The Story of Machine Gun Molly, Canada's Most Notorious Bank Robber
Bank robbery is not a woman's craft. But some ladies, such as American Bonnie Parker, break all stereotypes. Canada had its own famous robber. Monica Proietti earned her living by robbing just like men, and for her passion for automatic weapons she was nicknamed "Machine Gun Molly".
Monica Proietti was born on February 25, 1940, to a poor Italian family living on Saint-Dominique Street in Montreal's east end, one of the city's most disadvantaged areas. She was the eldest of seven children and was allegedly forced into a life of crime at an early age. She was taught to steal by her grandmother, who ran a "stealing school" for poor children in the area to help support their families. Monica dropped out of school in fifth grade and was arrested by police for prostitution at age 13. She began selling her body to help her mother support her siblings.
The girl's first husband was a man from her circle - a repeatedly convicted professional bank robber from Scotland, 33-year-old Anthony Smith. He is much older than his young chosen one, who has barely reached adulthood. Monica gave birth to her husband's two children.
When Monica was 19, her pregnant mother and three siblings were killed in an explosion in their apartment building caused by a gas leak. Proietti tried to save as many of her family members as she could from the fire, but to no avail. She was certain that the explosion was not an accident. At the time, authorities were actively clearing downtown Montreal of slums, relocating residents. Perhaps the fire was staged, since Monica's appeal to the police about it went unheeded and there was no further investigation.
In 1962, Monica and Smith were arrested during an attempted robbery of the Paloma Café. As a result, Smith was deported to Scotland, where he was sentenced to prison. Monica was left alone with two small children. Without education or professional experience, she could not find a normal job. Nevertheless, she desperately tried to provide for her family and find ways to earn a living.
Soon Monica met a new man, who, like the previous one, turned out to be connected to the criminal world. Her chosen one was Viater Tessier, an experienced repeat offender. From this union, Monica gave birth to a son. Until 1966, she actively helped Tessier plan robberies, until he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison for armed robbery. Monica was left alone again, forced to take care of her children alone.
Monica had only a fifth-grade education and no professional experience, but she refused to give in to life's challenges. Instead, she decided to use the only skill she had to provide for her children. Monica began robbing banks, turning it into her means of survival.
In 1967, Monica Proietti joined a gang of bank robbers and quickly established herself as a determined and skilled criminal. During her robberies, she would often fire her gun at the ceiling to intimidate those present. For this tactic, the media dubbed her "Molly the Machine Gun" - Molly Machine Gun in English or Monica la mitraille in French. In reality, she never owned a machine gun, but used an M-1 semi-automatic rifle. Despite her intimidating image, her signature weapon never caused harm: no one was injured or killed during her robberies.
A woman robbing banks was a rarity, and Monica Proietti quickly became a celebrity. Her story stood out for its uniqueness and made her a folk heroine for Montrealers. Tim Burke, a reporter for the Montreal Star, wrote:
Over the course of two years, the gang managed to rob 20 banks and credit unions in different parts of Canada. While Monica was engaged in criminal activity, her sister Rita took care of her children. According to some estimates, the gang's total "catch" was about 100 thousand US dollars - by today's standards, this is slightly more than a million.
"Machine Gun Molly" usually went on a job dressed as a man, using different wigs and clothes to confuse the police. In everyday life, on the contrary, she dressed very femininely, liked to change outfits. Her boyfriend gave her a custom-made gold-plated machine gun, with which Monica committed several recent robberies.
At some point, Monica Proietti decided to leave her criminal past and start a new, honest life. She was looking for a house in warm and prosperous Florida, planning to move there. In order to provide herself with money for the move, she decided to commit one more robbery before leaving. On September 19, 1967, Monica and two accomplices robbed a bank in North Montreal. This robbery was her last. The loot was only 3 thousand dollars, but the success was marred by the fact that their car was immediately pursued by several police crews.
The chase was in the spirit of good old action movies, with drifting on turns and shooting. "Machine Gun Molly" was behind the wheel - she handled the car no worse than a machine gun. But unfortunately for the criminals, a section of the road where repairs were taking place was in their way. While performing a risky maneuver, Monica lost control and crashed into a bus at high speed.
Two of Monica Proietti's accomplices managed to get out of the wrecked car and escape. They were arrested a little later. But "Machine Gun Molly" had her legs pinned and was unable to leave the scene of the accident. The police officers who arrived, seeing a gun in the woman's hands, opened fire and shot her. Thus, at the age of 27, the life of Canadian bank robber Monica Proietti, who was one step away from a quiet life, ended.
In 2004, a biographical film, Monica the Machine Gunner (Monica la mitraille), was released in Quebec. The film was based on the book, Memories of Monica, by Georges-Hébert Germain, first published in 1997. A musical was even staged based on the life of the legendary bank robber.
Is Monica Proietti's story a tragedy of poverty or a legend of courage? Share your opinion: does a difficult life justify her choice, or does everyone bear responsibility for their own actions, despite the circumstances? Do you think the woman would have stopped after her last robbery if she had survived, or would she have continued her criminal career?