1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of iHeartRadio. Hi, Zaron, do 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: I know you? Nope? What's your name? Zarin? What's my name? Zaren? Okay? Cool? 3 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: Oh make it super easy? It's up, Elizabeth nothing much? So? Uh? Yes? What? Huh? 4 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: Where do you have something? What? Me? Do I have something? 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 1: Do you know it's ridiculous? Oh? I totally do. Yes. Actually, 6 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: I was just about to book my tickets and I 7 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: wanted to tell you where I was gonna go because 8 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna probably need to miss some shows. The upcoming 9 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: four hundredth and eleventh Cotswald Olympic Games are coming up. 10 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: Oh really yeah yeah, so I'm a big fan, you 11 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: know of the games. And these Olympic Games though, are 12 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: where we you know we've discuss do you discussed Cotswold 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: a few times now? This is where there cotswalld UK 14 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 1: cat shaver correct, well, this is where the Olympic Games is. 15 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: In the Dover's Hill Arena in England. They have something 16 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: that they've been doing now for four centuries called the 17 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: shin Kicking World Championship. Shin kicking coming to kickie in 18 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: the shin yep, just like that, just like that champion style. 19 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: So I'm getting to my game on. I've been kicking 20 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 1: shins for the last four months. I'm thinking I got 21 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: my technique down and everything. I'm gonna go over there 22 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: and kick some shins and I'm gonna be a champions. 23 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 1: Are you gonna get kicked in the shins? Oh? Is 24 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: that part of it? I haven't read all the rules. 25 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: I've just been I didn't know my shins get kicked 26 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: in this. I don't know if I'm so down anymore. 27 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: Apparently they also have other great games that six year 28 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: old boys would want to play, because there is King 29 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: of the Hill, Championship of the Hill, running races, and 30 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: a tug of war. So I'm just there for the 31 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: King of the Hill. You push people down the hill 32 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:37,479 Speaker 1: like they're trying to go to the top of the hill, 33 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: and you shove them back down like, well, I'm just 34 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: going to the shin kicking. I'm only there soccer style. Euh. 35 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: That is ridiculous, right, pretty much super ridiculous. Do you 36 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: know what else is ridiculous? Don't know at all? Calling 37 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: your hostages sir and ma'am while they're cuffed and face 38 00:01:54,320 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: down on the floor. This is ridiculous crime a podcast 39 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: about of certain outrageous capers, heists and cons. It's always 40 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: ninety nine percent murder free and one hundred percent ridiculous heists. Yes, 41 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 1: you're talking about a language, fie. It's right there in 42 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: our show description. It's true your favorite things. I've got 43 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: heists for you today. Oh yes, this is also going 44 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 1: to get y'all fired up because there are ties to 45 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: organized crime, another one of my favorites. And there's celebrities, yes, Sarah, 46 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: and there are celebrities. I'm meds on the celebs. I 47 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: love that. I love celebrities. I know you do. I'm 48 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: so glad they exist. I'm going to take a page 49 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: from your book and because you a lot of times, 50 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 1: you'll tell historical that take place in the last couple 51 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: hundred years, but you'll start with Vladim Paler, Yes, the 52 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: root of everything. But it's sort of like extended causal Anna. 53 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: You cannot tell the story of America without starting with 54 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: Vladim Paler and Memed the second. You have to start there. 55 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: That's where the story of America starts. What it's not me? 56 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 1: Any good historian knows this. Well, that's that's interesting. Extended 57 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: causal analysis I'm not going to go full of Ladian 58 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: Paler here, that's fair enough. But I'm going to start 59 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: a story that takes place in nineteen seventies, which we love, 60 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: yes way, that is a favorite, with something that happened 61 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: at the turn of the twentieth century. Okay, so we're 62 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: starting with the turn of the twentieth century, then we're 63 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: going to jump forward to the Barney Miller, are correct, 64 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: all right? So a man named Paolo Compaccio. Okay, he 65 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: arrived in New York from Naples, Italy, and he settled 66 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: in Rochester, New York with his family, and that included 67 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: his son, Joe. Paolo, the son of a cobbler, worked 68 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: hard as a foreman with the New York Central Railroad. 69 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: Joe did not take after his father or grandfather, saw 70 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: to the earth who worked hard for their money. Joe 71 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: became a bookie and he made tons of money with 72 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: his illegal gambling ventures. He caused a stir in Rochester 73 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: by marrying an Irish girl named Peggy. They met to 74 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: speak easy. The immigrant Italians and the immigrant Irish had 75 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: a really tense combative relationship in Rochester. But yes, so, 76 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 1: in fact, their wedding reception turned into like this alcohol 77 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: fueled melee at the end of the evening Irish versus Italian, 78 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: more of a wedding riot exactly. And in addition to 79 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: this cultural clash in the marriage, they both had really 80 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: hot tempers. And you don't hear that about the Italians 81 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: and the Irish, can you imagine? I know, it's like 82 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: two really chill um. So they they