On October 19 the citizens of the town were held at gunpoint on the town common while the raiders robbed the banks, drove off the towns horses to discourage pursuit, and fled to Canada. 3. On that Friday morning, after months of planning two armed bank robbers entered and robbed the North Hollywood Bank of America branch in California. Robbing a bank is the ultimate risk and reward, full of thrills, hard cash and consequences if caught. Shootouts. 1. Members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization decided to launch an attack on the British Bank of the Middle East. After getting pinched for robbing a gas station, he met John Dillinger and others in prison who taught himthe trade, and then escaped prison to work with Dillinger and his associates. She started screaming "lock the doors, lock the doors" but I ignored it and just kept walking like nothing was happening. Throughout history, banks have continually upgraded their security systems, equipment and procedures. 1. In 1997, a Dunbar Armored Co. employee was fired for tampering with the company's vehicles. When he was paroled he vowed to never see the inside of another prison. In January of 1934 Hamilton and his crew robbed over $20,000 from a bank and gunned downed an officer. June 28, 2009, Family plot: Pretty Boy Floyd relative recalls his infamous uncle. Seventy-five stab wounds were inflicted on the three employees, and the stabbings only ended when they were interrupted by the entry of three customers, who were taken to the back at gunpoint and shot in the head. John Dillinger left a bloody trail all across the Midwest. On April 23, 1934, the gang were confronted by police and, during a getaway, Hamilton was wounded and died shortly after. He spent his time planning heists with his new found friends, that they would commit shortly after being released. They remained at large until two days later when they were encountered in the general region of the second shootout. Philip And Matasareanu Were Heavily Medicated During The North Hollywood Bank Robbery Shootout. He died at the age of 52 of throat cancer, and his body was found dumped outside his mother . 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. Wikimedia. Gillis would become known as Baby Face Nelson and despite being very short (54) and small (133 lbs) he was a dangerous individual during the golden age of gangsters. Williams and his gang were known for being able to do bank jobs in under a minute. Nelson decided to form and run his own gang of bank robbers in 1933, on October 3 they robbed the First National Bank of Brainerd, Minnesota, during which Nelson used a Thompson submachine gun to fire indiscriminately at bystanders on the street as they made their escape. It was later determined that Hamilton left over $300 in quarters and half-dollars in the cash drawers. On September 19, 1900, members of the Wild Bunch entered the town of Winnemucca, Nevada. It was the largest amount ever stolen from a bank in U.S. history. 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. FBI. Four days after his arrest, Dillinger oversaw the smuggling of weapons into his friends prison cells, and they escaped, but not before killing two guards. The gang even participated in kidnappings, however this proved to be their downfall. The earliest recorded bank heist in the States, as far as we know, was in 1798. Eventually, most of the Tape bandits were rounded up, including Nelson. ", "Walked in the bank and waited in line like a regular customer. The British Bank of the Middle East robbery. After serving seven years in prison, Van Meter was paroled. Turns out she was talking with her accomplice, a boyfriend driving the getaway car outside the banks. 1. Needless to say, she got fired. After this, Nelson began to rob banks with Homer Van Meter and Eddie Green. 5. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. Two of them, John and Clarence, were transferred within the federal prison system after attempting to escape from Atlanta, first to Leavenworth, where they also attempted to escape, and finally to the allegedly escape-proof prison at Alcatraz. In December a robbery attempt was foiled when a bank worker pushed an alarm button, forcing the would-be robbers to flee empty-handed, but a week later they were more successful at a bank in Upland, Indiana. Director: Roger Avary | Stars: Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy, Martin Raymond, Eric Pascal Chaltiel. Valerio and his associates entered the facility, pretending to be customers. I have tried to rank in order of reputation and skill. Where do we find this stuff? The case eluded officials for decades, until an obituary appeared online and family secrets began to unravel. Dillinger was charged; however, many claim it was Hamilton who pulled the trigger. He surrendered peacefully although no agents had brought any handcuffs, as they assumed Karpis would fight to the death. Modern day pop culture has kept the tradition alive with movies such as Point Break, HEAT and Reservoir Dogs. Although Jesse James was never tried for any of his crimes, his brother Frank was twice, acquitted both times. Nash was a jack of all trades when it came to robbing banks. When Guarino was identified as the leader of the robbery he was taken into custody at his home on Staten Island, and within a few days he arranged to work as an informant, transferring information to the FBI and New York authorities on the activities of his various mob contacts. Bank robbery statistics from 2020 report there were zero bank robberies for 12 months in South Africa. Frank Eugene Converse, whose family later founded the Converse Shoe Company, was a seventeen-year-old clerk at the First Malden Bank in Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in December of 1863. In April of 1934 they pulled off a bank job, but the getaway went awry and a shootout ensued. Beginning in the 1930s, and in some cases even earlier in larger cities and towns, banks installed security mechanisms to protect themselves and their employees from robberies. The pair robbed banks together during the 1930s. The young men produced shotguns and ordered the chief cashier, a man named Birge, and his aides to hand over all available cash. The only caveat is, it's successful as long as you don't get caught. I keep telling myself that if I live to be old (over eighty) that would be a good time to try heroin or other drugs because, why not? Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Unlike in the movies, he never used weapons, teams or threats, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The skies darkened when Cassidy got close, thats how badass he was during the time of the Wild Wild West. The exact number of men who entered the town and gathered together in front of the Clay County Savings Association differs; according to accounts it was anywhere from ten to fourteen. Train and stagecoach robberies were more common since they could be carried out in remote locations, without having to contend with the inconvenience of local law enforcement. Jesse was murdered there by Bob Ford in 1882 in St. Joseph. He was also an associate of John Dillinger, Alvin Karpis and the Barker gang. Oh-so-coincidentally, the next day, six bandits got into the garage with keys in hand, then tied up . Not fake talking on her phone as a distraction, but carrying on an actual conversation while slipping the teller a this is a robbery note. Alfred was separated from his brothers and died in custody at Kilby Prison in Alabama. Hamilton attended the liberation at Lima Jail but did not enter the building, instead serving as a lookout. His case was eventually thrown out . When Jesse read newspaper reports of robberies which were attributed to him he often wrote to the papers editor protesting his innocence of the crime in question. Most historians agree she was completely smitten with him, and willingly joined him as his partner in crime. 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. 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. The 2005 Banco Central burglary in Fortaleza, Brazil, was once recognized by Guinness Book of World Records as the world's greatest bank robbery. The newly formed group of escapees became the first Dillinger gang. "Part of my process did begin with how poorly I thought rich people handled their money. Barrow was killed instantly by a headshot and Parker, in the passenger seat, was sprayed with bullets soon afterwards. He married Beryl Hovious, in 1924, but the marriage ended in divorce. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and spent most of his adult life in Alcatraz. He reunited with girlfriend, and partner in crime, Edna Murray before joining Alvin Karpis and the Barker gang, who were at the peak of their criminal success. RCDSA. His bank robbery style became known as the Lamm Technique, and was widely imitated by other famous bank robbers, such as John Dillinger. Dillinger buried his friend at the home of Volney Davis and Edna Murray. Townspeople raised the alarm and armed men were awaiting the robbers as they exited the bank. 4. I look for video cameras, security guard positioning and speculate where the vault is. 300 million yen robbery. Willie Sutton loved using disguises to rob banks. Horse thievery. Volney Davis. Whether armed with guns, coordinated with a gang or using explosives, anything was on the table if it meant leaving the building with bags of money. 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. 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. He wasnt hurt, but the car was disabled, and soon after he engaged in a chase with police. Moments later, cops were racing through San Isidro, a leafy, affluent suburb north . The heist inspired three films: 10 Million Dollar Getaway, the Big Heist, and Goodfellas. Sometimes you are born into the lifestyle, and for Lester M. Gillis that came at the tender age of 12 when he first shot someone with a gun. 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. During one robbery Nelson was reported to have sprayed innocent bystanders with machine gun bullets while screaming wildly. Stolen: $20 million - $50 million. Online. While most of the men waited outside two men went into the bank, which was staffed by only two men at the time, father and son Greenup Bird and William Bird. Floyd grew up in Oklahoma, and was first arrested at age 18, after stealing $3.50 from a post office. The next day, the depot was robbed. Over the next few years he participated in several bank robberies, and it was in this period that he acquired his nickname. Pierpont was found guilty and sentenced to a minimum of ten years in the Indiana Reformatory. He received a life sentence but escaped during a prison transfer. He is estimated to have robbed over 100 banks, stealing around $2 million. 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. 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. He began to associate with big time Kansas City mobsters. 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. . In yet another gun battle with police, a second robber was killed. The Lord never seeks re- election. 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. His numerous prison escapes also added to his legend. After the death of John Dillinger, Floyd was elevated to Public Enemy Number One by the FBI. Five days later they were arrested in Ohio. Hamilton, along with Dillinger, were public enemy number one (or one and two I guess) as their gang robbed several banks around the Chicago area. But it was pretty low risk that way, so that was cool with me. 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. As great of a criminal as Butch Cassidy was, there are still questions as to how he died. Hunt rushed to the scene to begin investigating what would turn out to be the biggest bank robbery in San Antonio history. After numerous convictions were attained using his information he entered the Witness Protection Program. The infamous Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus was one of the nations most notorious prisons when Pierpont was sent there for execution. Limerick joined the Maurice Denning gang in 1934, and their spree of heists . They were not in uniform and were not connected to any existing command of the Confederate Army, though they were under the ostensible command of Bennett Young, a former member of Morgans Raiders who had surrendered with Morgan but escaped to Canada. 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. For instance, he has robbed banks dressed as a maintenance man, a postman and a police officer. As a young man, Van Meter became involved in crime after working as a waiter for a short while. Of course Chaz rarely made it to class; instead, organizing bank heists to steal more federal money. 