That would be the equivalent of approximately $5 million today. Charles Arthur Floyd was a gun happy bank robber who during his violent career cultivated a favorable image with the general public by spreading rumors that in the course of his robberies he also destroyed mortgage documents, saving many from foreclosure. However, instead of returning to prison, he went on the run. 9. After numerous convictions were attained using his information he entered the Witness Protection Program. According to reports, 18 perpetrators are still at large. As a young man, Van Meter became involved in crime after working as a waiter for a short while. 9. Dillinger wanted to be more famous than Capone and let everyone know who he was. In April of 1934 they pulled off a bank job, but the getaway went awry and a shootout ensued. After being apprehended again, he was sentenced to 50 years imprisonment. They fled to the north. I love the story of J.L. But to me, the money was the chips, thats all.. The Banco Central burglary Stolen: $71.6 million. 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. 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. Whilst in prison he tried to escape with another prisoner. At the time, it was described as "the crime of the century." The gang gained entry to the warehouse from security guard Anthony Black. Sam Bass 1851-1878. Wikimedia. Only one of the robbers wore a mask, the others were easily identified and arrested. He was later transferred to the State Prison, where he worked out an escape plan with John Dillinger. These were shown in the newspapers to give the impression the duo were enjoying a lavish lifestyle, when in fact they lived under immense stress and were constantly on the run. Think Natural Born Killers without Rodney Dangerfield and Quentin Tarantino/Oliver Stone script/director drama. Someone should have. Karpis was raised in Kansas and began associating with criminals from an early age. In 2005-2006, Clay Tumey "studied and perfected the art of bank robbery", never getting caught but still going to prison about five months after his last robbery because he turned himself in . James started as a soldier in the Civil War and then, after the war was over, set out to knock off financial institutions to become rich. The British Bank of the Middle East Robbery. Nelson survived the confrontation only to die of his wounds at a safe house a short time later. They were shot over 50 times, including numerous headshots on each corpse. FBI. Two years later, the first successful getaway by automobile following a bank robbery took place in France. The driver then sped off, and since the make and model of the vehicle were not reported in the Tribune, it is impossible to determine what speeds were attained, but they were pursued by citizens and police also in automobiles. 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. As the sons of migrant farmworkers, they had often visited Michigan in the spring and early summer as their parents picked fruit. As tropes in crime films go, the slick bank heist is one of the most romantic and frequent, ripe for cool cinematography, interesting costume and brazen dialogue. Floyd wasnt your typical gangster bank robber though; no, he was providing a service. Floyd killed at least three police officers and several other underworld figures, including bootleggers, which indicates he may have supplemented his income from bank robberies by serving as a hitman for organized crime figures. He would simply slide a piece of paper with the word ROBBERY on it to the teller. 1. North Hollywood shootout, 1997, deadly . Along with his partner Sundance Kid, the couple was famous for famous historic robberies. During one robbery Nelson was reported to have sprayed innocent bystanders with machine gun bullets while screaming wildly. Robbing a bank is the ultimate risk and reward, full of thrills, hard cash and consequences if caught. When he was paroled he vowed to never see the inside of another prison. She started screaming "lock the doors, lock the doors" but I ignored it and just kept walking like nothing was happening. The banks customers were shoved aside and gathered with the employees, all of them forced to lie on the floor while Barrow watched over them with the shotgun and Hamilton filled a sack with the cash from the drawers. In May 1936, the FBI located Karpis in New Orleans, and surrounded his car. After being on the run for two years, Nelson robbed his first major bank. David S. Grant is the author of several books including "Blood: The New Red." Hamilton went on to commit a spree of chaotic, yet lucrative, bank robberies with the Dillinger gang. Each year there are approximately 3,000-4,000 bank robberies. Online, The Boss: J. Edgar Hoover and the Great American Inquisition. Nash was a jack of all trades when it came to robbing banks. I was more alive when I was inside a bank, robbing it, than at any other time in my life. I look for video cameras, security guard positioning and speculate where the vault is. Pretty Boy Floyd believed in having the right tool for the job, which is why he always brought his machine gun to a bank job. I guess you can blame Stockholm Syndrome here, but this is pretty crazy even to me (someone that totally believes Johnny Utah would join the Dead Presidents in their bank robbing adventures). Barrow soon killed again, after a robbery at a grocery store where he shot the owner for showing resistance; during the robbery they stole just $28 and a few groceries. The Soboba Grab and Dash was a casino heist straight out of the Hollywood movies. Nelson was finally cornered and killed by FBI agents in November 1934, in a gun battle in which two FBI