Sam Roberts
Posts
Irwin Cohen, Who Turned a Factory Into Chelsea Market, Dies at 90
He and his daughter transformed an abandoned Nabisco plant into a Manhattan destination for people who liked to cook, to eat and to gape.
Raymond Dirks, Whose Tipster Case Redefined Insider Trading, Dies at 89
In a far-reaching decision, the Supreme Court restored him from censured analyst to whistle-blower in a major corporate fraud.
George Cohon, Who Brought Big Macs to Moscow, Dies at 86
He was chairman of McDonald’s in Canada and in Russia, where he opened the chain’s first restaurant in 1990, engaging in what he called “hamburger...
John Nichols, Author of ‘The Milagro Beanfield War,’ Dies at 83
After decamping from New York to New Mexico, he wrote what was, for a time, among the most widely read novels about Latinos.
Joe Sharkey, Travel Writer Who Survived Midair Collision, Dies at 77
He offered advice to business travelers in hundreds of columns in The Times. His eyewitness account of a disaster was front-page news.
Mortimer Downey, Force for Mass Transit in U.S. and N.Y., Dies at 87
He devised innovative financing to revive New York City’s subway. In Washington, as a U.S. Transportation Department leader, he bolstered Amtrak and secured federal funds...
David Mitchell, Weekly Editor Who Exposed a Corrupt Cult, Dies at 79
His tiny California newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize for its exposé of Synanon, a renowned drug rehabilitation program that had turned into a violent operation.
Vincent Asaro, Mobster Acquitted in Lufthansa Heist, Dies at 86
In a stunning verdict, he was found not guilty of participating in the storied 1978 theft, retold in the film “Goodfellas.” Then he went to...
Larry Chance, Who Helped Keep Doo-Wop Alive for Decades, Dies at 82
His career began in 1957, when he and some friends from the Bronx formed the vocal group that would become the Earls. He recorded his...
Documentary on New York City’s 1970s Fiscal Crisis Wins Film Prize
A documentary about the city’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s, co-directed by the son of one of its saviors, wins the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken...