I knew you before I formed
you in your mother's womb...
Jeremiah 1:5 NLT
There are no accidents with God...
you in your mother's womb...
Jeremiah 1:5 NLT
There are no accidents with God...
The things which we think are instances of happenstance, are really a part of God's plan. This, I believe, includes each one of us. Whether we are welcomed into this world by our parents, or unwelcomed by them, the truth is, the Creator welcomes us all. There are no mishaps and mistakes with God.
Even as time goes on, I continue to receive letters with questions about my birth and my adoption. For whatever reason, this remains a topic on the minds of many. Perhaps this is because there is so much misinformation out there in the media and in various publications, that people are confused. But being that today is my 70th birthday, I think it's a good time to share the facts about the matter as I know them.
The truth is, I was born out of wedlock. In other words, my mother and father were not married when she became pregnant with me. My birth mother Rebecca, who was known by her family as Betty, had been married to a man by the name of Tony Falco, who was Italian.
Tony and my mom owned a little neighborhood fish store in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. This was back in the 1940s, long before I was born. Then, for whatever reason, Tony Falco ran off with another woman, leaving my mom and her daughter stranded and destitute. The business failed, and this left my birth mother to struggle on her own.
After a number of years of trying to make ends meet and raising my half-sister on her own, Betty met someone. He was a Jewish man by the name of Joe, who began to take an interest in her. Joe was a businessman with a wife and children of his own. And from what I was told, a relationship developed in which my mom would eventually become pregnant with me.
When I located my birth mother some twenty-two years later after a long search, we had a joyous reunion. I met my half-sister, too. She wrapped me into her arms with joy. I was the brother she always wanted, and she was the sister I had always dreamt about.
From here I was to learn the circumstances of my birth. I was told about my birth father, Joe, and how visibly upset he was when he first learned that his mistress was pregnant. Joe told her outright that he was not going to provide for me and wanted nothing to do with me. Devastated and heartbroken, my mother had no choice but to find someone willing to adopt her yet to be born child.
My mother fought hard to keep me, even physically fighting Joe at least once. She shared this with me when I first located her in 1975. In fact, she later told the story to Good Housekeeping magazine, too. In an article published in May 1979 titled, "The Startling Story of Son of Sam's Real Mother" by Susan Wishengrad, my mom revealed some of what she was faced with at the time of my arrest, and what followed for my mom and our family afterwards.
The lengthy article also went into great detail about the circumstances of my birth. Thankfully, though, it painted an honest and vivid and sympathetic portrait of a loving mother who was doing her best to make a life for herself and her daughter in a time when society mostly looked down upon single mothers who had to raise one or more children on their own. This was especially true in the era of the 1950s when I was born.
Realizing she was now pregnant with a child she could not afford to care for, and how my birth father made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with me, my mom had no choice but to find a couple who'd be willing to adopt her yet unborn child.
But a while later, with me still in her womb, a lady from her neighborhood somehow managed to contact a couple who desperately wanted to adopt a child. The arrangements were made, and it was agreed upon that when my mom was ready to give birth, she would go to a certain hospital where I would be delivered. From here, the couple who were going to adopt me, would pick me up. This was a common practice back then.
Thus, several days later my adoptive parents, Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz, came and got me. They, along with my adoptive father's mother, took me to their home in the Bronx, which is one of the five boroughs of New York City. From here I would spend my childhood and adolescent years, entering into early adulthood.
I was now the proud son of Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz, who showered me with lots of love and affection. But unbeknownst to them, they would have a long road ahead. Raising me would be a challenge.
D.B.
NOTE: To be continued
Even as time goes on, I continue to receive letters with questions about my birth and my adoption. For whatever reason, this remains a topic on the minds of many. Perhaps this is because there is so much misinformation out there in the media and in various publications, that people are confused. But being that today is my 70th birthday, I think it's a good time to share the facts about the matter as I know them.
The truth is, I was born out of wedlock. In other words, my mother and father were not married when she became pregnant with me. My birth mother Rebecca, who was known by her family as Betty, had been married to a man by the name of Tony Falco, who was Italian.
Tony and my mom owned a little neighborhood fish store in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. This was back in the 1940s, long before I was born. Then, for whatever reason, Tony Falco ran off with another woman, leaving my mom and her daughter stranded and destitute. The business failed, and this left my birth mother to struggle on her own.
After a number of years of trying to make ends meet and raising my half-sister on her own, Betty met someone. He was a Jewish man by the name of Joe, who began to take an interest in her. Joe was a businessman with a wife and children of his own. And from what I was told, a relationship developed in which my mom would eventually become pregnant with me.
When I located my birth mother some twenty-two years later after a long search, we had a joyous reunion. I met my half-sister, too. She wrapped me into her arms with joy. I was the brother she always wanted, and she was the sister I had always dreamt about.
From here I was to learn the circumstances of my birth. I was told about my birth father, Joe, and how visibly upset he was when he first learned that his mistress was pregnant. Joe told her outright that he was not going to provide for me and wanted nothing to do with me. Devastated and heartbroken, my mother had no choice but to find someone willing to adopt her yet to be born child.
My mother fought hard to keep me, even physically fighting Joe at least once. She shared this with me when I first located her in 1975. In fact, she later told the story to Good Housekeeping magazine, too. In an article published in May 1979 titled, "The Startling Story of Son of Sam's Real Mother" by Susan Wishengrad, my mom revealed some of what she was faced with at the time of my arrest, and what followed for my mom and our family afterwards.
The lengthy article also went into great detail about the circumstances of my birth. Thankfully, though, it painted an honest and vivid and sympathetic portrait of a loving mother who was doing her best to make a life for herself and her daughter in a time when society mostly looked down upon single mothers who had to raise one or more children on their own. This was especially true in the era of the 1950s when I was born.
Realizing she was now pregnant with a child she could not afford to care for, and how my birth father made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with me, my mom had no choice but to find a couple who'd be willing to adopt her yet unborn child.
But a while later, with me still in her womb, a lady from her neighborhood somehow managed to contact a couple who desperately wanted to adopt a child. The arrangements were made, and it was agreed upon that when my mom was ready to give birth, she would go to a certain hospital where I would be delivered. From here, the couple who were going to adopt me, would pick me up. This was a common practice back then.
Thus, several days later my adoptive parents, Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz, came and got me. They, along with my adoptive father's mother, took me to their home in the Bronx, which is one of the five boroughs of New York City. From here I would spend my childhood and adolescent years, entering into early adulthood.
I was now the proud son of Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz, who showered me with lots of love and affection. But unbeknownst to them, they would have a long road ahead. Raising me would be a challenge.
D.B.
NOTE: To be continued
