Sutton later answered the question, after admitting he never said the famous quote: Why did I rob banks? His means of robbing banks were never violent; in fact the machine gun he carried was empty. Again, right tool for the job, that makes sense. On April 23, 1934, the gang were confronted by police and, during a getaway, Hamilton was wounded and died shortly after. Ruth Brown, New York Post. Wikimedia. Green was the local postmaster and was of course well known to nearly all of the towns citizens, including Frank. As they were mounting their horses, shots rang out, and a nineteen-year-old college student was killed, evidently by a stray bullet. Dar Es Salaam Bank - Take the Money and Stroll. He was cornered by over 200 police, and shot himself in the head to avoid punishment. August 6, 2012, The Last Outlaws: The Lives and Legends of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. During his criminal career, which was a short and violent one, he was only accused of personally killing one individual, an East Chicago police officer, though his associates killed many more while committing robberies and eluding capture. Butch was capable of robbing a bank with nothing but a pistol, but his men have been caught before. Dillinger was charged; however, many claim it was Hamilton who pulled the trigger. Mug shot of Lester Gillis, alias George Nelson, known to history as Baby Face Nelson. After serving seven years in prison, Van Meter was paroled. He committed his first murder when the Tape bandits robbed a tavern and he shot a stockbroker. In 1984, the First National Bank of Chattanooga in Geronimo, Oklahoma, was the site of one of the most vicious bank robberies in American history on December 14 of that year. . When he was paroled he vowed to never see the inside of another prison. Maybe its not balls; maybe cocky is the right word to describe him. On September 26, 1933, a total of 10 men, including . Officially the FBI considered the men dead, drowned in the cold waters off Alcatraz Island, but numerous sightings of the brothers were reported over many years in Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. Philadelphia authorities suspected the theft to have been an inside job and entry achieved using a key. Three men entered the First National Bank and demanded that the cashier, George Nixon, open the safe and give up the gold coins within. The surveillance footage was issued worldwide via news channels, giving Martinez instant bank robber street cred as well as notoriety she probably didnt want. Although Jesse James was never tried for any of his crimes, his brother Frank was twice, acquitted both times. Baby Face Nelson was a prominent member of John Dillingers gang who, along with Homer Van Meter, had a particular reputation for violence. After linking up with the Dillinger gang, he participated in some other high profile bank robberies. Read through and the next time you visit your bank, remember to take a look up and smile for the camera. The . The pair robbed banks together during the 1930s. At 8.30 in the morning of January 14, 1998, the Brinks truck arrived and the guards were transferring the cash when they were overpowered by the gang assembled by Guarino. As such, they've always been pretty intriguing, especially how old-fashioned they are in an age of hacking and cryptocurrencies. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images. Five days later they were arrested in Ohio. In January, 1934, the gang robbed a bank in Chicago escaping with $20,376. These ruthless thieves would burst in and ransack the bank, usually forcing a manager to open the vault. ", "In their top drawer, [tellers usually had] less than $10k. I studied countless reports of other robberies that had gone wrong and people who were caught. Jay, Clarke, Universal Press Syndicate, Chicago Tribune. He wasnt hurt, but the car was disabled, and soon after he engaged in a chase with police. Online. Starr liked to rob banks during the day, sometimes with his picture pasted on a Wanted Man poster on the very walls of the banks he robbed. He received a life sentence but escaped during a prison transfer. He was famous for his likable personality and charm. He did a Reddit Ask Me Anything yesterday, and it yielded some fascinating stuff. Horse thievery. They were able to do so thanks to the driver, who was not an accomplice but was provided along with the vehicle, which had been rented by the two bank robbers. It happened in Pennsylvania, in the Bank of Pennsylvania at Carpenters' Hall. Seventy-five stab wounds were inflicted on the three employees, and the stabbings only ended when they were interrupted by the entry of three customers, who were taken to the back at gunpoint and shot in the head. He was executed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in 2002, by lethal injection. Famous American Bank Robbers. Hoover wouldnt have to wait long. Sam Bass 1851-1878. His reply was: Because thats where the money is. Green was not a suspect at first, the citizens of Malden unable to believe that a man in his position was capable of such a heinous crime. Herman Baron Lamm was a German American bank robber who is widely considered the father of modern bank robbery. Library of Congress. The suspect's disappearance was a mystery that lasted 52 years - a few months longer than he did. 8. He escaped from prison but was sentenced, in absentia, to 12-15 years behind bars. They fled to the north. FBI. The duo stole firearms and bullet proof vests. