matching ornamental cast aluminum first national bank building office door hardware robbed by john dillinger in 1934

original unuusaly cast aluminum early 20th century first national bank and trust company building doorknobs and matching backplates. the hardware was salvaged during the bank's demolition in 2007. urban remains rescued a great deal of ornament from the building, including teller cages, lobby clocks, vault plaques and timers and stonework. the non-extant neoclassical style first national bank and trust & company building (1918) - built by walter j. riley in east chicago, indian, is perhaps best known for being robbed by john dillinger in 1934. dillinger entered the bank at closing time on a friday in mid-january with accomplice john hamilton. after announcing the robbery, dillinger – armed with his submachine gun - herded bank customers in a corner while vice president walter spencer managed to trip the silent alarm. dilinger quickly disarmed police officer hobart wilgus as he arrived at the door. after securing over twenty thousand in cash, dillinger and hamilton left through the front door with two hostages used as shields. as they made their escape, officer william o’malley, who ducked out of the bank after wilgus was caught, began exchanging fire with dillinger. with the assistance of a bulletproof vest, dillinger survived the shootout and escaped while o’malley lay dead on the street. the bank’s other misfortune occurred in 2003, when the well-maintained building with completely intact lobby was a handed a death sentence. walgreens wanted the land to build a new store, so after a brief struggle the bank was bulldozed and replaced with a newly-built store and pharmacy. thankfully, ornament from both the interior and exterior was salvaged, including door hardware. priced for the matching doorknobs and backplates.