THE Brink's-Mat robbery is one of the most notorious crimes in British history. One of his former girl friends who recalled having seen him on the night of the robbery stated that he definitely was not drunk. The thieves quickly bound the employees and began hauling away the loot. If Baker heard these rumors, he did not wait around very long to see whether they were true. Thorough inquiries were made concerning the disposition of the bags after their receipt by the Massachusetts firm. WebNahome was a "financer" and associate of the Adams family, who were also suspected of having been involved in the laundering of the Brink's-Mat gold. The truck pieces were concealed in fiber bags when found. Returning to Pennsylvania in February 1954 to stand trial, OKeefe was found guilty of burglary by the state court in McKean County on March 4, 1954. Many problems and dangers were involved in such a robbery, and the plans never crystallized. She also covered the 1950s Brinks robbery and was a medical reporter for the Boston Herald. He claimed there was a large roll of bills in his hotel roomand that he had found that money, too. For example, from a citizen in California came the suggestion that the loot might be concealed in the Atlantic Ocean near Boston. The Gold true story where are Micky McAvoy and the other Brinks customers were contacted for information regarding the packaging and shipping materials they used. Occasionally, an offender who was facing a prison term would boast that he had hot information. During this operation, a pair of glasses belonging to one of the employees was unconsciously scooped up with other items and stuffed into a bag of loot. Many of the details had previously been obtained during the intense six-year investigation. There was James Ignatius Faherty, an armed robbery specialist whose name had been mentioned in underworld conversations in January 1950, concerning a score on which the gang members used binoculars to watch their intended victims count large sums of money. An immediate effort also was made to obtain descriptive data concerning the missing cash and securities. There were recurring rumors that this hoodlum, Joseph Sylvester Banfield (pictured), had been right down there on the night of the crime. It was later claimed that most of O'Keefe's share went to his legal defense. Banfield was already dead. The truck that the robbers had used was found cut to pieces in Stoughton, Massachusetts, near O'Keefe's home. Captain Marvel mask used as a disguise in the robbery. In the end, the perfect crime had a perfect endingfor everyone but the robbers. All had been published in Boston between December 4, 1955, and February 21, 1956. Using the outside door key they had previously obtained, the men quickly entered and donned their masks. On June 2, 1950, OKeefe and Gusciora left Boston by automobile for the alleged purpose of visiting the grave of Guscioras brother in Missouri. This incident also took place in Dorchester and involved the firing of more than 30 shots. All of them wore Navy-type peacoats, gloves, and chauffeurs caps. A systematic check of current and past Brinks employees was undertaken; personnel of the three-story building housing the Brinks offices were questioned; inquiries were made concerning salesmen, messengers, and others who had called at Brinks and might know its physical layout as well as its operational procedures. This phase of the investigation was pursued exhaustively. During an interview with him in the jail in Springfield, Massachusetts, in October 1954, special agents found that the plight of the missing Boston racketeer was weighing on OKeefes mind. As a protective measure, he was incarcerated in the Hampden County jail at Springfield, Massachusetts, rather than the Suffolk County jail in Boston. Had the ground not been frozen, the person or persons who abandoned the bags probably would have attempted to bury them. In the late summer of 1944, he was released from the state prison and was taken into custody by Immigration authorities. Before the robbers could take him prisoner, the garage attendant walked away. (A detailed survey of the Boston waterfront previously had been made by the FBI.) Before fleeing with the bags of loot, the seven armed men attempted to open a metal box containing the payroll of the General Electric Company. WebA Byte Out of HistoryThe Great Brinks Robbery. More than 100 persons took the stand as witnesses for the prosecution and the defense during September 1956. He advised that he and his associate shared office space with an individual known to him only as Fat John. According to the Boston hoodlum, on the night of June 1, 1956, Fat John asked him to rip a panel from a section of the wall in the office, and when the panel was removed, Fat John reached into the opening and removed the cover from a metal container. Other members of the group came under