Deadly Masquerade by Richard T. Pienciak

A New York True Crime Account of Joseph Pikul, Hamptons High Society, and Marital Murder

In October 1987, following the Black Monday stock market crash, Manhattan Wall Street analyst Joseph Pikul strangled his wife, publisher Diane Pikul, at their summer home in Amagansett, New York. Pikul transported her body to upstate New York in an attempt to conceal the crime while engaged in a bitter custody fight for their two children.

Journalist Richard T. Pienciak investigates the high-society homicide probe, detailing Pikul's history of cross-dressing, domestic abuse, and financial falsification. The book covers the Hamptons police investigation, the bail controversy, and the legal battles that gripped Manhattan high society until Pikul's death prior to serving his sentence.

Why You’ll Love This Book

Richard T. Pienciak delivers a classic 1980s New York true crime narrative blending Wall Street wealth with forensic reporting. Essential reading for fans of Dominick Dunne, Joe McGinniss, and Steven Gaines.