Hearst, the heir to millions, was kidnapped and later arrested as an accomplice with the Symbionese Liberation Armyafter they robbed a bank in San Francisco. Baby Face didnt have a long career, killed by federal agents at the age of 25. ", "No. Mug shot of Lester Gillis, alias George Nelson, known to history as Baby Face Nelson. Despite this, he has still gotten away with over 45 armed bank robberies; an amazing feat considering that, statistically, over 65% of armed bank robbery cases in the US are solved. He used cash to buy a one-way ticket on . This time he escaped through a tunnel along with other convicts, although he was recaptured the same day. The riders escaped pursuit by a posse. Sutton was an accomplished bank robber, although he never carried a loaded gun and never killed anybody throughout his criminal career. Butch was capable of robbing a bank with nothing but a pistol, but his men have been caught before. Whilst incarcerated, he began to associate with prominent bank robbers such as John Dillinger, Harry Pierpoint and Homer Van Meter. A fellow inmate sexually assaulted him over the course of a year, until Clyde eventually cracked his skull with a metal bar. Clipping from the Minneapolis Tribune, March 14, 1934. He was shot dozens of times, and several of his fingers were blown off. Not fake talking on her phone as a distraction, but carrying on an actual conversation while slipping the teller a this is a robbery note. Dillinger was killed in Chicago in 1934, and more than 15,000 people waited in line to view his body before his internment in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana. The robbers left with $6,700 in cash, unwittingly leaving behind another $9,000 safely hidden in file cabinets. Dar Es Salaam Bank - Take the Money and Stroll. Wikimedia. The father of a man who was kidnapped was friends with President Franklin D Roosevelt, and as a result the FBI stepped up their efforts greatly to foil this type of crime. In January 1958, three brothers brandishing toy pistols robbed the Bank of Columbia in Columbia, Alabama. Whilst in prison he tried to escape with another prisoner. When talking about famous thieves, one can't leave out Albert Spaggiari. When those convictions were overturned (they had been tried together) they have tried again, in separate trials, and again both were convicted. After a bank robbery it wasnt uncommon to find Pretty Boy handing out bags of cash to people and ripping up mortgage papers also stolen from the bank. I keep telling myself that if I live to be old (over eighty) that would be a good time to try heroin or other drugs because, why not? In 1984, the First National Bank of Chattanooga in Geronimo, Oklahoma, was the site of one of the most vicious bank robberies in American history on December 14 of that year. ", "Walked in the bank and waited in line like a regular customer. One of the fake heads used by the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris bank robbers all during their 1962 escape from Alcatraz. Early in the afternoon a man entered the bank, took the staff he found there into the back, forced them to lie on the floor, and then stabbed them to death. ", "When my lawyer first brought all my paperwork to me, I noticed that the amount was $100 off for that particular bank. After the cashier reluctantly complied the men made their escape with about $32,000, most of it in gold. J.L. The story is unsupported by evidence and was probably created by Floyd, who hated the nickname Pretty Boy. A determined J Edgar Hoover had even vowed to personally arrest Karpis. John Dillinger (June 22, 1903-July 22, 1934) While the Great Depression that ravaged the 1930s created a perfect storm that propagated the country with scores of robbers looking to make an easy . Amazingly, they were never caught. Of course Chaz rarely made it to class; instead, organizing bank heists to steal more federal money. Officially the FBI considered the men dead, drowned in the cold waters off Alcatraz Island, but numerous sightings of the brothers were reported over many years in Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. On April 23, 1934, the gang were confronted by police and, during a getaway, Hamilton was wounded and died shortly after. Williams and his gang were known for being able to do bank jobs in under a minute. They were pursued by a hastily formed posse, and later by Pinkertons, but they eluded the chase. Three men entered the First National Bank and demanded that the cashier, George Nixon, open the safe and give up the gold coins within. He received a life sentence but escaped during a prison transfer. Valerio Viccei was the mastermind behind the heist that took place on July 12, 1987 and resulted in a robbery involving $66 million, worth about $154.7 million as of today. Hole in the floor Photo by Craig Sunter - Wikimedia. Several weeks later the police caught up to Andreoli in a Chester, PA diner where he was shot dead. Someone should have. The Youngers never admitted that Jesse and Frank James were part of the foiled robbery. The case