Dillinger diner getting business boost

HUDSON, Ind. (WANE) - The infamous Indiana bank robber John Dillinger is in the national spotlight with the opening of "Public Enemies," a movie starring Johnny Depp about Dillinger's life. That big screen attention is also bringing more attention to a little diner with Dillinger ties in Hudson.

"Some people say this is really neat," Dillinger's manager Emily Meyers said.

The restaurant and bar, Dillinger's, is in what used to be Hudson State Bank. In April 1933, John Dillinger's gang robbed the bank and stole $1,700 from the safe. That original safe is still in the restaurant, and the walls are lined with newspaper clippings about the Hoosier king of heist.

"I give people tours because people come in asking about our history. We have a replica of his death mask and you can see under his right eye the bullet holes that killed him," Meyers said.

Owner Mark Phillips said some people come in to take pictures with the memoribilia.

"We had 12 ladies come in the other day for lunch and they all had their picture taken with the safe," Dillinger's regular John Gilbert said.

Now some people are coming in talking about the movie about Dillinger.

"There's a picture on our wall we have that they said is in the movie," Meyers said.

But Dillinger didn't just hit up the bank in Hudson.

"He was in Warsaw and robbed all the police guns there out of the station and there's supposed to be money buried over in Ohio. This area's full of things he's done, so I"m sure people will check out Dillinger's because of that," Hudson resident Chuck Klink said.

Dillinger's is open Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is closed on Sunday. It's located at 302 N. Main St. in Hudson.