Just outside the heart of past J.R. Moehringer Review

A “folk hero because he was with the banks on a war footing,” and “the most literary criminals in American history” – that assigns started his protagonist a Willie Sutton; even his grandparents had told admiringly of him. SPIEGEL dedicated to him in 1952 a story  and Wikipedia (Engl.) In February 2004, a separate article. For this, the man has written two autobiographies (which, however, each significantly disagree). A solid framework, it seems to make it into a gripping novel. This task has Pulitzer Prize winner J.

R. asked Moehringer, many readers worldwide through his autobiographical novel “Tender Bar” known (2000), and now is ” Sutton < ” JR Moehringer: “Sutton” in ”

” Knapp am heart over, “we are approaching this Willie Sutton in two parallel story lines that are continued alternately. In one hand, we read his intricate, gripping story, in the other we drive less as the fourth person in the limousines of roadmovie s. Just before Christmas 1969, Willie Sutton unexpectedly by Governor Nelson Rockefeller pardoned.

As Sutton is 68 years old and has spent more than half his life in prison. In 1926 he was first sentenced to four years in Sing-Sing; recently he had to eat in the toughest prison in the maximum security prison Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York (where died in 1971 during a prison riot 43 people.). His dismissal is a sensation for the Americans. Press representatives lust for him, want to knock out an exclusive interview and shoot photos of the year.

Suttons Attorney Katherine arranged for even a newspaper that Sutton is flown by private plane to Manhattan to spend a weekend with a reporter to spend.

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He can hardly believe his luck – to be free to look for the first time in seventeen years into the clear winter night, while to consider “the moon … face to face.” Although he does not like reporters, but he knows “now is not the time to make trouble.” Instead of a stiff interviews in the hotel room the two men take a cruise in ’68 Dodge Polara with “writer” (Reporter) and “Clipper” (photographer). Visit the relevant sites of Suttons resume and his criminal career as pinheads are eingepiekst on the map of New York. Although it repeated a criss-cross passes through the town, insists Sutton, they would have his “compliance order. Otherwise, gives the story does not make sense.” The novel structure also obeyed.

During this journey, we as it were sitting as listeners and viewers in the back seat of the Polara, so direct is the narrative style that almost entirely consists of raw and direct speech of the three passengers. Sutton revives his memories, the events of the past, talks about his retrospect, thereby dips into his own emotional world. He talks to himself, and we hear a sensitive, delicate stringed, gray-haired man whose personal words to heart. Sometimes tears him standing in the eyes. Sutton is attacked health. He believes emphysema in the leg will kill him soon. Therefore, he seeks end up driving to an address that is important to him.

A very different picture provides the narrative of parallel second story arc. Here we see Sutton than perfect analyzed and cold active criminals. He earned the nickname Willie the actor because he slipped willingly and skillfully into the roles of postman or policemen. He deceived not only guards and bankers, but also fled spectacularly from several high-security prisons. His second nickname – Slick Willie – illustrates that he did not shrink for these paths to freedom even before sewage pipes

Between 1920 and 1952 robbed Sutton more than a hundred banks and captured. while more than 2 million dollars. but of which he financed himself not living on large feet but put a large portion needy, and then to its sustainable reputation is based as a kind of Robin Hood in large parts of the population. When he worked in a hospital as a janitor and caretaker for example, 1948 on Staten Iceland, he could not bear to see how pathetic the deceased women were disposed of in nameless paupers’ graves. He dug up so a portion of its prey and put anonymous envelopes with money on the dead in the morgue.

Sutton was obviously a child of his time. The parents and grandfather Daddo came long before his birth from Ireland into promising New York, settled in poor Irishtown down and bought there solid reputation, because Father Sutton was farrier. The little Willie impressed it, like the Papa formed with my whole body the hot iron pieces on the anvil. But the hard work, the family of three boys keep just barely above water and roll the more cars on the streets of New York, the less it is needed at all.

Although the young Willie is a good student and creates a respectable degree, he can not go to high school, as is expected of him that he contributes to the livelihood of the family. However, looking in 1914, many people like him for work. Still without education and without work experience he has no chance in the big competition. What he is left is to hang out with his friends Eddie and happy on the streets. The three are frustrated and mad at God and the world, the system, the country, the rich “. The piss us all” Occasionally, they get hold temporary jobs. Willie already feels as a full member of society on the first rung of the career ladder when he is an errand boy at Bankhaus’ Title Guaranty. ” But a few months later he was released, and all illusions are gone: “There is an American dream we must just do not wake up from it ….”

Going to report his brothers volunteered for military service after the US in 1917 officially entered the first world war, is for Willie out of the question – because he is in love with Bess Endner, the daughter of a rich shipyard owner with the best contacts to politics and upperclass . As might be expected, Mr has Endner by court ruling that Willie is not allowed to go near his Bess … For all these circumstances can derive it returns to try what was slip down Sutton in crime: Was it the love with the aim to accumulate wealth, to worry about one day for a woman from a different social world? Or was it the bitter time concerning the economic crises that shook the United States and the people robbed all hopes of an orderly life?

Robs When Willie with his buddies jewelry stores and is arrested for the first time, it violated his relatives. Eddie, Happy and Co. are now a strict code of ethics applies to a family in the community. Rather, one can be tortured to death when that one is a traitor in police interrogations. A Judas is despicable as a murderer and his life not be happy. At the heart Sutton is a nice, peace-loving and intelligent person. Although he would not enter any bank without a weapon, but it only serves to threaten – draw and use he would never (which threatened certainly can not know …). do it circulated episodes that Sutton had broken his bank robberies as soon as the elderly or pregnant women fell or in the switch room fainted toddlers screaming scared.

contributes to the image of nice, sociable guy even when what about his leadership in prisons was widespread. Since he is suffering worst treatments such as months of solitary confinement, partly obscured, partly undressed, and digs still finds from the depressive hole out, draws new courage, can be motivated. An important role is played by the illustrious fellow prisoner Charles Chapin, until 1918 controversial editor of the Sensation sheet New York Evening World , then bankrupt and driven to suicide, but he backs down after he had shot his wife. For the latter fact in Sing Sing einsitzend, he may as create a rose garden and can Sutton move to cooperate. Chapin inspired him for literature; soon fill works of Socrates, Plato, Dante, Shakespeare, Sigmund Freud and Brecht and the Bible his barren cell walls.

Yet the yearning for freedom is greater than all the privileges of a prison. Once has run away an opportunity Sutton accesses, although it still has to teach all experience that he will be if not the attempt fails, taken after a short time in freedom. Three times risked Sutton everything, even plastic surgery subjects – but in vain His spektakulärster outbreak is certainly the tunnel in the Eastern State Penitentiary in 1945. With Sutton dig eleven convicts with bare hands and simple tools a. 30 m long tunnel. Just a few minutes breathing Sutton the air of freedom, then he is led away in handcuffs …

“Knapp am heart over” is the touching story of a typical American legend, a broken lawbreaker, one has surrounded with a myth , On the one hand one of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives of the FBI, on the other hand admirably determined self-made man ; on the one hand dreister criminals, on the other hand good guy with social responsibility. the well-behaved boys are very early have lost all ideals, and on the streets by beating he learns that “it’s all about money in life. And to love. And to the lack of it.”