He was found brutally murdered in his car in 1987. The serial numbers of several of these bills were furnished to the FBI Office in Baltimore. 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. Police recovered only $58,000 of the $2.7 million stolen. For example, from a citizen in California came the suggestion that the loot might be concealed in the Atlantic Ocean near Boston. This lead was pursued intensively. As the truck drove past the Brinks offices, the robbers noted that the lights were out on the Prince Street side of the building. And what of McGinnis himself? Commonly regarded as a dominant figure in the Boston underworld, McGinnis previously had been convicted of robbery and narcotics violations. The record of the state trial covered more than 5,300 pages. He was certain he would be considered a strong suspect and wanted to begin establishing an alibi immediately.) Shortly thereafterduring the first week of Novembera 1949 green Ford stake-body truck was reported missing by a car dealer in Boston. Apparently, they had planned a leisurely trip with an abundance of extracurricular activities.. On June 4, 1956 a man named "Fat John" admitted he had money that was linked to the Brink's robbery in his possession. The Brink Mat robbery was a heist that occurred at Heathrow International Trading Estate on November 26, 1983, when six armed robbers broke into a warehouse run by a US and British joint venture, Brink's Mat. This vehicle was traced through motor vehicle records to Pino. The group were led . During the trip from Roxbury, Pino distributed Navy-type peacoats and chauffeurs caps to the other seven men in the rear of the truck. Like Gusciora, OKeefe was known to have associated with Pino prior to the Brinks robbery. After denying any knowledge of the escape of Trigger Burke, Pino was released. On November 16, 1959, the United States Supreme Court denied a request of the defense counsel for a writ of certiorari. "A search warrant was executed in Boston covering the Tremont Street offices occupied by the three men" (FBI). The group were led by Mickey McAdams and Brian Robinson who planned to find 3 million in cash. After a period of hostility, he began to display a friendly attitude. Banfield had been a close associate of McGinnis for many years. 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. A t the time, the Brink's-Mat vault was thought to be one of the most secure facilities in the world. Brinks customers were contacted for information regarding the packaging and shipping materials they used. OKeefe immediately returned to Boston to await the results of the appeal. Thorough inquiries were made concerning the disposition of the bags after their receipt by the Massachusetts firm. Neither had too convincing an alibi. 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. In addition, McGinnis was named in two other complaints involving the receiving and concealing of the loot. The Brinks Mat Robbery: The real story that inspired The Gold. In the deportation fight that lasted more than two years, Pino won the final victory. 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. Pino admitted having been in the area, claiming that he was looking for a parking place so that he could visit a relative in the hospital. (The arrests of Faherty and Richardson also resulted in the indictment of another Boston hoodlum as an accessory after the fact). The Brinks vehicle, followed closely by guards traveling in an automobile, turned onto a stone-paved lane called Old Bethel Road. The most important of these, Specs OKeefe, carefully recited the details of the crime, clearly spelling out the role played by each of the eight defendants. They did not expect to find the Aladdin's cave to contain some 26m in gold bullion and diamonds that they stumbled upon. It was called the crime of the century, the largest heist in US history, an almost perfect robbery. The new proceedings were based upon the fact that Pino had been arrested in December 1948 for a larceny involving less than $100. All denied any knowledge of the alleged incident. 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. The Brink's-Mat robbery occurred at the Heathrow International Trading Estate, London, United Kingdom, on 26 November 1983 and was one of the largest robberies in British history. Although Gusciora was acquitted of the charges against him in Towanda, he was removed to McKean County, Pennsylvania, to stand trial for burglary, larceny, and receiving stolen goods. Paul Jawarski (sometimes spelled Jaworski) in a yellowed newspaper . A few weeks later, OKeefe retrieved his share of the loot. His explanation: He had been drinking at a bar in Boston. Almost. Born in Italy in 1907, Pino was a young child when he entered the United States, but he never became a naturalized citizen. 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. 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. Occasionally, an offender who was facing a prison term would boast that he had hot information. Two other Baltimore police officers who were walking along the street nearby noted this maneuver. 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. 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. First, there was the money. This was in their favor. In September 1949, Pinos efforts to evade deportation met with success. All but Pino and Banfield stepped out and proceeded into the playground to await Costas signal. 