.
Serial murders -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
Racism -- New York (State) -- Buffalo.
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, Joseph Christopher was indicted based on this evidence. At his trial in 1982, Christopher rejected attempts by his mother to provide him with lawyers. He represented himself before a trial judge and was found guilty. However, the ruling was overturned because the judge had not allowed psychiatric testimony about Christopher’s mental ability to stand trial. In 1985, after being found competent to stand trial, he was again found guilty and sent to Attica Correctional Facility. At the prison he was quoted to have claimed credit for thirteen killings. Author Pelonero says Christopher allegedly claimed eighteen victims during “a savage four month reign of terror…” Christopher died in prison on March 1, 1993. Although it was reported at the time that he died of a rare form of male breast cancer, Ms. Pelonero’s research determined that the cause of death was testicular cancer. He was 37 years old. This compilation of WIVB-TV news reports includes the manhunt for Christopher and a massive Buffalo rally against racism. Reporter Rich Newberg traveled with photographer Mike Mombrea, Jr. to Fort Benning, Georgia for first hand accounts from soldiers in Joseph Christopher’s barracks. This retrospective also includes special WIVB-TV coverage of an appearance by the Reverend Jesse Jackson, during Christopher’s reign of terror.
<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)
<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)
Vetter, Tom (editor)
Terranova, Michael (editor)
McCray, Riccardo.
Murderer--New York (State)--Buffalo.
Murder investigation--New York (State)--Buffalo
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 found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
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 obtain information from McCray who chose to answer all the questions that were raised and denied being the shooter. REPORT ON JURY DELIBERATIONS (March 31, 2011) (Runs: 3:22) 7. WIVB-TV reporter Laurie Schultz says jurors wanted to review the testimony of the getaway car driver. She then shows excerpts of closing arguments by the prosecution and defense. Her report includes surveillance video of the shootings used as evidence in McCray’s trial. MCCRAY FOUND GUILTY (3/31/2011) (Report Aired: April 1, 2011) (Runs: 2:23) 8. After seven hours of deliberations, the jury finds Riccardo McCray guilty of three counts of first degree murder and several counts of attempted murder in the first degree. Prosecutors believe the surveillance video was powerful evidence in the trial. McCray never took the stand and there were no witnesses who testified in his behalf. MCCRAY SENTENCING (June 2, 2011) (Runs: 2:59) 9. Riccardo McCray receives the maximum sentence of life without parole. WIVB-TV reporter George Richert shows courtroom video of victims’ family members emotionally telling the judge the impact of McCray’s actions on their lives and the lives of their loved ones. McCray killed and wounded his victims by firing 10 shots within 17 seconds. McCray stood up during sentencing and once again declared that he wasn’t the shooter. Upon passing sentence, Erie County Judge Sheila Di’Tullio told McCray, “You’re a thug and you’re a murderer and you’re a person with no remorse and no conscience. Quite simply, Riccardo McCray, you take a life and you get life.” [42:05 —Total running time for segments 1 though 9] COVERAGE OF CITY GRILL MASSACRE RICH NEWBERG REPORTS (August - September 2010) (Runs: 1:09:16) 10. Comprehensive series of reports beginning with the morning of the shootings at the City Grill in downtown Buffalo and ending with the surrender of Riccardo McCray to Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg at WIVB-TV studios. [1:09:16 — Total running time for these reports] [1:51:34 — Total running time for 1 through 10]
Woodson, Paul (Photographer)
Ersing, Rich (Photographer)
2010-08-14 (Shootings take place) 2010-08-25 (McCray surrenders) 2011-03-31 (Found Guilty) 2011-06-02 (Sentenced to life without parole)
Gangs--New York (State)--Buffalo
Teenagers--New York (State)--Buffalo
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."
Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Reporter)
Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Sliwa, Curtis, 1954-
Sliwa, Lisa
Guardian Angels (Organization)
Crime prevention--United States--Citizen participation
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.
Mombrea, Mike, Sr. (Photographer, Editor)
Sliwa, Curtis (Guardian Angels Founder)
Sliwa, Lisa (Guardian Angels Founder)
Waterfronts--New York (State)--Buffalo--Planning
Urban renewal--New York (State)--Buffalo
Buffalo (N.Y.)--Economic conditions
City planning--New York (State)--Buffalo
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.
Ersing, Rich (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Moretti, Luke (Investigative Reporter)
Richert, George (Reporter)
Flynn, Lisa (Reporter)
Walker, Jacquie (Reporter)
Root, Kim (Photographer, Editor)
Ersing, Matt (Photographer, Editor)
Hutchinson, Dave (Contributing Photographer)
Swenson, Scott (Contributing Photographer)
Dee, Joe (Contributing photographer)
Gabalski, Ron (Contributing Photographer)
Ivancic, Paul (Contributing Photographer)
Tielman, Tim (Historical Consultant)
Blanchard, Tom Jr. (Historical Consultant)
Goldman, Mark (Historical Consultant)
Tobe, Rich (Historical Consultant)
Newberg, Rich (Researcher)
Ersing, Rich (Researcher)
Moretti, Luke (Researcher)
Schlaerth, Joe (Researcher)
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.
Schlearth, Joseph (Executive Producer)
Musial, Chris (Executive Producer)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Consulting and Contributing Photographer)
Cornwell, Craig (Contributing Photographer)
Paszkowsky, Danylo (Contributing Photographer)
Phillips, Shane (Contributing Photographer)
Dee, Joe (Contributing Photographer)
Vogel, Mike (Historical Consultant)
Schlaerth, Joseph (Researcher)
Musial, Chris (Researcher)
Yeomans, Doug (Musical Performer for "The Stringmen")
Perry, Geoffrey (Musical Performer "The Stringmen")
Cuomo, Mario M., 1932-2015.
Governors--New York (State)
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.
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Editor)