The Botched Brooklyn Bank Heist That Inspired Al Pacino’s ‘Dog Day Afternoon’

It was a crime of passion turned hostage situation that had every New Yorker on the edge of their seat in August of 1972. Three armed men entered a Chase Bank in Brooklyn, hoping to make off with a large score. They mistakenly thought it would be easy. But police quickly surrounded the bank, setting into motion a caper with more twists and turns than a Hollywood movie. The events of that summer day were in fact turned into a Hollywood movie: “Dog Day Afternoon,” starring Al Pacino.