suspicion but there was not enough evidence for an indictment, so law enforcement kept pressure on the suspects. The pardon meant that his record no longer contained the second conviction; thus, the Immigration and Naturalization Service no longer had grounds to deport him. His case had gone to the highest court in the land. When the employees were securely bound and gagged, the robbers began looting the premises. [16] At 7:10 pm, they entered the building and tied up the five employees working in the vault area. One of these officers quickly grabbed the criminals hand, and a large roll of money fell from it. The Great Brinks Robbery of 1950: Not Quite the Perfect Crime Some of the bills were in pieces. Even if released, he thought, his days were numbered. This lead was pursued intensively. From this lookout post, Costa was in a position to determine better than the men below whether conditions inside the building were favorable to the robbers. McGinnis, who had not been at the scene on the night of the robbery, received a life sentence on each of eight indictments that charged him with being an accessory before the fact in connection with the Brinks robbery. OKeefe and Gusciora reportedly had worked together on a number of occasions. It was given to him in a suitcase that was transferred to his car from an automobile occupied by McGinnis and Banfield. ), (After serving his sentence, Fat John resumed a life of crime. Where are gangsters from the Brinks-Mat robbery now? On February 5, 1950, however, a police officer in Somerville, Massachusetts, recovered one of the four revolvers that had been taken by the robbers. While some gang members remained in the building to ensure that no one detected the operation, other members quickly obtained keys to fit the locks. What Was the Brinks-Mat Robbery? | History Hit OKeefe was the principal witness to appear before the state grand jurors. The person ringing the buzzer was a garage attendant. A trial began on August 6, 1956. Yet, when he was On October 11, 1950, Gusciora was sentenced to serve from five to 20 years in the Western Pennsylvania Penitentiary at Pittsburgh. The defense immediately filed motions which would delay or prevent the trial. Brink There had been three attempts on his life in June 1954, and his frustrated assassins undoubtedly were waiting for him to return to Boston. FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. Brinks Robbery FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation On the night of January 18, 1950, OKeefe and Gusciora received $100,000 each from the robbery loot. Pino was determined to fight against deportation. Local officers searched their homes, but no evidence linking them with the truck or the robbery was found. Calumet City crime: Brinks armored truck robbery suspects On March 4, 1950, pieces of an identical truck were found at a dump in Stoughton, Massachusetts. OKeefe was bitter about a number of matters. Two weeks of comparative quiet in the gang members lives were shattered on June 5, 1954, when an attempt was made on OKeefes life. Questioned by Boston police on the day following the robbery, Baker claimed that he had eaten dinner with his family on the evening of January 17, 1950, and then left home at about 7:00 p.m. to walk around the neighborhood for about two hours. The descriptions and serial numbers of these weapons were carefully noted since they might prove a valuable link to the men responsible for the crime. He received a one-year sentence for this offense; however, on January 30, 1950, the sentence was revoked and the case was placed on file.. He was through with Pino, Baker, McGinnis, Maffie, and the other Brinks conspirators who had turned against him. OKeefes racketeer associate, who allegedly had assisted him in holding Costa for ransom and was present during the shooting scrape between OKeefe and Baker, disappeared on August 3, 1954. Even after these convictions, OKeefe and Gusciora continued to seek their release. As a guard moved to intercept him, Burke started to run. (Geagan, who was on parole at the time, left the truck before it arrived at the home in Roxbury where the loot was unloaded. And what of McGinnis himself? OKeefe was sentenced to three years in Bradford County Jail and Gusciora to 5-to-20 years in the Western State Penitentiary at Pittsburgh. From left, Sgt. Race tracks and gambling establishments also were covered in the hope of finding some of the loot in circulation. On January 12, 1953, Pino was released on bail pending a deportation hearing. The other keys in their possession enabled them to proceed to the second floor where they took the five Brinks employees by surprise. The Bureau was convinced that it had identified the actual robbers, but evidence and witnesses had to be found. The Great Brink's Robbery - Wikipedia Banfield, the driver, was alone in the front. WebInvestigators