Cunning Capers: True Stories of Infamous Heists

a gentleman and a thief by Dean Jobb

"Catch Me If You Can" meets "The Great Gatsby" in this captivating true-crime caper. A skilled con artist and one of the most charming, audacious burglars in history, Arthur Barry slipped in and out of the bedrooms of New York's wealthiest residents, even as his victims slept only inches away. He befriended luminaries such as the Prince of Wales and Harry Houdini and became a folk hero, touted in the press as "the greatest jewel thief who ever lived" and an "Aristocrat of Crime." In a span of seven years, Barry stole diamonds, pearls, and other gems worth almost $60 million today. Barry eventually confessed to dozens of burglaries to protect his beloved wife, Anna Blake (and was the prime suspect in scores of others). Sentenced to a twenty-five year term, he staged a dramatic prison break when Anna became seriously ill so they could be together for a few more years as fugitives. With dozens of historic images, A Gentleman and a Thief is page-turning, escapist, and sparkling with insight into our fascination with jewel heists and the suave, clever criminals who pull them off.

the feather thief by Kirk W. Johnson

Johnson writes an enthralling account of a truly bizarre crime. In 2009, Edwin Rist, an American music student studying abroad stole 299 rare and scientifically significant bird skins from an outpost of the British Natural History Museum, plucked their feathers, and sold them for top dollar to men who shared his obsession with the Victorian art of salmon-fly tying. Johnson explores the expensive and exotic hobby of tying fly-fishing lures that emerged in the 19th century and uses that context to frame Rist's story, including his trial. Rist did not serve jail time after his lawyers successfully argued that Asperger's syndrome was to blame for his crime. Johnson's flair for telling an engrossing story is, like the beautiful birds he describes, exquisite. Furthermore, like an accomplished crime reporter, the author recounts the story of how Rist was located and arrested by a local, female detective nearly 15 months after the break-in; the trial, which features an unexpected twist; and the fate of much of his booty.

the art of the heist by Myles Connor

Once a promising young rock musician, the son of a decorated policeman, Myles Connor became one of Boston's most notorious criminals--a legendary art thief with irresistible charm and a genius IQ whose approach to his chosen profession mixed brilliant tactical planning with stunning bravado, brazen disguises, audaciously elaborate con jobs, and even the broad-daylight grab-and-dash. New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, Boston's Museum of Fine Art . . .no museum was off-limits. The fact that he was in jail at the time of the largest art theft in American history--the still-unsolved robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum--has not stopped the FBI from considering him a prime suspect. This is Connor's story--part confession, part thrill ride, and impossible to put down.

norco '80 by Peter Houlahan

In May of 1980, five heavily armed young men--led by an apocalyptic born-again Christian--attempted a bank robbery that turned into one of the most violent criminal events in U.S. history, forever changing the face of American law enforcement. Part action thriller and part courtroom drama, this transports the reader back to the Southern California of the 1970s, an era of predatory evangelical gurus, doomsday predictions, megachurches, and soaring crime rates, with the threat of nuclear obliteration looming over it all. In this riveting true story, a group of landscapers transforms into a murderous gang of bank robbers armed to the teeth with military-grade weapons. Their desperate getaway turns the surrounding towns into war zones. And when it's over, three people are dead and close to twenty wounded; a police helicopter has been forced down from the sky, and thirty-two police vehicles have been completely demolished by thousands of rounds of ammo. The resulting trial shakes the community to the core, raising many issues that continue to plague society today.

heist by Howard Sounes

A detail-driven account of how a gang of criminal misfits pulled off the world's biggest cash robbery. The target was a regional counting house for the Bank of England, a fortified concrete bunker located within a triangle of police stations, one only three hundred yards away. When former UFC cage fighter Lightning Lee Murray discovered that this cash center held hundreds of millions of pounds, he assembled a team of mates including a mechanic, a roofer, and a used car dealer. A hairdresser made disguises for the men so they could pass off as police officers. In an Ocean's Eleven–style robbery, the gang succeeded in hauling away a lorry-load of cash-a staggering £53 million (worth $87 million at the time)-a world-record sum. That's when their problems began. Heist is the compelling true story of this mind-blowing crime, and the source material for "Catching Lightning", the streaming mini-series based on this crime.

