by Jim Custer

Amityville’s image was not much different from any other Long Island community for most of this century. In the 1920s and 30s it was perceived as a quaint little village on the Great South Bay where many people came to spend their summers of leisure. While those summer homes eventually became permanent residences, the image of Amityville remained one of a tranquil, friendly village.

That image changed dramatically following the infamous DeFeo murders on November 13, 1974. The problem was compounded when a movie was released in 1977 called The Amityville Horror. Since then, several films based on the theme of a haunted house in Amityville have been produced which have added to the unfounded negative impression people had of Amityville.

"We’re still trying to overcome that negative image," said Mayor Emil Pavlik Jr. "Not only do a lot of people throughout the United States base their perception of Amityville on those movies but also many Long Islanders."

Amityville Police Chief Kenneth Greguski remembers the DeFeo murders well. "Ed Tyndall and I were the first patrolmen on the scene," said Greguski. "We received a call about a possible shooting and when we arrived at the house we found six dead bodies. It was a real mess."

George DeFeo is presently serving a life sentence for the murders of his parents, his two brothers and his two sisters.

Theses murders were not only a horror for investigators, but they created havoc around the Ocean Avenue home as well. At that time, Amityville Police Chief William Kay had to make the DeFeo home a permanent post for a solid month, according to Greguski. "There had been several burglaries by people seeking souvenirs," he said. "Plus a steady stream of cars driving by to get a look at the house."

Once the sensational news stories died down, that area of the Village returned to a semblance of its former normalcy, according to Pavlik. "But when the movie was released in 1977," he said, "the curiosity seekers came out in droves. Even people on vacation in New York City took trips out here to get a glimpse of the house."

The mayor said to this day he still receives calls and letters from people around the country seeking information about the 1974 slayings and the "Horror House".

Greguski added that whenever he attends a law enforcement conference, "Someone always makes a comment when they see my Amityville patch."

As the second wave of morbid interest about the DeFeo home began to ebb, a series of news stories began appearing nationally that gave the Amityville area another tremendous jolt.

"The ‘Corner’ was on all the television networks for what seemed an eternity," said Sharon Davis of the northwest corner of Albany Avenue and Great Neck Road which had become rife with illegal drug activitiy. "For a long time we wouldn’t even walk by that area when going to church. It was a huge blight on the North Amityville community."

"It affected Amityville because many people saw the two communities as one," said Pavlik. "Again, it wasn’t just people in other parts of the country, but Long Islanders as well who perceived Amityville as a drug infested village."

The tie-in between the two communities lies largely in their proximity, their names and the origin of North Amityville which began as a hamlet by the early domestics who worked in Amityville’s summer homes 60 to 70 years ago. In recent years the two communities have become more closely aligned with each other through their economy.

"I’ve come to realize that there has been a big change in attitude with respect to real estate in the Village," said North Amityville Taxpayers Association (NATA) President Edmond Larsen. "When I first came to North Amityville in 1957 there were definite boundaries between this community and the Village of Amityville. Since that time a lot of positive changes have occured and I now see quite a few minority businesses operating in Amityville as well as a lot of minority shoppers." Both Amityville and its close neighbor North Amityville have been making efforts to erase the negative images and reflect positively on their communities.

"One of our greatest achievements was getting the county to demolish the corner in 1988," said Irwin Quintyne of the North Amityville Community Economic Council (NACEC). "We displaced the drug dealers who previously did their business there in broad daylight in what the media reffered to as an ‘open-air drug market’. While a drug problem still exists in this area, NACEC is moving ahead to revitalize the community economically as well as fight the drug dealers who remain in this area."

In North Amityville, the annual community day parade has received a lot of support as had the neighborhood watch program. "We are making inroads towards enhancing everyone’s pride in our community," said Davis. "But the tremendous damage done to North Amityville by all of the local and national media exposure of the corner will take time to rectify."

"We have had great turnouts for our annual sidewalk sales and apple festivals," said Pavlik. "The local chamber of commerce has also held street fairs and other events which have drawn people from all over Long Island who are beginning to see Amityville as we see it—the friendly bay village."