eluded officials for decades, until an obituary appeared online and family secrets began to unravel. . On September 26, 1933, a total of 10 men, including . The British Bank of the Middle East robbery. Cattle rustling. Many of the crimes which were attributed to Jesse James were done so after his death, and sometimes by other criminals in the hope of throwing off pursuit. Train robberies. Each year there are approximately 3,000-4,000 bank robberies. Pity. Again, right tool for the job, that makes sense. In 2005-2006, Clay Tumey "studied and perfected the art of bank robbery", never getting caught but still going to prison about five months after his last robbery because he turned himself in, serving "three years and some change". He was arrested after being recognized during the robbery and sentenced to 10 to 20 years imprisonment, which was a very harsh sentence, indeed, for a first time offender. Guarino acted on the information given him by an employee at the World Trade Center, who also gave him his security pass. He would often flirt with female bank tellers whom he was robbing, and would also sometimes leap over the counter, a stunt he imitated from the movies. These crimes labelled Van Meter 18th on the public enemies list. The crime spree started with the robbery of the South Marion State Bank in November 1924. Athan G. Theoharis, John Stuart Cox. In April 1930, Nelson robbed his first bank and got away with $4000. Approximately a year later, the same man robbed another Spokane bank, stealing $14,000, this time setting off a dye pack that he was given. ", "I still acknowledge what I've done, but the process and experience of going to prison and finding myself (as well as a purpose in life) has really made it all worth it, relatively speaking. As it became evident that Green was paying off his debts, the townspeople began to wonder where the money had come from. Nelson was arrested for theft and joyriding at age 13, and was sent to a penal school for 18 months. I enjoyed everything about it so much that one or two weeks later Id be out looking for the next job. But it was pretty low risk that way, so that was cool with me. No deliberation. The robbers escaped in a car to a nearby town, where Bonnie Parker awaited them in another car, though in transferring between vehicles some of the money was dropped. $5 Million of it was stolen in cash while $875,000 was in Jewels and at the time of the crime made it the largest cash robbery to happen in American History. Alarm buzzers and bells, which rang loudly inside and outside of the bank, were one of the earliest. Wikimedia. January 24, 2018, Harry Pierpont Turns State Evidence In His Trial For Bank Robbery. John "Red" Hamilton. During his criminal career, which was a short and violent one, he was only accused of personally killing one individual, an East Chicago police officer, though his associates killed many more while committing robberies and eluding capture. He was jailed for four years last April. Hunter robbed his first bank when he was 86 years old. Pretty Boy Floyd believed in having the right tool for the job, which is why he always brought his machine gun to a bank job. Conrad was a 20-year-old bank teller at the Society National Bank in Cleveland when he walked . As a young man he enlisted in the US Navy, but was dishonorably discharged after he deserted. During his first brief stint in prison, the director of research wrote the following: This fellow is a criminal of the most dangerous type. The earliest recorded bank heist in the States, as far as we know, was in 1798. October 18, 2009, Baby Face Nelson. Christopher Goodwin, The Times (London). The Birds were then ordered into the vault and the two men left. After participating in numerous small time robberies, he was eventually jailed for 5 years. Jesse James. They then left the bank with about $7,000 in mostly small bills. As the sons of migrant farmworkers, they had often visited Michigan in the spring and early summer as their parents picked fruit. At this time, unemployment in the USA had risen to 25% and many more people were resorting to crime. The men beat a guard unconscious but were soon apprehended. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker left a trail of dead lawmen and bystanders in their wake during their crime spree of robbery and murder. Green was held in the Middlesex County Jail until April 1866, when he was hanged for committing the United States first armed bank robbery, and for the crime of murder. Barrow was killed instantly by a headshot and Parker, in the passenger seat, was sprayed with bullets soon afterwards. He also stole the Sheriffs new Ford car to make his getaway. Knightsbridge Security Deposit Robbery of $98 Million, 1987. FBI. Young had contacts with Confederate agents in Canada, who authorized the raid on St. Albans, which was actually the simultaneous robbery of the three banks in the town. Whether armed with guns, coordinated with a gang or using explosives, anything was on the table if it meant leaving the building with bags of money. Martinez, an