clashed continuously. Peggy 83 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: wanted Joe to go straight, but he just couldn't. They 84 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: had a son named Robert Bobby Bobby. And when he 85 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,679 Speaker 1: was seven years old and Bobby was seven, his mom, Peggy, 86 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: the Irish woman, She asked him to sneak into his parents' 87 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 1: bedroom while his father napped and steal twenty dollars from 88 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: a roll of money that he kept under his pillow 89 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 1: while he slept. What years his twenty bucks is a 90 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: lot to steal. Mom got big plans, Little Bobby. He 91 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 1: crept into the room like gingerly, took the money roll 92 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,559 Speaker 1: from under the pillow, and he's just being as quiet 93 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,359 Speaker 1: as possible. He like extracts two tens and then he 94 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 1: slips the roll back under the pillow and he heads 95 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: downstairs and then hands the money to his mom the bedroom. 96 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: I love that he keeps his money under his pillow. 97 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: I don't trust any I don't trust anybody. His father 98 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: snoozing away, right, So the mom is like, good boy, 99 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: thank you. This becomes a regular thing where she's like 100 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: to go up there. They were going to catch the 101 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 1: train to Boston, go up there, get me like twenty, 102 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 1: and then sometimes it's like, get me a fifty. Okay, 103 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: Bobby's mom saying, steal from dad. Pretty soon he starts 104 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: peeling off bills for himself. I mean, why not, like 105 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: if you're skimming star exactly, And then pretty sooner he 106 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: starts stealing from outside of his house. Well, if you 107 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: practice something, you get good exactly. He went to the 108 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: big leagues, so by the age of eleven, he was 109 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: basically stealing anything he could from anyone in the neighborhood. 110 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: He was just klepto. So Joe Bobby's dad. He had 111 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,919 Speaker 1: this duffel bag full of watches that he kept in 112 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: the hall closet. Oh wait, I'm sorry, a duffel bag 113 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: full of watches. Duffel bag full of watches? Were these 114 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 1: watches not cold but hot? See railroad workers. They would 115 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: get gambling debts because they would play with Joe, and 116 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: Joe would take the watches as collateral until they could 117 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: pay up. So he's got a Duffel bag full of watches, 118 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: which is just like this incredible image, it's amazing, Shamus, 119 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: which one's yars? I lost count. So then Peggy she's 120 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: in labor. She's going to have another kid, kid number six. Yeah, 121 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: poor thing. So she has to go to the hospital 122 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:07,159 Speaker 1: to spit out this kid. Joe he's like digging around. 123 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: He gets his bet, his duffel bag of watches, and 124 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: he counts him out and there are two missing, and 125 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: Joe blames the housekeeper and he wants to just like 126 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: get rid of her, come down hard on her. Peggy 127 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: she's like, I know who did it, Bobby, it was 128 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: our son. Don't blame the housekeeper. I like her, I 129 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: need her. So this is what Peggy told Ira Burkaw 130 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: in the nineteen eighty seven book The Man Who Robbed 131 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: the Pierre quote. I came home with a baby, but 132 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: I was full of thoughts about Bobby. He was going wrong, 133 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: and I didn't know why he had this thing in him. 134 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: I don't know what it was, some kind of devil streak. 135 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: I knew he was stealing, so I decided to make 136 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: him tell the truth. I was so distracted and crazy 137 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: that I didn't know what to do. I got Bobby 138 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: and I said, come on up to the attic. On 139 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: the way, I stopped at the pantry door and grabbed 140 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: a big butcher knife. Jesus, I know your eyes. There 141 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: was a table in the attic, and I put Bobby's 142 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: head down on it. I put the big knife right 143 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: down to his neck. I said, now, Bobby, you're gonna 144 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: tell me the truth. Did you take those watches from 145 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: the Black Satchel? If you tell me you didn't take him, 146 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: I'm going to cut your throat from ear to ear, 147 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: and I'm going to let your head hang over. Bobby 148 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: told her kill me then, because I didn't do it, 149 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: we'll get stone cold thirteen. His mother followed up quote, 150 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: he said it over and over again. I finally let 151 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 1: him go, but I knew damn well he did it, 152 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: and she was right. She's just really got him to 153 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: practice the norm. Only a thief, but a hard He's 154 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: got a devil streak in him. So I'm gonna grab 155 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: a butcher knife. Where does the devil streak come from Peggy, 156 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: I wonder Pegs. Yeah, so, but he did. He stole 157 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:49,839 Speaker 1: the watches. We also she was the one who got 158 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: him going on all this and then's acting like, I 159 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: don't know where the boy gets it from. Yes, so 160 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: he sold those watches to the Milanni brothers. They owned 161 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: a meat market in town, and he got five dollars 162 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: a piece, which is way less than they were worth. 163 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure. By the time he was twelve, he was 164 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: robbing department store and in mansions. He busted into some mansions. 