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. 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. At the time of his arrest, there also was a charge of armed robbery outstanding against him in Massachusetts. And what of McGinnis himself? The Great Brink's Robbery, and the 70-year-old question: What happened to the money? As of 2004, it was Considerable thought was given to every detail. Underworld figures in Boston have generally speculated that the racketeer was killed because of his association with OKeefe. Pino, Richardson, and Costa each took $20,000, and this was noted on a score sheet. 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. Again, he was determined to fight, using the argument that his conviction for the 1948 larceny offense was not a basis for deportation. 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. 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 Brinks Mat robbery gang now: What happened to Kenneth A second shooting incident occurred on the morning of June 14, 1954, in Dorchester, Massachusetts, when OKeefe and his racketeer friend paid a visit to Baker. FBI investigates $150 million jewelry heist of Brinks truck traveling This incident also took place in Dorchester and involved the firing of more than 30 shots. The thieves quickly bound the employees and began hauling away the loot. When OKeefe admitted his part in the Brinks robbery to FBI agents in January 1956, he told of his high regard for Gusciora. [3] After five aborted runs, Costa finally gave the go-ahead on the night of January 17, 1950. They were held in lieu of bail which, for each man, amounted to more then $100,000. O'Keefe pleaded guilty January 18. 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. The results were negative. Edward O'Grady, Officer Waverly Brown and Brink's guard Peter Paige were killed during the Oct. 20, 1981, robbery in Nanuet, New York. WebInvestigators didnt know if this money was related to the Brinks-Mat robbery, but Diamond led officers to investigate the British Virgin Islands, and one accountant in particular. By this time, Baker was suffering from a bad case of nerves. Commonly regarded as a dominant figure in the Boston underworld, McGinnis previously had been convicted of robbery and narcotics violations. After a period of hostility, he began to display a friendly attitude. This was in their favor. I think a fellow just passed a counterfeit $10.00 bill on me, he told the officer. 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. After receiving the go ahead signal from Costa, the seven armed men walked to the Prince Street entrance of Brinks. The Boston underworld rumbled with reports that an automobile had pulled alongside OKeefes car in Dorchester, Massachusetts, during the early morning hours of June 5. 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. While the others stayed at the house to make a quick count of the loot, Pino and Faherty departed. On the afternoon of July 9, he was visited by a clergyman. Many problems and dangers were involved in such a robbery, and the plans never crystallized. [14] They each wore a chauffeur cap, pea coat, rubber Halloween mask, and each had a .38 caliber revolver. 'Holy Heist' documentary to bring the Rochester Brink's heist to TV WebNext 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 He later was to be arrested as a member of the robbery gang. In December 1948, Brinks moved from Federal Street to 165 Prince Street in Boston. Both are real characters. Immediately upon leaving, the gang loaded the loot into the truck that was parked on Prince Street near the door. An official website of the United States government. Had any particles of evidence been found in the loot which might directly show that they had handled it? Despite the fact that substantial amounts of money were being spent by members of the robbery gang during 1954, in defending themselves against legal proceedings alone, the year ended without the location of any bills identifiable as part of the Brinks loot. WebMore than 6,000 gold bars were stolen in the robbery from a warehouse on the outskirts of Heathrow on 26 November, 1983. The amusement arcade operator told the officer that he had followed the man who passed this $10.00 bill to a nearby tavern. A number of them discontinued their operations; others indicated a strong desire that the robbers be identified and apprehended. Pino previously had arranged for this man to keep his shop open beyond the normal closing time on nights when Pino requested him to do so. Brinks robbery-murders: Where the are key players now - The Gusciora died on July 9. FBI agents tried to talk to O'Keefe and Gusciora in prison but the two professed ignorance of the Brink's robbery. 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. The robbery remained unsolved for nearly six years, until estranged group member Joseph O'Keefe testified only days before the statute of limitations would have expired. At the time it was Britains Two of the prime suspects whose nerve and gun-handling experience suited them for the Brinks robbery were Joseph James OKeefe and Stanley Albert Gusciora. In addition, McGinnis was named in two other complaints involving the receiving and concealing of the loot. For example, from a citizen in California came the suggestion that the loot might be concealed in the Atlantic Ocean near Boston. 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. 