(On January 18, 1956, OKeefe had pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of Brinks.) 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 . 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. Extensive efforts were made to detect pencil markings and other notations on the currency that the criminals thought might be traceable to Brinks. Another old gang that had specialized in hijacking bootlegged whiskey in the Boston area during Prohibition became the subject of inquiries. 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. The public called the robbery the crime of the century: On January 17, 1950, armed men stole more than $2.7 million in cash, checks, money orders, and other securities from a Brink's in. 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. His explanation: He had been drinking at a bar in Boston. On this day, Jawarski made history by pulling off the nation's first armored car robbery. On November, 26, 1983, three tonnes of solid gold bullion was taken by six armed robbers from the Brink's-Mat security depot near . On March 4, 1950, pieces of an identical truck were found at a dump in Stoughton, Massachusetts. They moved with a studied precision which suggested that the crime had been carefully planned and rehearsed in the preceding months. An immediate effort also was made to obtain descriptive data concerning the missing cash and securities. He was paroled in the fall of 1944 and remained on parole through March 1954 when misfortune befell him. Adolph Maffie, who had been convicted of income tax violation in June 1954, was released from the Federal Corrections Institution at Danbury, Connecticut, on January 30, 1955. Among the early suspects was Anthony Pino, an alien who had been a principal suspect in numerous major robberies and burglaries in Massachusetts. Until now, little has been known about the dogged methods police used to infiltrate the criminal underworld behind the 1983 robbery. Jazz Maffie was convicted of federal income tax evasion and began serving a nine-month sentence in the Federal Penitentiary at Danbury, Connecticut, in June 1954. The team of burglars bypassed the truck's locking mechanism and used the storage containers to haul away precious gems, gold and other valuables. (A detailed survey of the Boston waterfront previously had been made by the FBI.) Masterminded by Brian 'The Colonel' Robinson and Mickey McAvoy, the gang hoped to make off with 3 million in cash, a sum that's now equivalent to just over 9 million. An official website of the United States government. This phase of the investigation was pursued exhaustively. This chauffeurs cap was left at the scene of the crime of the centurythe 1950 robbery of a Brink's bank branch in Massachusetts. What Happened To The Brinks Mat Robbery? When the employees were securely bound and gagged, the robbers began looting the premises. Born in Italy in 1907, Pino was a young child when he entered the United States, but he never became a naturalized citizen. On June 19, 1958, while out on appeal in connection with a five-year narcotics sentence, he was found shot to death in an automobile that had crashed into a truck in Boston.). As the investigation developed and thousands of leads were followed to dead ends, the broad field of possible suspects gradually began to narrow. 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. Tarr was doomed to the role of unlucky Brinks driver. Apparently suspicious, OKeefe crouched low in the front seat of his car as the would-be assassins fired bullets that pierced the windshield. When questioned concerning his activities on the night of January 17, 1950, Richardson claimed that after unsuccessfully looking for work he had several drinks and then returned home. On November 26 1983, six armed robbers entered the Brink's-Mat security warehouse at the Heathrow International Trading Estate. Five bullets which had missed their mark were found in a building nearby. What happened to the other half of the Brink's-Mat gold? Chicago police said at about 3 p.m., a 38-year-old male armored truck . 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. As of January 1956, more than $2,775,000, including $1,218,211.29 in cash was still unaccounted for. Underworld sources described him as fully capable of planning and executing the Brinks robbery. 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.. During the period in which Pinos deportation troubles were mounting, OKeefe completed his sentence at Towanda, Pennsylvania. 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. 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. During the period immediately following the Brinks robbery, the heat was on OKeefe and Gusciora. 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. It was reported that on May 18, 1954, OKeefe and his racketeer associate took Vincent Costa to a hotel room and held him for several thousand dollars ransom. 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. 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. Due to unsatisfactory conduct, drunkenness, refusal to seek employment, and association with known criminals, his parole was revoked, and he was returned to the Massachusetts State Prison. Faherty had been questioned on the night of the robbery. The Brinks case was front page news. Mutulu Shakur, born Jeral Wayne Williams, is serving a 60-year sentence for organizing multiple bank and armored car robberies in New York and Connecticut. Even fearing the new bills might be linked with the crime, McGinnis suggested a process for aging the new money in a hurry.. In September 1949, Pinos efforts to evade deportation met with success. It was called the crime of the century, the largest heist in US history, an almost perfect robbery. 