5. The gang soon became one of the most formidable in the country, brutally murdering anyone who stood in their way as they robbed banks, even innocent bystanders. He also participated in many high profile bank robberies until his death at the Battle of Barrington. He was never caught and the loot from the heist was never found. He was famous for his likable personality and charm. 7. . In addition, banks lost an estimated $482 million due to robberies. 2013, Bank Robbers In Motorcar. James started as a soldier in the Civil War and then, after the war was over, set out to knock off financial institutions to become rich. He ended up being sentenced to a long prison term for a train robbery. For a short while, Nelson was number one on the FBI list of public enemies. Because no bodies were ever found, the US Marshal service still considers the escape to be an open case. In Indiana, Van Meter robbed a police station with Dillinger. He was later transferred to the State Prison, where he worked out an escape plan with John Dillinger. Anyway, here are the stories of five famous bank robberies. For most of the shootout, the deputies had been outgunned by the bank robbers and changes to the arming of the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department were the direct result of the gun battles following the robbery. Whichever teller was available to help me is the one I robbed. After being on the run for two years, Nelson robbed his first major bank. The surveillance footage was issued worldwide via news channels, giving Martinez instant bank robber street cred as well as notoriety she probably didnt want. You can reach David on Twitter @david_s_grant and his website www.pulpscribbler.com. He was paroled in 1932, and began to commit small time robberies with Parker. One of the largest bank robberies of all time was committed without the use of force, without any injuries, and without any real chance of catching the perpetrators or recovering the missing cash. Barrow was armed with a sawed-off shotgun. I got out before the doors were locked, but a guy walking into the bank seconds later already found them locked. The most famous aspect of the Lamm Technique was casing the bank before the robbery, and planning getaway routes so as to leave nothing to chance. 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. I have tried to rank in order of reputation and skill. Bank of Bangladesh Cyber Robbery ($81M) North Korean hackers attempted to steal $1B from the . 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. " Will Rogers (1879-1935) " Rev. They were both convicted of the crimes in 1985 and sentenced to death for capital murder and several other crimes in connection with the robbery. One of the most famous bank robbers in American History, "Slick Willie" spent 11 years at Eastern State Penitentiary. 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. The British Bank of the Middle East robbery. No one pulled off more armed robberies in New York since Mikhaylich started his holiday spree in 2009. The heist inspired three films: 10 Million Dollar Getaway, the Big Heist, and Goodfellas. ", On the final job that didn't go as planned, "The teller freaked out as soon as I turned to leave the bank. However, this was invented by a reporter who never even interviewed Sutton. They killed at least nine people during their spree, including civilians. It's hard to regret something that has turned into something so good.". After numerous convictions were attained using his information he entered the Witness Protection Program. Tulsa World. The pair and their group were famous for carrying thefts from trains and banks. J. Edgar Hoover exploited the rash of bank robberies during the Great Depression to increase the authority of the FBI and his own personal influence. What was also known to most of the towns residents was that Green was heavily in debt, and the postmaster position, which was a political patronage job, provided an income which was insufficient for Green to pay his debts. Taking place in Tokyo, it was the greatest bank job in the history of Japan. On a Friday in 1976, Spaggiari led a team of 20 men into the bank vault. June 28, 2009, Family plot: Pretty Boy Floyd relative recalls his infamous uncle. To pull it off, a 25-member gang set up a fake landscaping business. As great of a criminal as Butch Cassidy was, there are still questions as to how he died. The robbery had yielded a haul of about $20,000, most of which was recovered and the three surviving robbers were convicted of 46 felonies for their crimes, and all three were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It was unlikely that Floyd had been involved, but J. Edgar Hoover used the event as propaganda to further the cause of armed FBI agents. Karpis immediately joined them after he was paroled, and together they formed the Karpis-Barker gang. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. On the morning of February 27, Henry and his sons were at work in the bank when two men Clyde Barrow and Red Hamilton entered the building. They were the first bank robbers to be caught through the use of security cameras, though they were far from the last, as local newscasts have broadcast the video images of thieves on a routine basis ever since. The following year he robbed a bank in Grand Haven, Michigan. The victim said: He was good looking, hardly more than a boy. Turns out she was talking with her accomplice, a boyfriend driving the getaway car outside the banks. 5. Answer (1 of 2): Let the Countdown begin: 10. Hamilton and the rest of the gang learned that Dillinger had been imprisoned in Allen County prison, in Lima, on bank robbery charges. For instance, he has robbed banks dressed as a maintenance man, a postman and a police officer. Wikimedia. He is renowned for his brilliant and efficient style, planning and executing robberies like military operations. Although Jesse James was never tried for any of his crimes, his brother Frank was twice, acquitted both times. In January 1958, three brothers brandishing toy pistols robbed the Bank of Columbia in Columbia, Alabama. Bells and sirens were replaced in many cases by silent alarms, which sent a signal to law enforcement, allowing them to confront the robbers as they exited the buildings, after several instances when robbers reacted to the loud alarms by shielding themselves with employees and customers as hostages. After the second gun battle in San Bernardino County, the surviving robbers escaped into the San Bernardino Mountains. 