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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. As the truck drove past the Brinks offices, the robbers noted that the lights were out on the Prince Street side of the building. Among the early suspects was Anthony Pino, an alien who had been a principal suspect in numerous major robberies and burglaries in Massachusetts. [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. The police officer said he had been talking to McGinnis first, and Pino arrived later to join them. As a protective measure, he was incarcerated in the Hampden County jail at Springfield, Massachusetts, rather than the Suffolk County jail in Boston. WebA Byte Out of HistoryThe Great Brinks Robbery. 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. (Geagan and Richardson, known associates of other members of the gang, were among the early suspects. Somehow the criminals had opened at least threeand possibly fourlocked doors to gain entrance to the second floor of Brinks, where the five employees were engaged in their nightly chore of checking and storing the money collected from Brinks customers that day. Both denied knowledge of the loot that had been recovered. On August 30, he was taken into custody as a suspicious person. He was so cold and persistent in these dealings with his co-conspirators that the agents hoped he might be attempting to obtain a large sum of moneyperhaps his share of the Brinks loot. 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. Of the $4,822 found in the small-time criminals possession, FBI agents identified $4,635 as money taken by the Brinks robbers. He was certain he would be considered a strong suspect and wanted to begin establishing an alibi immediately.) While action to appeal the convictions was being taken on their behalf, the eight men were removed to the State prison at Walpole, Massachusetts. Geagan claimed that he spent the evening at home and did not learn of the Brinks robbery until the following day. At 4:20 p.m. on January 6, 1956, OKeefe made the final decision. Other members of the robbery gang also were having their troubles. Had any particles of evidence been found in the loot which might directly show that they had handled it? ), (After serving his sentence, Fat John resumed a life of crime. As long as he was in prison, he could do no physical harm to his Boston criminal associates. For other similarly-named robberies in 1981, 1983 and 2008, see, "Historical Photos: Boston's Great Brinks Robbery", "A quarter-century laterBrink's robber admits guilt to Globe", "O'Keefe Says Brink's Holdup Gang Vowed To Kill Any Member Who Periled Others", "Specs O'Keefe, Informant In Brink's Robbery, Dies", "Tony Pino, 67, Participated In '50 Boston Brinks Holdup", "Adolph (Jazz) Maffie; Last Survivor of Brink's Gang", "Six Arrests Break $1,218,211 Brink's Robbery", "Brink Robbery History Recalled After Decade", "$1,500,000 HOLDUP: 7 Masked Men Rob Brink's, Boston; Leave Another Million", "The False-Face Bandits: Greed Wrecked the Brink's Case Gang", "Gang of Nine Robs Brink's at Boston; $150,000 Reward Out", Historical Photos: Boston's Great Brinks Robbery. In the back were Pino, OKeefe, Baker, Faherty, Maffie, Gusciora, Michael Vincent Geagan (pictured), and Thomas Francis Richardson. On the afternoon of July 9, he was visited by a clergyman. To muffle their footsteps, one of the gang wore crepe-soled shoes, and the others wore rubbers. O'Keefe pleaded guilty January 18. The missing racketeers automobile was found near his home; however, his whereabouts remain a mystery. As a government witness, he reluctantly would have testified against him. 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. 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. All were guilty. That prison term, together with Pinos conviction in March 1928 for carnal abuse of a girl, provided the basis for the deportation action. Brinks Robbery Building in Boston - Celebrate Boston Police heard through their informers that O'Keefe and Gusciora demanded money from Pino and MacGinnis in Boston to fight their convictions. All identifying marks placed on currency and securities by the customers were noted, and appropriate stops were placed at banking institutions across the nation. Allegedly, he pulled a gun on OKeefe; several shots were exchanged by the two men, but none of the bullets found their mark. This is not the first time that Cuomo has commuted a sentence for someone involved in the Brink's robbery. The fiber bags used to conceal the pieces were identified as having been used as containers for beef bones shipped from South America to a gelatin manufacturing company in Massachusetts. On the night of January 17, 1952exactly two years after the crime occurredthe FBIs Boston Office received an anonymous telephone call from an individual who claimed he was sending a letter identifying the Brinks robbers. Although the attendant did not suspect that the robbery was taking place, this incident caused the criminals to move more swiftly. OKeefe was sentenced on August 5, 1954, to serve 27 months in prison. It was later claimed that most of O'Keefe's share went to his legal defense. FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. Reports had been received alleging that he had held up several gamblers in the Boston area and had been involved in shakedowns of bookies. The results were negative. Both of these strong-arm suspects had been questioned by Boston authorities following the robbery. Adding to these problems was the constant pressure being exerted upon Pino by OKeefe from the county jail in Towanda, Pennsylvania. 