Victor Riesel

Victor Riesel
Riesel in 1956, before and after the acid attack which left him blind
Born(1913-03-26)March 26, 1913[1]
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 4, 1995(1995-01-04) (aged 81)[2]
New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)Journalist, syndicated columnist

Victor Riesel (/rɪˈzɛl/;[2][3] March 26, 1913 – January 4, 1995) was an American newspaper journalist and columnist who specialized in news related to labor unions. At the height of his career, his column on labor union issues was syndicated to 356 newspapers in the United States.[4] In an incident which made national headlines for almost a year,[5] a gangster threw sulfuric acid in his face on a public street in New York City on April 5, 1956, causing his permanent blindness.[6][7]

  1. ^ Town Meeting: Bulletin of America's Town Meeting of the Air, 1952, p. 34.
  2. ^ a b Gelder, Van (January 5, 1995). "Victor Riesel, 81, Columnist Blinded by Acid Attack, Dies". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  3. ^ "Tears of Jobless Inspired Riesel". New York Times. April 6, 1956. p. XX. Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  4. ^ Riley, Biographical Dictionary of American Newspaper Columnists, 1995, p. 265.
  5. ^ Gross, Broken Promise: The Subversion of U.S. Labor Relations Policy, 1947–1994, 1995, p. 138.
  6. ^ Raskin, A.H. (April 6, 1956). "Thug Hurls Acid on Labor Writer". New York Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  7. ^ "Riesel Loses Sight From Burns of Acid". New York Times. May 5, 1956. p. 1. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2020.