165 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: He went to juvie at the age of thirteen. You 166 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: know what his father's advice to him was, never admit 167 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: anything to the cops. Always deny everything, no matter what 168 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: promises they make to you. So here's this thirteen year 169 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: you can't tell me anything. So Bobby, he's like in 170 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: and out of jail, not just for his crimes but 171 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: also parole violations naturally. And what did he do inside 172 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: though he was in jail, I don't know. Ran a 173 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,679 Speaker 1: three card monte game. He became a prison bridge champ, 174 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 1: like a champion of their bridge tournament. Yeah, I could 175 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: see it. He's a smart kid. You can tell he's 176 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: got like a good headline. Oh yeah. He also acted 177 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,199 Speaker 1: as legal advisor to other inmates. Oh, jail house lawyer. 178 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: I like it. I wouldn't take legal advice from someone 179 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: who got caught in his serving time, but that's just me. Yeah, 180 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,959 Speaker 1: well you're particular. I thinks things already through this. When 181 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: I was teaching at a federal prison, there was a 182 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: student one evening and I taught night classes in the yard, 183 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,839 Speaker 1: which was heavy. Um, but the student he's bragging about 184 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: how he was the boss on the streets and he 185 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: ran things. And this other student, this guy who was 186 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,840 Speaker 1: like insanely smart, I had like four geniuses in the class. Um. 187 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 1: He said, well, you weren't that good of a boss. 188 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: If you messed around and wound up in here, it's 189 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: bosses like you got me sent away. I thought that 190 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 1: was hysterical. The rest of the class is busting up 191 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: like the braggart like he took his lumps and sheepishly 192 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: admitted that the guy was right, which was good because 193 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: I didn't want a riot in my class. M So 194 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: my feeling is, if you're in prison and your legal 195 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: maneuverings haven't gotten you out yet, I don't want your advice. 196 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: That's nice. I know what you're saying. Mostly I would agree. 197 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: But a couple of those jail house lawyers are as 198 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: good as any lawyers. Yeah, I guess if you have 199 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: no hope of getting out. Yeah. Also study and study. 200 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: They know the books, I mean, the know everything. Now, 201 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: maybe they wouldn't win the case on appeal or in trial, 202 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: but if you want to know where you're legal standing is, well, 203 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: he filed his own petitions with Yeah, that's what I'm 204 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: talking about, and he said, quote, the law was made 205 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: by smart people who provided in the maze of legal 206 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: mumbo jumbo and out for other smart people. Yep, A 207 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: very true. That's so he was out on parole in 208 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty nine when he met Sammy the Arab Nello. 209 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: That's a name, Sammy the Arab. Yeah. So Sammy and 210 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: Bobby they became literal partners in crime. Okay. And this 211 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: Bobby is Bobby Comfort. Right, that's another great name. Right, 212 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: because I told you in the beginning, you're gonna tell 213 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: me I could be like a criminal operate nineteen sixty nine. 214 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: I'm like, Okay, who are gonna call what we call 215 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 1: Bobby Comfort? And we could call sam the Arab I 216 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: forgot to mention because his grandpap Paolo Competio, when he 217 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,679 Speaker 1: came over from the Old Country, he changed his name 218 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: to Comfort, and so Bobby Comfort, so it's not a 219 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: street name, it's his family it's his family name because 220 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: he's Bobby Comfort. And then he's got Sammy the Arab 221 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: with him. So they start planning and executing high profile heist. Okay, 222 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: they they shoot big. They robbed someone at the Hampshire House, 223 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: which is an apartment building in a hotel at the 224 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: southern edge of Central Park in Manhattan, places filled with 225 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: the rich and famous. Opera stars Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo 226 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: and Luciano Pavarotti all had apartments there. Vladimir Nabokov had 227 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: a place there, Art Garfuncle, Julian Arpel's, the heir to 228 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: the Van Cleef and Arpel's luxury jewelry Fortune Wow. And 229 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: then people who stayed in the hotel Lucille ball Ingrid Bergman, 230 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: John Wayne Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe with Joe DiMaggio, and 231 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 1: of course Frank Sinatra Senior and Ava Gardner. But you 232 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: know who else, Sophia Loren. Yeah. Now, Sophia Loren was 233 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,079 Speaker 1: staying in a suite at the Hampshire House in nineteen seventy. 234 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: Four gunmen, one dressed as a chauffeur, entered the lobby 235 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: early in the morning on October eleventh, nineteen seventy. They 236 00:12:57,640 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: forced the night manager to hand over the keys to 237 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: Wren's suite on the twenty second floor. Oh wow, so 238 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: they knew she was They knew she was there. Two 239 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 1: robbers stayed downstairs to guard the four handcuffed hotel employees, 240 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: and then the other two went upstairs with the manager 241 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: and the bell captain to gain entry into her place. 