didnt know if this money was related to the Brinks-Mat robbery, but Diamond led officers to investigate the British Virgin Islands, and one accountant in particular. His records showed that he had worked on the offices early in April 1956 under instructions of Fat John. The loot could not have been hidden behind the wall panel prior to that time. The conviction for burglary in McKean County, Pennsylvania, still hung over his head, and legal fees remained to be paid. On June 19, 1958, while out on appeal in connection with a five-year narcotics sentence, he was found shot to death in an automobile that had crashed into a truck in Boston.). During this operation, one of the employees had lost his glasses; they later could not be found on the Brinks premises. Due to his criminal record, the Immigration and Naturalization Service instituted proceedings in 1941 to deport him. On August 29, 1954, the officers suspicions were aroused by an automobile that circled the general vicinity of the abandoned car on five occasions. Many other types of information were received. Despite the arrests and indictments in January 1956, more than $2,775,000, including $1,218,211.29 in cash, was still missing. Apparently suspicious, OKeefe crouched low in the front seat of his car as the would-be assassins fired bullets that pierced the windshield. The robbers removed the adhesive tape from the mouth of one employee and learned that the buzzer signified that someone wanted to enter the vault area. Much of the money taken from the money changer appeared to have been stored a long time. After being wounded on June 16, OKeefe disappeared. Two of the gang members moved toward the door to capture him; but, seeing the garage attendant walk away apparently unaware that the robbery was being committed, they did not pursue him. The hoodlum was taken to police headquarters where a search of his person disclosed he was carrying more than $1,000, including $860 in musty, worn bills. This vehicle was traced through motor vehicle records to Pino. On June 17, 1954, the Boston police arrested Elmer Trigger Burke and charged him with possession of a machine gun. Had any particles of evidence been found in the loot which might directly show that they had handled it? From their prison cells, they carefully followed the legal maneuvers aimed at gaining them freedom. The Gold - Meet the cast of the drama inspired by the true story WebGordon John Parry, Brian Perry, Patrick Clark, Jean Savage and Anthony Black were all given between five and 10 years in prison for their part in the crime. Only $58,000 of the $2.7 million was recovered. [18] The total amount stolen was $1,218,211 in cash and $1,557,183 in checks and other securities. [16] Brink's, Inc. offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in the robbery, with an additional 5% of recovered cash offered by the insurance company. Through the interviews of persons in the vicinity of the Brinks offices on the evening of January 17, 1950, the FBI learned that a 1949 green Ford stake-body truck with a canvas top had been parked near the Prince Street door of Brinks at approximately the time of the robbery. [14] Over a period of several months, the robbers removed each lock from the building and had a key made for it, before returning the lock. Brink's Veteran criminals throughout the United States found their activities during mid-January the subject of official inquiry. Adolph Maffie was convicted and sentenced to nine months for income tax evasion. As long as he was in prison, he could do no physical harm to his Boston criminal associates. Adding to these problems was the constant pressure being exerted upon Pino by OKeefe from the county jail in Towanda, Pennsylvania. The hideout also was found to contain more than $5,000 in coins. In April 1950, the FBI received information indicating that part of the Brinks loot was hidden in the home of a relative of OKeefe in Boston. If local hoodlums were involved, it was difficult to believe that McGinnis could be as ignorant of the crime as he claimed. After nearly three years of investigation, the government hoped that witnesses or participants who had remained mute for so long a period of time might find their tongues before the grand jury. While the theft was originally intended to be a burglary, rather than an armed robbery, they could not find a way around the building's burglar alarm. Costa claimed that after working at the motor terminal until approximately 5:00 p.m. on January 17, 1950, he had gone home to eat dinner; then, at approximately 7:00 p.m., he left to return to the terminal and worked until about 9:00 p.m. Faherty had been questioned on the night of the robbery. Between 1950 and 1954, the underworld occasionally rumbled with rumors that pressure was being exerted upon Boston hoodlums to contribute money for these criminals legal fight against the charges