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From their prison cells, they carefully followed the legal maneuvers aimed at gaining them freedom. Of the $4,822 found in the small-time criminals possession, FBI agents identified $4,635 as money taken by the Brinks robbers. Despite the fact that substantial amounts of money were being spent by members of the robbery gang during 1954, in defending themselves against legal proceedings alone, the year ended without the location of any bills identifiable as part of the Brinks loot. Their hands were tied behind their backs and adhesive tape was placed over their mouths. 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. OKeefe had left his hotel at approximately 7:00 p.m. Pino and Baker separately decided to go out at 7:00 p.m. Costa started back to the motor terminal at about 7:00 p.m. Other principal suspects were not able to provide very convincing accounts of their activities that evening. Before removing the remainder of the loot from the house on January 18, 1950, the gang members attempted to identify incriminating items. Two of the prime suspects whose nerve and gun-handling experience suited them for the Brinks robbery were Joseph James OKeefe and Stanley Albert Gusciora. The FBIs analysis of the alibis offered by the suspects showed that the hour of 7:00 p.m. on January 17, 1950, was frequently mentioned. 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. On June 12, 1950, they were arrested at Towanda, Pennsylvania, and guns and clothing that were the loot from burglaries at Kane and Coudersport, Pennsylvania, were found in their possession. On the evening of January 17, 1950, employees of the security firm Brinks, Inc., in Boston, Massachusetts, were closing for the day, returning sacks of undelivered cash, checks, and other. Stanley Gusciora (pictured left), who had been transferred to Massachusetts from Pennsylvania to stand trial, was placed under medical care due to weakness, dizziness, and vomiting. Pino was determined to fight against deportation. Banfield drove the truck to the house of Maffies parents in Roxbury. Democrat and Chronicle. Continuous investigation, however, had linked him with the gang. The thieves quickly bound the employees and began hauling away the loot. . On June 2, 1950, OKeefe and Gusciora left Boston by automobile for the alleged purpose of visiting the grave of Guscioras brother in Missouri. They were checked against serial numbers of bills known to have been included in the Brinks loot, and it was determined that the Boston criminal possessed part of the money that had been dragged away by the seven masked gunmen on January 17, 1950. During questioning by the FBI, the money changer stated that he was in business as a mason contractor with another man on Tremont Street in Boston. Each carried a pair of gloves. Through long weeks of empty promises of assistance and deliberate stalling by the gang members, he began to realize that his threats were falling on deaf ears. During November and December 1949, the approach to the Brinks building and the flight over the getaway route were practiced to perfection. Pino had been questioned as to his whereabouts on the evening of January 17, 1950, and he provided a good alibi. On November 16, 1959, the United States Supreme Court denied a request of the defense counsel for a writ of certiorari. Interviewed again on December 28, 1955, he talked somewhat more freely, and it was obvious that the agents were gradually winning his respect and confidence. They put the entire $200,000 in the trunk of OKeefes automobile. As the loot was being placed in bags and stacked between the second and third doors leading to the Prince Street entrance, a buzzer sounded. Since Brinks was located in a heavily populated tenement section, many hours were consumed in interviews to locate persons in the neighborhood who might possess information of possible value. Serious consideration originally had been given to robbing Brinks in 1947, when Brinks was located on Federal Street in Boston. On the afternoon of August 28, 1954, Trigger Burke escaped from the Suffolk County jail in Boston, where he was being held on the gun-possession charge arising from the June 16 shooting of OKeefe. