Alphonse Lamy, a 58-year-old, originally from West Hoboken, was employed in the metal strip business. He met the underage son of a co-worker and carried on a 5-year-affair with the youth. Most of their meetings occurred at Lamy's Astoria apartment. The youth's name was Philip Peterson. On the evening of December 5, 1932 Lamy was killed after being beaten with a "loaded billy" or blackjack. A sensational trial followed, one that pitted the Peterson family against state prosecutors. The actual details of the liaison between Lamy and Peterson are sketchy. This was a time in which gay sex was barely mentioned, much less the details of what Peterson described to jurors.