in Pennsylvania. The criminal explained that he was in the contracting business in Boston and that in late March or early April 1956, he stumbled upon a plastic bag containing this money while he was working on the foundation of a house. As a cooperative measure, the information gathered by the FBI in the Brinks investigation was made available to the District Attorney of Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Speaking on film for the first time since the robbery almost 40 years ago, Detective Chief Superintendent Brian Boyce, head of the investigation and DC Tony Yeoman, disclose the challenges they faced and the strategy they used in [14] They each wore a chauffeur cap, pea coat, rubber Halloween mask, and each had a .38 caliber revolver. Prominent among the other strong suspects was Vincent James Costa, brother-in-law of Pino. This is good money, he said, but you cant pass it around here in Boston.. All right, he told two FBI agents, what do you want to know?. Each robbers face was completely concealed behind a Halloween-type mask. During the regular exercise period, Burke separated himself from the other prisoners and moved toward a heavy steel door leading to the solitary confinement section. Extensive efforts were made to detect pencil markings and other notations on the currency that the criminals thought might be traceable to Brinks. Robinson died in a London Banfield had been a close associate of McGinnis for many years. Later, when he counted the money, he found that the suitcase contained $98,000. A federal search warrant was obtained, and the home was searched by agents on April 27, 1950. Born in Italy in 1907, Pino was a young child when he entered the United States, but he never became a naturalized citizen. Why the $20M Pearson airport gold heist was likely an inside job As the robbers sped from the scene, a Brinks employee telephoned the Boston Police Department. WebThe Brinks Robbery The idea for the heist came from Joseph Big Joe McGinniss, but career criminal Anthony Fats Pino. Both men remained mute following their arrests. A passerby might notice that it was missing. The door opened, and an armed masked man wearing a prison guard-type uniform commanded the guard, Back up, or Ill blow your brains out. Burke and the armed man disappeared through the door and fled in an automobile parked nearby. He told the interviewing agents that he trusted Maffie so implicitly that he gave the money to him for safe keeping. Thirteen people were detained in the hours following the robbery, including two former employees of Brink's. Members of the Purple Gang of the 1930s found that there was renewed interest in their activities. All five employees had been forced at gunpoint to lie face down on the floor. Less than $60,000 of the more than $2.7 million stolen would ever be recovered. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. At the centre of The Gold are the detective Brian Boyce, played by Hugh Bonneville, and Kenneth Noye, played by Jack Lowden. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Subsequently, this machine gun was identified as having been used in the attempt on OKeefes life. Here, we look at the people involved and where they are now. Faherty and Richardson fled to avoid apprehension and subsequently were placed on the list of the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. During the period in which Pinos deportation troubles were mounting, OKeefe completed his sentence at Towanda, Pennsylvania. This man, subsequently identified as a small-time Boston underworld figure, was located and questioned. In a report which was released on January 16, 1953, the grand jury disclosed that its members did not feel they possessed complete, positive information as to the identify of the participants in the Brinks robbery because (1) the participants were effectively disguised; (2) there was a lack of eyewitnesses to the crime itself; and (3) certain witnesses refused to give testimony, and the grand jury was unable to compel them to do so. Early in June 1956, however, an unexpected break developed. Their plan was to enter the Brinks building and take a truck containing payrolls. Adolph Maffie, who had been convicted of income tax violation in June 1954, was released from the Federal Corrections Institution at Danbury, Connecticut, on January 30, 1955. He was granted a full pardon by the acting governor of Massachusetts. While the officer and amusement arcade operator were talking to him, the hoodlum reached into his pocket, quickly withdrew his hand again and covered his hand with a raincoat he was carrying. In September 1949, Pinos efforts to evade deportation met with success. It was reported that on May 18, 1954, OKeefe and his racketeer associate took Vincent Costa to a hotel room and held him for several thousand dollars ransom. O'Keefe pleaded guilty January 18. The Boston