If you drive through the quiet, rural town of Stormville, New York, you might miss it at first. Then you see the concrete. Lots of it. Green Haven Correctional Facility is a massive, maximum-security fortress that has spent decades housing some of the most notorious names in American criminal history.
It’s a heavy place. Honestly, the atmosphere inside is described by those who’ve been there as "gritty" and "suffocating." While prisons like Sing Sing get all the Hollywood movies, Green Haven has quietly held the men who defined true crime for generations. We’re talking about mob bosses, serial killers, and the man who killed a global icon.
The Most Notorious Name: Mark David Chapman
You can’t talk about Green Haven Correctional Facility famous inmates without starting with the man who killed John Lennon. Mark David Chapman is probably the most "famous" resident there right now. For decades, he was tucked away at Wende and Attica, but in 2022, he was moved to Green Haven.
He’s been denied parole 14 times. Think about that. Every two years, he goes before a board, expresses regret, and they tell him "no." The reason is almost always the same: his release would be "incompatible with the welfare of society." Basically, the world hasn't forgotten December 8, 1980.
The "Amityville Horror" Connection
Then there’s Ronald DeFeo Jr. If you grew up watching scary movies, you know the house with the eye-like windows. Before the "hauntings" started, there was a very real, very bloody crime. DeFeo murdered his entire family in their sleep in 1974.
He spent a huge chunk of his life at Green Haven.
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People often forget that the "supernatural" story started with a mass murder. DeFeo changed his story a million times over the years. Was it voices? Was it his sister? He died in 2021, but for decades, he was a fixture of the Green Haven population, a grim reminder of one of Long Island's darkest nights.
The Night Everything Changed: Lemuel Smith and Donna Payant
This is the story that still haunts the staff at the facility. In 1981, a corrections officer named Donna Payant went missing during her shift. It was a nightmare. She was the first female officer in New York to be killed on the job.
The man responsible? Lemuel Smith.
He was already serving time for multiple murders. He somehow managed to lure her into an office and kill her. It changed everything about how New York prisons operate. The security protocols you see today? Many of them were written in blood after what happened to Donna Payant at Green Haven. Smith is one of those inmates whose name is spoken in whispers because of the sheer brutality of his crimes within the walls.
Mobsters and Kingpins: The New York Underground
Green Haven has always been a "who’s who" of the New York underworld. It’s got that "Baby Brooklyn" vibe in certain blocks.
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- "Lucky" Luciano: The man who basically invented the modern Mafia spent a brief stint here in 1936. It’s wild to think the foundations of the American mob were partially housed in Stormville.
- Nicky Barnes: The "Untouchable" drug lord of Harlem. Before he became a government witness and started a new life, he was a king at Green Haven.
- Joey Gallo: "Crazy Joe" Gallo. A legend in the Profaci (later Colombo) family. He was a rebel, a guy who didn't follow the rules, even in prison.
- John Gotti: Before he was the "Teflon Don" at the top of the Gambino family, Gotti spent time at Green Haven in the 60s and 70s. It was like a training ground for the future bosses.
Serial Killers in the Cellblocks
It’s not just the mob. The facility has held some truly terrifying individuals. Arthur Shawcross, the Genesee River Killer, was here for a while. So was Calvin Jackson, who murdered nine women in Manhattan.
And let’s not forget Andre Rand. If you’ve seen the documentary Cropsey, you know his face. He’s the man linked to the disappearances of children on Staten Island. Seeing these names on a roster together is honestly chilling.
Why Green Haven is Different
Most people think maximum security is all about the "tough guys." But Green Haven is unique because it’s also a transit hub. After Downstate closed in 2022, this place became the "holding pen" for hundreds of people moving through the system.
It’s crowded. It’s old. It's got a history of corruption that’s been documented in massive state reports. In the 80s, an investigation found that inmates basically ran the place. There were "favors" being traded for cash and gifts. It was a "free-for-all."
They’ve cleaned it up since then, but that reputation for being a "hard" house remains.
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What You Should Know Now
If you're looking into the history of these inmates, it’s a rabbit hole of New York’s most violent eras. From the "Preppy Killer" Robert Chambers to the bank robber Willie Sutton (who famously escaped from here in the 40s), the walls of Green Haven have seen more drama than a decade of cable news.
Practical Takeaways:
- Research the Era: Most of the "famous" inmates come from the 70s and 80s, a period of peak crime in NYC.
- Verify the Location: Many high-profile inmates are moved frequently (like Chapman's move in 2022). Always check current DOCCS records if you're looking for someone specific.
- Understand the Security: Green Haven is a Level 1 Max. That means the rules are different, the visits are stricter, and the stakes are higher.
The legacy of these inmates isn't just about their crimes; it's about how their presence changed the prison system itself. Every time a high-profile killer or mob boss enters those gates, the security landscape of New York shifts just a little bit more.
Actionable Next Steps:
To get a deeper look at the lives of those inside, you should check out the New York State Department of Corrections (DOCCS) Inmate Lookup. It's a public tool where you can search by name to see the current status and location of any incarcerated individual in the state. If you are specifically interested in the 1981 investigation that changed the facility, searching for the "1981 Commission of Investigation Report on Green Haven" will give you a raw, uncensored look at the corruption that once defined this prison.