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. On January 11, 1956, the United States Attorney at Boston authorized special agents of the FBI to file complaints charging the 11 criminals with (1) conspiracy to commit theft of government property, robbery of government property, and bank robbery by force and violence and by intimidation, (2) committing bank robbery on January 17, 1950, and committing an assault on Brinks employees during the taking of the money, and (3) conspiracy to receive and conceal money in violation of the Bank Robbery and Theft of Government Property Statutes. The robbers did little talking. This was in their favor. As long as he was in prison, he could do no physical harm to his Boston criminal associates. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Pino had been questioned as to his whereabouts on the evening of January 17, 1950, and he provided a good alibi. Gusciora also claimed to have been drinking that evening. 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. They stole 26 million in gold bullion - the biggest robbery of . Subsequently, he engaged in a conversation with McGinnis and a Boston police officer. Continuous investigation, however, had linked him with the gang. He was certain he would be considered a strong suspect and wanted to begin establishing an alibi immediately.) The last false approach took place on January 16, 1950the night before the robbery. Burlap money bags recovered in a Boston junk yard from the robbery, Some of the recovered money from the robbery. The Brink's truck was robbed in the early morning . Baker fled and the brief meeting adjourned. The criminals had been looking to do a. In the end, the perfect crime had a perfect endingfor everyone but the robbers. Shortly before 7:30 p.m., they were surprised by five menheavily disguised, quiet as mice, wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and soft shoes to muffle noise. Before removing the remainder of the loot from the house on January 18, 1950, the gang members attempted to identify incriminating items. On November 26, 1981, six armed men from South London broke into the Brink's-Mat warehouse near London Heathrow. The robbery saw six armed men break into a security depot near London . All denied any knowledge of the alleged incident. 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. 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 . Evidently resigned to long years in prison or a short life on the outside, OKeefe grew increasingly bitter toward his old associates. Pierra Willix Monday 13 Feb 2023 8:00 am. An automobile identified as the car used in the escape was located near a Boston hospital, and police officers concealed themselves in the area. During these weeks, OKeefe renewed his association with a Boston racketeer who had actively solicited funds for the defense of OKeefe and Gusciora in 1950. From Boston, the pressure quickly spread to other cities. This man, subsequently identified as a small-time Boston underworld figure, was located and questioned. The group were led . He told the interviewing agents that he trusted Maffie so implicitly that he gave the money to him for safe keeping. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 1984 for involvement in the Brink's Mat job. While the others stayed at the house to make a quick count of the loot, Pino and Faherty departed. For example, from a citizen in California came the suggestion that the loot might be concealed in the Atlantic Ocean near Boston. Considerable thought was given to every detail. When the pieces of the 1949 green Ford stake-body truck were found at the dump in Stoughton on March 4, 1950, additional emphasis was placed on the investigations concerning them. All were denied, and the impaneling of the jury was begun on August 7. In addition, McGinnis received other sentences of two years, two and one-half to three years, and eight to ten years. The group were led . Armed crooks wearing Halloween masks and chauffeur . 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. He had been questioned concerning his whereabouts on January 17, 1950, and he was unable to provide any specific account of where he had been. Like Gusciora, OKeefe was known to have associated with Pino prior to the Brinks robbery. In the hours immediately following the robbery, the underworld began to feel the heat of the investigation. After denying any knowledge of the escape of Trigger Burke, Pino was released. The removal of the lock cylinder from the outside door involved the greatest risk of detection. After each interview, FBI agents worked feverishly into the night checking all parts of his story which were subject to verification. Next year January 2023 to be precise will mark 30 years since the Brink's depot in Rochester was looted for $7.4 million, then the fifth largest armored car company heist in the country. OKeefes racketeer associate, who allegedly had assisted him in holding Costa for ransom and was present during the shooting scrape between OKeefe and Baker, disappeared on August 3, 1954. The. I think a fellow just passed a counterfeit $10.00 bill on me, he told the officer. The gang members who remained at the house of Maffies parents soon dispersed to establish alibis for themselves. Members of the Purple Gang of the 1930s found that there was renewed interest in their activities. He received a one-year sentence for this offense; however, on January 30, 1950, the sentence was revoked and the case was placed on file.. Sentenced to serve from five to seven years for this offense, he was released from prison in September 1941. In the fall of 1955, an upper court overruled the conviction on the grounds that the search and seizure of the still were illegal.). Two days before Maffies release, another strong suspect died of natural causes. Local officers searched their homes, but no evidence linking them with the truck or the robbery was found. Two