This chauffeurs cap was left at the scene of the crime of the centurythe 1950 robbery of a Brink's bank branch in Massachusetts. Brink's 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. Three of the remaining five gang members were previously accounted for, OKeefe and Gusciora being in prison on other charges and Banfield being dead. Investigation revealed that Geagan, a laborer, had not gone to work on January 17 or 18, 1950.). 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. ), (After serving his sentence, Fat John resumed a life of crime. The trip from the liquor store in Roxbury to the Brinks offices could be made in about 15 minutes. Immediately upon leaving, the gang loaded the loot into the truck that was parked on Prince Street near the door. 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. Shortly after these two guns were found, one of them was placed in a trash barrel and was taken to the city dump. John Palmer: How Brinks-Mat millions came to Bedminster This phase of the investigation greatly disturbed many gamblers. Police who arrived to investigate found a large amount of blood, a mans shattered wrist watch, and a .45 caliber pistol at the scene. In December 1954, he indicated to the agents that Pino could look for rough treatment if he (OKeefe) again was released. On the night of January 18, 1950, OKeefe and Gusciora received $100,000 each from the robbery loot. A man of modest means in Bayonne, New Jersey, was reported to be spending large sums of money in night clubs, buying new automobiles, and otherwise exhibiting newly found wealth. By this time, Baker was suffering from a bad case of nerves. 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. 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. WebOn the evening of January 17th 1950, a group of armed gunmen entered the Brinks Building on Prince Street and robbed the company of $1.2 million in cash and $1.6 million in Nonetheless, several members of the Brinks gang were visibly shaken and appeared to be abnormally worried during the latter part of May and early in June 1954. Allegedly, he pulled a gun on OKeefe; several shots were exchanged by the two men, but none of the bullets found their mark. An automobile identified as the car used in the escape was located near a Boston hospital, and police officers concealed themselves in the area. [14] They each wore a chauffeur cap, pea According to the criminal who was arrested in Baltimore, Fat John subsequently told him that the money was part of the Brinks loot and offered him $5,000 if he would pass $30,000 of the bills. All were denied, and the impaneling of the jury was begun on August 7. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. All were paroled by 1971 except McGinnis, who died in prison. Brink's As a government witness, he reluctantly would have testified against him. 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. It ultimately proved unproductive. To muffle their footsteps, one of the gang wore crepe-soled shoes, and the others wore rubbers. Of the eleven people involved in the robbery, eight would receive life sentences after a trial, with two others dying before they could be convicted. All efforts to identify the persons responsible for the theft and the persons who had cut up the truck were unsuccessful. Even in their jail cells, however, they showed no respect for law enforcement. Others fell apart as they were handled. A number of them discontinued their operations; others indicated a strong desire that the robbers be identified and apprehended. 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. When the employees were securely bound and gagged, the robbers began looting the premises. In the back were Pino, OKeefe, Baker, Faherty, Maffie, Gusciora, Michael Vincent Geagan (pictured), and Thomas Francis Richardson. Each robbers face was completely concealed behind a Halloween-type mask. They put the entire $200,000 in the trunk of OKeefes automobile. The thieves quickly bound the employees and began hauling away the loot. Brink's Other information provided by OKeefe helped to fill the gaps which still existed. THE Brink's-Mat robbery is one of the most notorious crimes in British history. Their success in evading arrest ended abruptly on May 16, 1956, when FBI agents raided the apartment in which they were hiding in Dorchester, Massachusetts. While the others stayed at the house to make a quick count of the loot, Pino and Faherty departed. Pino would take the locks to the mans shop, and keys would be made for them. 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. On June 12, 1950, they were arrested at Towanda, Pennsylvania, and guns and clothing that were the loot from burglaries at Kane and Coudersport, Pennsylvania, were found in their possession. Fact vs Fiction: The Gold did the Brink's-Mat robbers get caught? They moved with a studied precision which suggested that the crime had been carefully planned and rehearsed in the preceding months. Brinks Robbery FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation Baker fled and the brief meeting adjourned. Examination revealed the cause of his death to be a brain tumor and acute cerebral edema. Former inmates of penal institutions reported conversations they had overheard while incarcerated which concerned the robbing of Brinks. Subsequently, this machine gun was identified as having been used in the attempt on OKeefes life. In the end, the perfect crime had a perfect endingfor everyone but the robbers. Well-meaning persons throughout the country began sending the FBI tips and theories which they hoped would assist in the investigation. He was not with the gang when the robbery took place. Within two months of his return, another member of the gang suffered a legal setback. 