07-02-2004, 04:12 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/2...9657c.html
My time with the monster
Steinberg told me that 'nobody knew
what a f------ brat that little girl was'
Prisoners called him 'the cockroach'
By TRACY CONNOR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Victor Malavet, at his job in the Bronx yesterday, was in prison with Joel Steinberg (below). He said Steinberg was held in contempt by the other inmates, whom he badgered for meal leftovers.
It was a haunting moment that exposed the coldness in Joel Steinberg's heart.
On a spring day, the infamous child-killer was taking a stroll around the yard at an upstate prison when a fellow inmate approached.
Victor Malavet, who was doing five years for robbery, finally had summoned up the nerve to ask Steinberg how he could have beaten his 6-year-old adopted daughter, Lisa, to death.
"Let me ask you a question," Malavet said. "Between you and me, why did you do it?" Steinberg usually averted his eyes when he spoke to the other prisoners. But this time he stared Malavet right in the face and spoke these words:
"Nobody knew what a f------ brat that little girl was."
For two years, Malavet kept Steinberg's words to himself - but decided to come forward yesterday after seeing the child killer free.
Malavet had done hard time more than once and had violence in his past, but he said he still remembers how stunned and enraged he was by Steinberg's unrepentant response.
"It took a lot for me not to put my hands around him and choke the guy," the Bronx man told the Daily News yesterday.
When he heard Steinberg had been paroled from prison this week, Malavet said he felt the same disbelief and fury all over again.
"He was lucky that day, but now I want everyone to know about him," he said.
Steinberg and Malavet's paths crossed during three months in 2002.
Both were serving time at the Southport Correctional Facility outside Elmira, N.Y., state Correctional Services officials said.
The two saw each other in the gym, the mess hall and the yard, and Malavet wrote about Steinberg in a jailhouse diary.
"Every time I see him, I want to ram my fist into his ugly mug," Malavet wrote in a May 27, 2002, entry. "I want to make him feel pain and humiliation." Other prisoners felt the same way and called Steinberg "the cockroach," but no one wanted to jeopardize his release by acting on the anger, Malavet said.
"Steinberg is a real piece of s---," Malavet wrote. "And he walks around here like he is the cat's meow."
In the gym, Steinberg was known for hogging the dumbbells. At mealtimes, he badgered other cons for leftovers.
"Steinberg will be seating in the mess hall, and if you don't eat your rice, pudding or whatever's on your plate [he] would say, hey buddy, you not eating that and then ask for it," Malavet wrote.
He said most of his exchanges with Steinberg were perfunctory - except for the day in the yard when he finally decided to ask about little Lisa.
"He never looked people in the eye. He's got squirrely eyes. But he looked right at me when he said those words," Malavet said. "Then he just walked away."
"I've thought about why he said it. I think he wanted me to leave him alone, or he wanted me to pass it on, so guys would look at him different. It was like he wanted us to think it was justified," he said.
If so, it didn't work.
Inmates continued to call Steinberg a roach and shun him, except when they needed legal advice, Malavet said.
He spent more time in a captain's office than socializing with the other prisoners, and he had the look of a hunted animal about him.
"He was always looking scared, like someone would hurt him because of what he did," .Malavet said. "If I could have got away with it, I would have hurt him."
Now that Steinberg is back on the city streets, Malavet - who was released from prison last year - wants to make sure no one thinks the man has atoned for his crimes.
"This is my way of telling people he should . . . rot in jail," he said. "Sixteen years is not enough for a life, especially not an angel."
*****************
I don't think he's going to get too far on the streets. Someone's gonna shank his ass out there eventually.
My time with the monster
Steinberg told me that 'nobody knew
what a f------ brat that little girl was'
Prisoners called him 'the cockroach'
By TRACY CONNOR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Victor Malavet, at his job in the Bronx yesterday, was in prison with Joel Steinberg (below). He said Steinberg was held in contempt by the other inmates, whom he badgered for meal leftovers.
It was a haunting moment that exposed the coldness in Joel Steinberg's heart.
On a spring day, the infamous child-killer was taking a stroll around the yard at an upstate prison when a fellow inmate approached.
Victor Malavet, who was doing five years for robbery, finally had summoned up the nerve to ask Steinberg how he could have beaten his 6-year-old adopted daughter, Lisa, to death.
"Let me ask you a question," Malavet said. "Between you and me, why did you do it?" Steinberg usually averted his eyes when he spoke to the other prisoners. But this time he stared Malavet right in the face and spoke these words:
"Nobody knew what a f------ brat that little girl was."
For two years, Malavet kept Steinberg's words to himself - but decided to come forward yesterday after seeing the child killer free.
Malavet had done hard time more than once and had violence in his past, but he said he still remembers how stunned and enraged he was by Steinberg's unrepentant response.
"It took a lot for me not to put my hands around him and choke the guy," the Bronx man told the Daily News yesterday.
When he heard Steinberg had been paroled from prison this week, Malavet said he felt the same disbelief and fury all over again.
"He was lucky that day, but now I want everyone to know about him," he said.
Steinberg and Malavet's paths crossed during three months in 2002.
Both were serving time at the Southport Correctional Facility outside Elmira, N.Y., state Correctional Services officials said.
The two saw each other in the gym, the mess hall and the yard, and Malavet wrote about Steinberg in a jailhouse diary.
"Every time I see him, I want to ram my fist into his ugly mug," Malavet wrote in a May 27, 2002, entry. "I want to make him feel pain and humiliation." Other prisoners felt the same way and called Steinberg "the cockroach," but no one wanted to jeopardize his release by acting on the anger, Malavet said.
"Steinberg is a real piece of s---," Malavet wrote. "And he walks around here like he is the cat's meow."
In the gym, Steinberg was known for hogging the dumbbells. At mealtimes, he badgered other cons for leftovers.
"Steinberg will be seating in the mess hall, and if you don't eat your rice, pudding or whatever's on your plate [he] would say, hey buddy, you not eating that and then ask for it," Malavet wrote.
He said most of his exchanges with Steinberg were perfunctory - except for the day in the yard when he finally decided to ask about little Lisa.
"He never looked people in the eye. He's got squirrely eyes. But he looked right at me when he said those words," Malavet said. "Then he just walked away."
"I've thought about why he said it. I think he wanted me to leave him alone, or he wanted me to pass it on, so guys would look at him different. It was like he wanted us to think it was justified," he said.
If so, it didn't work.
Inmates continued to call Steinberg a roach and shun him, except when they needed legal advice, Malavet said.
He spent more time in a captain's office than socializing with the other prisoners, and he had the look of a hunted animal about him.
"He was always looking scared, like someone would hurt him because of what he did," .Malavet said. "If I could have got away with it, I would have hurt him."
Now that Steinberg is back on the city streets, Malavet - who was released from prison last year - wants to make sure no one thinks the man has atoned for his crimes.
"This is my way of telling people he should . . . rot in jail," he said. "Sixteen years is not enough for a life, especially not an angel."
*****************
I don't think he's going to get too far on the streets. Someone's gonna shank his ass out there eventually.
<!-- Start CGISpy.com Random Image Code -->
<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=BITENY"><br>
<!-- End CGISpy.com Random Image Code -->
<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=BITENY"><br>
<!-- End CGISpy.com Random Image Code -->