'The Town': Is Charlestown really America's 'bank robbery capital'?
| Boston
In a stroll of Charlestown on a sunny day, it鈥檚 hard to believe this tiny Boston neighborhood could be 鈥渢he bank robbery capital of America鈥� 鈥� the Warner Bros. hype about Ben Affleck鈥檚 new film 鈥�The Town,鈥� which opens Friday. Brick houses and old-fashioned gaslights line Charlestown鈥檚 narrow colonial streets, and ordinary folks bustle about the Dunkin鈥� Donuts, and the CVS drugstore.
Boston鈥檚 historic Freedom Trail ends in Charlestown, home to the Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides). Townies, those born and raised here, don鈥檛 take kindly to being portrayed in Mr. Affleck鈥檚 film as 鈥渁 bunch of dumb bums" (to use the words of one resident).
Is it even true that this wedge-shaped, one-square-mile neighborhood claims title to 鈥渢he bank robbery capital of America鈥�?
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Boston police say they can't verify that: They don't track bank robberies nationwide, and they don鈥檛 break out bank-robbery statistics from all robbery numbers for the city. But their statistics do show that Charlestown has barely more than 2 percent of all Boston robberies, not just bank robberies.
Greg Comcowich, Boston Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman, would not confirm the truth of the movie鈥檚 dramatic claim either.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we want to officially comment on whether a certain place has a higher count of robberies than another place,鈥� he says.
But the Boston FBI does track bank robberies nationwide, and its statistics show that the whole state of Massachusetts has fewer than 3 percent of all bank robberies nationwide. "The bottom line is, the statistics speak for themselves,鈥� Mr. Comcowich says. 鈥淧eople can draw their own conclusions.鈥�
Well, if statistics can't prove that Charlestown is the bank robbery capital of America, then it must not be, right? 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a pretty good conclusion,鈥� Comcowich says.
鈥淚 guess the author of the book or the author of the movie might be able to shed more light on that,鈥� he adds.
In fact, Boston real estate agents routinely advise young professionals and families to move to Charlestown, citing its safety.
Peter Looney, a townie who hosts a local TV show called 鈥淐harlestown Live,鈥� went to the Boston premi猫re of 鈥淭he Town鈥� Tuesday night at Boston鈥檚 Fenway Park, where Affleck appeared. The actor鈥檚 remarks, Mr. Looney says, made it clear that the movie is in no way a poor reflection on the people of Charlestown.
鈥淗e still cares about us,鈥� Looney says. And, he says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good movie.鈥�
Townies cite their pride in growing up in a close-knit neighborhood with traditionally large Irish Catholic families whose members went on to work as priests, politicians, police officers, and firefighters. But in recent decades, 鈥淐harlestown has changed,鈥� says Looney. 鈥淚t鈥檚 gentrified and diverse now. It鈥檚 not the same town as it was in the early 鈥�90s and the 鈥�80s.鈥�
When asked about the film鈥檚 portrayal of Charlestown, Bill Peletier, wearing a green 鈥淐harlestown Townies鈥� sweat shirt at the Dunkin' Donuts, says, 鈥淢ovies are fixated on the bad part.鈥� In the movie, 鈥淚t鈥檚 evident that a lot of it is fiction.鈥�
But the film鈥檚 portrayal, he says, 鈥渏ust doesn鈥檛 define the town.鈥�
Mr. Peletier has a lot of company. Many locals opened their homes to filming for 鈥淭he Town,鈥� and they were shocked to see the end results, said Bernie Evers Sr., a townie in his 70s who was relaxing with friends in the Dunkin鈥� Donuts.
鈥淚 talked to people involved in the movie, people who allowed them to use their homes. From what I鈥檓 getting, people don鈥檛 like it. They feel we were abused,鈥� says Mr. Evers, who adds, 鈥淚鈥檓 not rushing to see the movie. If it鈥檚 on TV, I鈥檒l watch it. Out of curiosity.鈥�
Others in the Dunkin鈥� Donuts, including William McNelley and his wife, Linda, also defended Charlestown鈥檚 image. It鈥檚 about time Hollywood produced something nice about Charlestown, they said.
The couple cites a long history of involvement with Charlestown youths, through the Kiwanis Club, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Bunker Hill Day parade.
鈥淲e lived in Charlestown all our lives,鈥� Linda McNelley says. 鈥淐harlestown is a nice town no different from any other town. You notice we鈥檙e still here.鈥�
Bob Fitzpatrick, a retired townie who says he was paid $107 to be an extra in 鈥淭he Town,鈥� says he grew up in a family of 14 kids. 鈥淎 lot of us turned out pretty good,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e outnumber the bad guys.鈥�
Plenty of people rob and steal in other communities, but they don鈥檛 get the press bashing that Charlestown does, townies complain.
鈥淗ollywood will do anything that will sell tickets. It鈥檚 sad,鈥� Peletier says.
