Overwhelmed neighbors complained. His mother kissed him and told him he'd done a wonderful thing. But he must be careful in life not to take things too far, advice he has not heeded since. By high school, Andrew Vachss knew a great deal about cruelty. Grownups hurt kids.
Kids hurt animals.
Men hurt women. He'd seen too much already. And he no longer cared about being a scientist. At 22, he discovered The Beast. After graduating from Western Reserve University in Cleveland, where he'd shot pool, chased girls and occasionally gone to class, he got a job with the U.S. Public Health Service.