Site of former Chase Manhattan Bank ("Dog Day Afternoon" bank)

In 1972, a Chase Manhattan Bank on an unassuming corner in Brooklyn became the site of one of the country's most famous--and bizarre--robberies. In a poorly-planned heist that took place over twelve hours and involved a hostage situation, John Wojtowicz and Sal Naturile tried--and failed--to rob the bank. But their reason for the robbery, described below, was the real story. The robbery as well as its improbable back story inspired Sidney Lumet's classic film "Dog Day Afternoon," starring Al Pacino.

In what was undoubtedly one of the strangest crimes in New York City's history, a bank on an ordinary street in Brooklyn became the target of a fantastically bungled robbery that was later immortalized in one of the twentieth century's most well-known films.

The story began with John Wojtowicz, a Vietnam veteran and former bank teller. Wojtowicz led a relatively unevenful life until his tour in Vietnam, according to his mother. Though Wojtowicz married soon after his return from the war, he was secretly involved in sexual relationships with a number of men. He joined the Gay Activist Alliance shortly after leaving his wife in 1969. In 1971, he began a relationship with Ernie Aron, who identified as a woman and went by the name Liz Eden. It was not legally possible for the pair to marry at the time, but they wed in an unofficial ceremony later that year.

These were the early years of the LGBT movement and though things had improved since the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969, living as a not-yet-transitioned woman was often difficult for Eden. After a suicide attempt by Eden, Wojtowicz became determined to get the money necessary for gender reassignment surgery and decided the easiest way to do it was to rob a bank.

Wojtowicz hatched a plan to rob the Chase Manhattan Bank on P Avenue in Brooklyn. He enlisted two friends, Sal Naturale and Bobby Westenberg, and the trio planned to rob the bank just before closing time. Westenberg lost his nerve and fled, but Wojtowicz and Naturale entered the bank and presented a teller with a Godfather-inspired note that read “This is an offer you can’t refuse.” They then took the bank’s manager, an unarmed security guard, and five tellers hostage. The pair believed that they were hitting the bank when the maximum amount of money would be available, but in fact, an armored truck had taken most of the bank’s deposits earlier that day, leaving less than $40,000 in the building.

Before they could escape with their haul, police surrounded the building, as well as a crowd of onlookers. The ensuing standoff went on for twelve hours, with Wojtowicz negotiating with police and occasionally interacting with the crowd, throwing fistfuls of currency toward the onlookers at one point. Eventually, he asked to see his lover, who had to be brought from her hospital room where she was being treated following the suicide attempt. The robbers were eventually taken to JFK International Airport, where they believed they would be allowed to board a getaway plane, per their demands. Instead, the FBI agents fatally shot Naturale, prompting Wojtowicz to surrender.

Wojtowicz was sentenced to prison, where he became a kind of folk hero among other inmates after the release of Dog Day Afternoon. Remarkably, after his parole in 1978, he tried to find work as a bank teller, but his well-known history as a failed bank robber precluded that option. At one point, he even approached Chase Manhattan Bank with the proposition that he be hired as a security guard. Not surprisingly, the bank refused. He eventually wound up trying to capitalize on the movie’s fame by standing outside the Chase Manhattan Bank signing autographs while wearing a shirt that read “I Robbed This Bank.”

Wojtowicz used a portion of his proceeds from the film to pay for Eden’s sex change surgery. Eden ultimately told Wojtowicz that she never wanted to see him again. For much of the rest of his life, Wojtowicz survived on welfare, lived with his mother, and continued to live an unabashedly attention-seeking life until his death in 2006.

Ortega, Tony . The Bank Robbery That Would Become 'Dog Day Afternoon', Village Voice . March 11th 2011. Accessed October 14th 2020. https://www.villagevoice.com/2011/03/11/the-bank-robbery-that-would-become-dog-day-afternoon/.

Roberts, Sam . The 'Dog' Who Had His Day on Film, New York Times . August 4th 2014. Accessed October 14th 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/movies/a-film-on-john-wojtowicz-who-inspired-dog-day-afternoon.html.

Cohen, D. Avenue P on the 40th Anniversary of Dog Day Afternoon Robbery, Bklyner. August 22nd 2012. Accessed October 14th 2020. https://bklyner.com/avenue-p-on-the-40th-anniversary-of-the-dog-day-afternoon-robbery-bensonhurst/.