This building used to be a bank and it held all the payroll money for the ship and dock workers. That is why it became a robbery target for Bonnie and Clyde, who were depression era bank robbers.
Their plan was fairly sound with the port not having been annexed by Tampa and a dirt road being the only way in and out. It worked. They got away with it. Too bad for the workers.
There was no FDIC back then and I imagine many guys did not get paid that week. Conditions were hard back then, much less, to have it compounded by being broke.
Port Tampa has a rich history that I am now researching.
Brings back a memory about port Tampa. Back in the early 70's there was a bar that a guy named George. All of the dock workers drank there. It was located where the cruise liners load up now. It has been said that George retired a multimillionaire. I know he got plenty of my meager wages. At the time I drove a pickup truck for La La Produce out of Ybor. Tim check out that company. Larry 157
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