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A section of the Upper East Side has been officially co-named in honor of Dorothy Kilgallen, a pioneering journalist and television personality whose fearless reporting and mysterious death have captivated generations.
On Saturday—marking the 60th anniversary of her death—the corner of East 68th Street and Park Avenue, near the townhouse where Kilgallen once lived, was christened “Dorothy Kilgallen Way.” The ceremony was led by Council Member Robert Holden, who sponsored the initiative to commemorate the late reporter’s life and legacy.
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Kilgallen broke barriers in the mid-20th century press, making her mark as a columnist for the New York Evening Journal and New York Journal American, where her “Voice of Broadway” column reached readers nationwide. She also covered high-profile trials including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and the murder trial of Jack Ruby, who shot JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. In an era when few women held positions of influence in media, the New York Post once described her as “the most powerful female voice in America.”Holden said he first learned about Kilgallen through books by author Mark Shaw, who has long advocated for renewed attention to her story. Shaw, along with actor Gianni Russo—best known for his role as Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather—spoke at Saturday’s event. Russo recalled meeting Kilgallen as a young man at Frank Costello’s Copacabana nightclub, describing her as “the smartest woman in the world.”
Kilgallen’s career was cut short in 1965 when she was found dead in her East 68th Street home, just hours after appearing on the television show What’s My Line? The city’s medical examiner ruled her death an accidental overdose, but many—including Holden—believe the case deserves a second look. Much of the reporter’s research into the Kennedy assassination, including notes and interview transcripts, reportedly vanished the day she died.
“Dorothy Kilgallen shattered glass ceilings and pursued the truth fearlessly,” Holden said in a post on X. “We will not forget her courage, her voice, or her legacy.”
The council member added that beyond honoring Kilgallen’s achievements, the co-naming aims to inspire curiosity—and perhaps renewed scrutiny—into the life and death of one of New York’s most enigmatic journalists.
Yesterday we co-named the corner of East 68th Street and Park Avenue in honor of trailblazing journalist Dorothy Kilgallen.
She shattered glass ceilings in an era when men ruled broadcasting and the press, from her fearless columns in the New York Journal American to her sharp… pic.twitter.com/Fe9UltjEPK
— Robert Holden (@BobHoldenNYC) November 9, 2025
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