Elizabeth Eden

Who was Elizabeth Eden?

Elizabeth Debbie Eden was an American trans woman whose notoriety came through her boyfriend John Wojtowicz. Wojtowicz attempted a bank robbery to pay for her sex reassignment surgery. The incident was made into the 1975 crime drama-comedy film Dog Day Afternoon directed by Sidney Lumet. The character Leon Shermer, played by Chris Sarandon, is loosely based on Eden.

Eden and Wojtowicz had a public wedding ceremony in 1971. Following a series of suicide attempts Eden went into a psychiatric institution.

The following year, on August 22, 1972, was Wojtowicz's attempted robbery of a Chase Manhattan bank branch in Brooklyn, New York. Eden was not aware of the plans. After the failed heist, Wojtowicz was sentenced to 20 years, although he was released in April 1978. The film shows Sonny making out a will to give Leon his life insurance so that even if he is killed, she might still be able to pay for the operation. The real-life Wojtowicz was paid $7500, plus 1% of the film's net profits for the rights to his story, from which he gave to Eden enough to pay for her sexual reassignment surgery.

Eden, born in Ozone Park, Queens, died of AIDS-related pneumonia, aged 41, in Rochester, New York. Wojtowicz died of cancer in January 2006.