The FBI inched closer, and finally, on the 16th of June, 1950, Julius Rosenberg answered the knocking the door at 8 a.m. He probably expected this day to come, and was promptly brought away with Greenglass for questioning. The FBI had already arrested Alger Hiss, Klaus Fuchs, Harry Gold and David Greenglass. To them, Julius Rosenberg was just the "next in a row of falling dominos", but the man did not tip over. When he learnt of Greenglass's accusations, Rosenbergs said to the FBI agents, "Bring him here -- I'll call him a liar to his face."

That very evening Julius Rosenberg hired Emanuel Bloch - the attorney who would fight to his very last tooth to save the Rosenbergs. He did, and Bloch did not stop until the night of their execution.

Arrested on July 17th, 1950

When two FBI agents arrived at Rosenberg's house on the 17th of July, 1950 to whisk him away in handcuffs - the latter probably knew all hopes of him being saved were dashed. Ruth and David Greenglass had given more complete statements and confession, which was good enough a basis for them to warrent an arrest of Rosenberg. That very day, a backup team combed his apartment to find incriminating evidence. This was done in front of the young Rosenbergs, who were only 3 and 7 years old. They saw their father being handcuffed and taken away.

Why Ethel Rosenberg?

Any interest the FBI had in Ethel was to threaten her with prosecution as a means of influencing Julius to talk. The case they built up against her was very weak, and most would think she did not play a very influential role in the betrayal. The Greenglasses testified against her, and revealed Ethel was present at the time certain conversations about espionage took place. "Thee is no question..if Julius Roseng would furnish details of his extensive espionage activities, it would be possible to proceed aginst other individuals...proceeding against his wife might serve as a level in this matter," urged J. Edgar Hoover to his bureau employees to build a trialable case against Ethel.

Despite the limited evidence of her guilt, Ethel Rosenberg was arrested on the 11th of August, 1950, just as she walked to catch a subway after testifying before a grand jury. She was imprisoned immediately.

To her young sons, this was alarming. Their father had been arrested just a month before, and Ethel had been denied the chance of returning home to arrange care for her two sons.

Ethel spent several weeks in the Women's House of Detention; within this period of time, Julius refused to copperate with authorities, despite facing the possibility that his wife would be prosecuted. The plan wasn't working, and the Government decided Ethel would be prosecuted as an equal partner in the espionage conspiracy.