Q: Is it true that the remaining family members of Adolf Hitler live on Long Island?
-- Jeff Bashuk, Decatur
A: Four great-nephews of Adolf Hitler were born and raised on Long Island, and three of them continue to live there under a different last name. They keep a low profile, although several newspaper articles and at least one book have been written about the family in the past 20 years. Louis and Brian Stuart-Houston are landscapers in East Patchogue, N.Y., and Alexander Stuart-Houston is a retired psychologist. A fourth brother, Howard Ronald Stuart-Houston, died in an auto accident in 1989. Their father, William Patrick Hitler, was the son of Alois Hitler Jr., who was Adolf Hitler's older half-brother, according to a 2006 article in The New York Times. William Patrick was born in Liverpool, England, in 1911 and moved to Germany before coming to America and serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He settled on Long Island, had four sons and owned and ran a blood analysis lab out of the family's home. William Patrick died in 1987 and is buried nearby, according to a 2002 London Telegraph article by David Gardner, who wrote "The Last of the Hitlers." Gardner wrote in the Telegraph: "None of the three sons has married, and there are no children. Alex initially denied that there had been a pact between the brothers to ensure that the Hitler line was not continued. Then he told me: 'Maybe my other two brothers did [make a pact], but I never did.'" The History Channel has produced and televised a documentary called "Hitler's Family," which includes information on William Patrick.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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