died before they were tried. The families of OKeefe and Gusciora resided in the vicinity of Stoughton, Massachusetts. On 26 November, 1983, six armed men did break into the Brink's-Mat security depot near Heathrow Airport expecting to find around 1m in pesetas. During their forays inside the building, members of the gang took the lock cylinders from five doors, including the one opening onto Prince Street. OKeefe paid his respects to other members of the Brinks gang in Boston on several occasions in the spring of 1954, and it was obvious to the agents handling the investigation that he was trying to solicit money. In the hope that a wide breach might have developed between the two criminals who were in jail in Pennsylvania and the gang members who were enjoying the luxuries of a free life in Massachusetts, FBI agents again visited Gusciora and OKeefe. In the succeeding two weeks, nearly 1,200 prospective jurors were eliminated as the defense counsel used their 262 peremptory challenges. The month preceding January 17, 1950, witnessed approximately a half-dozen approaches to Brinks. A t the time, the Brink's-Mat vault was thought to be one of the most secure facilities in the world. The detainer involved OKeefes violation of probation in connection with a conviction in 1945 for carrying concealed weapons. Using the outside door key they had previously obtained, the men quickly entered and donned their masks. 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. 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. In the years following a shared event, like an assassination, everyone remembers where they were when it happened. The hideout also was found to contain more than $5,000 in coins. Some of the bills were in pieces. However, by delving into the criminal world, Edwyn. 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. The FBIs analysis of the alibis offered by the suspects showed that the hour of 7:00 p.m. on January 17, 1950, was frequently mentioned. The robbers carefully planned routine inside Brinks was interrupted only when the attendant in the adjoining Brinks garage sounded the buzzer. He. Information received from this individual linked nine well-known hoodlums with the crime. The robbery. 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. 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. This lead was pursued intensively. While on bond he returned to Boston; on January 23, 1954, he appeared in the Boston Municipal Court on the probation violation charge. He ran a gold and jewellery dealing company, Scadlynn Ltd, in Bristol with business partners Garth Victor Chappell and Terence Edward James Patch. Unfortunately, this proved to be an idle hope. Apparently, they had planned a leisurely trip with an abundance of extracurricular activities.. The police officer said he had been talking to McGinnis first, and Pino arrived later to join them. The Great Brinks Robbery of 1950 met all of these requirementsa great pile of cash disappeared with no evidence, leads, or suspects. Since the robbery had taken place between approximately 7:10 and 7:27 p.m., it was quite probable that a gang, as well drilled as the Brinks robbers obviously were, would have arranged to rendezvous at a specific time. Another week passedand approximately 500 more citizens were consideredbefore the 14-member jury was assembled. (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. The group had expected to find foreign currency at the security depot but instead happened upon 26 million worth of goods. Special agents subsequently interviewed Costa and his wife, Pino and his wife, the racketeer, and OKeefe. 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. During these approaches, Costaequipped with a flashlight for signaling the other men was stationed on the roof of a tenement building on Prince Street overlooking Brinks. To muffle their footsteps, one of the gang wore crepe-soled shoes, and the others wore rubbers. Reports had been received alleging that he had held up several gamblers in the Boston area and had been involved in shakedowns of bookies. Before the robbers could take him prisoner, the garage attendant walked away. 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. 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. On the night of January 18, 1950, OKeefe and Gusciora received $100,000 each from the robbery loot. 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. OKeefe had no place to keep so large a sum of money. Following the robbery, authorities attempted unsuccessfully to locate him at the hotel. July 18, 2022, 9:32 AM UTC. 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 . None of these materialized because the gang did not consider the conditions to be favorable. Rumors from the underworld pointed suspicion at several criminal gangs. 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. After the truck parts were found, additional suspicion was attached to these men. It ultimately proved unproductive. FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. This vehicle was traced through motor vehicle records to Pino. After nearly three years of investigation, the government hoped that witnesses or participants who had remained mute for so long a period of time might find their tongues before the grand jury. LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- The FBI and the Los Angeles County. Charged with unlawful possession of liquor distillery equipment and violation of Internal Revenue laws, he had many headaches during the period in which OKeefe was giving so much trouble to the gang. That prison term, together with Pinos conviction in March 1928 for carnal abuse of a girl, provided the basis for the deportation action. FBI investigating $150 million jewelry heist of Brinks truck traveling from San Mateo County to Southern California.