‘New York Homicide’ Episode Highlights Murdered UES Club Owner

From surviving the Holocaust to shaping New York’s disco scene, Felix Brinkmann’s life was nothing short of extraordinary, until it was violently cut short in 2009. With Oxygen’s New York Homicide revisiting the case in a recent episode, we reflect on the man, his legacy, and the tragedy that shook the Upper East Side.

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Felix Brinkmann was born in Latvia in 1918, but his family’s move to Germany would soon place them in the path of war and unimaginable hardship. Brinkmann endured the atrocities of the Holocaust, surviving the brutal conditions of Mauthausen, Ebensee, and Auschwitz. His expertise as an electrician became his lifeline, allowing him to convince his captors of his usefulness and narrowly escape execution multiple times.

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After the war, Brinkmann and his wife, whom he met during the Holocaust, settled in New York City. During the 1970s, Brinkmann made his mark on New York’s nightlife by opening Adam’s Apple at 61st and First Avenue, a popular disco-era club that entertained the city for nearly two decades. A man of charm and impeccable taste, Brinkmann would often introduce himself with his signature line: “My name is Felix. Like Felix The Cat.”’

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Despite surviving one of history’s darkest chapters, Brinkmann’s journey came to a tragic and violent end on July 30, 2009, when the 90-year-old was discovered bound, beaten and asphyxiated in his East 65th Street apartment during a wellness check by police.

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The scene indicated a robbery, with noticeable disarray and missing items; but investigations revealed no signs of forced entry, suggesting Brinkmann knew his assailants. The investigation focused on Brinkmann’s social habits, particularly his relationships with younger women, which led authorities to Angela Murray. Murray, along with accomplices Aljulah Cutts and his brother Hasib Cutts, was arrested and charged in connection with the crime.

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In 2012, Aljulah Cutts was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Angela Murray and Hasib Cutts also pleaded guilty to charges related to the crime.

Brinkmann’s life and death takes center stage in the third season of Oxygen’s New York Homicide, with the episode ‘Death After Disco’ dedicated to his story.

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