Sam Melville

Sam Melville, born Samuel Joseph Grossman in 1934, was a key figure in the 1969 bombings of government and commercial office buildings in New York City. Motivated by his opposition to the Vietnam War and U.S. imperialism, Melville pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bombing charges. He also participated in the 1971 Attica Prison riots, where he was shot and killed by the police during the forceful suppression of the uprising. Melville, who borrowed his name from author Herman Melville, was born in New York City and later moved to Tonawanda, New York. He experienced a challenging childhood, including the loss of sight in one eye due to an injury.