The Johnston Gang, a real-life crime family with roots in Chester County, served as the inspiration for a classic 1980s film, writes Lauren Piestner for A&E.
The Johnston Gang, made up of family members of the Johnston family, engaged in theft and break-ins throughout the 1960s and 70s. While they were not known for violent murder, a 1978 killing rocked the community, and ultimately inspired the 1986 film At Close Range.
Gang leader Bruce Johnston Sr. led the Johnston Gang with his brothers David and Norman. While many expected his son Bruce Johnston Jr. to join the family, Bruce Jr. ultimately ran with a younger “Kiddy Gang,” an affiliation that led to family conflict later on.
In 1978, Bruce Jr. landed in jail for theft, and decided to report his father’s crimes to the FBI in exchange for protection after receiving a letter from his girlfriend Robin about Bruce Sr.’s violence. Fellow Kiddy Gang members were then killed to eliminate witnesses, including a shootout that killed Robin and injured Bruce Jr. that year.
The family drama inspired screenwriter Nicholas Kazan to write At Close Range. The movie was ultimately made and released in 1986, starring Christopher Walken and Sean Penn.
Chester County district attorney William Lamb was asked to serve as a consultant on the film, but later declined due to the script’s inaccuracy and dramatization, describing the script as “glorifying criminality.”
While creative liberties may have put a different spin on the events, this real-life piece of Chester County lives on in Hollywood with the movie’s long-lasting popularity.
Read more about the Johnston Gang and the crime family’s Chester County roots in A&E.
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