1. While traveling and searching for new ways to put some money in his pocket for a better life, he stumbled upon Mike . The post-war violence between the former Confederate supporters and Unionists led to him being a popular figure among the former, despite the frequency and violence of his crimes. 1. The robbery was a near disaster though he still managed to make a clean getaway. Insane, huh? 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. Cassidy ordered the bank vault's location and made away with a box full of money amounting to more than twenty thousand dollars. All three were identified by persons who knew them and subsequently captured by the Cleveland police. I look for video cameras, security guard positioning and speculate where the vault is. Eventually, Pierpont was tried for the murder of the Allen County Sheriff in Ohio, convicted and sentenced to death. 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Editorial Reviews. He was charged with the murder of a police officer during his criminal career, though many witnesses insisted John Hamilton performed the killing. Charles Arthur Floyd was a gun happy bank robber who during his violent career cultivated a favorable image with the general public by spreading rumors that in the course of his robberies he also destroyed mortgage documents, saving many from foreclosure. 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. 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. When a group of armed robbers burst into a Buenos Aires bank on Jan.13, 2006, they immediately grabbed the attention of investigators, seasoned hostage negotiators and media outlets, who broadcast the tense standoff with police throughout Argentina. Regardless, some of them found more success than others, however, all of them eventually were caught and persecuted. The robbery was led by the notorious likes of outlaw Butch Cassidy and his sidekicks. Floyds support from the public was especially evident in Oklahoma, where residents sheltered and protected him, in return for financial largesse, an eventuality which infuriated J. Edgar Hoover. He was alone at work when Edward Green entered the bank. The riders escaped pursuit by a posse. I was more alive when I was inside a bank, robbing it, than at any other time in my life. Maybe it was how they asked for the money, their appearance or getaway. Authorities in four states joined in the search for the fugitives. Sutton carried on his criminal career whilst on the run, but eventually ended up spending more than half his adult life in prison. When asked why he did it, his response was because it felt good, sometimes for days at a time. Elisha Converse was a founder and president of the bank in which his son was murdered in the first armed bank robbery in American history. There are many perks to the gangster lifestyle; long life expectancy isnt one of them. He also put his men through rehearsals using full scale mock ups of the bank interior, and didnt commit the actual robbery unless he felt sure his gang knew exactly what they were doing. The Norco shootout in the town of that name in California took place on May 9, 1980, between five bank robbers and deputies of the Riverside County and later San Bernardino County sheriff's departments. Sutton was once asked by a reporter why he robbed banks. On the way, Bowman stopped in Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. Kit R. Roane, The New York Times. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. A payroll master targeted in the robbery described Floyd as: Jesse James. Philadelphia authorities suspected the theft to have been an inside job and entry achieved using a key. Christopher Goodwin, The Times (London). Barrow soon killed again, after a robbery at a grocery store where he shot the owner for showing resistance; during the robbery they stole just $28 and a few groceries. Karpis continued his armed robbery career, although it became more and more difficult for him to escape capture. They were never caught, and are believed to be behind similar heists in Paris during the following weeks. David S. Grant is the author of several books including "Blood: The New Red." They then left the bank with about $7,000 in mostly small bills. In the early afternoon of April 12, 1957, Steven Ray Thomas and Wanda DiCenzi entered the St. Clair Savings and Loan in Cleveland, and while Steven held a teller at gunpoint Wanda stole about $2,000 from the cash drawers, and the two made their escape, driven from the scene by a third accomplice, Rose ODonnell. In 1997, a Dunbar Armored Co. employee was fired for tampering with the company's vehicles. . Prior to that action, a bank robber in Ohio could escape to a bordering state such as Kentucky or Indiana and avoid pursuit and arrest. The Banco Central burglary Stolen: $71.6 million. During their spree, they killed around 13 lawmen, although Dillinger was never proven to have killed anyone. 01/10/2022. They remained at large until two days later when they were encountered in the general region of the second shootout. He was cornered by over 200 police, and shot himself in the head to avoid punishment. 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. Grim bank officials told Hunt that someone had . By 1909 automobiles were being used to race across the country, as did this Model T, and to rob banks. At 9:24 am, a riddle of bullets was fired by Philip after he spotted a parked police vehicle 60 meters from the building. