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Cleaning Up After Death
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 22, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 22, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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The NY Times has a great article and slide show about crime scene clean up crews. Gothamist had been wondering about crime scene clean-up ever since the season finale of Six Feet Under (you know, one of Ruth's possible new careers), and the story revealed more nuance than just mopping up blood. Former paramedic Ronald Gospodarski started Bio-Recovery Corporation in 1998; it's the only NY-based business that does this, and it handled cleanups after the 2000 Wendy's massacre, 2001 Carnegie Deli triple homicide, anthrax contamination at the Post and ABC News, and the Norwalk virus on the cruise ship, as well as "unheralded deaths" (like a body discovered in an apartment after months). He tells the Times, "I don't care if you're black, white, rich or poor, whether you live in the projects or a penthouse, everyone smells the same when they die." And the business is seasonal: There are more indoor murdersin the winter months.
And as grisly as they are, there are lots of books with crime scene photos. Two are New York Noir: Crime Photos from the Daily News Archives and Weegee's New York Photographs, 1935-1960.
Photograph from the NY Times
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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