Background
William J. Kaunitz was born on January 25 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
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1989
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1994
William J. Kaunitz was born on January 25 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
He graduated from Erasmus Hall High School.
While a policeman, he earned a bachelor's degree from City College after taking courses on and off for 19 years. In 1972, he received a master's degree in history from Hofstra University.
After serving in the United States Marine Corps, and working for an insurance company, he joined the NYPD in his twenties. He first worked as a patrolman, and eventually rose through the ranks to become a Lieutenant, followed by an assignment as a detective squad commander. Caunitz wrote with great authenticity when describing precinct day-to-day life in his novels. The New York Times has compared him to Joseph Wambaugh.
His first novel One Police Plaza came out in 1984. It was made into a television film starring Robert Conrad in 1986. In 1988 the film got a sequel, The Red Spider. His novels usually center around one or two police officers that follow detailed police procedures to solve a crime, and he also used some sensational elements of thrillers. He did not write with an outline, preferring to let the plot evolve unpredictably as he was writing.
His last novel, Chains of Command, was half-completed at the time of his death and finished by Christopher Newman.
Caunitz died in 1996 from pulmonary fibrosis.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia Reddington Caunitz; a sister, Barbara Burke of Delray Beach, Fla.; two daughters, Beth Budofsky of Manhattan, and Katherine Herer of Smithtown, L.I., and four grandchildren.
