Kalman Silverman was born on Dec. 22, 1915 to Max & Annie Silverman of New Bedford, Massachusetts. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia who spoke Yiddish at home, and his father worked as a baker. He had six siblings, and he was the Silverman's fourth child...Abraham, Minnie, Samuel, Joseph, Harry, and Sarah.
In April 1930, at the age of 14, Kelman was recorded as living away from his family at the Letchworth Village New York State Institution for Mental Defectives. And in that same month and year, his family has told the census taker that he is living with them in Brooklyn, New York.
In 1940, at the age of 25, Kelman was still recorded as living at Letchworth.
Opened in 1911, Letchworth Village at its peak consisted of over 130 buildings spread out over many acres of land to care for mentally handicapped individuals. Until the 1960s, the able-bodied labored on communal farms, raising enough food and livestock to feed the entire population.
Reports of inadequate funding and improper care of the residents, including children, were present dating back to the 1920s. Accounts surfaced of residents being found unclothed, unbathed, and neglected. The patients at Letchworth appeared to be well-groomed, crisp and clean. In the 1940s, Irving Haberman did a set of photographs which revealed the true nature of what was going on. Until this point, the conditions of the facility weren't apparent to the public. Haberman's photos exposed the terrible conditions of the facilities as well as the dirty, not well-kept patients. Naked residents huddled in sterile day rooms. The photos showed the patients to be highly neglected. The facility was closed in 1996.
Kelman died on November 30, 1988 at Kings County Hospital at age 73, and was buried on Hart Island on September 12, 1990.