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. Within two months of his return, another member of the gang suffered a legal setback. 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. This phase of the investigation was pursued exhaustively. 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. All were denied, and the impaneling of the jury was begun on August 7. The removal of the lock cylinder from the outside door involved the greatest risk of detection. He arrived in Baltimore on the morning of June 3 and was picked up by the Baltimore Police Department that evening. Faherty and Richardson fled to avoid apprehension and subsequently were placed on the list of the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Pino also was linked with the robbery, and there was every reason to suspect that OKeefe felt Pino was turning his back on him now that OKeefe was in jail. 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. Even Pino, whose deportation troubles then were a heavy burden, was arrested by the Boston police in August 1954. On June 17, 1954, the Boston police arrested Elmer Trigger Burke and charged him with possession of a machine gun. The crime inspired at least four movies and two books, including The Story of the Great Brink's Robbery, as Told by the FBI. A roll of waterproof adhesive tape used to gag and bind bank employees that was left at the scene of the crime. That prison term, together with Pinos conviction in March 1928 for carnal abuse of a girl, provided the basis for the deportation action. 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. Had any particles of evidence been found in the loot which might directly show that they had handled it? It was positively concluded that the packages of currency had been damaged prior to the time they were wrapped in the pieces of newspaper; and there were indications that the bills previously had been in a canvas container which was buried in ground consisting of sand and ashes. 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. 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. An immediate effort also was made to obtain descriptive data concerning the missing cash and securities. Andrew J. Whitaker/Pool/USA Today Network via REUTERSStanding in shackles and a beige prison jumpsuit, the once prominent South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh continued to swear he was innocent Friday as a judge slammed him as a "monster" whose conduct was worse than many offenders who got the death penalty.Judge Clifton Newman sentenced Murdaugh to life in prison for the June 7, 2021 . Several hundred dollars were found hidden in the house but could not be identified as part of the loot. Two weeks of comparative quiet in the gang members lives were shattered on June 5, 1954, when an attempt was made on OKeefes life. He subsequently was convicted and executed.). 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 Gold is a 2023 television series created for BBC One and Paramount+. In the succeeding two weeks, nearly 1,200 prospective jurors were eliminated as the defense counsel used their 262 peremptory challenges. The Bureau was convinced that it had identified the actual robbers, but evidence and witnesses had to be found. Even after these convictions, OKeefe and Gusciora continued to seek their release. 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. Two days after Christmas of 1955, FBI agents paid another visit to OKeefe. Seven months later, however, he was again paroled. 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. On November, 26, 1983, three tonnes of solid gold bullion was taken by six armed robbers from the Brink's-Mat security depot near Heathrow Airport. 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. Nonetheless, several members of the Brinks gang were visibly shaken and appeared to be abnormally worried during the latter part of May and early in June 1954. While Maffie claimed that part of the money had been stolen from its hiding place and that the remainder had been spent in financing OKeefes legal defense in Pennsylvania, other gang members accused Maffie of blowing the money OKeefe had entrusted to his care. 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. When the employees were securely bound and gagged, the robbers began looting the premises. In a film-style series of events, criminals broke into the. Of the $4,822 found in the small-time criminals possession, FBI agents identified $4,635 as money taken by the Brinks robbers. Three and one-half hours later, the verdict had been reached. He, too, had left his home shortly before 7:00 p.m. on the night of the robbery and met the Boston police officer soon thereafter. All five employees had been forced at gunpoint to lie face down on the floor. This is good money, he said, but you cant pass it around here in Boston.. After each interview, FBI agents worked feverishly into the night checking all parts of his story which were subject to verification. As a protective measure, he was incarcerated in the Hampden County jail at Springfield, Massachusetts, rather than the Suffolk County jail in Boston. Some of the bills were in pieces. OKeefe was wounded in the wrist and chest, but again he managed to escape with his life. Soon after OKeefes return in March 1954, Baker and his wife left Boston on a vacation..
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