State v. DiFraia

On September 30, 1952, Louis DiFraia, armed with a rifle, walked into an East Providence bank. He fired a shot into the woodwork, and robbed the bank of some $50,000. He was pursued and apprehended after a bullet-punctuated automobile chase that ended in a prolonged gun battle in Pawtucket. All the time he was under fire in Pawtucket, DiFraia held two women as hostages. A Pawtucket police officer was killed during the shoot out and a Providence police officer was wounded when he sought to capture DiFraia as he sped through Providence.

Later, five indictments were returned against DiFraia.…