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. 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. Green was held in the Middlesex County Jail until April 1866, when he was hanged for committing the United States first armed bank robbery, and for the crime of murder. Often several different gangs occupied it simultaneously, though they did not coordinate their various nefarious activities. He obviously didn't realize the guy who had just walked out of the bank and past him had just robbed the bank. He has killed more FBI agents than any other single American citizen. The well-armed gangs often outgunned the police, and violent crime took an upsurge. The robbers were armed with rifles, handguns, and shotguns. The British Bank of the Middle East Robbery. 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. The victim said: He was good looking, hardly more than a boy. It was the largest bank robbery in U.S. history at the time. In April 1925, Pierpont was arrested in Detroit and was soon returned to Indiana to face trial. The plan was pretty simply stay out of our way or die. Before they left, the Termites started a fire that set off the sprinkler system and flooded the building. Riverside deputies were assisted in the high-speed chase by officers of other agencies as it entered Sam Bernardino County. Shots were fired at the robbers outside while their three companions were still inside, who shot the clerk in the head and fled. On August 23rd, 1934, Van Meter was ambushed by four police officers and brutally gunned down. 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. The robbery was led by the notorious likes of outlaw Butch Cassidy and his sidekicks. Martinez and her boyfriend would rob 4 banks in Northern Virginia, stealing just under $50,000 before they got caught and prosecuted. The remaining three were taken into custody. At the time, it was described as "the crime of the century." The gang gained entry to the warehouse from security guard Anthony Black. They often took photographs of themselves posing together with the weapons they used during armed robberies. Volney Davis was the boyfriend of Edna "rabbits" Murray. Nelson robbed his first bank in April 1930, another in October, and in Chicago that year robbed jewelry from the mayor of Chicagos wife. Train robberies. However, instead of returning to prison, he went on the run. The only money the gang managed to take during the robbery was a few bags of nickels. Jay, Clarke, Universal Press Syndicate, Chicago Tribune. 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. Shutterstock. As in the earlier days in the west, where criminals such as Jesse James gained the sympathy and even the admiration of citizens who agreed with their activities, some of the famous robbers and murderers of the days of the roving gangs became folk heroes among the poor and the outcast of the depression. His means of robbing banks were never violent; in fact the machine gun he carried was empty. On February 13, 1866, a Tuesday, a group of riders rode into Liberty, Missouri. The raiders protested that the action had been a legitimate act of war and the Canadian authorities released them but returned the money to Saint Albans. During their spree, they killed around 13 lawmen, although Dillinger was never proven to have killed anyone. 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. The robbers shot up more than two dozen patrol cars and damaged a police helicopter. In early October 1864, former soldiers of the Confederacy who had fled to Canada began to gather in the small town of Saint Albans, Vermont. Released on parole in May, 1933, he robbed his first bank the following month, in New Carlisle, Ohio. 5. Johnny D. Boggs, True West Magazine. He committed his first major robbery in the 1920s, burglarizing a hospital in Tulsa. She just shrugged -- palms up like a little kid -- and said, "That's all I got." The robbers escaped in a car to a nearby town, where Bonnie Parker awaited them in another car, though in transferring between vehicles some of the money was dropped. Although Al Capone had been named Public Enemy Number One by the city of Chicago in 1930, John Dillinger was the first to hold the title as bestowed nationally by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As it became evident that Green was paying off his debts, the townspeople began to wonder where the money had come from. One of the most famous bank robbers in American History, "Slick Willie" spent 11 years at Eastern State Penitentiary. Most bank robbers, at least the popular ones, had characteristics that set them apart. Butch and Sundance were alleged to have been killed in 1908 in South America, though their exact fate remains in question. 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). You can reach David on Twitter @david_s_grant and his website www.pulpscribbler.com. For a short while, Nelson was number one on the FBI list of public enemies. To me, its just natural, given that a. A fellow inmate sexually assaulted him over the course of a year, until Clyde eventually cracked his skull with a metal bar. The brothers were sentenced on federal charges and later received additional time on state charges. He writes about pop culture and humor, he is also a degenerate gambler (which he also writes about). Today its very hard to pull off a bank job, yet each day approximately 20 banks are robbed in the U.S. alone! ", On the final job that didn't go as planned, "The teller freaked out as soon as I turned to leave the bank. But many robbers do find themselves behind bars eventually. Warsaw Daily Times. 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. Bank robberies are a major plot device in films, particularly the once-popular western genre, though in reality bank robberies in the American western frontier days were relatively rare. In addition to violence, Baby Face Nelson also robbed banks, completing his first job by the age of 21 years old. Their point of entry was a tunnel they dug from the sewers. Bass's one and only big haul was in September of . The attempted robbery of the First National Bank of Northfield on September 7 was stopped when the clerk refused to open the safe, claiming that it was equipped with a time lock which prevented him from doing so, while another clerk fled out the back door, wounded in the shoulder. 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.