Thursday, May 13, 2010

Faisal Shahzad was not the first guy to try to blow stuff up in NYC--in the 50's George Metesky did it better.

The crazy tale of the Mad Bomber, 1950s NYC terrorist

The man in the center, the one who looks like a kind grocer? That's George Metesky, the insane "Mad Bomber" who terrorized New York for years with crudely made bombs placed in public places. (Photo by Peter Stackpole)

A ticking bomb goes off in Grand Central Station. The seats at Radio City Music Hall, rigged with explosive devices planted inside the upholstery. Bombs found at the Empire State Building, others detonating at movie theaters and in phone booths, at the New York Public Library and in subway stations. An explosion inside Macy's. Chaos, panic, anonymous letters to the police, copycat bombers. Some of the most sustained levels of domestic terrorism to hit an American city in the 20th century.

You should DEFINITELY check out the rest of this story--Metesky's is a fascinating tale of revenge and madness. I'm seriously surprised no one's made a movie about this guy yet. Maybe I should write one...

Side note: http://theboweryboys.blogspot.com is an amazing history blog covering the history of New York City. If you care about NYC, it's a definite must-read. I can't wait to listen to their podcast!

Posted via web from thepete's posterous

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