Although the attendant did not suspect that the robbery was taking place, this incident caused the criminals to move more swiftly. One of his former girl friends who recalled having seen him on the night of the robbery stated that he definitely was not drunk. There had been three attempts on his life in June 1954, and his frustrated assassins undoubtedly were waiting for him to return to Boston. 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. Thieves stole more than $1.2 million in cash and another $1.5 million in checks and. Had the ground not been frozen, the person or persons who abandoned the bags probably would have attempted to bury them. At the centre of The Gold are the detective Brian Boyce, played by Hugh Bonneville, and Kenneth Noye, played by Jack Lowden. Occasionally, an offender who was facing a prison term would boast that he had hot information. McAvoy wanted members of the Arif crime family, specialists in armed robbery, on the job. A few months prior to the robbery, OKeefe and Gusciora surreptitiously entered the premises of a protective alarm company in Boston and obtained a copy of the protective plans for the Brinks building. Each carried a pair of gloves. 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. O'Keefe cooperated with writer Bob Considine on The Men Who Robbed Brink's, a 1961 "as told to" book about the robbery and its aftermath. In addition to the general descriptions received from the Brinks employees, the investigators obtained several pieces of physical evidence. During the period immediately following the Brinks robbery, the heat was on OKeefe and Gusciora. 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. In examining the bill, a Federal Reserve note, the officer observed that it was in musty condition. 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 material to the company safe on the second floor. 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. 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. After careful checking, the FBI eliminated eight of the suspects. At 10:25 p.m. on October 5, 1956, the jury retired to weigh the evidence. Some of the bills were in pieces. The Brinks case was front page news. OKeefe was sentenced to three years in Bradford County Jail and Gusciora to 5-to-20 years in the Western State Penitentiary at Pittsburgh. His explanation: He had been drinking at a bar in Boston. Fat John and the business associate of the man arrested in Baltimore were located and interviewed on the morning of June 4, 1956. 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. On January 10, 1953, following his appearance before the federal grand jury in connection with the Brinks case, Pino was taken into custody again as a deportable alien. Three of the remaining five gang members were previously accounted for, OKeefe and Gusciora being in prison on other charges and Banfield being dead. OKeefe was wounded in the wrist and chest, but again he managed to escape with his life. This underworld character told the officers that he had found this money. 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. He was paroled in the fall of 1944 and remained on parole through March 1954 when misfortune befell him. 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. The FBI also succeeded in locating the carpenter who had remodeled the offices where the loot was hidden. Soon the underworld rang with startling news concerning this pair. After each interview, FBI agents worked feverishly into the night checking all parts of his story which were subject to verification. A t the time, the Brinks-Mat vault was thought to be one of the most secure facilities in the world. On June 2, 1950, OKeefe and Gusciora left Boston by automobile for the alleged purpose of visiting the grave of Guscioras brother in Missouri. 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. 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. Brian The Colonel Robinson, 78, was cheated out of his share of the record haul. He had been released on parole from the Norfolk, Massachusetts, Prison Colony on August 22, 1949only five months before the robbery. Investigation revealed that Geagan, a laborer, had not gone to work on January 17 or 18, 1950.). It was given to him in a suitcase that was transferred to his car from an automobile occupied by McGinnis and Banfield. Two weeks of comparative quiet in the gang members lives were shattered on June 5, 1954, when an attempt was made on OKeefes life. Burlap money bags recovered in a Boston junk yard from the robbery, Some of the recovered money from the robbery. Well-meaning persons throughout the country began sending the FBI tips and theories which they hoped would assist in the investigation. Almost immediately, the gang began laying new plans. The FBI approached O'Keefe in the hospital and on January 6, 1956, he decided to talk. 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. Commonly regarded as a dominant figure in the Boston underworld, McGinnis previously had been convicted of robbery and narcotics violations. Extensive efforts were made to detect pencil markings and other notations on the currency that the criminals thought might be traceable to Brinks. In July 1956, another significant turn of events took place. Apparently in need of money he kidnapped Vincent Costa and demanded his part of the loot for ransom. WebJudith Clark was paroled in 2019 after then Gov. Faherty and Richardson fled to avoid apprehension and subsequently were placed on the list of the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. 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. And what of McGinnis himself? More than 100 persons took the stand as witnesses for the prosecution and the defense during September 1956. ), (After serving his sentence, Fat John resumed a life of crime. 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. Until the FBI and its partners painstakingly solved the case. Following their arrests, a former bondsman in Boston made frequent trips to Towanda in an unsuccessful effort to secure their release on bail. OKeefe and Gusciora had been close friends for many years. Executive producers are Tommy Bulfin for the BBC; Neil Forsyth and Ben Farrell for Tannadice Pictures; and Kate Laffey and Claire Sowerby-Sheppard for VIS. 