The DeFeo Murders and the Amityville Horror, Part 3 - He Moved Them In, Then Sued Them
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & CommentarySummary
Christopher Quarantino reflects on his childhood experiences in the infamous Amityville house, where his family lived shortly after the notorious DeFeo murders. He describes his stepfather, George Lutz, as a showman who capitalized on the house's dark history, claiming it was haunted. Christopher recounts unsettling incidents from their time there, including visions of a shadowy figure and strange occurrences that he believes were exaggerated by George for profit.
The Lutz family's story gained notoriety with the publication of a book in 1977 and a subsequent film, both of which portrayed their experiences as a true horror story. However, Christopher and his brother Daniel later expressed skepticism about the authenticity of their parents' claims, suggesting that much of the narrative was fabricated or embellished. They recount how their lives were affected by the media frenzy surrounding the Amityville Horror, with classmates teasing them and their family dynamics strained by the ongoing publicity.
As adults, both brothers have distanced themselves from the legacy of the Amityville house, with Christopher stating that George's interest in the occult may have contributed to the family's troubles. Despite the family's attempts to profit from their story, Christopher ultimately views the narrative as a fabrication, asserting that the real horror lay in the exploitation of their childhood trauma.
Show Notes
Christopher Quaratino was seven years old when his stepfather moved him into a house where four children had been shot in their beds thirteen months earlier. Thirty years later, he called George Lutz "a perpetrator and an instigator." George did not return the reporter's calls. The book came out in 1977 with three words on the cover: A True Story. It sold millions. The movie earned eighty million dollars. Their own lawyer said later they had created the story over bottles of wine, and a federal judge in Brooklyn agreed. George trademarked the name Amityville Horror and sued Christopher in a Nevada court in 2003 over it. The stepson he had moved into a murder house, the boy whose childhood went into a book and a movie he profited from, was now the defendant in his trademark case. Christopher and his brother Daniel both said George hit them and dabbled in the occult. Their sister Missy was five. She has never spoken about it. Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1 Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #Amityville #GeorgeLutz #HiddenKillers #AmityvilleHorror #DeFeoMurders #KathyLutz #112OceanAvenue #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeDocumentary #Haunting
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