Ellis Kaplan, the eccentric and beloved veteran New York Post shutterbug who made Queen’s Court his unrivaled turf during an illustrious 40-year career, has died.
He was 78 years old.
Kaplan was found dead earlier this week in the same apartment in Queens, Jamaica, where he had lived since 1963, and was said to have cared for his mother before she died at age 101. Colleagues and friends recalled.
He joined the Post in 1981 and quickly became a mainstay in the local borough, knowing just about every judge, prosecutor, court official and lawyer.
“Ellis Kaplan was telegraphing Queens court,” Post reporter Kevin Sheehan recalled.
“When there was a news bureau [at the courthouse], the judge stopped and told Ellis, “You have a great story to tell.” I’ve never seen another press room where the judge comes in and tells the cameraman that he has a great story. ”
Leah Eustacevic, the Post’s news editor, also fondly recalled working with Kaplan when they were reporters.
“I will always remember Ellis’ colorful personality and of course how he would sway to the scenes in a huge Hummer,” said Eustashwicz.
“A quintessential son of Queens, he was on the front lines of the tabloid wars in a bygone era. He has a friendly face for doorknocks, an expert when it comes to the Queen’s Court, and a true believer in photo shoots. As they say on the street, see you next road, Ellis.”
His most recent front-page photo in the New York Post included a shot of a Queens hoarder filling his front yard with garbage in 2019, with the caption underneath the caption: “Filth Avenue”
The 2022 Call for Justice cover featured a photo of Kaplan, the widow of a New York City taxi driver. Her widow broke down in tears as she recalled telling her children that her father had been killed by a group of thugs during a robbery.
In addition to photography, Kaplan also has a passion for being a Queens history buff and collecting World War II rifles and other historic weapons, friends said. He was reportedly shooting at an outdoor shooting range on Long Island.
He also enjoyed telling jokes on assignments and making reporters and other photographers laugh.
Longtime friend and photographer Kevin Downs said Kaplan once said that when she was a toddler her parents submitted a photo of her to Gerber Foods, and she was briefly known as a “Gerber Baby in the 1940s.” He recalled that he once boasted that he had become famous.
Bruce Kotler, president of the New York Press Photographers Association, said Kaplan was a Queens icon and will be greatly missed.
“He knew everything about Queens and what to do,” Kotler said.
“And he had a unique laugh that everyone will remember.”
