14 Facts About Attila Ambrus

Attila Ambrus became notorious during the 1990s for committing a string of undercover "gentleman robberies" in and around Budapest, Hungary, while working a day job as a goaltender.

Attila Ambrus became infamous in Hungary as a folk hero symbolic of the times in the decade after the introduction of capitalism to the former Communist state.

Attila Ambrus's story was told in the 2004 book Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by author Julian Rubinstein and the 2017 film A Viszkis directed by Nimrod Antal.

Attila Ambrus was born in a Szekely Hungarian family in Fitod, a small village in eastern Transylvania, Romania, right outside Miercurea Ciuc.

Attila Ambrus had trouble with the law from a young age for committing petty thefts.

In 1988, Attila 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.

Attila 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 Ujpesti TE.

Attila Ambrus became known as "The Whiskey Robber", because he was often seen drinking whiskey at a nearby pub prior to the robbery.

Attila Ambrus escaped from prison on July 10,1999, using a rope made of shredded sheets, electric cords, and shoe laces.

Attila Ambrus evaded police custody for three months while living in a downtown Budapest apartment and was caught again after another robbery when police located his hideout after Ambrus accidentally left a piece of evidence behind at the crime scene.

Attila Ambrus was sentenced to 17 years in a maximum security prison.

Attila Ambrus was released early on parole because of good behavior on January 31,2012.

Attila Ambrus was the subject of the award-winning book, Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein.

Attila Ambrus's story was adapted to film by Nimrod Antal; the film, titled The Whiskey Bandit, was released in November 2017.