AKA John S. Wojtowicz

Born: 9-Mar-1945
Birthplace: New York City
Died: 2-Jan-2006
Location of death: New York City
Cause of death: Cancer - unspecified

Gender: Male
Religion: Roman Catholic
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Bisexual
Occupation: Criminal

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Bank robber inspired Dog Day Afternoon

On 22 August 1972, 27 year old John Wojtowicz and 18 year old Sal Naturile held several Chase Manhattan Bank employees hostage for 17 hours in Flatbush. John had hoped to finance a transsexual operation in Denmark for his lover Ernest Aron. As they were making their escape at John F Kennedy Airport, Sal was shot to death by police, and John was arrested. He served seven years of his 20 year sentence.

The incident made into an article for Life Magazine, and later optioned into the Sidney Lumet film Dog Day Afternoon starring Al Pacino in the Wojtowicz role as "Sonny Wortzik". John received $7,500 for his story. He used part of this money to help finance Aron's sex change into Liz Debbie Eden.

Mother: Theresa Basso Wojtowicz
Wife: Carmen Bifulco (two children)
Wife: Ernest Aron (aka Elizabeth Debbie Eden, d. 1987 AIDS)

    Armed Robbery 23-Apr-1973 (sentenced to 20 years in Federal prison)
    Inmate: Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary
    Polish Ancestry

    FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
    The Dog (7-Sep-2013) · Himself

Appears in articles:
The Boys In The Bank, Sep-1972, DETAILS: P. F. Kluge & Thomas Moore, BYLINE: Life Magazine

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