k Lapja on August 4, 1999.This book is the culmination of more than three years of work, including eight months spent on the ground in Hungary and Transylvania and a couple of weeks in Berlin and Prague. I interviewed more than a hundred people over the course of my reporting, many of them several times. Almost all my interviews were done in person, most of them through an interpreter. I was careful to discuss each interview with my interpreters so as to ensure accuracy not just of the language but also in style and nuance. I assume responsibility for any errors of translation.
The scenes and dialogue that I depict come primarily from my direct interviews with the subjects involved but are often augmented by other sources. I was able to gain access to numerous official documents, including the forms Attila filled out at the immigration office when arriving in Hungary, as well as his passport applications and visa requests. These were particularly helpful for the scene in the immigration office as well as the details of Attila’s escape from Romania.
I spent five weeks at the Supreme Court building in Budapest poring through all the police and court files from the case. These documents greatly enhanced my ability to portray many of the robbery scenes as well as specific meetings and measures taken by the police (most of whom consented to my numerous interview requests). I was present at the final Metropolitan Court hearing in the case on December 14, 2000. I spent several days viewing videotape at the Hungarian Television (MTV) archive, which provided much of the basis for the scenes involving Kriminális. In addition, I had literally hundreds of Hungarian newspaper stories translated, many of which are specifically cited in the text.
Attila’s first girlfriend in Transylvania, Katalin, whom I could not locate, appears under a pseudonym. His first girlfriend in Budapest, Judit, did not wish to be interviewed for this project, and she too appears under a pseudonym. Information about them comes from my interviews with Attila, Attila’s aunt and uncle, as well as, in the case of Judit, a section of Attila’s first book Én a Whiskys, written with Judit P. Gál (IPM Konyv, 1999).
The prison in Sátoraljaújhely, where Attila is held, and the lesser-security pen in Márianosztra, where Gabi is held, were strict, but for the most part fair, and allowed me long days with my subjects. Over a span of three years, I spent twelve full days with Attila and three with Gabi. Most of my other sources with whom I spent significant time are thanked in the Acknowledgments.
For money conversions, I used an average of the official exchange rates on the first and last day of each year. For 1988, it was 50 forints: U.S. dollar. For 1989, it was 58; 1990: 62; 1991: 69; 1992: 80; 1993: 93; 1994: 107; 1995: 125; 1996: 153; 1997: 183; 1998: 212; 1999: 233; 2000: 267.
Below is a citation list of sources I used for specific information that did not come from my own reporting. I have not listed sources for information about widely known events. I also do not repeat the sources for information when the citation is already specified in the text.
The “century’s most persistent” quote comes from a story in Magyar Hírlap that appeared on January 18, 1999.
The “nest of Robin Hoods” quote comes from a story in Hargita Népe by Zoltán Szondy, July 24, 2002.
John Whitehead talking about the “gray, monstrous snake” from an Associated Press story by Frieder Reimold, October 12, 1988.
Both of Antall’s quotes come from a story in the Los Angeles Times by Carol J. Williams, October 9, 1990.
The story about Wayne Gretzky appeared in Hungary’s Népsport, August 2, 1990.
Some of the information about Attila’s father is augmented by interviews he gave to Erdély Napló in the summer and fall of 1999 and to Nk Lapja on August 4, 1999.
The detail about more than a thousand cops being arrested comes from a story in the Guardian by Carol Williams, October 13, 1990.
The scene with Uncle Béla comes from my interviews with Attila (who once accompanied Béla on a hunt) and László and with villagers living near Béla.
The detail about the IKEA billboards comes from interviews as well as a story by the Inter-Press Service by Ken Kasriel, June 9, 1992.
The detail about the Warsaw protesters comes from an article in the Chicago Tribune by Linnet Myers, December 20, 1995. The details about the town meeting regarding the Jewish Quarter comes from an article in the New York Times by Jane Perlez, August 18, 1993.
Information about the Budapest police chief’s being disciplined came from MTI Econews, October 13, 1992.
The excerpt is from a police robbery department file, dated September 14, 1993.
The press release is from a police robbery department fax dated July 22, 1994.
The detail about the largest military operation comes from a speech by President Clinton cited in the New York Times story by Alison Mitchell on January 14, 1996. FBI “trained some 27,000 officers, including one Hungarian,” from MTI Econews, March 2, 1995. The quote from Louis Freeh comes from a story in the Chicago Tribune by Linnet Myers on December 20, 1995.
The information about thirty-seven illicit shipments comes from a story in the New York Times by David Johnston on April 17, 1995. The story in Blikk appeared on January 14, 1995.
The figure of 1,200 openings in Hungary for police comes from a story in the Los Angeles Times by Dean Murphy on February 28, 1995.
The statistic about crime committed every sixty-three seconds comes from MTI Econews, November 12, 1996. The statistic about thirty-seven daily car thefts comes from MTI Econews, July 17, 1996.
The detail about the waiting list for telephone lines comes from a story in USA Today by James Cox on November 7, 1994. The information about the automobile accidents and destruction of property cases comes from MTI Econews, September 26, 1996. The tourism minister’s quote comes from a story in the Virginian Pilot by Greg Raver-Lampman, October 29, 1995. The information about the sewerage museum comes from the Budapest Business Journal, January 27, 1995.
