"He must have done something. They don't kill you for nothing." - Chicago Gangster Ted Newberry. Rubbed out January 7, 1933

Saturday, May 8, 2010

This here's a stick up!

The Midwest wasn’t the only place plagued with bank robberies during the Public Enemy crime wave of 1933-1934.

On this date in the second year of the wave at exactly 2:20pm a blue sedan pulled up in front of the Prudential Savings Bank located at 1872 Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn. Five men, each wearing sunglasses, got out and entered the bank.

This was the perfect time because as the bandits knew, the armed guard was out making a cash pick-up, the manager was out to lunch and the VP had left an hour earlier. Those on hand were four tellers and six customers.

Once inside each man pulled a tommy gun out from under his coat and got to work. The lead pulled a Dillinger and leapt over the tellers cage and stuck his muzzle in the tellers stomach and said, “Move or turn and I’ll put the gun through you.” He then ordered all the tellers to lie on the floor.

While this was happening three of the other gunmen pulled out their machine-guns and pointed them at the customers. “Line up against the wall.” One of them barked. “Keep your faces to the wall. If you turn , I’ll riddle you with bullets.” The fifth guy kept watch at the door sans machine-gun.

Once the patrons were against the wall and the tellers on the floor, two of the robbers joined the first behind the cages and started to fill pillowcases with cash. Next was the vault, which was closed. One of the tellers found a machine gun pointed at him and heard, “Get up and open that vault.”
Trying to by time he replied, “I don’t know the combination. That’s not m job.”
“You’ll open that vault or I’ll blow you to bits.”
After that exchange another bandit poked a different teller with his gun.
“Get up and open that vault.”
This teller had no intention of tempting fate and opened the safe with the gun pressed into his lower back.

Once the vault was opened two guys went in with the pillow cases and filled up. While this was taking place a customer tried to enter the bank but was stopped by the look out.
“If you’ll wait madam, for just a minute, I’ll be able to take care of you.” He said with a smile not letting her in. The woman walked off planning to return shortly.

After about five minutes it was time to go. “You stay right on that floor.” The lead said to the tellers. “We’re keeping you covered.” The bandits slipped out and into a blue sedan which wheeled them to a clean getaway(or did they?)
The take, just $61 dollars shy of $23K.

2 comments:

Charlieopera said...

Did they get away?

I sure hope so ...

Patrick Downey said...

That'll be answered in another post a long time from now when you've forgotten all about it.