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Then the lock cylinders were replaced. The truck pieces were concealed in fiber bags when found. Three years later, almost to the day, these ten men, together with another criminal, were to be indicted by a state grand jury in Boston for the Brinks robbery. Apparently suspicious, OKeefe crouched low in the front seat of his car as the would-be assassins fired bullets that pierced the windshield. As this bag was being emptied later that evening, the glasses were discovered and destroyed by the gang. The officer verified the meeting. Following the robbery, authorities attempted unsuccessfully to locate him at the hotel. In its determination to overlook no possibility, the FBI contacted various resorts throughout the United States for information concerning persons known to possess unusually large sums of money following the robbery. The BBC has greenlit a documentary telling the real story of the 26M ($31.2M) Brink's-Mat robbery spotlighted in Neil Forsyth drama The Gold. Inside the building, the gang members carefully studied all available information concerning Brinks schedules and shipments. More than $7 million was stolen in a brazen holdup at a Brink's armored car service in Rochester in 1993. The series surrounds the 1983 Brink's-Mat robbery in which 26 million (equivalent to 93.3 million in 2021) worth of gold bullion, diamonds, and cash were stolen from a storehouse near Heathrow Airport. As a protective measure, he was incarcerated in the Hampden County jail at Springfield, Massachusetts, rather than the Suffolk County jail in Boston. Terry Perkins. The group were led . Terry Perkins celebrated his 67th birthday on the weekend of the Hatton Garden job, exactly 32 years after he'd taken part in another gigantic Easter raid: the 6 million armed robbery of a London security depot. On November 26, 1983, six armed robbers broke into the Brink-Mat security depot near Heathrow Airport in hopes of stealing 3.2 million in cash. The ninth man had long been a principal suspect. California thieves pulled off a heist straight out of "Ocean's 11'' swiping up to $150 million in jewels from a Brink's armored truck as it drove from one convention show to . Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. On June 4, 1956 a man named "Fat John" admitted he had money that was linked to the Brink's robbery in his possession. But according to the ruling filed in B.C., Brinks paid the money back immediately after the victim bank notified the company that a robbery had occurred making use of "keys, access codes and . Micky McAvoy, believed by police to be the mastermind behind the robbery, was arrested ten days after the robbery. Another week passedand approximately 500 more citizens were consideredbefore the 14-member jury was assembled. Many tips were received from anonymous persons. The group were led . A new BBC crime drama series follows the gripping twists and turns of what was dubbed the "crime of the century" in the 1980s. A 32-year-old Cuban immigrant living in Miami, Karls Monzon was . It unleashed a trail of eight murders and a global hunt for. CHICAGO (CBS) - A woman has been charged after more than $100,000 was stolen from Brinks truck outside Edgewater bank on Monday afternoon. In the series Edwyn Cooper (played by Dominic Cooper) is a lawyer who gets involved in the robbery, deciding he wants to earn some big bucks. The men had thought they were robbing a sum of foreign money, but instead found three tonnes of gold bullion (6,800 ingots), with a value of 26 million back then, around 100 million today. Micky McAvoy, who masterminded the 1983 robbery of 26million from Brinks-Mat's Heathrow depot, has died aged 70 and never got his hands on the money stolen in the mega-heist The conviction for burglary in McKean County, Pennsylvania, still hung over his head, and legal fees remained to be paid. First, there was the money. Faherty had been questioned on the night of the robbery. There are still suspicions among some readers that the late Tom O'Connor, a retired cop who worked Brinks security during the robbery, was a key player, despite his acquittal on robbery charges at . The team of burglars bypassed the truck's locking mechanism and used the storage containers to haul away precious gems, gold and other valuables. Pino previously had arranged for this man to keep his shop open beyond the normal closing time on nights when Pino requested him to do so. All but Pino and Banfield stepped out and proceeded into the playground to await Costas signal. The Gold: The Inside Story will hear from the . The trip from the liquor store in Roxbury to the Brinks offices could be made in about 15 minutes. He claimed he had been drinking in various taverns from approximately 5:10 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. Three of the remaining five gang members were previously accounted for, OKeefe and Gusciora being in prison on other charges and Banfield being dead. Members of the Purple Gang of the 1930s found that there was renewed interest in their activities. OKeefe claimed that he left his hotel room in Boston at approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 17, 1950. When the robbers decided that they needed a truck, it was resolved that a new one must be stolen because a used truck might have distinguishing marks and possibly would not be in perfect running condition. (Investigation to substantiate