242 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: So once they're there, they ring the doorbell and Loren's 243 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: assistant Inez Brusha. She opens the door and they're like, oh, 244 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 1: there's a gas league. We hate to tell you this, 245 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: But then they bust in while they're telling her this 246 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:28,319 Speaker 1: and they hit her on the head. She didn't have 247 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: a serious country from that. Now there's a blood leak. Now, 248 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:35,199 Speaker 1: Sophia Lorene's son, two year old Carlo Ponti Junior, was there, 249 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: but he was her Yeah, yeah, Lorene. She had worn 250 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: this giant diamond ring on a recent TV appearance and 251 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: the robbers demanded she handed it over. This is like 252 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: some diamond Doris Pains synchronicity, right, And also it's like 253 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: the Kardashian Paris robbing where they just bust into the hotel. 254 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,439 Speaker 1: So she wears this huge diamond ring on TV. The 255 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: robbers are like, we've seen that recently. Handed over. They 256 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 1: go imaging through her bedroom. They take all this gold, 257 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 1: two diamond brooches, a diamond necklace, two rings, pearls, a 258 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: diamond bracelet, some other stuff too. Remember when I told 259 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,319 Speaker 1: you about that British TV show The Heist. Yeah, Peter 260 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 1: Scott one of the criminals on it. He stole a 261 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,319 Speaker 1: bunch of jewels from Sophia around one time. Really, she's 262 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 1: been hit mulp can't catch a break, right, So Bobby 263 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: and Sammy and two accomplices they joined the Sophia Lauren 264 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: robber boy Club. There's a whole group of them. So 265 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: they take the jewelry. They hopped into this waiting car 266 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: and they set off into the new day. Six hours later, 267 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: some kids were walking on River Road in West New York, 268 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: which is a town in New Jersey on the other 269 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: side of the Hudson from Manhattan. West New York, Jersey. Yeah, 270 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: just to confuse. And so the kids find a paper bag. 271 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: What's inside some of sophila un stuff. They find her passport, 272 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: a plane ticket in her name, a gold bracelet, a 273 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 1: check for fourteen thousand dollars I know, a keychain, and 274 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: a thousand lira bill. I don't. I don't understand why 275 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: they dumped it, but whatever. Okay. Now, the thing is 276 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: is that Sophia Lauren had trouble getting insurance after Peter 277 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: Scott stole all her stuff in London, so she had 278 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: no insurance pay out on her jewelry. Some of the jewelry, though, 279 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: was on loan from Van Cleef and our pills previously 280 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 1: mentioned coincidence that was insured, so they were made whole. 281 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: But she lost pretty much everything with it. Yeah, Sammy 282 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: and Bobby, they were not satisfied with taking La Bella, 283 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: Sophia's jewelry and assorted belongings. They wanted more. When we 284 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: get back from this break, I'll tell you how much 285 00:15:37,960 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: more and we're back. You look it up. Hey. Have 286 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: you ever seen the Humphrey Bogart movie High Sierra. Yeah? Yeah, 287 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: It's released in nineteen forty one, based on a novel 288 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: with the same name. I didn't know that. I did 289 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 1: not know that. So in it, Bogart plays a thief 290 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: named Roy who gets out of prison wants to do 291 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: one last score. He plans to rob a resort called 292 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: Tropico Springs the Sierra Nevada Mountains, thus the name. Sammy 293 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 1: and Bobby saw this and they thought we could rob 294 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: a hotel and have one last score. Telling you, movies 295 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: or work, feminals get their ideas, yeah, and then they 296 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: write books and they're like, well, we start the movies 297 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: and then we make books. But there is a problem 298 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: because like Bogart plays Roy the thief, he dies at 299 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: the end. Oh yeah, it's not a good spoiler. It's 300 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: not a good model for like, if you want to 301 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: be a criminal. No, so you wanted to be a 302 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: robot and you watched Blade Runners. Well, I guess they 303 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: figure like, oh, I'll avoid those mistakes. Um, Bobby and 304 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: Sammy they watched the movie. It inspires them to rob 305 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: high end hotels. They hit in the Carlisle, the Drake, 306 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: the Regency, the Saint Regis, and of course Hampshire House. 307 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: So I'll do in all New York hotels. Yeah, and 308 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: then they set their sights on the Pierre Hotel. Next. 309 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: The Pierre is on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It's super luxurious, opulent, 310 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,719 Speaker 1: really exclusive. It like Hampton House, had apartments as well 311 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: as hotel rooms. And if you went there, you could 312 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:19,199 Speaker 1: see Aristotle Onassis walking around, Liz Taylor, e Saint Laurent, everybody. 313 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: And it was a big target, way bigger than the 314 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 1: other ones. Well, Bobby he had got real jewels. Oh yeah, yeah, 315 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:35,119 Speaker 1: white dot diamonds, white diamonds. So Bobby he had ties 316 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: to the Rochester crime family. Um, so he was sensitive 317 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: about pulling a big job on someone else's turn. So 318 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:44,400 Speaker 1: he went and he got the blessing of the Luke 319 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,719 Speaker 1: Casey crime family. Yes, and they said, you know what, 320 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: you go ahead, you hit the hotel. We're gonna hook 321 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 1: you up. So they gave Bobby three cars, three dozen 322 00:17:54,400 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 1: sets of handcuffs, and eight guns, and then they coordinated 323 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: to have the cars and the evidence destroyed. After all 324 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: this went down, the family Consigliari Christopher Christie tick Fernari. 