The Day Santa Claus Robbed A Bank
The crime of the century in a small Texas town
It sounded like a decent idea. Disguise yourself as Santa Claus a couple of days before Christmas, and rob the bank. No one would recognize you, the surprise element would be in your favor. You could get away before people got over the shock of seeing jolly ole’ Santa make off with a big bag of cash.
You might think this story is fiction, but it is absolutely true. It is based on newspaper accounts and historical markers in the area.
On Dec. 23, 1927, in Cisco, Texas. Marshall Ratliff, a known and experienced criminal from the area, came up with the scheme and robbed the bank dressed as Santa. The string of errors that followed would make the writers of Blazing Saddles, or Bad Santa, proud, but these events were real.
It set off one of the biggest manhunts in Texas history and was one of the most flamboyant crimes anyone had ever seen. You might think an experienced criminal like Ratliff would have thought things through a little better than he did. The string of errors is…