this information resulted in the location of the proprietor of a key shop who recalled making keys for Pino on at least four or five evenings in the fall of 1949. An official website of the United States government. On 26 November, 1983, six armed men did break into the Brink's-Mat security depot near Heathrow Airport expecting to find around 1m in pesetas. What happened to the other half of the Brink's-Mat gold? 26 million (equivalent to 93.3 million in 2021 [1]) worth of gold bullion, diamonds, and cash was stolen from a warehouse operated by Brink's-Mat, a former joint . Pino was known in the underworld as an excellent case man, and it was said that the casing of the Brinks offices bore his trademark.. Shortly after these two guns were found, one of them was placed in a trash barrel and was taken to the city dump. Before the robbers could take him prisoner, the garage attendant walked away. Two other men, ex-Brink's guard Thomas O'Connor and unemployed teacher Charles McCormick, were acquitted. In the end, the perfect crime had a perfect endingfor everyone but the robbers. While action to appeal the convictions was being taken on their behalf, the eight men were removed to the State prison at Walpole, Massachusetts. A thorough investigation was made concerning his whereabouts on the evening of January 17, 1950. Within minutes, theyd stolen more than $1.2 million in cash and another $1.5 million in checks and other securities, making it the largest robbery in the U.S. at the time. A federal search warrant was obtained, and the home was searched by agents on April 27, 1950. Brian Robinson was arrested in December 1983 after Stephen Black - the security guard who let the robbers into the Brink's-Mat warehouse, and Robinson's brother-in-law - named him to police. Following the federal grand jury hearings, the FBIs intense investigation continued. He ran a gold and jewellery dealing company, Scadlynn Ltd, in Bristol with business partners Garth Victor Chappell and Terence Edward James Patch. Apparently, they had planned a leisurely trip with an abundance of extracurricular activities.. If local hoodlums were involved, it was difficult to believe that McGinnis could be as ignorant of the crime as he claimed. Thieves vanished after stealing $2.7 million, leaving few clues. The Brink's-Mat robbery remains to this day one of Britain's biggest and most audacious heists. Before his trial in McKean County, he was released on $17,000 bond. At 6:30am, six armed robbers from a south London gang entered the premises of the Brink's-Mat warehouse at Heathrow. On April 11, 1955, the Supreme Court ruled that Pinos conviction in 1948 for larceny (the sentence that was revoked and the case placed on file) had not attained such finality as to support an order of deportation. Thus, Pino could not be deported. The Transit's heavily armed occupants had stolen the bullion less than an hour earlier from the Brink's-Mat security warehouse 12 miles away at Heathrow. Within two months of his return, another member of the gang suffered a legal setback. 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. After being wounded on June 16, OKeefe disappeared. The other keys in their possession enabled them to proceed to the second floor where they took the five Brinks employees by surprise. Jewelers report over $100 million in losses after Brinks armored truck robbed in California. One of his former girl friends who recalled having seen him on the night of the robbery stated that he definitely was not drunk. Even after these convictions, OKeefe and Gusciora continued to seek their release. In the late summer of 1944, he was released from the state prison and was taken into custody by Immigration authorities. The FBI further learned that four revolvers had been taken by the gang. Even if released, he thought, his days were numbered. This occurred while he was in the state prison at Charlestown, Massachusetts, serving sentences for breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony and for having burglar tools in his possession. The FBI also succeeded in locating the carpenter who had remodeled the offices where the loot was hidden. The last false approach took place on January 16, 1950the night before the robbery. In the back were Pino, OKeefe, Baker, Faherty, Maffie, Gusciora, Michael Vincent Geagan (pictured), and Thomas Francis Richardson. Thus, when he and Gusciora were taken into custody by state authorities during the latter part of January 1950, OKeefe got word to McGinnis to recover his car and the $200,000 that it contained. Two died before they were tried. (Geagan and Richardson, known associates of other members of the gang, were among the early suspects. 