325 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 1: He selected six of the Lucas's best burglars to create 326 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: an eight man team needed for the job. Here's the 327 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: cast of characters. Yes, nick the cat Sacho. His mom 328 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,119 Speaker 1: gave him the nickname because he was agile, like a 329 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 1: katie cat. Al Visanti he was a retired heavyweight boxer. 330 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:33,120 Speaker 1: Nice Robert Germaine. He was an aspiring crime writer who 331 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,959 Speaker 1: wanted to commit crimes for material for his books. Okay, 332 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 1: I relate about this guy. Donald Francos a contract killer. Okay, 333 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: Ali Ben another contract killer. He usually worked with the 334 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: Albanian mafia. I say, usually you don't have contract killers 335 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: in bank robbers or him? Yeah? And then Al Green 336 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: not that not the singer. He was Ali Ben's brother. Guys, 337 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:56,639 Speaker 1: I gotta do tune. I wanted to practice you. It 338 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: was Ali Ben's brother in law and he was a 339 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: Harlem numbers runner. All right, So Bobby booked a room 340 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: at the Pierre about two weeks before New Year's nineteen 341 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 1: seventy two. He booked it under the name doctor Foster. 342 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: It's okay, forgettable. He should have booked it under doctor Brauner. 343 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: Doctor runner has had like a crazy written all around 344 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: the receive everything written all over it. He researched the 345 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 1: hotel and its protocols, and then he found out that 346 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: they locked the doors overnight and only let people in 347 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: if they had a room there. He established this as 348 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:31,160 Speaker 1: his home base. The crew headed while he's setting up 349 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: for two weeks at the hotel, they go to the 350 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 1: public library and they read through all the society pages 351 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 1: for mentions of the hotel and who's staying there. And 352 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: just before four am on January second, nineteen seventy two, 353 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: a limo rolled up to the hotel's sixty first Street entrance. 354 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: Al Green was behind the wheel. Not that Al Green, 355 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: the numbers runner Al Green. He's dressed as a chauffeur. 356 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 1: Robert Germaine, the writer. He went to the entrance and 357 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,640 Speaker 1: he said he was there with doctor Foster's party. So 358 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 1: the security guard verifies the reservation and lets him in. 359 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: They're all in disguise, by the way, wigs and such glasses. 360 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: Sammy had on a giant wig, fake nose and glasses. 361 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 1: They went. They went big with the disguises. I love it. 362 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: So the group they hold the guard at gunpoint while 363 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 1: Al Green watches the main door, and contract killer Donald 364 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 1: Francos he watches the sixty first Street door. If a 365 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: guest walked by inside, Al the boxer would handcuff them. 366 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 1: And they had a lot of cuffs. Remember something. Yeah, 367 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: they're thirty six. All the cuffed guests were made to 368 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: lay face down on the floor. Okay, so they got 369 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: this whole lobby full of them. Zarin Elizabeth Closure, Oh yes, 370 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 1: I want you to picture it. You are an LA 371 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: film producer from a very wealthy family. That's right. Your 372 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: success is based on generational wealth and connection. So you're 373 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 1: in town for your brother's big New Year's Eves bash 374 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 1: at his Park Avenue penthouse. You got a room at 375 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: the Pierre so you could have some private space and 376 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: like hobnob with the various celebrities there this time, though 377 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: you haven't seen many luminaries, just unrecognizable rich folk. You've 378 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: been out partying at Studio fifty four and you're headed 379 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: back to the hotel to crash. You're zonked out on 380 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: goofball Zarin, stuffed to the gills with all manner of powders, 381 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: luds and dexis. You're a mess, but you look fantastic 382 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: in that brown velvet nero jacket, gray satin shirt, hip 383 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:33,440 Speaker 1: hugger slacks, and sassy cuban heel kick boots. That's right. Good, 384 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 1: So you hop out of your cab you throw a 385 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: fistful of bills at the driver. Then you stumble toward 386 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: the main entrance to the pierre. You announced to the 387 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: man at the door, who is oddly wearing a chauffeur's 388 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: uniform and has what you're pretty sure is a wig on. 389 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: You tell him you're a guest and you really just 390 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: want to go to bed. The man looks back and 391 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,679 Speaker 1: forth and opens the door and guides you in. There, 392 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: you're greeted by four large men, one of who grabs 393 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: you by the shoulders, spins you around, then slaps cuffs 394 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 1: on you, and smoothly, effortlessly glide you down to the floor. 395 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: Your face presses against the marble floor, and you watch 396 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: the rough shoes of the robbery crew paced back and 397 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,160 Speaker 1: forth around you. All around you on the floor are 398 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,919 Speaker 1: hotel employees in various states of distress. One of the 399 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: housekeepers isn't feeling well, so they told her they wouldn't 400 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: cover her and she could just sit quietly facing the wall. 401 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: This is going to be a long coda to an 402 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: already long night for you. You doze off, and a 403 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: puddle of jewel forms on the floor around your mouth, 404 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 1: and one of the thieves comes over to you with 405 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: a handkerchief. He gently wipes away your jewel and says you, okay, sir. 406 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: They're calling everybody sir and ma'am as they talk to him. 407 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: This gets more and more disorienting for you, and then 408 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: you pass out and seen So an elderly man who 409 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 1: is handcuffs started having chest pains, and one of the 410 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 1: crew found a doctor in the hotel and summoned him 411 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: down its magic incantations. Yeah, he's like, is there a 412 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: doctor in the house. As soon as he'd stabilize the 413 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: older guy, than he too. The doctor is cuffed and 414 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: forced to lay on the ground. The phone at the 415 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 1: reception desk is just ringing every now and then, and 416 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 1: guests are calling down for this or that. Bobby answers 417 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:14,360 Speaker 1: it every time, Like someone asked for pillows, and so 418 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,959 Speaker 1: he had one of the crew run them up. And 419 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: then someone was like, you know, someone else wants like 420 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: toothpaste or a hot water bottle. The crew's taking stuff 421 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 1: up to people, but if you get if they do 422 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: the delivery and someone like kind of acts up or 423 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:28,719 Speaker 1: questions up, you're getting who is this man in this 424 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 1: crazy wig bringing me a pillow? Yep? Cuff them, drag 425 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,640 Speaker 1: them downstairs, face down tile floor for you, buddy. They 426 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:38,959 Speaker 1: eventually ran out of handcuffs and they had to resort 427 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: to tape. Tape, and everyone's hands up. But they're they're 428 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:45,679 Speaker 1: polite to the hostages. Yeah, it's these hostages who were 429 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: the probable. But they told him, like, anyone here acts 430 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 1: up or you think you're going to identify us to 431 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 1: the cops, we're going to kill you. Like they're just 432 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: straight out and kills. Oh yeah, So what were they stealing? 433 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:02,160 Speaker 1: Funding prizes? The old target of the heist was safe 434 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 1: deposit boxes at the oh I didn't think about. See, 435 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: Bobby figured that all the wealthy folks at the hotel 436 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: would go to like Luck's New Year's Eve parties and 437 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: maybe New Year's Day get togethers, but he's focusing on 438 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,160 Speaker 1: the New Year's Eve parties. They'd have their absolute best 439 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: jewels on them, probably a good amount of cash. You know, 440 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 1: they're walking around money is different than our walking around 441 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: now it's folding money. So January second was a Sunday. 442 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 1: That meant that any of the heavyweight that the guests 443 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: were carrying would be moved to more secure bank vaults. 444 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 1: Come Monday, but they're going to put him in the 445 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: hotel for now. And with the New Year's holiday, the 446 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 1: hotel was running on like a skeleton staff where your 447 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: head's at Bobby huh, perfect time to pull a monumental heist. Seriously, 448 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: and this was supposed to be Bobby's final heist. Oh yeah, classic. 449 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 1: He wanted to retire from criming. Of course, isn't that 450 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,320 Speaker 1: always the case? Always one last score. I mean, I 451 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:56,920 Speaker 1: don't know how many times I've said that, Elizabeth, one 452 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 1: last job and then I'm out. So Bobby and Sammy 453 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:03,719 Speaker 1: like did quick math in the run up to the heist, 454 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: and they figured there was around like twenty to thirty 455 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: million dollars worth of goods for taking at the hotel, cash, bonds, jewelry. 456 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: That's between one hundred and forty three million and two 457 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,239 Speaker 1: hundred and fifteen million dollars today. Yeah, I was doing 458 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: quick conversion rates. That's ridiculous. When I first typed that 459 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: the other day, I accidentally typed bongs instead of bonds, 460 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: and oh how I laughed. Anyway, there's a ton of 461 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,719 Speaker 1: dough in that hotel, and Bobby wanted it on it. 462 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: I want some tractory bongs. So for two and a 463 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 1: half hours the five year lipper average on a bond 464 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: these days with Elizabeth, you know, I mean, I'm just 465 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 1: trying to beat the markets over here. I don't know, 466 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 1: it's very it's a very fluid market where it was. 467 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: I okay, So two and a half hours the crew 468 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: spends working on these safe deposit boxes containing bongs, yes, 469 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 1: highly coveted bongs. The water we open them up and 470 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 1: it was all glass water but yeah, glass one and 471 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 1: like they smell. It would be such a shame for them. Um. 472 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 1: So they remember they look in the papers to get 473 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:12,959 Speaker 1: figure out the big names to hit. So they have 474 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: a list of all the people that they're they're going 475 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: to try and find. There was this gossip column in 476 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: the New York Daily News written by Susie Knickerbocker that 477 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 1: was a gold mine of information for them. And so 478 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: someone who was there, Harold Urus, a real estate tycoon. 479 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:34,199 Speaker 1: I wouldn't know. Tom Yaki was an industrialist and the 480 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:36,400 Speaker 1: owner of the Boston Red Soide that was about to say, 481 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: I know ya because the street right, Calliope kulucundus uh 482 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 1: take a guess, Calliope kunundas huh. Made up and I 483 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: don't know matriarch of a Greek Greek shipping and of 484 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: course if I would have thought about it for shipping umpire. 