In the annals of American criminal history, the Great Brinks Robbery stands out for its audacity and precision. The robbery, which has inspired many heist movies such as Six Bridges to Cross, Blueprint for Robbery, Brinks: The Great Robbery, and The Brink’s Job, left an enduring mark on crime history.
However, despite the initial success of the heist, the perpetrators managed to evade capture for several years. It wasn’t until 1956 that law enforcement made arrests, finally bringing an end to a case that had proven to be a complex challenge for investigative agencies.
Boston Brinks lost a fortune to the robbery
Almost seven and half decades ago, the criminals infiltrated the facility under the cover of night, exploiting its weaknesses to gain entry. Swiftly overcoming the guards, they restrained them, leaving the hapless security personnel bound and gagged in the basement.
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The perpetrators took their time as they cracked open numerous safes and made off with a substantial loot of $2.7 million in cash, checks, and securities— a sum considered colossal at the time, equivalent to more than $25 million today.
FBI captures the perpetrators with the help of one of them, who turned on the others
Following the incident, FBI operatives pursued numerous leads, many of which proved futile. Several months later, the police identified and apprehended Joseph James O’Keefe and Stanley Albert Gusciora, both of whom vehemently asserted their innocence and claimed ignorance of the robbery. Despite O’Keefe’s plea for assistance from his gang members, he was eventually sentenced.
Upon his release in 1954, O’Keefe, driven by a quest for justice, initiated a vendetta against his former co-perpetrators, who had failed to support him. Enduring two gun attacks and a brief disappearance, O’Keefe found himself back in custody, this time for weapon possession. After spending six months behind bars, O’Keefe eventually cooperated with law enforcement, leading to the arrest and sentencing of eight individuals from the original 11-member gang, including Pino and McGinnis.