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. While OKeefe and Gusciora lingered in jail in Pennsylvania, Pino encountered difficulties of his own. On the night of January 18, 1950, OKeefe and Gusciora received $100,000 each from the robbery loot. During his brief stay in Boston, he was observed to contact other members of the robbery gang. In a series of interviews during the succeeding days, OKeefe related the full story of the Brinks robbery. (Investigation to substantiate this information resulted in the location of the proprietor of a key shop who recalled making keys for Pino on at least four or five evenings in the fall of 1949. McGinnis, who had not been at the scene on the night of the robbery, received a life sentence on each of eight indictments that charged him with being an accessory before the fact in connection with the Brinks robbery. Two of the gang members moved toward the door to capture him; but, seeing the garage attendant walk away apparently unaware that the robbery was being committed, they did not pursue him. This chauffeurs cap was left at the scene of the crime of the centurythe 1950 robbery of a Brink's bank branch in Massachusetts. Pino was determined to fight against deportation. Jeweler and also a bullion dealer, John Palmer, was arrested. The money inside the cooler which was concealed in the wall of the Tremont Street office was wrapped in plastic and newspaper. The recovery of part of the loot was a severe blow to the gang members who still awaited trial in Boston. The FBI further learned that four revolvers had been taken by the gang. Underworld sources described him as fully capable of planning and executing the Brinks robbery. They moved with a studied precision which suggested that the crime had been carefully planned and rehearsed in the preceding months. 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. On March 4, 1950, pieces of an identical truck were found at a dump in Stoughton, Massachusetts. He was so cold and persistent in these dealings with his co-conspirators that the agents hoped he might be attempting to obtain a large sum of moneyperhaps his share of the Brinks loot. OKeefe was enraged that the pieces of the stolen Ford truck had been placed on the dump near his home, and he generally regretted having become associated at all with several members of the gang. WebHere is what we know of those involved in the robbery. You get me released, and Ill solve the case in no time, these criminals would claim. During the trip from Roxbury, Pino distributed Navy-type peacoats and chauffeurs caps to the other seven men in the rear of the truck. Each of these leads was checked out. The alibi was strong, but not conclusive. Like the others, Banfield had been questioned concerning his activities on the night of January 17, 1950. [15] Two vehicles were stolen: a truck, to carry away the loot from the robbery; and a car, which would be used to block any pursuit. Even with the recovery of this money in Baltimore and Boston, more than $1,150,000 of currency taken in the Brinks robbery remained unaccounted for. WebAt 6.30 am on 26 November 1983, a South London gang of six armed robbers, headed by Brian Robinson and Mickey McAvoy, broke into the Brinks Mat warehouse at Heathrow Airport, expecting to make off with about 3 million in cash. Brink The other gang members would not talk. They put the entire $200,000 in the trunk of OKeefes automobile. Prior to this time, McGinnis had been at his liquor store. The discovery of this money in the Tremont Street offices resulted in the arrests of both Fat John and the business associate of the criminal who had been arrested in Baltimore. The month preceding January 17, 1950, witnessed approximately a half-dozen approaches to Brinks. 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. At least four movies were based, or partially based, on the Great Brink's Robbery: Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}422202N 710327W / 42.3672N 71.0575W / 42.3672; -71.0575. Two days before Maffies release, another strong suspect died of natural causes. 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. OKeefe was wounded in the wrist and chest, but again he managed to escape with his life. First, there was the money. Reports had been received alleging that he had held up several gamblers in the Boston area and had been involved in shakedowns of bookies. The robbery. The police officer said he had been talking to McGinnis first, and Pino arrived later to join them. WebRobbery Seven of the group went into the Brink's building: OKeefe, Gusciora, Baker, Maffie, Geagan, Faherty, and Richardson. Ten of the persons who appeared before this grand jury breathed much more easily when they learned that no indictments had been returned. This is not the first time that Cuomo has commuted a sentence for someone involved in the Brink's robbery. It was given to him in a suitcase that was transferred to his car from an automobile occupied by McGinnis and Banfield. WebHe was the police intelligence officer who identified Noye as a suspect in the notorious Brink's-Mat 26m gold bullion robbery and began the surveillance operation from an old 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. Before the robbery was committed, the participants had agreed that if anyone muffed, he would be taken care of. OKeefe felt that most of the gang members had muffed. Talking to the FBI was his way of taking care of them all. O'Keefe received four years and was released in 1960. Police who arrived to investigate found a large amount of blood, a mans shattered wrist watch, and a .45 caliber pistol at the scene. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. This man claimed to have no knowledge of Pinos involvement in the Brinks robbery.). Even after these convictions, OKeefe and Gusciora continued to seek their release. Each man also was given a pistol and a Halloween-type mask. If Baker heard these rumors, he did not wait around very long to see whether they were true.