agents were also killed. It was 1976 in Beirut. Its funny how a lot of bank robbers never wear disguises anymore. He was charged with the murder of a police officer during his criminal career, though many witnesses insisted John Hamilton performed the killing. They were able to do so thanks to the driver, who was not an accomplice but was provided along with the vehicle, which had been rented by the two bank robbers. But many robbers do find themselves behind bars eventually. When those convictions were overturned (they had been tried together) they have tried again, in separate trials, and again both were convicted. He took part in the Dillinger gangs last bank raid, in which four innocent bystanders were murdered. One difference of course is that he used a machine gun versus a bow and arrow. On the afternoon of November 24, 1971, a nondescript man calling himself Dan Cooper approached the counter of Northwest Orient Airlines in Portland, Oregon. "They just want to give you what you want and for you to get the hell out of their bank.". Guarino brought in three additional known criminals of his acquaintance to assist in the robbery, which was of a Brinks shipment of cash, which was to be taken to the eleventh floor facility after arriving at the complex. The plan was pretty simply stay out of our way or die. 3. Because no bodies were ever found, the US Marshal service still considers the escape to be an open case. They would commonly participate in gun battles with police, in which innocent bystanders were often killed. The remaining three were taken into custody. After being arrested and imprisoned in the escape proof Lake County jail, Dillinger was able to use a carved wooden pistol to trick guards, and lock them in his cell. Previously they had broken into banks after hours, hoping to avoid any injury to themselves or others. In March of 1934, Nelson partnered with John Dillinger to rob the Security National Bank in Sioux Falls, followed a week later by the First National Bank of Mason City, Iowa. In reality, they killed several. During their spree, they killed around 13 lawmen, although Dillinger was never proven to have killed anyone. After staying unidentified for more than 50 years, an infamous bank robber from the USA has finally been identified. 2. Thom Hatch. ", "When my lawyer first brought all my paperwork to me, I noticed that the amount was $100 off for that particular bank. The men beat a guard unconscious but were soon apprehended. These criminals werent like the bank robbers of today; handing a note to a teller and escaping with $100, only to be caught the next day. The duo and their gang went on to rob numerous other stores and banks before their downfall. Given he was born in 1866, not likely. 01/10/2022. Wikimedia. Central Bank of Iraq by urrizato - Wikimedia. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images. He obviously didn't realize the guy who had just walked out of the bank and past him had just robbed the bank. 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. Jesse James robbed many banks and killed several men, but his legend overshadows his true history. The pair robbed numerous banks as well as some gas stations and stores in rural areas. The Great Depression began with the Wall Street crash in 1929, and lasted well into the following decades. Forcing the employees to lay on the floor and binding the hands of the banks president, Walter Oakley, they rifled the drawers and vault and made off with about $19,000 in cash. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. "One teller skimped out on me and didn't give me all I had asked for, and I told her, "You can do better than that." John Dillinger was almost as famous as Al Capone. I got out before the doors were locked, but a guy walking into the bank seconds later already found them locked. It was later determined that Hamilton left over $300 in quarters and half-dollars in the cash drawers. While traveling and searching for new ways to put some money in his pocket for a better life, he stumbled upon Mike . These crimes labelled Van Meter 18th on the public enemies list. I studied countless reports of other robberies that had gone wrong and people who were caught. In 1997, Los Angeles residents witnessed what became the deadliest bank robbery in the history of America. Although rumored to have been a nice guy, he murdered his partner, Nollie Humpy Wortman, after they completed a job. After the robbery, they went their separate ways and headed back to their homes. It was she who labeled him as having a baby face and the sobriquet Baby Face Nelson was quickly bandied about in the press of the day when describing his crimes. 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? This led Dillinger to be admired by many who considered the banks who foreclosed on homes and farms as the real enemy. The robbers were armed with rifles, handguns, and shotguns. 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. Most bank robbers, at least the popular ones, had characteristics that set them apart. At the time of his death, he was only 25 years old. Library of Congress. After many successful bank robberies and kidnappings, Davis was captured and charged with kidnapping. The North Hollywood Bank of America Robbery. In January of 1934 Hamilton and his crew robbed over $20,000 from a bank and gunned downed an officer. James and his brother Frank robbed banks, stagecoaches, trains, and once even a fair. The cab driver sets American Zed up with Zoe in his Paris hotel. 8. The shootout began in the parking lot of the Security Pacific Bank, where one robber was killed, leading the others to steal a car in the lot and lead police on a 25-mile chase.