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. One of the men asked for change for a ten-dollar bill, and as William opened the cash drawer the men produced pistols and demanded that a sack be filled with all the available cash. By 1909 automobiles were being used to race across the country, as did this Model T, and to rob banks. The World Trade Center employees had already been subdued. In June 1986, bank officials opened for business on a Monday morning to find a 20-by-25-inch hole in the bottom of the vault, deposit boxes strewn all over the floor and about $172,000 in cash . Their point of entry was a tunnel they dug from the sewers. There's been a lot of train robberies in American history, but one of the most famous is likely the robbery of the Union Pacific Overland Flyer No. Hamilton began his criminal career by robbing a gas station in Indiana, and being sentenced to a very long prison term of 25 years. Floyd grew up in Oklahoma, and was first arrested at age 18, after stealing $3.50 from a post office. 2003, The Great Northfield Raid Revisited. Wikimedia. Hole in the floor Photo by Craig Sunter - Wikimedia. Eventually the F.B.I. Dillinger was killed in Chicago in 1934, and more than 15,000 people waited in line to view his body before his internment in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana. Green had come to rob the bank, and the fact that he was so well known meant that he could not leave behind any witnesses. Later, when Parker was visiting her mother, officers moved in to arrest her again, but Barrow and an associate gunned them down, committing what was Barrows first murder of a lawman. The Central Bank of Iraq Robbery - $920 million. 1. Shootouts. Only one of the robbers wore a mask, the others were easily identified and arrested. The men beat a guard unconscious but were soon apprehended. They fired grenades, mortar rounds, and bullets into the building. They were both convicted of the crimes in 1985 and sentenced to death for capital murder and several other crimes in connection with the robbery. So many classic movies have been made with the premise of a bank robbery, many based on the jobs pulled from people on this list. But many robbers do find themselves behind bars eventually. In 1976, when Lebanon was in the midst of a civil war, a group of robbers decided to cash in on the confusion. On October 19 the citizens of the town were held at gunpoint on the town common while the raiders robbed the banks, drove off the towns horses to discourage pursuit, and fled to Canada. The bells notified law enforcement of a robbery taking place in the bank, and often caused the robbers to flee without obtaining any, or at least not very much, cash for their efforts. Escaping successfully, Pierpont was involved in several additional bank robberies with Dillinger. After the cashier reluctantly complied the men made their escape with about $32,000, most of it in gold. In April 1925, Pierpont was arrested in Detroit and was soon returned to Indiana to face trial. Votes: 20,895 | Gross: $0.42M In January 1958, three brothers brandishing toy pistols robbed the Bank of Columbia in Columbia, Alabama. In 1998, robbers struck the Bank of America at 1 World Trade Center in New York City, a feat believed to be impossible after the increase in security at the complex following the bombing in 1993. Despite this, he has still gotten away with over 45 armed bank robberies; an amazing feat considering that, statistically, over 65% of armed bank robbery cases in the US are solved. Jesse James robbed many banks and killed several men, but his legend overshadows his true history. However, this was invented by a reporter who never even interviewed Sutton. These crimes labelled Van Meter 18th on the public enemies list. No referenda as to which road to take. Here are some of the most notorious bank robberies or robbers in American history. In 1909, according to the Rich Hill (Missouri) Tribune edition of August 19, 1909, two perpetrators identified only as young men arrived in front of the Valley Bank of Santa Clara, California, and entered the bank. I told him I was 100% sure that they had the amount wrong. Dillinger wanted to be more famous than Capone and let everyone know who he was. Whoever the culprits had been, they had burrowed through 100 feet of soil from a nearby sewer drain, and had drilled . John Dillinger left a bloody trail all across the Midwest. Increased security in the aftermath of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing did not prevent Ralph Guarino and colleagues from robbing Bank of America there. I simply walked up to them when it was my turn to be helped, and I told them -- usually via handwritten instructions on an envelope -- to give me their $50s and $100s. ", "I still acknowledge what I've done, but the process and experience of going to prison and finding myself (as well as a purpose in life) has really made it all worth it, relatively speaking. Whichever teller was available to help me is the one I robbed. He surrendered peacefully although no agents had brought any handcuffs, as they assumed Karpis would fight to the death. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Unlike in the movies, he never used weapons, teams or threats, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. He also participated in many high profile bank robberies until his death at the Battle of Barrington. Butch Cassidy (seated at right) and the Wild Bunch, one of several gangs which used Hole in the Wall Pass as a hideout. Dillinger and his gang began a spree of bank robberies across Indiana, accumulating over $300,000 in total. Eventually someone caught on, but talk about not being able to keep a good man (or bad man) down.