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. The robbers killed Peter Paige at the Nanuet Mall in front of a bank. [21] Any information police could get from their informers initially proved useless. After O'Keefe was released he was taken to stand trial for another burglary and parole violations and was released on a bail of $17,000. Two days before Maffies release, another strong suspect died of natural causes. In the succeeding two weeks, nearly 1,200 prospective jurors were eliminated as the defense counsel used their 262 peremptory challenges. 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.. Geagan claimed that he spent the evening at home and did not learn of the Brinks robbery until the following day. Returning to Pennsylvania in February 1954 to stand trial, OKeefe was found guilty of burglary by the state court in McKean County on March 4, 1954. As a protective measure, he was incarcerated in the Hampden County jail at Springfield, Massachusetts, rather than the Suffolk County jail in Boston. involved 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. Two other Baltimore police officers who were walking along the street nearby noted this maneuver. After these plans were reviewed and found to be unhelpful, OKeefe and Gusciora returned them in the same manner. O'Keefe received four years and was released in 1960. 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. WebJudith Clark was paroled in 2019 after then Gov. As long as he was in prison, he could do no physical harm to his Boston criminal associates. 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. In July 1956, another significant turn of events took place. McGinness masterminded the crime. Continuous investigation, however, had linked him with the gang. Vincent Costa was the group's lookout, and signalled with a flashlight from a nearby rooftop when he saw the vault being opened. Shortly thereafterduring the first week of Novembera 1949 green Ford stake-body truck was reported missing by a car dealer in Boston. 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. 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 In the fall of 1955, an upper court overruled the conviction on the grounds that the search and seizure of the still were illegal.). 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 hoodlum was taken to police headquarters where a search of his person disclosed he was carrying more than $1,000, including $860 in musty, worn bills. Following their arrests, a former bondsman in Boston made frequent trips to Towanda in an unsuccessful effort to secure their release on bail. After a period of hostility, he began to display a friendly attitude. You get me released, and Ill solve the case in no time, these criminals would claim. Costa claimed that after working at the motor terminal until approximately 5:00 p.m. on January 17, 1950, he had gone home to eat dinner; then, at approximately 7:00 p.m., he left to return to the terminal and worked until about 9:00 p.m. Had any particles of evidence been found in the loot which might directly show that they had handled it? The Great Brink's Robbery was an armed robbery of the Brink's building in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1950. [17] Approximately a million dollars in silver and coins was left behind by the robbers, as they were not prepared to carry it. By Beth Rose. He was released in 2000, after serving 16 years of his term. He was granted a full pardon by the acting governor of Massachusetts. The families of OKeefe and Gusciora resided in the vicinity of Stoughton, Massachusetts. His explanation: He had been drinking at a bar in Boston. McGinnis had been arrested at the site of a still in New Hampshire in February 1954. [14], Seven of the group went into the Brink's building: OKeefe, Gusciora, Baker, Maffie, Geagan, Faherty, and Richardson. WebGordon John Parry, Brian Perry, Patrick Clark, Jean Savage and Anthony Black were all given between five and 10 years in prison for their part in the crime. The eight men were sentenced by Judge Forte on October 9, 1956. Before the robbery was carried out, all of the participants were well acquainted with the Brinks premises. (Geagan, who was on parole at the time, left the truck before it arrived at the home in Roxbury where the loot was unloaded. 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. Born in Italy in 1907, Pino was a young child when he entered the United States, but he never became a naturalized citizen. 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.