But the state's history also includes notorious figures such as bank robber . By the end of the decade, six of the ten places on the list remained filled by these elusive long-time fugitives, then still at large: 1950 #14 (ten years), Frederick J. Tenuto 1952 #36 (eight years), James Eddie Diggs 1954 #78 (six years), David Daniel Keegan 1956 #97 (four years), Eugene Francis Newman 1958 #107 (two years), Angelo Luigi Pero Most Americans have gained their knowledge of early-twentieth-century gangster guns from TV shows and movies. He claimed there was a large roll of bills in his hotel roomand that he had found that money, too. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. Titus Welliver was born on March 12, 1962 in New Haven, Connecticut. The alibi, in fact, was almost too good. 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.. Evidently resigned to long years in prison or a short life on the outside, OKeefe grew increasingly bitter toward his old associates. And it nearly was. 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. An immediate effort also was made to obtain descriptive data concerning the missing cash and securities. Continuous investigation, however, had linked him with the gang. 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. From what I can tell, the man speaking behi. 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. 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. Their plan was to enter the Brinks building and take a truck containing payrolls. As the investigation developed and thousands of leads were followed to dead ends, the broad field of possible suspects gradually began to narrow. To muffle their footsteps, one of the gang wore crepe-soled shoes, and the others wore rubbers. The mass of information gathered during the early weeks of the investigation was continuously sifted. After receiving the go ahead signal from Costa, the seven armed men walked to the Prince Street entrance of Brinks. Three of the remaining five gang members were previously accounted for, OKeefe and Gusciora being in prison on other charges and Banfield being dead. On April 11, 1955, the Supreme Court ruled that Pinos conviction in 1948 for larceny (the sentence that was revoked and the case placed on file) had not attained such finality as to support an order of deportation. Thus, Pino could not be deported. He subsequently was convicted and executed.). Each of them had surreptitiously entered the premises on several occasions after the employees had left for the day. Costa was associated with Pino in the operation of a motor terminal and a lottery in Boston. From his cell in Springfield, OKeefe wrote bitter letters to members of the Brinks gang and persisted in his demands for money. 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. You get me released, and Ill solve the case in no time, these criminals would claim. (The arrests of Faherty and Richardson also resulted in the indictment of another Boston hoodlum as an accessory after the fact). Commonly regarded as a dominant figure in the Boston underworld, McGinnis previously had been convicted of robbery and narcotics violations. By the 1950s, the gangster genre had begun to blend with the incredibly popular film noir. All denied any knowledge of the alleged incident. 5. Perhaps one of the most infamous serial killers in California, Charles Manson (and the cult he led) murdered actress Sharon Tate and four of her friends in her home at 1500 Cielo Drive in August of 1969. Veteran criminals throughout the United States found their activities during mid-January the subject of official inquiry. Meyer Lansky - Estimated net worth - $400 million. - Assination attempt on Harry S. Truman. 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. Unfortunately, this proved to be an idle hope. Thorough inquiries were made concerning the disposition of the bags after their receipt by the Massachusetts firm. After completing its hearings on January 9, 1953, the grand jury retired to weigh the evidence. This was also true in diverse cities such as New York and Chicago. The twins terrorised London in the 50s and 60s with their gang, "The Firm". The robbers carefully planned routine inside Brinks was interrupted only when the attendant in the adjoining Brinks garage sounded the buzzer. Before the robbery was carried out, all of the participants were well acquainted with the Brinks premises. On the night of January 18, 1950, OKeefe and Gusciora received $100,000 each from the robbery loot. 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. Later, the life of one of the most notorious criminals of the late 20th century inspired a number of books and movies. From interviews with the five employees whom the criminals had confronted, it was learned that between five and seven robbers had entered the building. He was certain he would be considered a strong suspect and wanted to begin establishing an alibi immediately.) Banfield drove the truck to the house of Maffies parents in Roxbury. At approximately 9:50 p.m., the details of this incident were furnished to the Baltimore Field Office of the FBI. In its determination to overlook no possibility, the FBI contacted various resorts throughout the United States for information concerning persons known to possess unusually large sums of money following the robbery. He told the interviewing agents that he trusted Maffie so implicitly that he gave the money to him for safe keeping. During 1955, OKeefe carefully pondered his position. As a guard moved to intercept him, Burke started to run. Geagan claimed that he spent the evening at home and did not learn of the Brinks robbery until the following day. 