Empire State Building Suicide Shocks Neighborhood

Yesterday afternoon, people on West 33rd Street got a shock when a severed leg fell on the sidewalk. The leg was from a man who had committed suicide by jumping out of a window on the Empire State Building 's 69th floor. The man hit a landing off the 30th floor, and his leg was severed, landing on West 33rd. A tourist from Virginia, Theresa Colon, said, "I cried and got sick to my stomach. I pray he knew who God was."

One man who works in the Empire State Building but was outside smoking told the Post, "Something flew right next to me, and I heard a large bang, like an M80 exploding." The leg landed outside the Cafe Europa, where people initially thought it was a Friday the 13th joke. A man from Staten Island "saw the leg hit the ground" and said one of the women in his tour bus "took a picture."

The Daily News reports the man was Moishe Kanovsky, who did "odds-and-ends work" for one of two law firms that shared a suite. One worker told the News, "He was interviewing a client. He just got up, opened the window and jumped," (a police source says that Kanovsky moved from the room with a client to another one and jumped). According to the Post, an employee at the other law firm said, "Everyone was passing out once they looked at it."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on April 14, 2007 10:05 AM

Comments [rss]

Bart

That pic is cut off. Here is the full pic. Oh, not for the weak stomached...

www.basicfunction.com/html/bbl...

Ashoka

I was outside having a cigarette when it happened. THUMP. Very nasty sound. It still had a sock on...

Jacob Hirsch Esq.

I knew Moshe

he was a kind hearted soul. He was smart and could be very intellectual but had a great fun side to him as well. He and i took my seven year old nephew this past summer to zume flum in NY and camelbeach water park in PA and we had a blast. I still remeber the crazy and wild laughter as we were going on those rides. A great guy and ill rember him for all the fun and good times.

D

He was kind Hearted, extremely so. I have known him his entire life. As for falling on his sword in such a messy way, perhaps we should all do some introspection and think of anyone we know who is afflicted with some sort of mental illness and try to reach out to them. How many future lives can be saved and how many families can we save from such grief.

D

Sentimentalist Stalker

I think that guy at VA Tech has shown unconscionable disrespect, to go on this shooting spree in the middle of Moshe Kanovsky's funeral. Would someone who knew the latter inform us of some personal details? For I'm not sure that a "kind-hearted" man chooses such a messy way of falling on his sword.

plot_thickens

He probably did it because everyone was constantly nagging him to be a nice guy. MYOB. I hope he's at peace.

Chani P.

We know a Moshe Kanovsky who recently moved to Passaic from the Lower East Side. Please tell me this is not the same person.

Sruly Perlow

I didnt mean the world rade center i meant the empire state bulidings and i got a Question did any of you know him because i did.

Sruly Perlow

You people are totally missing the point, the point is not about the world trade center its about the man that killed himself. He did it because he didnt feel love look at yourself people are you nice to everyone!

Chavie Herz

Moshe Kanovsky was a very soft spoken,kind hearted smart man. This is very awful news.

Bickle

Real New Yorkers don't live in Seattle.

beefcake

angry,

the lib. elitist, was simpy commenting on one small portion of the article. His comment has nothing to do with understanding the "point" of it. I think you misunderstood the point of his or her comment, which was much shorter. So who's the nincompoop???

russ

I've worked on 33rd street right across from where the leg hit for the past few years.

Just one week ago I started a better job in another part of the city.

I'm never around for the hijinx.

newyorker in seattle

NYC has really changed. Real new yorkers aren't shocked by suicide jumpers, or at least in the past they weren't. Usually, we're cheering them on to do it.

jmchez

The Empire state Building was built before central or even window air conditioning units were available. It is also landmarked, which means that you can not replace the old style windows.

I once went to a meeting held on the 77 floor. People were smoking and had the windows open. I leaned out, and it was the most incredible feeling. It was incredible because without the waist high wall and fence of the 89th floor observatory, you could look straight down with half of your body over the abyss. Not even the floor to ceiling glass wall at the WTC observatory on the 107th floor was comparable.