Selwyn Raab died at 90 – American television journalist
Biography and cause of death of Selwyn Raab
American writer, novelist, and New York Times investigative reporter Selwyn Raab (June 26, 1934–March 4, 2025) was born in New York City. His works cover a wide range of topics related to criminal justice and the American Mafia.
Selwyn Raab Origins of formal schooling
Raab was born on June 26, 1934, in New York City. He spent his childhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. His Polish mother stayed at home to raise him, while his Austrian father drove buses. He got his bachelor’s degree in English literature in 1956 from City College of New York after attending Seward Park High School. He held the positions of campus reporter for The Times while at City College and editor of the student newspaper, Observation Post.
Selwyn Raab began his career in journalism working as a reporter for two Connecticut newspapers: the Bridgeport Sunday Herald and the Newark Star-Ledger.
Selwyn Raab Newsday and Sun (1960–1966) in New York
Joining the New York World-Telegram and Sun in 1960, he remained there until 1966. He had the job of an education reporter when he started. He covered racial integration conflicts, unionization efforts among educators, and falling standardized test scores in reading and math until he uncovered a massive scandal involving contractors with ties to the mob, which jeopardized the safety of thousands of students due to shoddy renovations and construction. He learned of Dr. Chester M. Southam’s practice of injecting ailing patients with cancer cells in 1964. Southam claimed the cells were normal human cells, but he was really diagnosing cancer. In the end, Southam faced charges of unprofessional behavior, fraud, and dishonesty, and he was found guilty.
He went on to play a key role in clearing George Whitmore Jr. of the 1963 Career Girl murders—the infamous killings of Janice Wylie and Emily Hoffert—during his time as an investigative writer for the New York World-Telegram. He also unearthed information that contributed to the rejection of a third murder charge against Whitmore.
Selwyn Raab NBC News (1966–1971)
Raab’s 1967 book on the Whitmore case, Justice in the Back Room, was released when he was a producer and news editor for WNBC television news (1966–1971). In 1968, it was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime Book by the Mystery Writers of America. After purchasing the rights to air the show on television, Universal Studios cast Telly Savalas as the fictitious investigator Theo Kojak, based on Raab’s real life. It was a five-year run for the show. The Marcus-Nelson Murders, a 1973 CBS television movie that garnered two Emmy Awards, served as the inspiration for the spin-off series.
Selwyn Raab This is the 51st State—WNET-13 (1971–1974)
Selwyn Raab resumed his work on the Whitmore case after becoming a reporter-producer at WNET-13, a public broadcasting television station, in 1971 on the news show The 51st State. He cleared Whitmore’s name by proving he was somewhere else on the day of the murders. Finding the witness whose evidence cleared Whitmore of an unrelated attempted rape charge in 1973 took seven more years. After spending nine years for an attempted rape conviction based on a “wrong man” theory, Whitmore was freed from jail. For his coverage of the case, Raab was honored with the New York Press Club Award for Outstanding Television Journalism. His achievement in news feature reporting for a regularly scheduled news program was nominated for an Emmy for the December 18, 1973 (WNET) segment Shooting Gallery. Prior to his 1974 departure for The New York Times, he served as Executive Producer of The 51st State.
Selwyn Raab From 1974 to 2000, The New York Times was published
Specifically focusing on topics involving the American Mafia, Raab covered criminal justice and political corruption for The New York Times after becoming a metropolitan staff writer in 1974. During this time, he revealed prosecution and police wrongdoing as well as fabricated evidence related to the triple murder convictions of boxer John Artis and his co-defendant, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. As a result, all charges against them were eventually dropped. Both men served lengthy prison sentences before being acquitted.
Selwyn Raab From 2000 until 2025, five families
In 2000, Raab departed from the Times. His 2005 book, Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires, was a New York Times Bestseller. Television documentaries, especially those airing on the History and Biography networks, often sought his advice on matters of organized crime.
Inside the American Mob was a six-part series in which he served as a consultant, conducting interviews with prominent members of the Cosa Nostra and other law enforcement officials who were directly involved in the fight against the Mafia. These individuals included current and former FBI agents, US attorneys, and detectives.
The Making of the Mob: New York, a 10-episode TV series that debuted on AMC on June 15, 2015, which was based in part on Five Families, has him as a consultant on the scripts. In 2018, the Audioboom podcast Mafia featured him as well. American Godfather: The Five Families, a short series that aired on the History Channel in August 2024, featured Selwyn.
Fatal complication Raab passed away in Manhattan on March 4, 2025.
Selwyn Raab Recognition and praise
The Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award for Outstanding Achievement in Broadcast Journalism (1971, 1972)
Presented by the New York Press Club in 1973 for Exceptional Achievement in Television Journalism
Award from the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Committee (1973)
Best Feature Story Award from the New York Press Club (1984)
In 1974, the American Newspaper Guild presented the Heywood Broun Memorial Award.
Winner of the 1975 Page One Award presented by the New York Newspaper Guild
Honorary Award from the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (1985)
City College of New York’s Townsend Harris Medal for “Notable Achievement” (2009)
R.I.P. Selwyn Raab, Tenacious Reporter Who Covered the Mob, Dies at 90At The Times and elsewhere, he wrote about wrongful convictions, fake methadone clinics and the five powerful Mafia families in New York.www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/b…