Back in the early 1900s into the 1980s before all the synthetic Coats and when women where more into wearing stylish clothing . With the harsh winters of Pittsburgh many wore Fur Coats and or stoles
Those during summer time who could afford it would pay to have them safely stored in a cold storage vault to help preserve them from drying out and deteriorating .
The Numerous Dry Cleaning Stores that where around before Non Wrinkling easy clean business clothing came out had signs saying. " Please allow Us to safely store your fur Items this summer in our secure vaults "
Also Furriers who sold Fur Coats would offer summer storage as well. At one time downtown Pittsburgh had several fur stores now their is only one.
Since fur has fallen out of favor due to easier to care for fabrics and animal abuse activists
Of course not every store had a vault it was a gimmick just like all the Drug Stores that all developed film Before they acquired Mini Labs.
The stores 3rd party contracted it out.
In the case of Furs it was the Pittsburgh Fur Cold Storage Company
They had this very old Dark green box truck with no name on it and a yellow sign on back doors warning that a BABACO Alarm System was in use .
A lot of people thought the signs where a joke but this is a very old line prestigious company that designed and protected valuable loads around the USA and world
This truck quietly went around Pittsburgh neighborhood shops picking up the furs then
ended up backing into a buildings basement from a back alley at the corner of Baum and Bigelow Boulevard . Now a Real estate office where all signs of the garage are gone now just a glass entry way
but you can see how it sloped downward into basement
Once in the garage they where unloaded and Furs where carefully examined repaired if requested put into protective sleeve or box and stored in a vault with the hundreds of other coats .
I only knew about this place because I worked for Holmes Protection in 1980 for a short time before starting my own alarm business out of disgust how they ran theirs.
I was with my assigned trainer Stanley that warm summer night when we pulled up to the building which had a furrier upstairs who sold fur coats .With no idea what went on down below .
We walked inside and where lead to the very large basement with several vault's where we repaired the burglar alarm system that protected them overnight .
It was one of many Hidden businesses operating in the back alleys of Pittsburgh quietly minding its business and providing a needed service.
That was till late 80s one late afternoon 2 men stole the fur truck as it was sitting outside the garage and got away with some of the furs.
Like the Purolator Armored car garage and vault robbery they tried to keep it hushed up but they could not and the cat was out of the bag .
But by then Fur industry was on its way out and by the early to mid 90s the business appears to no longer exist.
An extensive internet search has yet to provide details of the theft or the business .
But its one of those unique crimes which happened in Pittsburgh area. Now long forgotten.
Hopefully i will eventually find more information and be able to present it.
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