485 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: Of course, the shipping isn't that amazing centuries of domination, 486 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:04,360 Speaker 1: the amount of wealth like incredible break shipping magnets are 487 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 1: like bazillion. I'm telling you. You never hear about like 488 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,160 Speaker 1: an Estonian shipping magnets. They had access to the water. Yeah, 489 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:14,639 Speaker 1: come on that equity. Um, you wouldn't see those names 490 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: and instantly know who they were, No, not at all. 491 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 1: But the crew they had all the names from the 492 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:22,160 Speaker 1: paper and they know that those names equal money. So 493 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: they crack open one box and it has five hundred 494 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 1: thousand dollars in it. Another one had an unbelievable three 495 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: million dollars in it. Damn that's twenty one point five 496 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:35,680 Speaker 1: million dollars today just sitting there. Yeah, this is a 497 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:37,959 Speaker 1: good I'm getting out of the game game. What in 498 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: the world were they doing with that kind of money 499 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 1: in the safe box? They're rich, I don't know. They 500 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: just roll around with three million dollars. I don't know, 501 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:47,919 Speaker 1: they just take it home and slap each other with it. 502 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,399 Speaker 1: I don't know, like do you like, I know what 503 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: they're not doing, you're not buying them. Tell you what, Elizabeth, 504 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 1: you know you can't well, like if you're buying a 505 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:58,439 Speaker 1: big ticket item, you can't just show up with cash, 506 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:00,200 Speaker 1: like I'm going to buy this house. I think it's 507 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: it's security stuff, like you know, like occasionally you want 508 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: to do something. If they're buying stuff, being able to 509 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 1: pay for it in cash is a real come up. 510 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: So if you would say and back, then we're saying, okay, 511 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 1: you want to buy a luxury car, a sailboat, a 512 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 1: country home, those all fall under the five hundred thousand 513 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: dollars line. Yeah, so you can buy them on the 514 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 1: instant and you don't have to go to anybody. Don't 515 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:19,920 Speaker 1: talk to your accountant in nothing. And that's how they 516 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: like to operate. So on the weekend, if you want 517 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 1: to buy that sailboat, you just go I just need 518 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: to go talk to a person real quick, and they 519 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: come back with your five. It was pre social media, 520 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: so they held up the giant brick of cash to 521 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: their ear and then someone had to take a polaroide. 522 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:39,959 Speaker 1: We don't call that money over here. So another box 523 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: contain Baroness von Langdendorff's seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars 524 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: sounds like a made up name, like Varius von Langendari, 525 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 1: Baroness von Langendorff. She had a seven hundred and fifty 526 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: thousand I can't talk today, seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 527 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: Harry Winston diamond necklace. I know who Harry Winston is 528 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: me too nice? Look at us. I've seen him mentioned 529 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: on Oscars. Oscars. Probably your biggest night is it's really 530 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: between that and Elizabeth Taylor diamond commercials. That's why you're 531 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: we're people of the world's I just like to celebrate 532 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,959 Speaker 1: Hollywood's biggest night always, always, So this is a megascore. 533 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: We got cash, we got juels, Baron von Something's jewels. 534 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: Um in all, they hit around two hundred and eight 535 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: boxes and they collected twenty seven million dollars in jewelry, cash, bonds, 536 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: bonds and such. Okay, that's about two hundred million dollars today. Yeah, 537 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:36,320 Speaker 1: quit the game, mind blow you did it. So. They 538 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: made it out at six thirty in the morning, half 539 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: an hour before the seven am shift showed up. This 540 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: is perfect timing. On their way out, Bobby continuing his 541 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: childhood tradition, he gave twenty bucks to each staff member. 542 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: He's here for your troubles, for your troubles, two tens 543 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 1: for your trouble, just like mommy used to exactly. Um. 544 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,959 Speaker 1: And he warned them not to cooperate with the cops. 545 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: He's like, you you tell him who we are. You 546 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: try and like help them work up an identification, and 547 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: he drew his finger across his neck. Didn't I made 548 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 1: that up? No, But he was like, I'm just gonna 549 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: kill you. I'm gonna blow your head off. That's worse. 550 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,479 Speaker 1: I'm gonna ventilate your face with exactly No. He just 551 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 1: really slowly like drug his finger across his neck and 552 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 1: made his eyes huge and his tongue hanging out of 553 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: the mouth, and they didn't take him safe. The Vigo 554 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:28,959 Speaker 1: Martinson version of that from Eastern Promises, that's the way. 555 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: I was at a minor league ball game once and 556 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 1: my friend had his kid there, Um, and the mom 557 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 1: and the dad of the kid weren't really paying attention 558 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: to him, and he was afraid of the mascot. The 559 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: kid was like four or five, and the mascot was 560 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: freaking him out, and he kept running away from and 561 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 1: he came over to me and he was like, what 562 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 1: do I do? And I'm like, you look that mascot 563 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 1: right in the eye, and you do this. And I 564 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 1: had him draw his thumb across his neck style hunt 565 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: and then point at the mascot and he did it, 566 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: and the mascot turned and walked away. He probably just 567 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: