Local author Matthew J. Prigge has excellent timing: his book “Dog’s Day” tells the true backstory behind the bank heist that eventually led to an Oscar-winning film starring Al Pacino. The book arrives just a month ahead of The Oriental’s screening of Dog Day Afternoon on Tuesday, November 3rd. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of the book, and while I will share impressions and key themes from Prigge’s work, I will avoid spoilers so that folks can read the new book in October and then check out the film on the first Tuesday in November.
The book’s subtitle reads: “The True Story of a Bank Robbery, Gay Liberation, and Toxic Love That Inspired a Hollywood Classic.” You had me at bank robber and the overexposed orange photo of Pacino on the cover, Prigge, but I admit to not knowing about the gay liberation link to the story. My experience with the real-life protagonist John Wojtowicz, had been nil, so the idea of connecting the slow crawl of progress for gay Americans to this dramatic robbery had me intrigued.
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The story of John Wojtowicz begins in Brooklyn, veers to Vietnam and then back to New York, following his struggle to navigate the unpredictable 1960s and early 1970s. Despite being a self-professed “Goldwater Republican”, Wojtowicz seeks sexual experiences far and wide from a young age, with both females and males, even exploring with his bunk mate during basic training; or did he? Prigge makes it known early and often that Wojtowicz’s relationship with reality is frayed at times, with different accounts of experiences in Vietnam ranging from “being involved in heavy combat” to being (in Wojtowicz’s own words) “uneventful.” The only certainty is that being involved in the war, according to his own mother, “screwed him up.”
Wojtowicz returns home to a new world. The Vietnam war continued to be fought despite massive public opposition, and like many vets, his return was met with a complex cocktail of fear, derision and lack of empathy. Despite being married to Carmen Bifulco, a woman he bullied into a toxic relationship built on mistrust, chaos and near-constant sexual activity, Wojtowicz began to take notice of the burgeoning gay scene in Greenwich Village.
“Dog’s Day” delivers a great understanding of the New York queer community. It’s impossible to understate just how oppressed LGBTQ+ people were doing those times: social opportunities were limited to firetrap basements run by mafia bosses who paid off the police to stay away. Meanwhile, Wojtowicz worked his way into the scene, becoming obsessed with one Elizabeth Eden and ultimately leaves his wife Carmen and their 8-month old child with a ten-dollar bill and no explanation, to start a life with Eden.
Wojtowicz joined The Gay Activists Alliance, helped to stage a stunt wedding for he and Eden, quickly becoming a mainstay in the community. This is where his story could easily have become one of an unruly radical man who helped fight for gay liberation. Unfortunately, Wojtowicz proved incapable of following such a trajectory. As soon as Eden could no longer tolerate his bullying tactics, Wojtowicz stalked her and made her life a living hell. Instead of taking a hint, Wojtowicz rallied with a couple locals to brainstorm what he called an “infallible” bank robbery that would bring in what he claimed to be at least $200,000.
In the interest of spoilers, I am going to leave the storytelling here and recommend that you read the book and then go see the film. Compare the two and you can further appreciate the narrative Prigge employed for “Dog’s Day,” he has the real-life Wojtowicz watching the film and offering his own review.
I feel Prigge succeeds wildly in delivering on the promise of the subtitle. This is an incredible story that links American conservatism, Vietnam, gay liberation, Hollywood and much more in a way that’s honest, unflinching and told in a tone most matter-of-fact. If you dig American history, bank heists, film or just want to be bug-eyed at all of the madness in the life of John Wojtowicz, grab a copy of “Dog’s Day” to read this month.