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. Following the robbery, authorities attempted unsuccessfully to locate him at the hotel. All were denied, and the impaneling of the jury was begun on August 7. Again, the FBIs investigation resulted merely in the elimination of more possible suspects. The robbery. Many tips were received from anonymous persons. 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. They moved with a studied precision which suggested that the crime had been carefully planned and rehearsed in the preceding months. A passerby might notice that it was missing. OKeefe and Gusciora had been close friends for many years. The other gang members would not talk. That same afternoon (following the admission that Fat John had produced the money and had described it as proceeds from the Brinks robbery), a search warrant was executed in Boston covering the Tremont Street offices occupied by the three men. This incident also took place in Dorchester and involved the firing of more than 30 shots. At the time of the Brinks robbery, Geagan was on parole, having been released from prison in July 1943, after serving eight years of a lengthy sentence for armed robbery and assault. An immediate effort also was made to obtain descriptive data concerning the missing cash and securities. He had been questioned concerning his whereabouts on January 17, 1950, and he was unable to provide any specific account of where he had been. On August 1, 1954, he was arrested at Leicester, Massachusetts, and turned over to the Boston police who held him for violating probation on a gun-carrying charge. Brinks It was given to him in a suitcase that was transferred to his car from an automobile occupied by McGinnis and Banfield. They apprehended Faherty and Richardson on May 16 in Dorchester. The Great Brink's Robbery, and the 70-year-old question: What happened to the money? 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. 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. 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. Many other types of information were received. [17] Approximately a million dollars in silver and coins was left behind by the robbers, as they were not prepared to carry it. This lead was pursued intensively. Fat John and the business associate of the man arrested in Baltimore were located and interviewed on the morning of June 4, 1956. He was released in 2000, after serving 16 years of his term. Brink's-Mat robbery - Wikipedia A detailed search for additional weapons was made at the Mystic River. After receiving the go ahead signal from Costa, the seven armed men walked to the Prince Street entrance of Brinks. The officer verified the meeting. Evidently resigned to long years in prison or a short life on the outside, OKeefe grew increasingly bitter toward his old associates. Banfield was already dead. John Palmer: How Brinks-Mat millions came to Bedminster He subsequently was convicted and executed.). By Beth Rose. More than 100 persons took the stand as witnesses for the prosecution and the defense during September 1956. Prior to this time, McGinnis had been at his liquor store. The Brink's Mat Bullion Heist 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. 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. This article is about the 1950 robbery. The pair recruited criminal Kenneth Noye, an expert in his field, who Costa was associated with Pino in the operation of a motor terminal and a lottery in Boston. Two of the participants in the Brinks robbery lived in the Stoughton area. After each interview, FBI agents worked feverishly into the night checking all parts of his story which were subject to verification. 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.. Two hours later he was dead. Examination revealed the cause of his death to be a brain tumor and acute cerebral edema. During the period in which Pinos deportation troubles were mounting, OKeefe completed his sentence at Towanda, Pennsylvania. 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. In the late summer of 1944, he was released from the state prison and was taken into custody by Immigration authorities. Each of the five lock cylinders was taken on a separate occasion. Three of the newspapers used to wrap the bills were identified. 