As a tribute to the nation’s bicentennial, Independence Day celebrations in July of 1976 were more ambitious than ever. There were multi‐day celebrations across all of New York City’s five boroughs. This painted mural was created for the July 4th 1976 celebration on Buhre Avenue, in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx. However, before July was finished, the apartment building across the street from this mural would provide the grim backdrop for the opening scene of a 12-month-long nightmare that would terrorize an entire city. On July 29, 1976 18-year old Donna Lauria was shot and killed at approximately 1:00 AM as she sat in a car talking with her friend Jodi Valenti in front of her apartment building at 2860 Buhre Avenue. The “Son of Sam” murders had begun.