Origins & Early Life

John Stanley Joseph Wojtowicz ( voy-TOE-vitch; March 9, 1945 – January 2, 2006) was an American bank robber whose story inspired the film Dog Day Afternoon. Wojtowicz was the son of a Polish father and an Italian-American mother, née Terry Basso. Wojtowicz married Carmen Bifulco in 1967. Shortly thereafter Wojtowicz joined the military and served in Vietnam.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Wojtowicz and Bifulco had two children and separated in 1969. In 1971, Wojtowicz met Elizabeth Eden. The two had a public wedding ceremony that year. Wojtowicz was at some point a member of the Gay Activists Alliance. He used at that time the alias "Littlejohn Basso", Basso being his mother's maiden name.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

On August 22, 1972, Wojtowicz, along with Salvatore Naturile and Robert Westenberg, attempted to rob a branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank at 450 Avenue P in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Westenberg fled the scene before the robbery got underway after he saw a police car on the street. Rather than quickly obtaining the money and fleeing as planned, Wojtowicz and Naturile ended up holding seven Chase Manhattan bank employees hostage for fourteen hours. Wojtowicz, a former bank teller...

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