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. Brinks The gang at that time included all of the participants in the January 17, 1950, robbery except Henry Baker. 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. 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. Before they left, however, approximately $380,000 was placed in a coal hamper and removed by Baker for security reasons. He was paroled in the fall of 1944 and remained on parole through March 1954 when misfortune befell him. The full details of this important development were immediately furnished to the FBI Office in Boston. [19] Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover, took over supervision of the investigation.[20]. Apparently suspicious, OKeefe crouched low in the front seat of his car as the would-be assassins fired bullets that pierced the windshield. The Bureau was convinced that it had identified the actual robbers, but evidence and witnesses had to be found. In September 1949, Pinos efforts to evade deportation met with success. [15] Two vehicles were stolen: a truck, to carry away the loot from the robbery; and a car, which would be used to block any pursuit. Brian The Colonel Robinson, 78, was cheated out of his share of the record haul. Even in their jail cells, however, they showed no respect for law enforcement. It was at the time the largest robbery in the history of the United States, and has been called "the crime of the century". Neither had too convincing an alibi. What Was the Brinks-Mat Robbery? | History Hit FBI agents tried to talk to O'Keefe and Gusciora in prison but the two professed ignorance of the Brink's robbery. This chauffeurs cap was left at the scene of the crime of the centurythe 1950 robbery of a Brink's bank branch in Massachusetts. On January 13, 1956, the Suffolk County grand jury returned indictments against the 11 members of the Brinks gang. He had been convicted of armed robbery in 1940 and served several months in the Massachusetts State Reformatory and the Norfolk, Massachusetts, Prison Colony. Prominent among the other strong suspects was Vincent James Costa, brother-in-law of Pino. Kathy Boudin of Brink's robbery dies, legacy debated - The Several hundred dollars were found hidden in the house but could not be identified as part of the loot. Shortly before 7:30 p.m., they were surprised by five menheavily disguised, quiet as mice, wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and soft shoes to muffle noise. The alibi was strong, but not conclusive. WebMore than 6,000 gold bars were stolen in the robbery from a warehouse on the outskirts of Heathrow on 26 November, 1983. Jazz Maffie was convicted of federal income tax evasion and began serving a nine-month sentence in the Federal Penitentiary at Danbury, Connecticut, in June 1954. (McGinnis trial in March 1955 on the liquor charge resulted in a sentence to 30 days imprisonment and a fine of $1,000. All had been published in Boston between December 4, 1955, and February 21, 1956. 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. The new proceedings were based upon the fact that Pino had been arrested in December 1948 for a larceny involving less than $100. 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 All of them wore Navy-type peacoats, gloves, and chauffeurs caps. Veteran criminals throughout the United States found their activities during mid-January the subject of official inquiry. 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. Following their arrests, a former bondsman in Boston made frequent trips to Towanda in an unsuccessful effort to secure their release on bail. Less than $60,000 of the more than $2.7 million stolen would ever be recovered. After continuing up the street to the end of the playground which adjoined the Brinks building, the truck stopped. O'Keefe received four years and was released in 1960. Some of the bills were in pieces. In December 1948, Brinks moved from Federal Street to 165 Prince Street in Boston. 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. WebLASD confirmed this was not a typical Brinks armored car seen in a city environment. Two days after Christmas of 1955, FBI agents paid another visit to OKeefe. Pino, Costa, Maffie, Geagan, Faherty, Richardson, and Baker received life sentences for robbery, two-year sentences for conspiracy to steal, and sentences of eight years to ten years for breaking and entering at night. 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. On February 5, 1950, however, a police officer in Somerville, Massachusetts, recovered one of the four revolvers that had been taken by the robbers. Investigation revealed that Geagan, a laborer, had not gone to work on January 17 or 18, 1950.). After a couple of attempts he hired underworld hitman Elmer "Trigger" Burke to kill O'Keefe. On November 16, 1959, the United States Supreme Court denied a request of the defense counsel for a writ of certiorari. [3] After five aborted runs, Costa finally gave the go-ahead on the night of January 17, 1950. As the robbers sped from the scene, a Brinks employee telephoned the Boston Police Department. