Gerald Shur was a lawyer who founded the groundbreaking Federal Witness Protection Program.
- Died: August 25, 2020 (Who else died on August 25?)
- Details of death: Died at his home of complications of lung cancer at the age of 86.
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Prosecuting criminals and keeping witnesses safe
Shur joined the U.S. Justice Department in 1961 as part of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s (1925–1968) new initiative against organized crime. Then a young lawyer, Shur began by coordinating investigations against organized crime in New York City. By the mid-1960s, he had developed the Witness Protection Program, providing new identities and new lives for witnesses who offer information to help prosecute organized crime or other severe offenses, as well as the witnesses’ dependents. This allowed witnesses the safety to confidently testify without fear of deadly retaliation, a development that was a game-changer in the fight against organized crime syndicates including the notorious Gambino family. As he created and oversaw the program, Shur was closely involved with the witnesses he helped, sometimes finding them new jobs and offering other assistance. By the time he retired in 1995, Shur had relocated more than 6,000 witnesses and 14,000 dependents, and none who followed the rules — staying hidden in their new life — was ever killed.
Notable quote
“We do everything we can to help witnesses, including finding them jobs in their new locations, but we have strict rules. When you assume a new identity, you may never return to your past life. You basically forfeit your chance to attend your mother’s funeral.” —from a 2008 interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer
Full obituary: The Philadelphia Inquirer