underworld rumbled with reports that an automobile had pulled alongside OKeefes car in Dorchester, Massachusetts, during the early morning hours of June 5. The other gang members would not talk. WebThe series stars Hugh Bonneville as Brian Boyce, the detective chief inspector on the case, and the cast also includes Jack Lowden, Adam Nagaitis, Tom Cullen and Dominic They spent about twenty minutes inside the vault, putting money into large canvas bags. The month preceding January 17, 1950, witnessed approximately a half-dozen approaches to Brinks. Livvy standing in the middle of two masked people involved in kidnap gangs. The amusement arcade operator told the officer that he had followed the man who passed this $10.00 bill to a nearby tavern. Shortly thereafterduring the first week of Novembera 1949 green Ford stake-body truck was reported missing by a car dealer in Boston. During these weeks, OKeefe renewed his association with a Boston racketeer who had actively solicited funds for the defense of OKeefe and Gusciora in 1950. The serial numbers of several of these bills were furnished to the FBI Office in Baltimore. During these approaches, Costaequipped with a flashlight for signaling the other men was stationed on the roof of a tenement building on Prince Street overlooking Brinks. Even Pino, whose deportation troubles then were a heavy burden, was arrested by the Boston police in August 1954. This article is about the 1950 robbery. A Secret Service agent, who had been summoned by the Baltimore officers, arrived while the criminal was being questioned at the police headquarters, and after examining the money found in the bill changers possession, he certified that it was not counterfeit. From Boston, the pressure quickly spread to other cities. Allegedly, other members of the Brinks gang arranged for OKeefe to be paid a small part of the ransom he demanded, and Costa was released on May 20, 1954. WebMore than 6,000 gold bars were stolen in the robbery from a warehouse on the outskirts of Heathrow on 26 November, 1983. At the Prison Colony, Baker was serving two concurrent terms of four to ten years, imposed in 1944 for breaking and entering and larceny and for possession of burglar tools. At the time of Bakers release in 1949, Pino was on hand to drive him back to Boston. After these plans were reviewed and found to be unhelpful, OKeefe and Gusciora returned them in the same manner. Immediately upon leaving, the gang loaded the loot into the truck that was parked on Prince Street near the door. All were denied, and the impaneling of the jury was begun on August 7. WebJudith Clark was paroled in 2019 after then Gov. Livvy Haydock: 'Disabled gangsters supported me with my MS The $2.775 million ($31.3 million today) theft consisted of $1,218,211.29 in cash and $1,557,183.83 in checks, money orders, and other securities. The robbery remained unsolved for nearly six years, until estranged group member Joseph O'Keefe testified only days before the statute of limitations would have expired. An official website of the United States government. While action to appeal the convictions was being taken on their behalf, the eight men were removed to the State prison at Walpole, Massachusetts. At 4:20 p.m. on January 6, 1956, OKeefe made the final decision. An appeal was promptly noted, and he was released on $15,000 bond. None of these materialized because the gang did not consider the conditions to be favorable. In the succeeding two weeks, nearly 1,200 prospective jurors were eliminated as the defense counsel used their 262 peremptory challenges. While Maffie claimed that part of the money had been stolen from its hiding place and that the remainder had been spent in financing OKeefes legal defense in Pennsylvania, other gang members accused Maffie of blowing the money OKeefe had entrusted to his care. By this time, Baker was suffering from a bad case of nerves. First, there was the money. The robbers carefully planned routine inside Brinks was interrupted only when the attendant in the adjoining Brinks garage sounded the buzzer. Since he claimed to have met no one and to have stopped nowhere during his walk, he actually could have been doing anything on the night of the crime. John Palmer: How Brinks-Mat millions came to Bedminster Each of them had surreptitiously entered the premises on several occasions after the employees had left for the day. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. After weighing the arguments presented by the attorneys for the eight convicted criminals, the State Supreme Court turned down the appeals on July 1, 1959, in a 35-page decision written by the Chief Justice. All but Pino and Banfield stepped out and proceeded into the playground to await Costas signal. The last false approach took place on January 16, 1950the night before the robbery.
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