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Brink%27s_Robbery&oldid=1134169121, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 09:19. 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. While OKeefe and Gusciora lingered in jail in Pennsylvania, Pino encountered difficulties of his own. Seven months later, however, he was again paroled. One Massachusetts racketeer, a man whose moral code mirrored his long years in the underworld, confided to the agents who were interviewing him, If I knew who pulled the job, I wouldnt be talking to you now because Id be too busy trying to figure a way to lay my hands on some of the loot.. 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. His explanation: He had been drinking at a bar in Boston. (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. The robbery received significant press coverage, and was eventually adapted into four movies. 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. The other keys in their possession enabled them to proceed to the second floor where they took the five Brinks employees by surprise. On August 29, 1954, the officers suspicions were aroused by an automobile that circled the general vicinity of the abandoned car on five occasions. There was Adolph Jazz Maffie, one of the hoodlums who allegedly was being pressured to contribute money for the legal battle of OKeefe and Gusciora against Pennsylvania authorities. 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. Where is Edwyn Cooper of the Brink's-Mat robbery now? A few weeks later, OKeefe retrieved his share of the loot. (Burke was arrested by FBI agents at Folly Beach, South Carolina, on August 27, 1955, and he returned to New York to face murder charges which were outstanding against him there. During this operation, one of the employees had lost his glasses; they later could not be found on the Brinks premises. In June 1950, OKeefe and Gusciora were arrested in Pennsylvania for a burglary. All were paroled by 1971 except McGinnis, who died in prison. A thorough investigation was made concerning his whereabouts on the evening of January 17, 1950. Early in June 1956, however, an unexpected break developed. (Following pleas of guilty in November 1956, Fat John received a two-year sentence, and the other two men were sentenced to serve one years imprisonment. 'Holy Heist' documentary to bring the Rochester Brink's heist to TV 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. He claimed there was a large roll of bills in his hotel roomand that he had found that money, too. This underworld character told the officers that he had found this money. Special agents subsequently interviewed Costa and his wife, Pino and his wife, the racketeer, and OKeefe. [14] By 7:37, one of the Brink's employees managed to free themselves and raise the alarm. Calumet City crime: Brinks armored truck robbery suspects OKeefe and Gusciora reportedly had worked together on a number of occasions. 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. (On January 18, 1956, OKeefe had pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of Brinks.) Born in Italy in 1907, Pino was a young child when he entered the United States, but he never became a naturalized citizen. 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. Other information provided by OKeefe helped to fill the gaps which still existed. Some persons claimed to have seen him. Accordingly, another lock cylinder was installed until the original one was returned. In the fall of 1955, an upper court overruled the conviction on the grounds that the search and seizure of the still were illegal.). They were held in lieu of bail which, for each man, amounted to more then $100,000. Three of the remaining five gang members were previously accounted for, OKeefe and Gusciora being in prison on other charges and Banfield being dead. In addition, McGinnis received other sentences of two years, two and one-half to three years, and eight to ten years. 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 Boston hoodlum told FBI agents in Baltimore that he accepted six of the packages of money from Fat John. The following day (June 2, 1956), he left Massachusetts with $4,750 of these bills and began passing them. [14] They each wore a chauffeur cap, pea 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. Before his trial in McKean County, he was released on $17,000 bond. On March 4, 1950, pieces of an identical truck were found at a dump in Stoughton, Massachusetts. 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. 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. There had been three attempts on his life in June 1954, and his frustrated assassins undoubtedly were waiting for him to return to Boston. Like Gusciora, OKeefe was known to have associated with Pino prior to the Brinks robbery. This vehicle was traced through motor vehicle records to Pino. 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.