In 1946, he returned to the United States, and soon afterward began working as an "office boy" at the New York Times.
Within a year, he had begun taking photos for the Times, and in 1955, he was promoted to staff photographer at the paper.
Boenzi died on April 3, 2023, at a care facility in the Newhall neighborhood of Santa Clarita, California, at the age of 97.
[2] A 2015 article in Juxtapoz described Boenzi as "an inventive, charismatic and empathetic figure in photography" and stated that his "photographs of the once New York mayor, Edward I. Koch, are among the best ever taken.
In 2010, Koch reflected that "The picture delights me because it does the following: reminds me of my youth; because of lighting, it has a star at the top of the baton; it captures the mood and environment of a small town, whilst taken in the international capital of the world.