Norco '80
The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History
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3.9 • 21 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
5 young men. 32 destroyed police vehicles. 1 spectacular bank robbery. This “cinematic” true crime story transports readers to the scene of one of the most shocking bank heists in U.S. history—a crime that’s almost too wild to be real (The New York Times Book Review).
Norco ’80 tells the story of how five heavily armed young men—led by an apocalyptic born–again Christian—attempted a bank robbery that turned into one of the most violent criminal events in U.S. history, forever changing the face of American law enforcement. Part action thriller and part courtroom drama, this Edgar Award finalist for Best Fact Crime transports the reader back to the Southern California of the 1970s, an era of predatory evangelical gurus, doomsday predictions, megachurches, and soaring crime rates, with the threat of nuclear obliteration looming over it all.
In this riveting true story, a group of landscapers transforms into a murderous gang of bank robbers armed to the teeth with military–grade weapons. Their desperate getaway turns the surrounding towns into war zones. And when it’s over, three are dead and close to twenty wounded; a police helicopter has been forced down from the sky, and thirty–two police vehicles have been completely demolished by thousands of rounds of ammo. The resulting trial shakes the community to the core, raising many issues that continue to plague society today: from the epidemic of post–traumatic stress disorder within law enforcement to religious extremism and the militarization of local police forces.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Vague sourcing and fictionalization mar EMT Houlahan's otherwise promising first book, an account of a bank robbery whose aftermath left dead on both sides of the law. In 1980, five heavily armed men, led by George Wayne Smith and Christopher Harven, held up the Security Pacific Bank in Norco, Calif. Smith and Harven weren't typical thieves. They wanted the money because they believed that "America was on the verge of a catastrophe of biblical proportions, one in which only the well-armed and well-prepared would survive." The execution of their plot was poor. Explosives planted some distance from the bank, intended as a diversion that would draw law enforcement away from the scene of the crime, didn't explode as planned. At one point, Houlihan enters the mind of Billy Delgado, the driver of the robbers' van, and conveys his thoughts. Soon afterward, a bullet to the neck mortally wounds Billy. "His body seemed to disappear on him. He could not feel it at all.... The only thing he could feel was a sharp stinging at the back of his neck." This may be plausible, but it remains speculation, and an author note on sources, in which he says, "Everything presented, whether in dialogue or narrative, is as factual as I could determine based on a wide range of sources," does nothing to reassure readers that he has not used dramatic license elsewhere. That Houlahan writes well suggests he's capable of doing better next time.
Customer Reviews
Jaw Dropping Story
I could not believe what I was reading! True story that took place where I grew up which made it even more real. I was shocked and saddened the entire time. A great historical story of law enforcement and how this event changed the future.
Great read
Great read about an important piece of history for Norco and the Inland Empire, especially important for law enforcement everywhere to understand and learn from this event. The book does a good job telling the stories of all involved and should help the families who lost loved ones and all others affected by this horrible crime.