The Boys in the Bank. On August 22, 1972, John Wojtowicz (27) and Salvatore Naturale (18), supposedly inspired by The Godfather, held up a Brooklyn branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank and held eight bank employees hostage for 14 hours. The incident inspired a Life magazine article (linked previously; scroll down; alternate link) that inspired the 1973 movie Dog Day Afternoon (script/(IMDB). "'I'm supposed to hate you guys, but I've had more laughs tonight than I've had in weeks,' bank manager Barret tells John Wojtowicz." [more inside, including spoilers]
posted by kirkaracha on Nov 18, 2005 - 16 comments

"Dog Day Afternoon" Is one of my favorite movies. In it, Al Pacino plays a born loser who attempts to rob a bank in order to pay for his lover's sex-change operation. It's based on a true story, and you can read the original article that inspired the movie here. Strangely, the real-life robber was able to pay for the sex-change operation with money he got from the proceeds of the film. Also of interest is this French documentary about the crime.
posted by grumblebee on Sep 1, 2002 - 17 comments