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. In 1997, Loomis Fargo employee David Ghantt robbed the armored car company of $17 million. An automobile identified as the car used in the escape was located near a Boston hospital, and police officers concealed themselves in the area. When the pieces of the 1949 green Ford stake-body truck were found at the dump in Stoughton on March 4, 1950, additional emphasis was placed on the investigations concerning them. In the years following a shared event, like an assassination, everyone remembers where they were when it happened. Neither had too convincing an alibi. On November 26, 1981, six armed men from South London broke into the Brink's-Mat warehouse near London Heathrow. Baker fled and the brief meeting adjourned. In addition to mold, insect remains also were found on the loot. Shortly thereafterduring the first week of Novembera 1949 green Ford stake-body truck was reported missing by a car dealer in Boston. Mutulu Shakur, born Jeral Wayne Williams, is serving a 60-year sentence for organizing multiple bank and armored car robberies in New York and Connecticut. Examination revealed the cause of his death to be a brain tumor and acute cerebral edema. 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. On November, 26, 1983, three tonnes of solid gold bullion was taken by six armed robbers from the Brink's-Mat security depot near . Some of the jewelry might. All right, he told two FBI agents, what do you want to know?. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 1984 for involvement in the Brink's Mat job. Much of the money taken from the money changer appeared to have been stored a long time. They did not expect to. In examining the bill, a Federal Reserve note, the officer observed that it was in musty condition. They had brought no tools with them, however, and they were unsuccessful. He was certain he would be considered a strong suspect and wanted to begin establishing an alibi immediately.) OKeefe was bitter about a number of matters. OKeefe paid his respects to other members of the Brinks gang in Boston on several occasions in the spring of 1954, and it was obvious to the agents handling the investigation that he was trying to solicit money. Thorough inquiries were made concerning the disposition of the bags after their receipt by the Massachusetts firm. Then, there was the fact that so much dead wood was includedMcGinnis, Banfield, Costa, and Pino were not in the building when the robbery took place. During the preceding year, however, he had filed a petition for pardon in the hope of removing one of the criminal convictions from his record. Had the ground not been frozen, the person or persons who abandoned the bags probably would have attempted to bury them. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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.. Fat John announced that each of the packages contained $5,000. Before the robbery was carried out, all of the participants were well acquainted with the Brinks premises. The Brinks Mat Robbery: The real story that inspired The Gold. On March 4, 1950, pieces of an identical truck were found at a dump in Stoughton, Massachusetts. It was used by the defense counsel in preparing a 294-page brief that was presented to the Massachusetts State Supreme Court. 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. Pino also was linked with the robbery, and there was every reason to suspect that OKeefe felt Pino was turning his back on him now that OKeefe was in jail. The Brink's truck was robbed in the early morning . On September 8, 1950, OKeefe was sentenced to three years in the Bradford County jail at Towanda and fined $3,000 for violation of the Uniform Firearms Act. A second shooting incident occurred on the morning of June 14, 1954, in Dorchester, Massachusetts, when OKeefe and his racketeer friend paid a visit to Baker. The detainer involved OKeefes violation of probation in connection with a conviction in 1945 for carrying concealed weapons. Almost. It was called the crime of the century, the largest heist in US history, an almost perfect robbery. Rumors from the underworld pointed suspicion at several criminal gangs. Two days before Maffies release, another strong suspect died of natural causes. (A detailed survey of the Boston waterfront previously had been made by the FBI.) This cooler contained more than $57,700, including $51,906 which was identifiable as part of the Brinks loot. As a guard moved to intercept him, Burke started to run. The Brink's cargo trailer was. Since the robbery had taken place between approximately 7:10 and 7:27 p.m., it was quite probable that a gang, as well drilled as the Brinks robbers obviously were, would have arranged to rendezvous at a specific time. 00:29. "A search warrant was executed in Boston covering the Tremont Street offices occupied by the three men" (FBI). The stolen 6,800 gold ingots, diamonds and cash would be worth 100million today. At 