But last week, someone asked me about one particular story. To my knowledge it was never published, and I believe George may have only spoken about it once, during a 2005 interview. It concerns his friend Benny Montana (I am not sure if his last name is correct, but it sounded like George said "Montana").
Here is the story as related by George in the only two places where I know he talked about it - first as part of Ric Osuna's original treatment of his tell-all "the Amityville Horror was true" book; and then directly from George in a 2005 internet radio interview:
After consulting with Father Ray, [the Lutzes] asked a few of their closest friends to enter the house and prepare what they could for the Salvation Army. "They were warned by Father Ray that the only time they could enter the house was during Holy Week and only while it was daylight," recalls George. "They were also to say a special prayer prior to entering the house and stay no longer than one hour." During the time they were there, a special mass was being said by Father Ray.
Doug Capra, knew George Lutz for at least six years prior to moving in to the house in Amityville. Once Capra arrived at the house in Amityville, he went right to work.
At around noon George's other friend, Benny, arrived to help. After already staying longer than they were supposed to, Capra and Benny carried out a cedar chest -- the only thing the Lutzes were allowed by Fr. Ray to reclaim. During the hour Benny was there, his girlfriend stayed in the car refusing to go in the house. However, she eventually wandered into the garage where the two men had been checking on George's speed boat. "I was told she complained about feeling uneasy and returned to the car," says George. "A week later she was arrested for murdering Benny."
The second half of this post came from one of George's appearances on the Magick Mind Radio Show. I just thought I'd post this because it is, after all, one of the lesser-known incidents relating to the haunting, and I don't think we've ever talked about it before...George: No, we didn't get the family pictures. What we did get were some personal records. My grandfather had given me a cedar chest that he had built. This would be Easter Sunday of 1976. A couple of friends went back into the house and got the food and the clothes and gave those to the Salvation Army, and brought out the chest for us with some personal items. But that's the only things we took from the house.
Host: But you actually didn't - you didn't even go back in there and get these things.
George: No, I gave them the key.
Host: They did it for you, in other words.
George: Right, and one of them was - a good friend of mine, Benny Montana who owned Nassau County Harley Davidson - he was murdered a week later. He's the only fella that ate any food that day in the house - he was told not to. Not that you can say that that's why he died - that would be improper. But it is another event that took place back then. He was murdered by his girlfriend.
Host: And this is - how long ago - how long after going in there and doing that did this occur? I mean what are we talking - a period of years?
George: When he died?
Host: Right.
George: No, within two weeks.
Co-host 1: Wow.
Co-host 2: Wow.
Host: Wow. Hang on, let me put the third "wow" in there, because that is "wow."
George: I don't believe that he died because he ate the food, but it is one of...he was easily one of my all-time best friends, and he's still missed, and to forget that he did that for me - went in there that day and got those...took care of the stuff for the salvation army and got our personal things and then died as a result, in some manner or another, two weeks later, is just not something that I forget.