attractive college student, would approach a bank teller while talking on her cell phone. Arthur was a modern day Robin Hood, providing a service for people in need by stealing. John Hamilton was hit and died shortly after. At 9:24 am, a riddle of bullets was fired by Philip after he spotted a parked police vehicle 60 meters from the building. He escaped from prison but was sentenced, in absentia, to 12-15 years behind bars. Parker was soon arrested during a botched robbery of a hardware store, although she was soon released having not been charged. Johnson was sentenced to four life sentences and Neill was again given the death penalty. One of the main things I learned from research was that an overwhelming number of people are caught because they didn't do it solo. The British Bank of the Middle East Robbery. Whilst incarcerated, he began to associate with prominent bank robbers such as John Dillinger, Harry Pierpoint and Homer Van Meter. He would simply slide a piece of paper with the word ROBBERY on it to the teller. Martinez and her boyfriend would rob 4 banks in Northern Virginia, stealing just under $50,000 before they got caught and prosecuted. Floyd was killed in an Ohio field on the night of October 22, 1934, though several different versions of the events that night emerged from the participants in the shooting and witnesses. Robbing a bank is the ultimate risk and reward, full of thrills, hard cash and consequences if caught. Pierpont was found guilty and sentenced to a minimum of ten years in the Indiana Reformatory. Here are our sources: The Canadian View of the Confederate Raid on Saint Albans. By 1909 automobiles were being used to race across the country, as did this Model T, and to rob banks. His demise finally came when he attended the Biograph Theatre, in Chicago. Descriptions of some of the robbers led to arrests and authorities learned of plans for further robberies during interrogations, but the police were unable to locate the ringleader of the group, Harry Pierpont. On a Friday in 1976, Spaggiari led a team of 20 men into the bank vault. Steven Nickel and William J. Helmer. Green was not a suspect at first, the citizens of Malden unable to believe that a man in his position was capable of such a heinous crime. One of the thieves, the one who had worn a ski mask, made it as far as Albuquerque, New Mexico before he was arrested two days following the robbery. 2002, Riding with Bonnie and Clyde. Local newspapers led the speculation that the robbery was the work of former Confederate guerrillas, others speculated that the robbers had been from Kansas, so called Redlegs who had been supportive of the Union cause during the recently concluded Civil War. Dillinger broke out, however, and Hamilton joined him once again to commit more robberies. In 1945 Sutton, along with 11 other prisoners, escaped from Eastern State in a prisoner-dug tunnel that went almost 100 feet . He was tied up with a necktie and eventually sentenced to life imprisonment, which he served in Alcatraz. Eric A. Aguilera and his accomplish Luda Ramos robbed The Soboba Casino in Las Vegas in 2005. During the sixties, Williams was linked to over 60 robberies across the East Coast and Midwest. They impersonated police officers, telling the Sheriff they had come to extradite Dillinger to Indiana. The pair robbed banks together during the 1930s. After ensuring that the teenager was alone in the bank, Green shot him in the back of the head and left with about $5,000. The trio then proceeded to rob a bank in Minnesota for $32,000. Among his associate criminals of his time, such as Baby Face Nelson, Homer Van Meter and John Red Hamilton, Dillinger was, by far, the most notorious. These criminals werent like the bank robbers of today; handing a note to a teller and escaping with $100, only to be caught the next day. 10 Things That Developed Because Of The Great Depression, Top 10 Tips From History On How You Can Survive A Depression, 10 Lesser-Known Facts About Revolutionary-Era America, 10 Ingenious Cutlery Inventions From The Victorian Era, 10 Moments In The Disturbing History Of The Jim Crow Era, Top 10 Facts And Mysteries From The Mesolithic Era, Top 10 Victorian Era Crime Solving Techniques, Top 10 Fascinating Facts And Firsts Of Historical, Top 10 High-Stakes Gamblers Who Managed to Break the Bank, 10 Controversial Toys You Might Already Have in Your Home, Ten Absolutely Vicious Fights over Inherited Fortunes, 10 Female Film Pioneers Who Shaped the Movies, Ten True Tales from Americas Toughest Prison, 10 Times Members of Secretive Societies and Organizations Spilled the Beans, 10 Common Idioms with Unexpectedly Dark Origins, 10 North American Animals with Misplaced Reputations, Top 10 Lesser Known Examples Of Mans Cruelty, 10 South African Serial Killers You Probably Dont Know, Ten Chilling Details of Already Horrific Murders, Top 10 Heartbreaking Stories About Killers On Death Row. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are among the most famous outlaws in history. John Dillinger left a bloody trail all across the Midwest.