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. After surrendering himself in December 1953 in compliance with an Immigration and Naturalization Service order, he began an additional battle to win release from custody while his case was being argued. Race tracks and gambling establishments also were covered in the hope of finding some of the loot in circulation. Each of these leads was checked out. Sentenced to serve from five to seven years for this offense, he was released from prison in September 1941. On August 1, 1969 . Minutes later, police arrived at the Brinks building, and special agents of the FBI quickly joined in the investigation. Immediately upon leaving, the gang loaded the loot into the truck that was parked on Prince Street near the door. 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. At 10:25 p.m. on October 5, 1956, the jury retired to weigh the evidence. He had been released on parole from the Norfolk, Massachusetts, Prison Colony on August 22, 1949only five months before the robbery. Thousands of perpetrators of Nazi crimes never faced justice in the immediate postwar period, and most of the perpetrators who had been convicted were set free in the 1950s. This occurred while he was in the state prison at Charlestown, Massachusetts, serving sentences for breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony and for having burglar tools in his possession. Although the attendant did not suspect that the robbery was taking place, this incident caused the criminals to move more swiftly. The French queen's most famous scandal is the affair of the diamond necklace, an outrageous fraud perpetrated by jewel thieves using her name, but a previous incident was perhaps even more damaging to the royal prestige. People regarded the police as a racially monolithic unit that did not reflect the true diversity of the U.S. After the truck parts were found, additional suspicion was attached to these men. The families of OKeefe and Gusciora resided in the vicinity of Stoughton, Massachusetts. (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. First, there was the money. They had brought no tools with them, however, and they were unsuccessful. A systematic check of current and past Brinks employees was undertaken; personnel of the three-story building housing the Brinks offices were questioned; inquiries were made concerning salesmen, messengers, and others who had called at Brinks and might know its physical layout as well as its operational procedures. Using the outside door key they had previously obtained, the men quickly entered and donned their masks. A number of them discontinued their operations; others indicated a strong desire that the robbers be identified and apprehended. The Brinks case was front page news. His father was a famous landscape painter, Neil Welliver. He worked closely with the most famous mobsters and Mafia members in the world . A thorough investigation was made concerning his whereabouts on the evening of January 17, 1950. Suge Knight, owner of Death Row Records. Each robbers face was completely concealed behind a Halloween-type mask. Coming from an impoverished Italian Neapolitan family, Capone began his career in crime as a Lieutenant in the Five Points gang in Manhattan. 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. Inside this container were packages of bills that had been wrapped in plastic and newspapers. 6263mm in metric notation, and .1873 Single-Action Cattleman Brass in 9mm. In July 1956, another significant turn of events took place. 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. On the evening of May 22, 1918, Jake and Andrew Maggio made a gruesome discovery. This phase of the investigation greatly disturbed many gamblers. During November and December 1949, the approach to the Brinks building and the flight over the getaway route were practiced to perfection. If local hoodlums were involved, it was difficult to believe that McGinnis could be as ignorant of the crime as he claimed. Burke, a professional killer, allegedly had been hired by underworld associates of OKeefe to assassinate him. Following the robbery, authorities attempted unsuccessfully to locate him at the hotel. In the succeeding two weeks, nearly 1,200 prospective jurors were eliminated as the defense counsel used their 262 peremptory challenges. IThis is a very unusual 16mm film from the 1950s that attempts to be a documentary. Among the early suspects was Anthony Pino, an alien who had been a principal suspect in numerous major robberies and burglaries in Massachusetts. Police who arrived to investigate found a large amount of blood, a mans shattered wrist watch, and a .45 caliber pistol at the scene. Moll Cutpurse. Jimmy Stewart, 41 years old. It was given to him in a suitcase that was transferred to his car from an automobile occupied by McGinnis and Banfield. Before fleeing with the bags of loot, the seven armed men attempted to open a metal box containing the payroll of the General Electric Company. Then she expanded her territory and became a highway robber dressed in men's clothing. Oklahoma's outlaw tales will transport you to the dusty days of yesteryear when six-shooter pistols and vigilantes terrorized Indian Territory. Christopher Scarver, a fellow prisoner who was already serving a life sentence for murder, killed Jeffrey Dahmer in 1994 when he was incarcerated. July 14, 2017. Chuck Cooper, 23 years old. After a period of hostility, he began to display a friendly attitude. Even in their jail cells, however, they showed no respect for law enforcement. It never made it to the air, but in 1953, Frank Sinatra starred in a proposed private eye series called Blues in the Night. All of them wore Navy-type peacoats, gloves, and chauffeurs caps. 1950 Fox Feature FAMOUS CRIMES #16 GERBER 6 GOLDEN AGE 10 CENT ISSUE RARE. It was used by the defense counsel in preparing a 294-page brief that was presented to the Massachusetts State Supreme Court. 