The detail about the International Bodyguard and Secret Service Association comes from a story in Agencie France-Presse, September 9, 1995. Much of the information from the Kriminális scene comes from the program that aired on Hungarian Television (MTV) on April 4, 1996.
The Blikk story headlined BANK ROBBERY WITH A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS ran on March 26, 1996. The Kurír story headlined YEAR OF THE ROBBERS appeared on March 27, 1996.
The Reform article with the police sketches and comment about “Budapest’s own private robber” appeared on April 9, 1996.
The comment about Attila having taken on “a servant” comes from a story in Népszava, September 5, 1996.
The information from Kriminális aired on August 29, 1996, Hungarian Television (MTV). The comment about the Whiskey Robber making life for the police “an absolute misery” comes from a story in Blikk on August 30, 1996. The Népszava story that suggests the Whiskey Robber is giving his money to the poor was published on September 5, 1996.
The black market estimates come from a BBC story from June 26, 1996. The detail about the Hungarian Olympic team comes from an Associated Press story on September 23, 1996. The details about Juszt’s Mitsubishi being a stolen car comes from Kurír, November 15, 1996. The information about the 230 cop convictions comes from a story in the BBC, July 22, 1997 (which cited Hungarian Radio as its source). The details about the Kennedy Center gala are from a story in the Washington Post by Roxanne Roberts on November 13, 1996.
The police report by Lajos Seres (Dance Instructor) is dated November 21, 1996.
The Kriminális program aired on Hungarian Television (MTV) on January 21, 1997.
I was not able to interview Klányi, Kis, Stuttering Józsi, or Klányi’s ex-wife, but all the quotations from them are taken from the police reports as well as my interviews with police.
The detail about the number of casinos in Budapest compared with other cities comes from a story in MTI Econews dated June 6, 1997.
The information about the police department budget comes from MTI Econews on February 19, 1998.
The information about Al Gore, Sandór Pintér, and the crime conference comes from MTI Econews, February 24, 1999; the BBC, February 25, 1999; and a Washington Post story by Nora Boustany from February 26, 1999. The story headlined police chief resigns appeared in Mai Nap, June 5, 1998.
The detail of Clinton and Orbán’s discussions at the White House on October 7 (the same day as Attila’s party, which had to be held the day after his birthday) is from MTI Econews, October 9, 1999.
Bóta’s quote comes from a story in Magyar Hírlap published on January 18, 1999. The quote from Kercs
Árpád and from Lajos Varjú both appeared in Mai Nap on January 17, 1999.
The story in Magyar Hírlap appeared on January 18, 1999. The Népszabadság story referring to Atilla as “the master” appeared on February 20, 1999. The exact quote from Zsuzsa Csala here comes from my interview with her, though it is similar to sentiments she expressed in the Hungarian media.
The information about the man accused of stealing toilet paper comes from a story in the New York Times credited to Agence France-Presse on November 19, 2000.
Gabi’s interview with Népszabadság appeared on February 2, 1999.
Some of the scene between Attila and Lajos was augmented by the account in the book Én, a Whiskys, by Attila Ambrus and Judit P. Gál. The part about Lajos’s asking Attila if he had figured out how to escape comes from my interviews with both men.
The quotations from Prime Minister Orbán’s speech at the graduation ceremony comes from MTI Econews, July 3, 1999.
A TV opinion poll of 20,000 callers cited by Magyar Hírlap on July 29, 1999, showed 79 percent of people supporting Attila. An Internet poll on July 14, 1999, of 1,008 respondents showed 91 percent support for Attila. The “would you have climbed down from the window on a shoelace?” poll in Mai Nap appeared on July 13, 1999. The “Hungarian Butch Cassidy” reference appeared in HVG, July 17, 1999.
Pintér’s comments appeared in Magyar Nemzet, July 22, 1999.
A series of stories about Attila, headlined big city cowboy, ran in Hargita Népe in March 1999.
The story in Magyar Szó appeared on July 22, 1999.
The story headlined THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE HUNGARIAN CRIME SQUADS COULD NOT BE LOWER is from Népszabadság, August 4, 1999. The Christian Science Monitor story appeared on August 10, 1999. The London Independent story appeared on July 31, 1999. The story in Le Figaro appeared on July 20, 1999. The story in Sports Illustrated appeared on August 16, 1999.
The story in the police magazine, Zsaru, appeared on August 3, 1999.
The “Monica Lewinsky story of Hungary” comment was made on the program Deep Water, aired on Hungarian Television (MTV) on August 13, 1999. The television reports about Attila’s past were cited in a Christian Science Monitor story by Michael J. Jordan, August 10, 1999.
An account of Prime Minister Orbán’s radio appearance was published by the BBC on October 29, 1999.
The story headlined one less small fish ran in Népszava on November 8, 1999.
The investigation of Magyar was made public in Népszabadság, October 22, 1999.
The comment by Hungarian member of Parliament Lukács Szabó is from the BBC summary of the Hungarian TV2 satellite service broadcast on November 28, 2000.
The interview in which Attila said he was a “criminal in every bone in my body” appeared in the Hungarian edition of FHM magazine, October 2001. Attila’s comment that “human life is worth less than money” appeared in Magyar Nemzet, December 15, 2000.