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images. The duo and their gang went on to rob numerous other stores and banks before their downfall. Dillinger was charged; however, many claim it was Hamilton who pulled the trigger. One difference of course is that he used a machine gun versus a bow and arrow. He was acquitted in both cases, and though Missouri had other cases in which the surviving James brother could have been charged, he was never again brought to trial. On April 23, 1934, the gang were confronted by police and, during a getaway, Hamilton was wounded and died shortly after. The night watchman was murdered in this incident, and Davis was sentenced to life imprisonment. The innovative group of bandits found a weakness in French supermarket Monopri. Wikimedia. United California bank robbery. These were shown in the newspapers to give the impression the duo were enjoying a lavish lifestyle, when in fact they lived under immense stress and were constantly on the run. During their exceedingly violent career together the pair probably robbed less than a dozen banks, and in several cases the robbery was interrupted by law enforcement, forcing the thieves to flee before securing all of the cash, often in a hail of bullets from Clyde Barrows weapon of choice, the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). 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. One of the fake heads used by the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris bank robbers all during their 1962 escape from Alcatraz. Hamilton was at the top of the public enemy list, whilst Dillinger and associate Harry Pierpoint were imprisoned. The shootout began in the parking lot of the Security Pacific Bank, where one robber was killed, leading the others to steal a car in the lot and lead police on a 25-mile chase. Via: The Richest. He would simply slide a piece of paper with the word ROBBERY on it to the teller. Nelson also demonstrated a propensity for violence and committed his first known murder during a botched tavern robbery. Mikhaylich never wore a mask and at 65 it is surprising he had a successful 2-year run before finally being caught. The money was returned to the bank. Martinez, an attractive college student, would approach a bank teller while talking on her cell phone. The chase covered seven miles before police caught up with them. Floyd killed at least three police officers and several other underworld figures, including bootleggers, which indicates he may have supplemented his income from bank robberies by serving as a hitman for organized crime figures. 2002, Riding with Bonnie and Clyde. Historians have labelled the 1930s as the Public Enemy era; a time when a small minority of criminals stood out as being particularly notorious and were hunted determinedly by the police and FBI. So many classic movies have been made with the premise of a bank robbery, many based on the jobs pulled from people on this list. 8. Sam Bass 1851-1878. It was not their first bank heist, but it was the first in which they used the threat of force. Forcing the employees to lay on the floor and binding the hands of the banks president, Walter Oakley, they rifled the drawers and vault and made off with about $19,000 in cash. The year was 2005 and at only 19 years of age, the Cell Phone Bandit, Candice Rose Martinez, was famous for her bank robbery execution. I told him I was 100% sure that they had the amount wrong. The Brink's-MAT robbery occurred on November 26th, 1983, when six robbers broke into the Brink's-MAT warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London. Lebanon's civil war was in full swing. He had black hair and a baby face. Riverside deputies were assisted in the high-speed chase by officers of other agencies as it entered Sam Bernardino County. Dillinger was portrayed by Jonny Depp in the 2009 film Public Enemies, though the film has some major inaccuracies, such as the timeline of deaths of Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson. (Bank Robber) Willie Sutton, born as William Francis Sutton, was an American bank robber notorious for his prolific criminal career which lasted for forty years. It took exactly zero technology to catch the bad . He asked for credentials, so they shot him and Dillinger escaped with them. On February 13, 1866, a Tuesday, a group of riders rode into Liberty, Missouri. The most significant result of the St. Albans raid was the shift of public opinion in Canada regarding support for the Confederacy, with the majority turning against the Confederate activity in Canada, and there were no more raids launched across the northern border. I'd always thought, "If I was that rich, I could change the world instead of just piling up cash." Moral sense is perverted and he has no intention of following anything but a life of crime He is a murderer at heart, and if society is to be safeguarded, his type must be confined throughout their natural lives.. Sutton was the Cal Ripken of bank robbers, participating in over 100 bank robberies over a 35-year span. "I never felt guilty because I didn't attack or assault anyone. This is how it works in America because the amount of money a bank gives up ($5-$7k on average) per bank robbery is infinitely less than the amount of business they'd lose if shit got wild in a bank full of customers. 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. ", "In their top drawer, [tellers usually had] less than $10k. 