Attila Ambrus

Infobox_Person


image_size = 150px
name = Attila Ambrus
other_names = Whisky Robber
title = Robber
birth_date = birth date and age|1967|10|6
birth_place = Fitud ("Fitód"), Transylvania, Romania
languages spoken = Hungarian, Romanian

Attila Ambrus is notorious for committing a string of robberies in Hungary. He was born in a Szekely Hungarian family in Fitód (Fitud), a small village in Eastern Transylvania, Romania, right outside Csíkszereda (Miercurea Ciuc).

Ambrus had trouble with the law from a young age for committing petty thefts. In 1988, Ambrus illegally crossed Romania's borders by riding underneath a freight train and applied for political asylum and citizenship in Hungary, the latter of which he obtained in 1994.

Ambrus made a living through a variety of odd jobs, including being a gravedigger and a pelt smuggler, after which he tried out for the professional hockey team Újpesti TE. Despite his abysmal performance, he was admitted to the roster as goalie while doubling as the team's janitor. Ambrus's income continued to be insecure as he worked a variety of sidejobs, and he committed his first robbery of a post office in 1993. After this success, Ambrus continued a string of 27 robberies of banks, post offices, and travel agents that ended with his arrest in 1999, stealing in all about 200 million forints (over one million US Dollars).

He became known as the Whisky Robber, because he was often seen drinking whiskey at a nearby pub prior to the robbery. While he later carried a gun, Ambrus never harmed anyone in his robberies, and was famous for his outlandish disguises, for presenting female tellers with flowers prior to robberies, and for sending the police bottles of wine. Immensely popular at the time of his arrest on January 15, 1999, a flag honoring the "Whiskey Robber" was flown at the UTE stadium for years afterwards. Ambrus escaped on July 10, using a rope made of shredded sheets, electric cords, and shoe laces.

Ambrus evaded police custody for three months while living in a downtown Budapest apartment and he was caught again after another robbery after police located his hideout. Ambrus is currently serving a 17 year sentence in a maximum security prison.

His accomplice on one of his earlier heists, Károly Antal (also a Romanian of Hugarian ethnicity) was sentenced to two and a half years of prison and was caught at the Romanian-Hungarian border in 2004.

His accomplice on most of his latter heists, Gabi Orbán, is serving an eight year sentence in a medium security prison.

The story of the Whiskey Robber has been made the subject of a book, "Ballad of the Whiskey Robber" (ISBN 0-316-01073-1) by Julian Rubinstein and a Hungarian cabaret. Warner Bros. bought the film rights to Rubinstein's book and intends to make a movie starring Johnny Depp as Attila Ambrus.

References

* [http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/12/23/robber/index.html The Whiskey Robber talks] - interview with Salon.com
* [http://www.ce-review.org/99/9/csardas9.html The Great Escape] - article in the Central Europe Review
* [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/2007-10-04-3267566478_x.htm Worst Pro Goalie Ever Still in Jail--For Robbing Banks] - Article in USA Today, Oct. 4, 2007
* [http://ziua.ro/display.php?id=139106&data=2004-02-16 Omul lui "Whisky man", prins] - Ziua, 16 February 2004
* [http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_1268223.html?menu=entertainment.celebrities Johnny to play Hungary's 'Robin Hood'] - Ananova
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGmPju1JC9A YouTube Prison Interview] - Author Julian Rubinstein Visits Attila In Prison
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316010731 Ballad of the Whiskey Robber] - Book about Attila Ambrus