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. Like Gusciora, OKeefe was known to have associated with Pino prior to the Brinks robbery. Each robbers face was completely concealed behind a Halloween-type mask. To muffle their footsteps, one of the gang wore crepe-soled shoes, and the others wore rubbers. By this time, Baker was suffering from a bad case of nerves. Gordon 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. WebNext year January 2023 to be precise will mark 30 years since the Brink's depot in Rochester was looted for $7.4 million, then the fifth largest armored car company heist in Neither Pino nor McGinnis was known to be the type of hoodlum who would undertake so potentially dangerous a crime without the best strong-arm support available. 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. They apprehended Faherty and Richardson on May 16 in Dorchester. A third attempt on OKeefes life was made on June 16, 1954. Jeweler and also a bullion dealer, John Palmer, was arrested. Three of the newspapers used to wrap the bills were identified. Before they left, however, approximately $380,000 was placed in a coal hamper and removed by Baker for security reasons. Each man also was given a pistol and a Halloween-type mask. The conviction for burglary in McKean County, Pennsylvania, still hung over his head, and legal fees remained to be paid. Banfield, the driver, was alone in the front. Although he had been known to carry a gun, burglaryrather than armed robberywas his criminal specialty, and his exceptional driving skill was an invaluable asset during criminal getaways. In the deportation fight that lasted more than two years, Pino won the final victory. OKeefe immediately returned to Boston to await the results of the appeal. Even if released, he thought, his days were numbered. OKeefe had no place to keep so large a sum of money. Several hundred dollars were found hidden in the house but could not be identified as part of the loot. He had been short changed $2,000. Even Pino, whose deportation troubles then were a heavy burden, was arrested by the Boston police in August 1954. While OKeefe and Gusciora lingered in jail in Pennsylvania, Pino encountered difficulties of his own. Burke, a professional killer, allegedly had been hired by underworld associates of OKeefe to assassinate him. The casing operation was so thorough that the criminals could determine the type of activity taking place in the Brinks offices by observing the lights inside the building, and they knew the number of personnel on duty at various hours of the day. All had been published in Boston between December 4, 1955, and February 21, 1956. Six members of the gangBaker, Costa, Geagan, Maffie, McGinnis, and Pinowere arrested by FBI agents on January 12, 1956. [18] The total amount stolen was $1,218,211 in cash and $1,557,183 in checks and other securities. The other gun was picked up by the officer and identified as having been taken during the Brinks robbery. Gusciora also claimed to have been drinking that evening. At that time, Pino approached OKeefe and asked if he wanted to be in on the score. His close associate, Stanley Gusciora, had previously been recruited, and OKeefe agreed to take part. Even fearing the new bills might be linked with the crime, McGinnis suggested a process for aging the new money in a hurry.. [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. Baker fled and the brief meeting adjourned. In September 1949, Pinos efforts to evade deportation met with success. All identifying marks placed on currency and securities by the customers were noted, and appropriate stops were placed at banking institutions across the nation. Apparently suspicious, OKeefe crouched low in the front seat of his car as the would-be assassins fired bullets that pierced the windshield. The robbery. Prior to this time, McGinnis had been at his liquor store. This cooler contained more than $57,700, including $51,906 which was identifiable as part of the Brinks loot. 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. While on bond he returned to Boston; on January 23, 1954, he appeared in the Boston Municipal Court on the probation violation charge. OKeefe and Gusciora reportedly had worked together on a number of occasions. If Baker heard these rumors, he did not wait around very long to see whether they were true. other securities in the 1950 Brinks heist. During the period in which Pinos deportation troubles were mounting, OKeefe completed his sentence at Towanda, Pennsylvania. Two members of the gang were quickly caught but the Captain Marvel mask used as a disguise in the robbery. Even before Brinks, Incorporated, offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible, the case had captured the imagination of millions of Americans. 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. The gang at that time included all of the participants in the January 17, 1950, robbery except Henry Baker. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. And the gang felt that the chances of his talking were negligible because he would be implicated in the Brinks robbery along with the others. Due to his criminal record, the Immigration and Naturalization Service instituted proceedings in 1941 to deport him. 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. The FBI further learned that four revolvers had been taken by the gang. The removal of the lock cylinder from the outside door involved the greatest risk of detection. 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. Former inmates of penal institutions reported conversations they had overheard while incarcerated which concerned the robbing of Brinks. 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. Following the robbery, authorities attempted unsuccessfully to locate him at the hotel. On November 16, 1959, the United States Supreme Court denied a request of the defense counsel for a writ of certiorari. Many other types of information were received. 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. Inside this container were packages of bills that had been wrapped in plastic and newspapers. All right, he told two FBI agents, what do you want to know?. Of the hundreds of New England hoodlums contacted by FBI agents in the weeks immediately following the robbery, few were willing to be interviewed. They were held in lieu of bail which, for each man, amounted to more then $100,000. 