Hoss, Scihoss

Chemistry PhD, Lab Manager, General Nerd and Hobbyist, Ferroequinologist, Vexillologist, Pretends to be a horse on the internet Bi He/Him

[Historic Vids @historyinmemes]

Mugshot of John Wojtowicz, who unsuccessfully tried to rob a bank in 1972 to pay for his wife Eden's gender reassignment surgery. Apparently, Wojtowicz had based his plans on the movie, "The Godfather" (1972), which he had watched earlier that day.

2,000 onlookers, FBI, roof-top snipers, TV crew, and police all gathered at the Chase Manhattan bank in Gravesend, Brooklyn on a hot summer night. Wojtowicz held 7 hostages for 14 hours during which time he demanded food for the hostages, paid the pizza delivery boy wads of cash, threw money at the outside onlookers, shot through the bank's exit rear door (fearing the police would storm it), and accidentally fired a shot after dropping his rifle on the floor. In the end, his robbery attempt failed, and he was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison, of which he served five.

Wojtowicz's story was later turned into a movie called "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975), starring Al Pacino and John Cazale, both of whom, interestingly enough, had starred in "The Godfather." For the rights to his story, Wojtowicz was paid $7,500 and 1% of the movie's net profits, which he gave to Eden.

After her operation, Eden married someone else before dying of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1987. Wojtowicz attended her funeral and delivered a eulogy.