This man, subsequently identified as a small-time Boston underworld figure, was located and questioned. Each robbers face was completely concealed behind a Halloween-type mask. Other information provided by OKeefe helped to fill the gaps which still existed. Born in Italy in 1907, Pino was a young child when he entered the United States, but he never became a naturalized citizen. Henry Baker, another veteran criminal who was rumored to be kicking in to the Pennsylvania defense fund, had spent a number of years of his adult life in prison. And it nearly was. All of them wore Navy-type peacoats, gloves, and chauffeurs caps. On June 4, 1956 a man named "Fat John" admitted he had money that was linked to the Brink's robbery in his possession. 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. On October 20, 1981, a Brinks Company armored car was robbed of $1,589,000 in cash that it was preparing to transfer from the Nanuet National Bank in Clarkstown, N.Y. One of the guards of the. 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. 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. Pino could have been at McGinnis liquor store shortly after 7:30 p.m. on January 17, 1950, and still have participated in the robbery. 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. The Great Brinks Robbery was the biggest armed robbery in U.S. history at the time. Thorough inquiries were made concerning the disposition of the bags after their receipt by the Massachusetts firm. Two days after Christmas of 1955, FBI agents paid another visit to OKeefe. On October 20, 1981, members of the Black Liberation Army robbed a Brink's truck at the Nanuet Mall. All had been published in Boston between December 4, 1955, and February 21, 1956. On November 26, 1982, six armed robbers forced their way into the Brink's-Mat warehouse, the plan was to steal the 3.2m in cash they were expecting to find stored there. OKeefe was the principal witness to appear before the state grand jurors. Members of the Purple Gang of the 1930s found that there was renewed interest in their activities. The robbery. Binoculars were used in this phase of the casing operation. Following their arrests, a former bondsman in Boston made frequent trips to Towanda in an unsuccessful effort to secure their release on bail. 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. 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. In a report which was released on January 16, 1953, the grand jury disclosed that its members did not feel they possessed complete, positive information as to the identify of the participants in the Brinks robbery because (1) the participants were effectively disguised; (2) there was a lack of eyewitnesses to the crime itself; and (3) certain witnesses refused to give testimony, and the grand jury was unable to compel them to do so. Former inmates of penal institutions reported conversations they had overheard while incarcerated which concerned the robbing of Brinks. From the size of the loot and the number of men involved, it was logical that the gang might have used a truck. 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. The officer verified the meeting. At 10:25 p.m. on October 5, 1956, the jury retired to weigh the evidence. The eight men were sentenced by Judge Forte on October 9, 1956. 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. 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 . Two weeks of comparative quiet in the gang members lives were shattered on June 5, 1954, when an attempt was made on OKeefes life. During his brief stay in Boston, he was observed to contact other members of the robbery gang. Considerable thought was given to every detail. Six armed men stole diamonds, cash and three tonnes of gold bullion from a warehouse close to . You'd be forgiven for mistaking the 2005 Miami Brinks heist for a movie script. This phase of the investigation was pursued exhaustively. 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. He ran a gold and jewellery dealing company, Scadlynn Ltd, in Bristol with business partners Garth Victor Chappell and Terence Edward James Patch. 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. "A search warrant was executed in Boston covering the Tremont Street offices occupied by the three men" (FBI). Of the hundreds of New England hoodlums contacted by FBI agents in the weeks immediately following the robbery, few were willing to be interviewed. Officials said the incident happened at a Wendy's in a strip mall at 87th and Lafayette, right off the Dan Ryan Expressway. Examination revealed the cause of his death to be a brain tumor and acute cerebral edema. 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. 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. Their plan was to enter the Brinks building and take a truck containing payrolls. There were recurring rumors that this hoodlum, Joseph Sylvester Banfield (pictured), had been right down there on the night of the crime. Perkins was handed a 22-year jail sentence for that one, but absconded from open prison in 1995 and managed to . 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. 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. He claimed there was a large roll of bills in his hotel roomand that he had found that money, too. 