You’ve probably seen the headlines before. Maybe you caught that 2007 documentary Crazy Love on a late-night streaming binge. It sounds like something a screenwriter dreamed up after a fever dream: a man hires thugs to blind a woman with lye, goes to prison for 14 years, comes out, and then—in the most head-scratching twist in New York tabloid history—she marries him.
Burt Pugach and Linda Riss weren't just a news cycle; they were a decades-long psychological puzzle. Honestly, calling it a "love story" feels like a stretch to most people, yet they stayed together for nearly 40 years. It’s the kind of saga that makes you question everything you know about forgiveness, obsession, and the strange ways people cope with trauma.
The Night Everything Changed in the Bronx
It was June 15, 1959. Linda Riss was a 22-year-old beauty with everything going for her. She was engaged to a guy named Larry Schwartz and was ready to leave her toxic past with Burt Pugach behind.
Burt wasn't having it.
He was a successful, flashy negligence lawyer who had been obsessed with Linda since he first saw her on a park bench. The problem? He was already married with a child. When Linda found out and tried to end things, Burt’s "devotion" turned into something much darker. He told her, "If I can't have you, no one else will have you, and when I get through with you no one else will want you."
That morning, a man knocking at Linda’s door claimed to have a gift. When she opened it, he threw a jar of lye directly into her face.
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The damage was catastrophic. Linda was left permanently scarred and effectively blind. Burt, the man who claimed to love her more than life itself, was the one who had orchestrated the hit. He was eventually caught and sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison, ending up serving 14.
The Proposal That Shocked the World
Most stories would end at the prison gates. Not this one.
While Burt was in Attica, he didn't stop. He wrote Linda letters. Hundreds of them. He was obsessed, and frankly, most people would have burned those letters without opening them. But Linda kept them.
When Burt was released in 1974, he didn't hide. He went on television. During a live interview, he actually proposed to Linda Riss. And she said yes.
Why? That’s the question that has kept psychologists and true crime junkies up at night for years. Linda often described herself as "damaged merchandise." She felt that no one else would want her because of her blindness and the scars. In a weird, tragic way, Burt was the only person who "knew" her before and after. He was the cause of her pain, but he was also the only one offering her a life that didn't involve being alone in a small apartment.
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A Marriage Built on... What, Exactly?
Their life together in Forest Hills, Queens, was surprisingly "normal" on the surface. They went to parties. They co-authored a book called A Very Different Love Story. But the shadow of 1959 never really left.
- The Dynamics: People who knew them said they bickered constantly.
- The Public Face: Linda would defend him fiercely in public, even when he got into trouble again.
- The Power Shift: In their later years, Linda seemed to hold a certain power over him, knowing he was desperate for her approval.
In 1997, the "crazy" came back. Burt was accused of threatening another woman he was having an affair with—telling her he would "do a Linda Riss" on her. You’d think Linda would leave then, right? Nope. She stood by him in court, calling him a "naughty boy" but not a criminal. She basically told the world he was an adulterer, sure, but not a monster.
The Final Chapters and the $15 Million Twist
Linda Riss Pugach died in 2013 at the age of 75 from heart failure. Burt was reportedly devastated, sobbing to reporters that their life was a "fairy tale." He lived on until December 24, 2020, passing away at 93.
But the drama didn't die with them.
After Linda passed, Burt’s final years became a mess of legal battles. He reportedly became involved with a woman named Sheila Frawley. After his death, it came out that he had changed his will to leave his entire $15 million estate to her, cutting out the charitable foundation he and Linda had supposedly set up for the visually impaired. Friends of Burt sued, claiming he was coerced while he was frail and vulnerable. It’s a bitter irony: the man who spent his life manipulating others may have ended his life being manipulated himself.
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What We Can Learn From the Pugach Saga
Honestly, the story of Burt Pugach and Linda Riss isn't a roadmap for anyone's relationship. It's a cautionary tale about the intersection of domestic abuse and psychological trauma.
- Trauma Bonding is Real: Linda’s decision to marry Burt is often cited as a textbook case of how victims can become tethered to their abusers.
- The Failure of Protection: Linda actually went to the police before the lye attack, but they told her they couldn't do anything until he actually hurt her. This led to a landmark (though unsuccessful) lawsuit, Riss v. City of New York, which highlighted the gaps in police protection for domestic threats.
- Redemption or Obsession? Burt claimed he spent his life making it up to her. Whether that’s true or just a long-term extension of his need for control is up for debate.
If you’re looking for a takeaway, it’s probably this: forgiveness is powerful, but it shouldn't be a prison. Linda and Burt’s "crazy love" was a complicated, messy, and often dark survival strategy that defined two lives and left a permanent mark on New York history.
To really understand the nuance of their case, you should check out the court documents from the 1997 trial or watch the Dan Klores documentary. It provides a raw look at the couple that prose sometimes can't capture. Just don't expect to find a "happy" ending—there are no heroes here, just two people who couldn't let go.
Actionable Insight: If you or someone you know is dealing with obsessive behavior or threats from a partner, don't wait for "proof" like the system required in 1959. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788. Modern laws are much stronger than they were for Linda Riss, but early intervention is still the most critical step.