10:25 p.m. on October 5, 1956, the jury retired to weigh the evidence. During the period in which Pinos deportation troubles were mounting, OKeefe completed his sentence at Towanda, Pennsylvania. OKeefe was the principal witness to appear before the state grand jurors. After completing its hearings on January 9, 1953, the grand jury retired to weigh the evidence. At the time of his arrest, there also was a charge of armed robbery outstanding against him in Massachusetts. The new proceedings were based upon the fact that Pino had been arrested in December 1948 for a larceny involving less than $100. What Happened To The Brinks Mat Robbery? Costa was associated with Pino in the operation of a motor terminal and a lottery in Boston. Both had served prison sentences, and both were well known to underworld figures on the East Coast. In addition, although violent dissension had developed within the gang, there still was no indication that any of the men were ready to talk. Based on the available information, however, the FBI felt that OKeefes disgust was reaching the point where it was possible he would turn against his confederates. On October 20, 1981, members of the Black Liberation Army robbed a Brink's truck at the Nanuet Mall. 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. Two of the participants in the Brinks robbery lived in the Stoughton area. The person ringing the buzzer was a garage attendant. The. All efforts to identify the persons responsible for the theft and the persons who had cut up the truck were unsuccessful. He was granted a full pardon by the acting governor of Massachusetts. It ultimately proved unproductive. Shortly after 6.40am, six armed robbers in balaclavas entered a warehouse at Heathrow airport belonging to security company Brink's-Mat. During the trip from Roxbury, Pino distributed Navy-type peacoats and chauffeurs caps to the other seven men in the rear of the truck. The serial numbers of several of these bills were furnished to the FBI Office in Baltimore. After these plans were reviewed and found to be unhelpful, OKeefe and Gusciora returned them in the same manner. After each interview, FBI agents worked feverishly into the night checking all parts of his story which were subject to verification. The loot was quickly unloaded, and Banfield sped away to hide the truck. That prison term, together with Pinos conviction in March 1928 for carnal abuse of a girl, provided the basis for the deportation action. 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. The heist happened on Prince Street in Boston's North End on Jan. 17, 1950. The police officer said he had been talking to McGinnis first, and Pino arrived later to join them. At approximately 7:30 p.m. on June 3, 1956, an officer of the Baltimore, Maryland, Police Department was approached by the operator of an amusement arcade. The wall partition described by the Boston criminal was located in Fat Johns office, and when the partition was removed, a picnic-type cooler was found. All had been published in Boston between December 4, 1955, and February 21, 1956. It appeared to him that he would spend his remaining days in prison while his co-conspirators would have many years to enjoy the luxuries of life. This was a question which preyed heavily upon their minds. His case had gone to the highest court in the land. Mr. Gilbert was 37 on the day of the attack, Oct. 20, 1981, when nearly $1.6 million in cash was stolen from an armored Brink's car outside the Nanuet Mall near Nyack. Perhaps most remarkable, its mastermind didn't even have a criminal record when he planned it out. From Boston, the pressure quickly spread to other cities. They stole 26 million in gold bullion - the biggest robbery of . He was not able to provide a specific account, claiming that he became drunk on New Years Eve and remained intoxicated through the entire month of January. The planning and practice had a military intensity to them; the attention to detail including the close approximation of the uniform of the Brinks guards was near . In the hope that a wide breach might have developed between the two criminals who were in jail in Pennsylvania and the gang members who were enjoying the luxuries of a free life in Massachusetts, FBI agents again visited Gusciora and OKeefe. From interviews with the five employees whom the criminals had confronted, it was learned that between five and seven robbers had entered the building. After the truck parts were found, additional suspicion was attached to these men. The robbers carefully planned routine inside Brinks was interrupted only when the attendant in the adjoining Brinks garage sounded the buzzer. Like Gusciora, OKeefe was known to have associated with Pino prior to the Brinks robbery. They were held in lieu of bail which, for each man, amounted to more then $100,000.