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. Had the ground not been frozen, the person or persons who abandoned the bags probably would have attempted to bury them. On the 26 November 1983, half a dozen armed men broke into the Brink's-Mat depot near London's Heathrow Airport, where they were expecting to find a million pounds worth of foreign currency.. Five bullets which had missed their mark were found in a building nearby. In a film-style series of events, criminals broke into the. Until now, little has been known about the dogged methods police used to infiltrate the criminal underworld behind the 1983 robbery. The Brink's-Mat robbery the name alone is enough to spark excitement in viewers of a certain age, such as your correspondent became one of the most celebrated cases, and convoluted plots . And what of McGinnis himself? The detainer involved OKeefes violation of probation in connection with a conviction in 1945 for carrying concealed weapons. I think a fellow just passed a counterfeit $10.00 bill on me, he told the officer. 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. The Brinks Mat Robbery: The real story that inspired The Gold. In the years following the infamous 1983 Brink's-Mat robbery, many of the criminals and police alike were killed, leading to speculation there might be . The group were led by Mickey McAdams and Brian Robinson who planned to find 3 million in cash. Underworld rumors alleged that Maffie and Henry Baker were high on OKeefes list because they had beaten him out of a large amount of money. Each carried a pair of gloves. Minutes later, police arrived at the Brinks building, and special agents of the FBI quickly joined in the investigation. Unfortunately, this proved to be an idle hope. The families of OKeefe and Gusciora resided in the vicinity of Stoughton, Massachusetts. Both had served prison sentences, and both were well known to underworld figures on the East Coast. Questioned by Boston police on the day following the robbery, Baker claimed that he had eaten dinner with his family on the evening of January 17, 1950, and then left home at about 7:00 p.m. to walk around the neighborhood for about two hours. The Brinks Mat Robbery: The real story that inspired The Gold. The last false approach took place on January 16, 1950the night before the robbery. 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. Despite the lack of evidence and witnesses upon which court proceedings could be based, as the investigation progressed there was little doubt that OKeefe had been one of the central figures in the Brinks robbery. Several hundred dollars were found hidden in the house but could not be identified as part of the loot. 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. In 1997, Loomis Fargo employee David Ghantt robbed the armored car company of $17 million. Information received from this individual linked nine well-known hoodlums with the crime. Nonetheless, the finding of the truck parts at Stoughton, Massachusetts, was to prove a valuable break in the investigation. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. In the fall of 1955, an upper court overruled the conviction on the grounds that the search and seizure of the still were illegal.). In addition, McGinnis was named in two other complaints involving the receiving and concealing of the loot. All were guilty. Apparently, they had planned a leisurely trip with an abundance of extracurricular activities.. After completing its hearings on January 9, 1953, the grand jury retired to weigh the evidence. 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. Well-known Boston hoodlums were picked up and questioned by police. After being wounded on June 16, OKeefe disappeared. 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.. He was certain he would be considered a strong suspect and wanted to begin establishing an alibi immediately.) Gusciora now had passed beyond the reach of all human authority, and OKeefe was all the more determined to see that justice would be done. One of these officers quickly grabbed the criminals hand, and a large roll of money fell from it. On November 26, 1982, six armed robbers forced their way into the Brink's-Mat warehouse, the plan was to steal the 3.2m in cash they were expecting to find stored there. After careful checking, the FBI eliminated eight of the suspects. During the period in which Pinos deportation troubles were mounting, OKeefe completed his sentence at Towanda, Pennsylvania. Chicago police said at about 3 p.m., a 38-year-old male armored truck . Adding to these problems was the constant pressure being exerted upon Pino by OKeefe from the county jail in Towanda, Pennsylvania. This was in their favor. The Brinks case was front page news. Paul Jawarski (sometimes spelled Jaworski) in a yellowed newspaper . The loot was quickly unloaded, and Banfield sped away to hide the truck. In addition to the general descriptions received from the Brinks employees, the investigators obtained several pieces of physical evidence. 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. 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. Shortly after these two guns were found, one of them was placed in a trash barrel and was taken to the city dump. A man of modest means in Bayonne, New Jersey, was reported to be spending large sums of money in night clubs, buying new automobiles, and otherwise exhibiting newly found wealth. Two died before they were tried. In examining the bill, a Federal Reserve note, the officer observed that it was in musty condition. If local hoodlums were involved, it was difficult to believe that McGinnis could be as ignorant of the crime as he claimed. This chauffeurs cap was left at the scene of the crime of the centurythe 1950 robbery of a Brink's bank branch in Massachusetts. Prominent among the other strong suspects was Vincent James Costa, brother-in-law of Pino. While the others stayed at the house to make a quick count of the loot, Pino and Faherty departed. 