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. The FBI also succeeded in locating the carpenter who had remodeled the offices where the loot was hidden. Even fearing the new bills might be linked with the crime, McGinnis suggested a process for aging the new money in a hurry.. 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. Paul Bernardo. Two hours later he was dead. Within two months of his return, another member of the gang suffered a legal setback. 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. 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. Gob stoppers, The Dandy, the sixpenny rush and hiding behind the sofa from the Daleks: memories of childhood in the 1950s and 1960s An automobile identified as the car used in the escape was located near a Boston hospital, and police officers concealed themselves in the area. His criminal career started as a teenager, when O'Leary worked for bookies in Long Beach, Indiana. From the size of the loot and the number of men involved, it was logical that the gang might have used a truck. OKeefe wore crepe-soled shoes to muffle his footsteps; the others wore rubbers. The Italian Mafia seems to have a monopoly on crazy nicknames, but the Japanese Yakuza has a few colorful characters as well. An appeal was promptly noted, and he was released on $15,000 bond. Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe, Billy Wilder's Barton Keyes, and Roman Polanski's JJ 'Jake' Gittes: three iconic private investigators who popularised the Los Angeles crime story in the 20th century - a good man traveling solo through a hot, seedy, grimy city, where bad things happen to bad people. Ludovica Nasti and Elisa Del Genio in the first episode of HBO's 'My Brilliant Friend'. Ronald Kray was a British criminal involved in organized crime in the East End of London in the 1950s and 1960s. This underworld character told the officers that he had found this money. While OKeefe and Gusciora lingered in jail in Pennsylvania, Pino encountered difficulties of his own. The full details of this important development were immediately furnished to the FBI Office in Boston. Known less by his actual name than his nickname, the "Mob's Accountant," wasn't exactly on fine terms with the IRS. Debbie Reynolds, 18 years old. This man claimed to have no knowledge of Pinos involvement in the Brinks robbery.). 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. The Chronicle The Jack the Ripper of the Bay Area: Zodiac is our bogeyman. Baker fled and the brief meeting adjourned. Banfield had been a close associate of McGinnis for many years. A third attempt on OKeefes life was made on June 16, 1954. 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. 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. Nonetheless, the finding of the truck parts at Stoughton, Massachusetts, was to prove a valuable break in the investigation. We'll explore big trends (drug cartels), sensational cases ("The Preppy Killer"), the decade's most lethal and infamous serial killers (The Night Stalker, The Grim Sleeper) and more. It was, in both the South and the North, a largely "white" organization. OKeefe and Gusciora reportedly had worked together on a number of occasions. All efforts to identify the gang members through the chauffeurs hat, the rope, and the adhesive tape which had been left in Brinks proved unsuccessful. Banfield, the driver, was alone in the front. Lynette White. 1950 Fox Feature FAMOUS CRIMES #16 GERBER 6 GOLDEN AGE 10 CENT ISSUE RARE. In the 1950s, most police forces were mostly white and almost exclusively male. Murder, armed robbery, arson, protection rackets, assaults - they were involved in it all. Interviews with him on June 3 and 4, 1956, disclosed that this 31-year-old hoodlum had a record of arrests and convictions dating back to his teens and that he had been conditionally released from a federal prison camp less than a year beforehaving served slightly more than two years of a three-year sentence for transporting a falsely made security interstate. 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. O'Keefe and Gusciora reportedly had. Faherty had been questioned on the night of the robbery. And what of McGinnis himself? Early in June 1956, however, an unexpected break developed. Information received from this individual linked nine well-known hoodlums with the crime. By this time, Baker was suffering from a bad case of nerves. His mother was a fashion illustrator, Norma Cripps. Pino had been questioned as to his whereabouts on the evening of January 17, 1950, and he provided a good alibi. 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