Program Type:
Munch & LearnAge Group:
Adults- Registration is required for this event.
- Registration is no longer available for this event.
Program Description
Body
On March 11, 1927, the Flathead Gang, led by Paul Jaworski, committed what is considered the first successful armored car robbery in U.S. history. The target was a Brinks armored car carrying a payroll of over $100,000 for the Pittsburgh Terminal Coal Company.
Instead of a traditional ambush, the gang used explosives. They buried two charges of dynamite under a rural road south of Pittsburgh, in what is now Bethel Park. When the armored car and its escort vehicle drove over the charges, the gang detonated them. The explosions flipped the armored car upside down and disabled the escort car, knocking out all the guards inside.
Come to hear local historian and author, Chris Whitlach discuss this incredible story!
Disclaimer(s)
By participating in or attending any library event, program, or class, visitors may be photographed by library staff. The library reserves the right to use these photographs for publicity purposes in printed materials and online. If you or a family member prefer not to be photographed, please inform the library staff in charge before the event begins.