Stuck-up at brunch

I waitressed at the Brigham’s in Kenmore Square in 1973 to ’74. We opened at 8 a.m. for breakfast and closed after the lunch crowd.

Late one morning, I stood at the soda bar as I mixed Cokes for two college kids. I looked up to see a man at the register flip open his raincoat and pull up a sawed-off shotgun. Only as I returned to serve the Cokes did it hit me: “Oh, my gosh, we’re being robbed.”

Because it was too early for the lunch crowd to have paid, both the till and the safe offered slim pickings.

So, one brigand with a small gun and one with the shotgun began going through the bags of customers demanding wallets and purses. I hid my tips — maybe $1.75.

No one realized when a busboy slipped downstairs and out a rear door. He had a nearby business call police.

Inside, all were mesmerized by the hopped-up robbers who were bullying patrons, as the two men tediously worked their way through the 25 to 30 customers.

When I heard police sirens, it didn’t register that they would be coming to us.

But it did with the bandits, who took off out the door.

I later learned that the one with the shotgun sprayed a police officer in the leg and lower torso with buckshot.

I doubt they garnered more than $100. Both were caught.

The officer sustained permanent injuries.