The
Chelsea bombing last week made headlines across the country, but
fortunately no one was killed. Bombings are big news today, but New York
City has always had them. Some in the past were never even heard of
outside the city. In fact, there was an 18-month period in 1969-’70 in
which 370 bombs went off in the city! New York bombings have been
carried out by all kinds of groups and individuals for as many different
reasons: targeted political statements, general terrorism, revenge, or
just insanity.
…in November 1940, the city had its
first encounter with a bomber who would haunt them for years: George
Metesky, a disgruntled former ConEd employee who left a pipe bomb at a
company building, along with a note: "CON EDISON CROOKS – THIS IS FOR
YOU."
A similar bomb appeared several months later, before Metesky decided to pause because of World War II.
"I
WILL MAKE NO MORE BOMB UNITS FOR THE DURATION OF THE WAR," Metesky
wrote police. "MY PATRIOTIC FEELINGS HAVE MADE ME DECIDE THIS."
True
to his word, Metesky didn't resume bombing until 1951, when he
captivated the media with a string of bombings over several years, many
at city landmarks like Grand Central Terminal, the New York Public
Library, and Radio City Music Hall, some 33 in total which never killed
anyone but, for a time, set the city on edge.
Metesky was eventually captured and committed to a mental institution. His is only one of the many stories told in
a rundown of historical New York bombings at Atlas Obscura.
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