While a Hollywood script may have obscured several details, Chester County’s real-life Johnston Gang inspired the 1986 film ‘At Close Range.’
The Johnston Gang, a real-life crime family with roots in Chester County, served as the inspiration for a classic 1980s film, writes Lauren Piestner for A&E.
The Johnston Gang, made up of family members of the Johnston family, engaged in theft and break-ins throughout the 1960s and 70s. While they were not known for violent murder, a 1978 killing rocked the community, and ultimately inspired the 1986 film At Close Range.…