page_title: Herman Lamm
section_title: Legacy
hierarchical_section_title: Herman Lamm / Legacy
caption_attribution_description: Mug shot of John Dillinger
context_page_description: Herman Karl Lamm, known as Baron Lamm, was a German-American bank robber. His robberies paid close attention to detail of the target properties, and he has been described as "the father of modern bank robbery". A former Prussian Army soldier who immigrated to the United States, Lamm believed a heist required all the planning of a military operation. He pioneered the concepts of "casing" a bank and developing escape routes before conducting the robbery. Using a meticulous planning system called "The Lamm Technique", he conducted dozens of successful bank robberies from the end of World War I.
  In 1930, Lamm committed suicide when surrounded by a law-enforcement party in Sidell, Illinois, after a botched heist. Lamm's techniques were studied and imitated by other bank robbers across the country, including the famous John Dillinger.
context_section_description: Lamm is widely considered one of the most brilliant and efficient bank robbers to have ever lived, and has been described as "the father of modern bank robbery". By his death in 1930, the Lamm Technique had already been widely imitated by other bank robbers across the country. Infamous bank robber John Dillinger studied Lamm's meticulous bank-robbing system and used it extensively throughout his criminal career. Dietrich and Clark met Dillinger during their stint in the Indiana state prison following Lamm's death. The pair were permitted to join Dillinger's gang on the condition they teach him everything they knew about the Lamm Technique.
caption: John Dillinger (pictured) studied and used the bank robbery techniques developed by Lamm.
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