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. At approximately 9:50 p.m., the details of this incident were furnished to the Baltimore Field Office of the FBI. The new proceedings were based upon the fact that Pino had been arrested in December 1948 for a larceny involving less than $100. This was a question which preyed heavily upon their minds. Local officers searched their homes, but no evidence linking them with the truck or the robbery was found. Before the robbery was carried out, all of the participants were well acquainted with the Brinks premises. 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. The 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. Gusciora died on July 9. He arrived in Baltimore on the morning of June 3 and was picked up by the Baltimore Police Department that evening. 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. Many tips were received from anonymous persons. WebThe Brinks Robbery The idea for the heist came from Joseph Big Joe McGinniss, but career criminal Anthony Fats Pino. The loot was quickly unloaded, and Banfield sped away to hide the truck. Pino had been questioned as to his whereabouts on the evening of January 17, 1950, and he provided a good alibi. A thorough investigation was made concerning his whereabouts on the evening of January 17, 1950. 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. 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. [14] By 7:37, one of the Brink's employees managed to free themselves and raise the alarm. 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. The names of Pino, McGinnis, Adolph Jazz Maffie, and Henry Baker were frequently mentioned in these rumors, and it was said that they had been with OKeefe on the Big Job.. All were guilty. As long as he was in prison, he could do no physical harm to his Boston criminal associates. A private security and protection company was co-ordinating the shipment of $20 million worth of gold and high-value goods when they were stolen from Toronto Pearson International Airport. In addition to mold, insect remains also were found on the loot. Less than $60,000 of the more than $2.7 million stolen would ever be recovered. From Boston, the pressure quickly spread to other cities. Even with the recovery of this money in Baltimore and Boston, more than $1,150,000 of currency taken in the Brinks robbery remained unaccounted for. McGinnis previously had discussed sending a man to the United States Patent Office in Washington, D.C., to inspect the patents on the protective alarms used in the Brinks building. Two days after Christmas of 1955, FBI agents paid another visit to OKeefe. He claimed there was a large roll of bills in his hotel roomand that he had found that money, too. The truck found at the dump had been reported stolen by a Ford dealer near Fenway Park in Boston on November 3, 1949. Faherty had been questioned on the night of the robbery. WebThe robbery occurred around 9:35 a.m. as the Brinks truck was parked in front of Pete's Fresh Market in the 1900-block of Sibley Blvd., Calumet City spokesperson Sean Howard 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. He was not involved in the Brinks robbery. An acetylene torch had been used to cut up the truck, and it appeared that a sledge hammer also had been used to smash many of the heavy parts, such as the motor. Any doubts that the Brinks gang had that the FBI was on the right track in its investigation were allayed when the federal grand jury began hearings in Boston on November 25, 1952, concerning this crime. When questioned concerning his activities on the night of January 17, 1950, Richardson claimed that after unsuccessfully looking for work he had several drinks and then returned home. Andrew Cuomo commuted her 75-year-to-life sentence to time served and made her eligible for parole for the three slayings in the It was later claimed that most of O'Keefe's share went to his legal defense. The detainer involved OKeefes violation of probation in connection with a conviction in 1945 for carrying concealed weapons. 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. 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. In the fall of 1955, an upper court overruled the conviction on the grounds that the search and seizure of the still were illegal.). The trial of these eight men began on the morning of August 6, 1956, before Judge Feliz Forte in the Suffolk County Courthouse in Boston. In the end, the perfect crime had a perfect endingfor everyone but the robbers. Other members of the robbery gang also were having their troubles. The Great Brink's Robbery, and the 70-year-old question: What happened to the money? I think a fellow just passed a counterfeit $10.00 bill on me, he told the officer. Following the federal grand jury hearings, the FBIs intense investigation continued. FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. Banfield had been a close associate of McGinnis for many years. The alibi, in fact, was almost too good. Allegedly, he pulled a gun on OKeefe; several shots were exchanged by the two men, but none of the bullets found their mark. 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. 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.). Before the robbers could take him prisoner, the garage attendant walked away. The truck that the robbers had used was found cut to pieces in Stoughton, Massachusetts, near O'Keefe's home. An appeal was promptly noted, and he was released on $15,000 bond. [14], Seven of the group went into the Brink's building: OKeefe, Gusciora, Baker, Maffie, Geagan, Faherty, and Richardson. Immediately upon leaving, the gang loaded the loot into the truck that was parked on Prince Street near the door. 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. On January 11, 1956, the United States Attorney at Boston authorized special agents of the FBI to file complaints charging the 11 criminals with (1) conspiracy to commit theft of government property, robbery of government property, and bank robbery by force and violence and by intimidation, (2) committing bank robbery on January 17, 1950, and committing an assault on Brinks employees during the taking of the money, and (3) conspiracy to receive and conceal money in violation of the Bank Robbery and Theft of Government Property Statutes.