Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and this story from Somerville, Massachusetts, proves it. Imagine being a taxi driver, focused on your routine, picking up passengers, and mentally planning dinner, when suddenly, your shift turns into a real-life cheesy heist movie. That’s exactly what happened to Boston-area driver Dennis Ferrante.
The heist
On an otherwise unassuming day, Ferrante picks up a passenger in Porter Square. On the way to his destination, the man asks for a quick stop at the bank. This is probably a common request. So, Ferrante does what any taxi driver would do—he pulls up to the East Cambridge Savings Branch and waits in the car.
What Ferrante doesn’t know is that his passenger isn’t just running an errand. Inside the bank, the man demands cash from the teller. No elaborate schemes, no Ocean’s 11 theatrics, just “Give me the money” on repeat, according to witnesses. Minutes later, the man strolls out, hops back into the cab, and tells Ferrante to drive off.
Obviously, this is where things take a dramatic turn. Police then swarm the cab, pulling Ferrante and his passenger over. At this point, Ferrante is completely clueless. He’s just a guy trying to make a living, suddenly surrounded by flashing lights and officers pulling evidence, like a backpack stuffed with stolen money, out of his cab.
Absurd taxi getaway
“If I knew, I’d be petrified,” Ferrante said in a later interview. Honestly, same. The sheer absurdity of being an unwitting getaway driver for a bank robber is almost too much to process. I did a double-take when I saw this news title. I mean, surely someone wouldn’t do this right? This seems like an SNL sketch.
The suspect, meanwhile, had the nerve to mutter, “My wife is going to kill me,” while being arrested, according to Ferrante. I mean, yeah, she probably isn’t thrilled, but the police might be a bigger concern at the moment.
This story is wild for so many reasons. First, the casualness of the whole thing is mind-boggling. Who robs a bank in broad daylight, hops into a cab, and acts like it’s just another Tuesday? Second, the fact that Ferrante had no idea what was happening until it was over is both oddly hilarious and terrifying.
It’s the kind of scenario that feels like it was plucked straight out of a movie script. A regular guy, just trying to make a living, gets tangled up in someone else’s bad decisions. I’m sure Kevin Hart is halfway through writing this script right now. Except this isn’t Hollywood; it’s Somerville, Massachusetts.
A day to forget
At the end of the day, Ferrante handled the situation as well as anyone could. Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt, and police were quick to catch the suspect. You can’t help but feel for him, a guy just trying to get through his shift, unknowingly thrust into a real-life crime thriller. Let’s hope Ferrante gets some downtime to process this chaos and work through the trauma.
Published: Feb 2, 2025 10:47 am