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Frederick Laussen, 91; N.Y. Police Detective Investigated Key Cases

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Frederick M. Laussen, 91, a police detective in New York City who investigated some of the city’s famous cases in the 1960s and 70s, died Oct 4 at his home in Nanuet, N.Y.

A native New Yorker who was the son of a policeman, Laussen attended St. John’s University before joining the police force in 1935. He rose quickly in the department, holding a number of key jobs. From 1964 until 1971, he was chief of detectives, commanding 3,400 investigators.

For the record:

12:00 a.m. Oct. 11, 2001 FOR THE RECORD
Los Angeles Times Thursday October 11, 2001 Home Edition Part A Part A Page 2 A2 Desk 2 inches; 46 words Type of Material: Correction
Laussen obituary--In an obituary Monday on New York City Police Det. Frederick M. Laussen, it was incorrectly reported that he investigated the shooting death of mobster Frank Costello. In fact, Laussen investigated the shooting of Costello but the crime figure recovered from his wounds and died years later of natural causes.

He investigated the shooting deaths of mobsters Frank Costello and Albert Anastasia, the assassination of Malcolm X, and the case of Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death as 38 people who could have called for help did not.

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