THE MURDER OF A SHOPPING BAG LADY

Hardback. The dead woman sprawled in a parking lot in New York's Hell's Kitchen, trouser leg ripped from crotch to ankle, had been brutally beaten, stabbed repeatedly, and probably sexually assaulted as well. Her name was Phyllis Iannotta. She was 67 years old, a shopping bag lady. Phyllis was one of tens of thousands of homeless living on the streets of New York. Who was she really, and how had she come to such an end? The author, an investigative reporter, spent 4yrs. piecing together Phyllis Iannotta's story, revealing the bambina who celebrated her first birthday aboard the S.S. Stampalia en route to Ellis Island, the smart kid growing up in a tough neighbourhood, the hardworking elf of a woman who was a terrific dancer, had a great laugh, and was addicted to nothing stronger than crossword puzzles. She had taken good care of herself with good cheer for 50yrs; how could she have fallen through every safety net society had designed to protect her? The author unravelled the bureaucratic procedures - and the laws and politics behind them - that put Phyllis out on the streets. By the time we come to the end of her harrowing story, the fact that her killer was never found pales beside the agonizing neglect and mischance that delivered her into his hands. 247pp. 8vo. h/back. From the library of true-crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. F. in F. dw.