John Wojtowicz was born on March 9, 1945 in New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Carmen Bifulco. He died on January 2, 2006 in New York City.
After he and his wife Carmen separated, he began a relationship with Ernest Aron (later Elizabeth Debbie Eden), a prospective male-to-female transsexual. On December 4, 1971 they "married" in a Roman Catholic ceremony. The marriage was not valid as Wojtowicz was still legally married to Carmen, and Aron was biologically male.