the lufthansa heist by Henry Hill

The inside story of the largest unrecovered cash haul in history and the heist memorialized in Goodfellas that has baffled law enforcement for decades. On December 11th, 1978, a daring armed robbery rocked Kennedy Airport, resulting in the largest unrecovered cash haul in world history--totaling six million dollars. The perpetrators were never apprehended and thirteen people connected to the crime were murdered in homicides that, like the crime itself, remain unsolved to this day. The burglary has fascinated the public for years, dominating headlines around the globe due to the story's unending ravel of mysteries that baffled the authorities.

the antwerp diamond heist

This streaming documentary series available via Hoopla. Since the creation of currency, people have done anything and everything in their power to get their hands on a lot of it, formulating some of the most devious and high-stakes heist attempts of all time. Using dramatic recreations, dynamic storytelling and cutting-edge visual effects, alongside first-person witness accounts from the people who were there, “History’s Greatest Heists with Pierce Brosnan” delves into the intricate schemes and audacity of the criminal masterminds who risked their freedom for a shot at a lifetime of wealth and riches. Brosnan, who is embedded into each heist through state-of-the-art technology, brings each global news headline to life by putting viewers at the heart of the action and breaking down every aspect of the plan including the conniving team, the mark, the execution and finally the aftermath.

heist by Jeff Diamant

One night in a small North Carolina town in 1997, a down-on-his-luck guard at Loomis Fargo manages to steal $17 million--literally more than one ton of cash. Despite being caught on camera wheeling the money from the vault to the getaway van, David Ghantt makes off to Mexico before the FBI can react. There's just one hitch: Ghantt has entrusted the money to an oddball crew of accomplices who had wooed him into committing this massive theft in the first place--and who, he soon learns, are trying to take him out. Now he's one of the most wanted men in America. With the FBI hot on his heels, Ghantt must figure out how to get his money, get away from a hit man, and get even. In this outrageously entertaining book, Jeff Diamant, the Charlotte Observer's lead reporter on the case, offers the definitive inside account of this astonishing true story that has captivated American audiences and inspired the 2016 film "Masterminds" starring Owen Wilson and Zach Galifianakis.

the great pearl heist by Molly Caldwell Crosby

In the summer of 1913, under the cover of London's perpetual smoggy dusk, two brilliant minds are pitted against each other--a celebrated gentleman thief and a talented Scotland Yard detective--in the greatest jewel heist of the new century. An exquisite strand of pale pink pearls, worth more than the Hope Diamond, has been bought by a wealthy broker. Word of the "Mona Lisa of Pearls" spreads around the world, captivating jewelers as well as thieves. In transit to London from Paris, the necklace vanishes without a trace. In the spirit of The Great Train Robbery, this is the true story of a psychological cat-and-mouse game. Thoroughly researched and compellingly colorful, The Great Pearl Heist is a gripping narrative account of this little-known, yet extraordinary crime.

master thieves by Stephen A. Kurkjian

In 1990, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was a big score waiting to happen. Though its collections included priceless artworks by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, and others, its security was cheap, mismanaged, and out of date. And now the whole Boston criminal underworld knew it. Quickly becoming one of the most infamous art heists in history: thirteen works of art valued at up to 500 million, by some of the most famous artists in the world, were taken. The Boston FBI took control of the investigation, but twenty-five years later the case is still unsolved and the artwork is still missing. Stephen Kurkjian sheds new light on some of the Gardner's most abiding mysteries. Why would someone steal these paintings, only to leave them hidden for twenty-five years? Kurkjian's reporting is already responsible for some of the biggest breaks in this story, including a meticulous reconstruction of what happened at the Museum that fateful night. He reveals the identities of those he believes plotted the heist, the motive for the crime, and the details that the FBI has refused to discuss. Taking you on a journey deep into the gangs of Boston, Kurkjian emerges with the most complete and compelling version of this story ever told. This is also the source material for the Netflix documentary "This is a Robbery"

Book Jacket: Ballad of the Whiskey Robber

ballad of the whiskey robber by Julian Rubinstein

During the 1990s, while playing for the biggest hockey team in Budapest, Attila Ambrus took up bank robbery to make ends meet. Arrayed against him was perhaps the most incompetent team of crime investigators the Eastern Bloc had ever seen: a robbery chief who had learned how to be a detective by watching dubbed Columbo episodes; a forensics man who wore top hat and tails on the job; and a driver so inept he was known only by a Hungarian word that translates to Mound of Ass-Head. Rubenstein delves into the completely bizarre and hysterical story of the crime spree that made a nobody into a somebody, and told a forlorn nation that sometimes the brightest stars come from the blackest holes. Like The Professor and the Madman and The Orchid Thief, this bizarre crime story is so odd and so wicked that it is completely irresistible.

