Members of the Purple Gang of the 1930s found that there was renewed interest in their activities. There were recurring rumors that this hoodlum, Joseph Sylvester Banfield (pictured), had been right down there on the night of the crime. Continuous investigation, however, had linked him with the gang. Investigation revealed that Geagan, a laborer, had not gone to work on January 17 or 18, 1950.). However, the group were shocked to find a massive 26 million in gold . During this operation, a pair of glasses belonging to one of the employees was unconsciously scooped up with other items and stuffed into a bag of loot. On March 4, 1950, pieces of an identical truck were found at a dump in Stoughton, Massachusetts. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. The Brinks Mat Robbery: The real story that inspired The Gold. 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. A few months prior to the robbery, OKeefe and Gusciora surreptitiously entered the premises of a protective alarm company in Boston and obtained a copy of the protective plans for the Brinks building. Many tips were received from anonymous persons. Several hundred dollars were found hidden in the house but could not be identified as part of the loot. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 1984 for involvement in the Brink's Mat job. Extensive efforts were made to detect pencil markings and other notations on the currency that the criminals thought might be traceable to Brinks. Pino had been at his home in the Roxbury Section of Boston until approximately 7:00 p.m.; then he walked to the nearby liquor store of Joseph McGinnis. Three and one-half hours later, the verdict had been reached. Examination by the FBI Laboratory subsequently disclosed that the decomposition, discoloration, and matting together of the bills were due, at least in part, to the fact that all of the bills had been wet. Underworld figures in Boston have generally speculated that the racketeer was killed because of his association with OKeefe. I think a fellow just passed a counterfeit $10.00 bill on me, he told the officer. All of them wore Navy-type peacoats, gloves, and chauffeurs caps. 26 million (equivalent to 93.3 million in 2021 [1]) worth of gold bullion, diamonds, and cash was stolen from a warehouse operated by Brink's-Mat, a former joint . Each of them had surreptitiously entered the premises on several occasions after the employees had left for the day. 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. Even fearing the new bills might be linked with the crime, McGinnis suggested a process for aging the new money in a hurry.. Paul Jawarski (sometimes spelled Jaworski) in a yellowed newspaper . 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. Two days before Maffies release, another strong suspect died of natural causes. Since Brinks was located in a heavily populated tenement section, many hours were consumed in interviews to locate persons in the neighborhood who might possess information of possible value. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) _ A Catholic priest and an ex-guerrilla from Northern Ireland were convicted Monday of charges related to the $7.4 million robbery of a Brink's armored car depot. Much of the money taken from the money changer appeared to have been stored a long time. Except for $5,000 that he took before placing the loot in Maffies care, OKeefe angrily stated, he was never to see his share of the Brinks money again. The loot was quickly unloaded, and Banfield sped away to hide the truck. "A search warrant was executed in Boston covering the Tremont Street offices occupied by the three men" (FBI). After the truck parts were found, additional suspicion was attached to these men. In December 1954, he indicated to the agents that Pino could look for rough treatment if he (OKeefe) again was released. 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. 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. On June 4, 1956 a man named "Fat John" admitted he had money that was linked to the Brink's robbery in his possession. Despite the arrests and indictments in January 1956, more than $2,775,000, including $1,218,211.29 in cash, was still missing. If passing police had looked closer early that Saturday morning on November 26, 1983, they would have noticed the van was weighted down below its wheel arches with three tons of gold. After a period of hostility, he began to display a friendly attitude. 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. The descriptions and serial numbers of these weapons were carefully noted since they might prove a valuable link to the men responsible for the crime. The trip from the liquor store in Roxbury to the Brinks offices could be made in about 15 minutes. You get me released, and Ill solve the case in no time, these criminals would claim. Serious consideration originally had been given to robbing Brinks in 1947, when Brinks was located on Federal Street in Boston. Faherty had been questioned on the night of the robbery. In December 1948, Brinks moved from Federal Street to 165 Prince Street in Boston. Even if released, he thought, his days were numbered. During this operation, one of the employees had lost his glasses; they later could not be found on the Brinks premises. Other members of the robbery gang also were having their troubles. In 1997, Loomis Fargo employee David Ghantt robbed the armored car company of $17 million. Shortly after these two guns were found, one of them was placed in a trash barrel and was taken to the city dump. Police recovered only $58,000 of the $2.7 million stolen. Both men remained mute following their arrests. The truck pieces were concealed in fiber bags when found. On February 5, 1950, however, a police officer in Somerville, Massachusetts, recovered one of the four revolvers that had been taken by the robbers. For example, from a citizen in California came the suggestion that the loot might be concealed in the Atlantic Ocean near Boston. All efforts to identify the persons responsible for the theft and the persons who had cut up the truck were unsuccessful. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 17, 1950, members of the gang met in the Roxbury section of Boston and entered the rear of the Ford stake-body truck. As a guard moved to intercept him, Burke started to run. Even after these convictions, OKeefe and Gusciora continued to seek their release. To his neighbors in Jackson Heights in the early 1990s, Sam . OKeefes reputation for nerve was legend. As the truck drove past the Brinks offices, the robbers noted that the lights were out on the Prince Street side of the building. 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 . From masked gunmen and drugs to kidnappings and bags of cash, the $7.4 million robbery had it all. T he robbers were there because they knew there was 3 million in cash locked in the . He was not able to provide a specific account, claiming that he became drunk on New Years Eve and remained intoxicated through the entire month of January. On the night of January 17, 1952exactly two years after the crime occurredthe FBIs Boston Office received an anonymous telephone call from an individual who claimed he was sending a letter identifying the Brinks robbers. It appeared to him that he would spend his remaining days in prison while his co-conspirators would have many years to enjoy the luxuries of life. At approximately 9:50 p.m., the details of this incident were furnished to the Baltimore Field Office of the FBI. His explanation: He had been drinking at a bar in Boston. This incident also took place in Dorchester and involved the firing of more than 30 shots. Prominent among the other strong suspects was Vincent James Costa, brother-in-law of Pino. The robbery of 26m of gold bars from a warehouse near Heathrow airport is one of Britain's most notorious - and biggest - heists. 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. 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. 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. (McGinnis trial in March 1955 on the liquor charge resulted in a sentence to 30 days imprisonment and a fine of $1,000. At that time, Pino approached OKeefe and asked if he wanted to be in on the score. His close associate, Stanley Gusciora, had previously been recruited, and OKeefe agreed to take part. Mr. Gilbert was 37 on the day of the attack, Oct. 20, 1981, when nearly $1.6 million in cash was stolen from an armored Brink's car outside the Nanuet Mall near Nyack. 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. The alibi was strong, but not conclusive. Rumors from the underworld pointed suspicion at several criminal gangs. He was certain he would be considered a strong suspect and wanted to begin establishing an alibi immediately.) One of the biggest robberies in U.S. history happened here. Considerable thought was given to every detail. Burlap money bags recovered in a Boston junk yard from the robbery, Some of the recovered money from the robbery.