Ridgefield is no stranger to life s shadier characters. The history of this idyllic community includes cunning crooks, suburban embezzlers, bungling burglars and wandering scallywags. In 1894, a group of bank robbers literally blew it in a heist at the Saving Bank the explosion attracted witnesses to see the gang miss out on a grand haul of fifty dollars. Half a decade later, in 1940, a skeleton whose origins still befuddle experts was unearthed in a tree nursery. This look at the darker side of Ridgefield s past includes sad and tragic moments as well, such as newlyweds imprisoned in the Tombs, the Satanists of the 70s and a hermit murdered for love. Local editor Jack Sanders tells fascinating tales of two centuries of Ridgefield criminals, n er-do-wells and even wayward do-gooders in this entertaining and occasionally humorous glimpse into some of the town s wickedest moments.