the pierre hotel affair by Daniel Simone

New York City, 1972. Bobby Comfort and Sammy "the Arab" Nalo were highly skilled jewel thieves who specialized in robbing luxury Manhattan hotels. With the blessing of the Lucchese Crime Family, their next plot targeted the posh Pierre Hotel--host to kings and queens, presidents and aldermen, and the wealthiest of the wealthy. Attired in tuxedoes and driven in a limousine, this band of thieves arrived at the Pierre, seized the security guards and, in systematically choreographed moves, swiftly took the night staff--and several unfortunate guests who happened to be roaming about the lobby--as hostages. The deposit boxes inside the vault chamber were plundered and the gentlemanly thieves departed in their limousine with a haul of $28 million. But then matters began to deteriorate. The authorities immediately suspected Comfort and Nalo of masterminding The Pierre ambush and arrested them, but the veteran criminals kept their mouths shut. The Lucchese Family funneled a $500,000 bribe to the presiding judge to quash the charges--and to this day The Pierre Hotel caper remains unsolved.

stealing rembrandts by Anthony M. Amore

Today, art theft is one of the most profitable criminal enterprises in the world, exceeding $6 billion in losses to galleries and art collectors annually, and the masterpieces of Rembrandt are some of the most frequently targeted. Art security expert Anthony M. Amore and investigative reporter Tom Mashberg reveal the actors behind the major Rembrandt heists in the last century. Through thefts around the world - from Stockholm to Boston, Worcester to Ohio - the authors track daring break-ins and escapes from the world's most renowned museums. There are robbers who coolly walk off with multimillion dollar paintings; self-styled art experts who fall in love with the Dutch master and desire to own his art at all costs; and international criminal masterminds who don't hesitate to resort to violence. They also show how museums are thwarted in their ability to pursue the thieves - even going so far as to conduct investigations on their own, far away from the maddening crowd of police intervention, sparing no expense to save the priceless masterpieces. This is an exhilarating, one-of-a-kind look at the black market of art theft, and how it targets some of the greatest treasures the world has ever known.

the crimes of paris by Dorothy Hoobler

Turn-of-the-century Paris was the beating heart of a rapidly changing world surging into the 20th century. Painters, scientists, revolutionaries, poets -- all were there. But so, too, were the shadows: Paris was a violent, criminal place, its sinister alleyways the haunts of gangsters and its cafes the gathering places of murderous anarchists. In 1911, it fell victim to perhaps the greatest theft of all time -- the taking of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. Immediately, Alphonse Bertillon, a detective world-renowned for pioneering crime-scene investigation techniques, was called upon to solve the crime. And quickly the Paris police had a suspect: a young Spanish artist named Pablo Picasso....

the art thief by Michael Finkel

For centuries, works of art from all over the world have been stolen in countless ways, but no one has been quite as successful as the master thief Stâephane Breitwieser. With more than two hundred heists over nearly ten years-in museums and cathedrals all over Europe-Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects worth an estimated $1.4 to $1.9 billion, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion. Expanding on an article he wrote for GQ, Michael Finkel brings us into Breitwieser's strange and fascinating world. Unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them to his heart's content. Possessed of a remarkable athleticism and an innate ability to assess practically any security system, Breitwieser managed to pull off breathtakingly audacious thefts. Yet these strange talents bred a growing disregard for risk and an addict's need to score, leading Breitwieser to ignore his girlfriend's pleas to stop-until one final act of hubris brought everything crashing down.

the last job by Dan Bilefsky

Over Easter weekend 2015, a motley crew of six English thieves, several in their sixties and seventies, came out of retirement for one last career-topping heist. Their target: the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit, in the heart of London's medieval diamond district. "The Firm" included Brian Reader, ringleader and legend in his own mind; Terry Perkins, a tough career criminal but also a frail diabetic; Danny Jones, a fitness freak/crime enthusiast; Carl Wood, an extra pair of hands, more brawn than brains; and John "Kenny" Collins, getaway driver, prone to falling asleep on the job. Perhaps not the smoothest of criminals--one took a public bus to the scene of the crime; another read Forensics for Dummies in hopes he would learn how to avoid getting caught. They were cantankerous and coarse, dubbed the "Bad Grandpas" by British tabloids, and were often as likely to complain about one another as the current state of the country. Still, they managed to disable a high-security alarm system and drill through twenty inches of reinforced concrete, walking away with a stunning haul of at least $19 million in jewels, gold, family heirlooms, and cash. Author Dan Bilefsky shares a gripping account of how these unassuming criminal masterminds nearly pulled off one of the great heists of the century.