00:29. Democrat and Chronicle. Both of these strong-arm suspects had been questioned by Boston authorities following the robbery. Faherty and Richardson fled to avoid apprehension and subsequently were placed on the list of the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. As a guard moved to intercept him, Burke started to run. The following is a brief account of the data which OKeefe provided the special agents in January 1956: Although basically the brain child of Pino, the Brinks robbery was the product of the combined thought and criminal experience of men who had known each other for many years. Costa claimed that after working at the motor terminal until approximately 5:00 p.m. on January 17, 1950, he had gone home to eat dinner; then, at approximately 7:00 p.m., he left to return to the terminal and worked until about 9:00 p.m. 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. Pino was determined to fight against deportation. As the truck sped away with nine members of the gangand Costa departed in the stolen Ford sedanthe Brinks employees worked themselves free and reported the crime. Within two months of his return, another member of the gang suffered a legal setback. Due to his criminal record, the Immigration and Naturalization Service instituted proceedings in 1941 to deport him. On January 12, 1953, Pino was released on bail pending a deportation hearing. Brinks customers were contacted for information regarding the packaging and shipping materials they used. An immediate effort also was made to obtain descriptive data concerning the missing cash and securities. He. Because the money in the cooler was in various stages of decomposition, an accurate count proved most difficult to make. OKeefe was sentenced on August 5, 1954, to serve 27 months in prison. FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. Underworld sources described him as fully capable of planning and executing the Brinks robbery. A federal search warrant was obtained, and the home was searched by agents on April 27, 1950. A gang of 11 men set out on a meticulous 18-month quest to rob the Brinks headquarters in Boston, the home-base of the legendary private security firm. A detailed search for additional weapons was made at the Mystic River. 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. More than 100 persons took the stand as witnesses for the prosecution and the defense during September 1956. Subsequently, OKeefe left his carand the $200,000in a garage on Blue Hill Avenue in Boston. He needed money for his defense against the charges in McKean County, and it was obvious that he had developed a bitter attitude toward a number of his close underworld associates. He was granted a full pardon by the acting governor of Massachusetts. Even if released, he thought, his days were numbered. This was a question which preyed heavily upon their minds. His case had gone to the highest court in the land. 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 . Special agents subsequently interviewed Costa and his wife, Pino and his wife, the racketeer, and OKeefe. There were the rope and adhesive tape used to bind and gag the employees and a chauffeurs cap that one of the robbers had left at the crime scene. None proved fruitful. Another old gang that had specialized in hijacking bootlegged whiskey in the Boston area during Prohibition became the subject of inquiries. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) _ A Catholic priest and an ex-guerrilla from Northern Ireland were convicted Monday of charges related to the $7.4 million robbery of a Brink's armored car depot. 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 truck pieces were concealed in fiber bags when found. 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. 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. He claimed he had been drinking in various taverns from approximately 5:10 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. Until the FBI and its partners painstakingly solved the case. . During the trip from Roxbury, Pino distributed Navy-type peacoats and chauffeurs caps to the other seven men in the rear of the truck. From his cell in Springfield, OKeefe wrote bitter letters to members of the Brinks gang and persisted in his demands for money. At the outset, very few facts were available to the investigators. The robbery saw six armed men break into a security depot near London . 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. Two days before Maffies release, another strong suspect died of natural causes. He told the interviewing agents that he trusted Maffie so implicitly that he gave the money to him for safe keeping. 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. This incident also took place in Dorchester and involved the firing of more than 30 shots. The Boston underworld rumbled with reports that an automobile had pulled alongside OKeefes car in Dorchester, Massachusetts, during the early morning hours of June 5. Many other types of information were received. 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. They put the entire $200,000 in the trunk of OKeefes automobile. Three and one-half hours later, the verdict had been reached. One of his former girl friends who recalled having seen him on the night of the robbery stated that he definitely was not drunk. 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 FBIs jurisdiction to investigate this robbery was based upon the fact that cash, checks, postal notes, and United States money orders of the Federal Reserve Bank and the Veterans Administration district office in Boston were included in the loot. In September 1949, Pinos efforts to evade deportation met with success.

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