Barbara Kogan is the New York woman who orchestrated the 1990 contract killing of her estranged husband, George Kogan, a wealthy Manhattan antiques dealer and real estate investor, in a scheme to collect $4.3 million in life insurance. She pleaded guilty in 2010 to manslaughter, conspiracy to commit murder, and grand larceny, received a sentence of 12 to 36 years, and was released on parole in November 2020 after 12 years in prison.1New York Post. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Free After 12 Years for Husband’s Murder
A Marriage, a Mistress, and a Bitter Divorce
George and Barbara Kogan spent roughly 25 years together, raising two sons in Puerto Rico and building wealth through real estate and a stake in the Ramada San Juan Hotel and Casino. After selling that casino interest in 1986, they moved to Manhattan, bought a Fifth Avenue apartment, and opened a high-end antiques shop, Kogan & Company, on East 76th Street.2New York Post. Rich Widow’s Slay Broker
In 1988 the couple hired Mary-Louise Hawkins, a 28-year-old publicist, to promote the shop. By early 1989, George had left Barbara and moved into Hawkins’ one-bedroom apartment on East 69th Street. The divorce that followed was bitter: George froze Barbara out of their bank accounts and removed her from his will.2New York Post. Rich Widow’s Slay Broker
The Sidewalk Shooting on East 69th Street
On October 23, 1990, George Kogan, 49, was shot three times with .44-caliber hollow-point bullets as he carried groceries toward Hawkins’ building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Gravely wounded, he asked the doorman to “go get Mary-Louise.” Hawkins found him bleeding on the sidewalk. He died at New York Hospital.3New York Post. Manhattan’s Infamous Black Widow Makes Parole The killing bore the signs of a professional hit, and the gunman was never arrested.4The New York Times. Wife Admits 1990 Contract Killing George had planned to finalize the terms of his divorce settlement that same day, with his son William expected to mediate.5Oxygen. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Who Arranged Husband George’s Murder Wins Parole
Prosecutors identified Paul “Tony Pro” Prosano as the suspected triggerman but never charged him in the Kogan killing. He was already serving 25 to 50 years for a separate kidnapping conviction.2New York Post. Rich Widow’s Slay Broker
The $4.3 Million Insurance Motive
Prosecutors said Barbara had secretly taken out $4.3 million in life insurance policies on her husband.6NY Daily News. Barbara Kogan Admits Role in 1990 Double Indemnity Murder of Husband2New York Post. Rich Widow’s Slay Broker7Times Union. Wife Admits 1990 Contract Killing
In the weeks leading up to the murder, Barbara asked her son Scott for thousands of dollars in cash, warning that “something terrible was going to happen.”8NY Daily News. Son of Murdered Man George Kogan Says Mom Focused on Will, Not Funeral One week before the shooting, she confirmed with the insurance provider that she was the sole beneficiary. After George’s death, prosecutors said, she contacted the insurer “almost immediately” to begin collecting.9DNAinfo New York. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Gets Up to 36 Years in Prison for Husband’s Murder
She collected the $4.3 million payout. At a later parole hearing, Barbara testified that roughly $2.8 million went to George’s estate, leaving her about $1.5 million, and that she had spent every cent before her arrest. She filed for bankruptcy in 1998.10The Independent. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Insurance Money7Times Union. Wife Admits 1990 Contract Killing
Why It Took 18 Years to Charge Her
After the murder, Barbara left New York and spent about two decades living in Puerto Rico.1New York Post. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Free After 12 Years for Husband’s Murder4The New York Times. Wife Admits 1990 Contract Killing11ABA Journal. NY Lawyer Gets 25 Years to Life in Murder of Client’s Husband
At Martinez’s 2008 trial in Manhattan Supreme Court, witnesses testified that he had admitted to hiring a hitman at Barbara Kogan’s request. He was convicted of second-degree murder in April 2008 and sentenced on May 9, 2008, to 25 years to life.12NY Daily News. Lawyer in Murder-for-Hire Scheme Gets 25 to Life That conviction gave the Manhattan District Attorney’s office the evidence to go after Barbara directly. She was arrested later in 2008.13New York Times. Woman Sentenced for Having Husband Killed
The Guilty Plea and 12-to-36-Year Sentence
On April 29, 2010, Barbara Kogan pleaded guilty in Manhattan Supreme Court to felony manslaughter, conspiracy to commit murder, and grand larceny. She reportedly accepted the deal because she did not want to face her children in court.6NY Daily News. Barbara Kogan Admits Role in 1990 Double Indemnity Murder of Husband On June 4, 2010, Justice Roger S. Hayes imposed the agreed-upon sentence of 12 to 36 years in prison.14New York Times. Woman Sentenced for Having Husband Killed
At the sentencing, her son Scott Kogan, then 43, told the court he had suppressed suspicions about his mother for nearly 20 years, saying, “It seemed like nothing was ever enough for her,” and that he was “ready to forgive.” Barbara did not look at him while he spoke. Offered a chance to address the court, she whispered “No.”9DNAinfo New York. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Gets Up to 36 Years in Prison for Husband’s Murder She was sent to the Taconic Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, New York. Press accounts dubbed her the “Black Widow,” a nickname attributed to the dark clothing she wore during court proceedings.1New York Post. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Free After 12 Years for Husband’s Murder
Parole and Release in 2020
On July 7, 2020, Kogan appeared before the New York State Board of Parole by videoconference from Taconic. A board member noted her participation in treatment programs and volunteer counseling work in prison.15NBC New York. NY Woman Known as Black Widow Convicted in Estranged Husband’s Killing to Be Paroled During the hearing she said she had been “astounded” by her husband’s murder and denied any designs on his life insurance, statements that contradicted her 2010 guilty plea.16Daily Mail. Black Widow Released from Prison After Ordering Hitman to Kill Millionaire Husband The board set a release date of November 21, 2020.5Oxygen. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Who Arranged Husband George’s Murder Wins Parole
Kogan walked out of Taconic in November 2020 at age 77, after serving 12 years. She was placed under the supervision of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s New York County parole division and reported to her parole officer within 24 hours of release. She said she hoped to work as an anti-violence counselor and to enroll at Lehman College in the Bronx.1New York Post. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Free After 12 Years for Husband’s Murder10The Independent. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Insurance Money
Hawkins, who had testified before three grand juries over the years and helped secure Martinez’s conviction, submitted a victim impact letter opposing the parole. “You have no idea what real panic and despair is until you see someone you love lying face down in a pool — no, a torrent of blood,” she wrote. After the board’s decision, she said she was “disgusted” and feared Barbara would try to manipulate her sons.5Oxygen. Black Widow Barbara Kogan Who Arranged Husband George’s Murder Wins Parole