Book Jacket: The Woman Who Stole Vermeer

the woman who stole vermeer by Anthony M. Amore

Rose Dugdale's life is singularly notorious. Born into extreme wealth, she abandoned her life as an Oxford-trained PhD and heiress to join the cause of Irish Republicanism. While on the surface she appears to be the British version of Patricia Hearst, in reality she is anything but. Dugdale ran head-first towards the action, spearheading the first aerial terrorist attack in British history and pulling off the biggest art theft of her time. In 1974, she led a gang into the opulent Russborough House in Ireland and made off with millions in prized paintings, including works by Goya, Gainsborough, Rubens, and Vermeer. Dugdale thus became--to this day--the only woman to pull off a major art heist. Author Anthony Amore believes it's likely that this was not her only such heist. Her life of crime and activism is at turns unbelievable and awe-inspiring, and sure to engross readers.

the map thief by Michael Blanding

Maps have long exerted a special fascination-both as beautiful works of art and as practical tools to navigate the world. For those who collect them, the map trade can be a cutthroat business, inhabited by quirky and sometimes disreputable characters in search of a finite number of extremely rare objects. Once considered a respectable antiquarian map dealer, E. Forbes Smiley spent years doubling as a map thief -until he was finally arrested slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library. Author Michael Blanding delves into the untold history of this fascinating high-stakes criminal and the inside story of the industry that consumed him. Blanding has interviewed all the key players in this stranger-than-fiction story, and shares the fascinating histories of maps that charted the New World, and how they went from being practical instruments to quirky heirlooms to highly coveted objects. Though pieces of the map theft story have been written before, Blanding is the first reporter to explore the story in full-and had the rare privilege of having access to Smiley himself after he'd gone silent in the wake of his crimes. Moreover, although Smiley swears he has admitted to all of the maps he stole, libraries claim he stole hundreds more-and offer intriguing clues to prove it. Now, through a series of exclusive interviews with Smiley and other key individuals, Blanding teases out an astonishing tale of destruction and redemption. The Map Thief interweaves Smiley's escapades with the stories of the explorers and mapmakers he knew better than anyone. Tracking a series of thefts as brazen as the art heists in Provenance and a subculture as obsessive as the oenophiles in The Billionaire's Vinegar, Blanding has pieced together an unforgettable story of high-stakes crime

priceless by Robert K. Wittman

Wittman, the founder of the FBI's Art Crime Team, pulls back the curtain on his remarkable career. Rising from humble roots as the son of an antique dealer, he went undercover, usually unarmed, to catch art thieves, scammers, and black-market traders around the world. Wittman fascinates with the stories behind his recoveries of priceless art and antiquities: The golden armor of an ancient Peruvian warrior king. The Rodin sculpture that inspired the Impressionist movement. The headdress Geronimo wore at his final Pow-Wow. The rare Civil War battle flag carried into battle by one of the nation's first African-American regiments. The breadth of Wittman's exploits is unmatched: He traveled the world to rescue paintings by Rockwell and Rembrandt, Pissarro, Monet and Picasso, often working undercover at the whim of foreign governments. Closer to home, he recovered an original copy of the Bill of Rights and cracked the scam that rocked the PBS series "Antiques Roadshow." The art thieves and scammers Wittman caught run the gamut from rich to poor, smart to foolish, organized criminals to desperate loners. In his final case, Wittman called on every bit of knowledge and experience in his arsenal to take on his greatest challenge: working undercover to track the vicious criminals behind what might be the most audacious art theft of all.

vanished smile by R.A. Scotti

On August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci's most celebrated painting, vanished from the Louvre. The prime suspects were as shocking as the crime: Pablo Picasso and Guillaume Apollinaire, young provocateurs of a new art. The sensational disappearing act captured the world's imagination. Crowds stood in line to view the empty space on the museum wall. Thousands more waited, as concerned as if Mona Lisa were a missing person, for news of the lost painting. Almost a century later, questions still linger: Who really pinched Mona Lisa, and why? Part love story, part mystery, Vanished Smile reopens the puzzling case that transformed a Renaissance portrait into the most enduring icon of all time.

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