It's Raining Forints, Henderson!

December 23, 2005 11:51 PM

How do you say, "I have a gub" in Hungarian? (registration or video viewing required) Attila Ambrus, the handsome, courtly Whiskey Robber of Budapest, shares his tale with Salon, and what a yarn it is! After fleeing his native Romania beneath a train, Ambrus was variously a pelt-smuggler, Zamboni-wrangler, world-class hockey failure, gravedigger, and dog-walker, until he found his true calling in 1993: relieving banks of their cash. Then the story gets interesting, involving bad disguises, flowers for the bank tellers, a nervous stomach, a prison break via knotted bedclothes, and pursuit by his own Lieut. Columbo. It all added up to folk heroism for "Chicky Panther," until they put him away in Hungary's maximum security slammer, where he languishes today. Now he's talking, and Hollywood's listening.
posted by rob511 (8 comments total)

what the hell is a gub?
posted by Paris Hilton at 11:53 PM on December 23, 2005

(sigh) Paris, must we explain everything to you?!
posted by rob511 at 11:57 PM on December 23, 2005

All your favorite movies are the foundation of our shared culture.

All your favorite bands suck.
posted by Paris Hilton at 12:08 AM on December 24, 2005

Oh that's a plain "b"!
posted by gramschmidt at 12:55 AM on December 24, 2005

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber covers Attila, and is a very engaging read. Shortly after reading it, I named my cat Attila after Ambrus and the Hun.
posted by ladd at 1:12 AM on December 24, 2005

He made bank tellers swoon. He was madly pursued by the Mound of Asshead. In a rare prison interview, the Robin Hood of Hungary looks back at his wild ride through the ruins of the Soviet bloc.

Any story with a Mound of Asshead deserves a read.
posted by srboisvert at 8:10 AM on December 24, 2005

I'm with ladd, the book is a great read.
posted by schmedeman at 9:29 AM on December 24, 2005

Apt natural.

Reminds me of Dillinger.
posted by Smedleyman at 9:53 AM on December 26, 2005