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. This led Dillinger to be admired by many who considered the banks who foreclosed on homes and farms as the real enemy. In March of 1934, Nelson partnered with John Dillinger to rob the Security National Bank in Sioux Falls, followed a week later by the First National Bank of Mason City, Iowa. The two were killed in an ambush in Louisiana on May 23, 1934, and the murderous Clyde Barrow and blithe Bonnie Parker remain romanticized in the twenty-first century. He escaped from prison but was sentenced, in absentia, to 12-15 years behind bars. The banks lost about $482 million due to robberies, or $4,213 per offense. When it comes to weapons, 44.8% of robbers used strong-arm tactics, 36.4% used firearms, and 8.5% used knives or cutting instruments. Again, right tool for the job, that makes sense. They used dynamite to blast a hole in the roof of the safe deposit vault at United California Bank and looted $30 million in cash and valuables. On September 19, 1900, members of the Wild Bunch entered the town of Winnemucca, Nevada. Over a dozen people were murdered by this duo until cops finally killed them. The North Hollywood Bank of America Robbery. Two bank robbers and one deputy died in the gun battle, nine officers were wounded. Warsaw Daily Times. In 1881, the brothers returned to Missouri. He surrendered peacefully although no agents had brought any handcuffs, as they assumed Karpis would fight to the death. After the robbery, they went their separate ways and headed back to their homes. He married Beryl Hovious, in 1924, but the marriage ended in divorce. He committed his first murder when the Tape bandits robbed a tavern and he shot a stockbroker. In June 1986, bank officials opened for business on a Monday morning to find a 20-by-25-inch hole in the bottom of the vault, deposit boxes strewn all over the floor and about $172,000 in cash . As a young man, Van Meter became involved in crime after working as a waiter for a short while. He robbed a bank in Ohio, but was captured soon after. I simply walked up to them when it was my turn to be helped, and I told them -- usually via handwritten instructions on an envelope -- to give me their $50s and $100s. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 2019, out of 267,988 robberies, 1.4% were linked to banks. 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". Here are some of the most notorious bank robberies or robbers in American history. 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. 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. Unbeknownst to the three was that they were being monitored by security cameras, the film from which was broadcast that night on national television. . After staying unidentified for more than 50 years, an infamous bank robber from the USA has finally been identified. Valerio and his associates entered the facility, pretending to be customers. The crime spree started with the robbery of the South Marion State Bank in November 1924. Though he's probably one of Texas's most famous outlaws, Sam Bass is widely regarded to have been a rather inept criminal. The duo stole firearms and bullet proof vests. He spent his time planning heists with his new found friends, that they would commit shortly after being released. The escapees then travelled to Lima County jail to liberate Dillinger. In 1879, Jesse returned to crime, with a new gang he engaged in a string of robberies in Missouri, Mississippi, and Louisiana, though Frank had by then given up the life of robberies and running. Hunter. Nov 18, 2020. Box 146, folder 2. It happened in Pennsylvania, in the Bank of Pennsylvania at Carpenters' Hall. One of the men asked for change for a ten-dollar bill, and as William opened the cash drawer the men produced pistols and demanded that a sack be filled with all the available cash. January 24, 2018, Harry Pierpont Turns State Evidence In His Trial For Bank Robbery. Police caught him 15 minutes later with the knife and 410 in cash stolen from a Tesco in King's Lynn, Norfolk. After a failed escape attempt, and after serving 7 years, he applied for a 20 month leave of absence which was granted. His bank robbery style became known as the Lamm Technique, and was widely imitated by other famous bank robbers, such as John Dillinger. Before the American Civil War, most thefts from banks were burglaries, among them the taking of over $150,000 from the Bank of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1798, when the thief or thieves entered the bank after hours, leaving no sign of force. The gang were determined to free him, but first they needed cash to fund the break out. Dillinger and his gang began a spree of bank robberies across Indiana, accumulating over $300,000 in total. Dillinger and his gang, which included for a time notorious gangster George "Baby Face" Nelson, were suspected of robbing $52,000 from the First National Bank in Mason City on March 13, 1934. Born in 1847 and raised in the "Little Dixie" area of western Missouri, James and his slave-owning family maintained strong . Barrow was killed instantly by a headshot and Parker, in the passenger seat, was sprayed with bullets soon afterwards. 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. On January 17, 1950, 11 men steal more than $2 million ($29 million today) from the . A driver remained in the car. Liddell: The Kingdom of God is not a democracy. Hunter robbed his first bank when he was 86 years old. He was tied up with a necktie and eventually sentenced to life imprisonment, which he served in Alcatraz. Arguably the third largest heist in history, a robbery masterminded by . They fled to the north. Released on parole in May, 1933, he robbed his first bank the following month, in New Carlisle, Ohio. He was also an associate of John Dillinger, Alvin Karpis and the Barker gang. In April 1925, Pierpont was arrested in Detroit and was soon returned to Indiana to face trial. There has to be some disappointment that comes with getting caught because cameras picked up the license plate of a stolen getaway car. Baron Lamm died, aged 40, after a botched bank robbery when his gang crashed their getaway car. Maybe its not balls; maybe cocky is the right word to describe him. A group of robbers of 6 people, led by a man named Amil Dinsio, committed an extremely interesting bank robbery on March 24, 1972 in California, USA. I love the story of J.L. The newly formed group of escapees became the first Dillinger gang. Bass's one and only big haul was in September of . At the time of his death, he was 27 years old. Still, theres got to be something to walking into the prison yard and being asked what you do and reply with Bank Robber. There are much worse things to put on your prison resume.