quit hung up the head. She was like, no more, 568 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,480 Speaker 1: that's a fun thing to teach kids. I'm proud of you. 569 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: So it sounds like they pulled off a perfect job, 570 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:10,400 Speaker 1: right it does. Don't tell me this goes wrong. Well, 571 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:12,720 Speaker 1: this is ridiculous crimes. I know it goes wrong, and 572 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 1: obviously that I'm not just telling legends. This is my 573 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: own private information. I'm sharing with you. When we get 574 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: back from this break, let's talk about when perfect heists 575 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: go bad. Okay, I'm want to chill out with some ads. Hey, Aaron, 576 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 1: what's up, Elizabeth? Welcome to my house of crimers. Oh nice. 577 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 1: I like how you've developed a cozy relationship with crime. Yeah. 578 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:53,959 Speaker 1: I'm not going to give you a recap of what 579 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: I was talking about. If you can't remember what happened 580 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,880 Speaker 1: before those beautiful ads, then it sounds like a U problem. 581 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: It is totally W and a V problem. We're not 582 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: just saying letters. No, okay, lm opum. Remember how one 583 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 1: of the boxes had three million in cash? Yes? Do 584 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: you remember that? I do you remember this? Yeah? And 585 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:14,560 Speaker 1: Langendorf's jewels, yeah, a lot. The baroness Um, well it 586 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: was in five hundred dollar bills, okay, and five hundred 587 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 1: dollars bills were taken out of circulation in nineteen sixty nine. Yeah, 588 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 1: so that stuff was a no go. Like, if you 589 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: have they're out of circulation. There's really no effective way 590 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 1: to move that money. You would like someone dumber than you, 591 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: or like piece by piece. I suppose you could take 592 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 1: it to a bank and be like, can you switch 593 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 1: this out to I wouldn't do that. I'd find someone 594 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: dumber than me to go do that. It's very I'll 595 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 1: tell you this money, Well, it was pretty much worthless 596 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 1: to them at this point. And do you remember the 597 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 1: Luke Casey family consigliarium Christie Tick, Yeah, Christie Tick. He 598 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 1: wanted a bigger cut than usual after this all went down. 599 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 1: He said he wanted thirty three percent. And he's the 600 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 1: one who brought the contract killer so you kind of 601 00:32:57,440 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: have to listen. So he's like, I want thirty three percent. 602 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 1: Sammy didn't like that at all, so he sent most 603 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 1: of the hall to a friend's house in Detroit. Sammy, Sammy, 604 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 1: very bad move. Bobby went to his roots. I hope 605 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 1: the friend in Detroit's part of the Purple Guy because 606 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 1: going to work. Um. Bobby went to his roots and 607 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: he tried fencing the jewelry to mobsters in Rochester. Okay, however, 608 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,239 Speaker 1: the mobsters kept the goods and wouldn't pay him. This 609 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 1: is a problem with crime. You never you can't call 610 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:27,640 Speaker 1: the car. No. He tried to get it all back 611 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 1: and they almost killed him. Yeah, and so after that 612 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: he met up with Sammy and Detroit to figure, okay, 613 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: let's just fence some of yours. Well, Bobby and Sammy, 614 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:39,720 Speaker 1: they get arrested when a Detroit mobster got his hands 615 00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: on the Harry Winston necklace. When do you do well? 616 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: The Detroit mobster was actually an FBI informant. Oh yes, 617 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 1: So after their arrest, Sammy's Detroit pals get nervous and 618 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 1: they turned know how many mobsters are FBI informants. It's 619 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 1: really kind of ridiculous. Yeah, it's it's all The mob 620 00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 1: is just an FBI operations this point. And so um, 621 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: the guys in Detroit who have the jewelry, they get 622 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: nervous when Bobby and Sammy get arrested, so they turned 623 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: the rest of the jewelry around, which is worth around 624 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 1: seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. They give it to 625 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:15,759 Speaker 1: the cops. They're like, we don't want any part of this. Um. 626 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 1: Millions more in jewelry and cash were taken to Mexico 627 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: by another associated Sammy's okay, and that guy was never 628 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: heard from again. Yeah, that sucks for Bobby and Sammy 629 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 1: and the Luke cases. I suppose great for that, but 630 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 1: that is Brad that he just effed off to Mexico. Cheers. Yeah, 631 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:40,440 Speaker 1: so Bobby and exactly Bobby and Sammy they take a 632 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 1: plea deal and they each served only nineteen months in prison. Yeah, 633 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 1: they usually don't wear the book at you for non violence. Now. Now, 634 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:50,920 Speaker 1: it came out later that the plea deal was actually 635 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: a five hundred thousand dollars bribe from the Lucas family 636 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 1: to a Manhattan Supreme Court justice. That also helps that 637 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 1: I will lubricate the wheels of justice. When news of 638 00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: the seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of recover 639 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:07,640 Speaker 1: jewelry in Detroit hit the papers, Ali Ben and his 640 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:11,000 Speaker 1: brother in law, Al Green, they decided to split. They 641 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 1: went to Europe much like Diamond Doors Pain and al 642 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:16,319 Speaker 1: Green did not change his name, just his career. When 643 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:20,279 Speaker 1: became Francos, one of the other contract killers. He was 644 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:22,839 Speaker 1: promised seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, but he only 645 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 1: got fifty grand, and he was mad and he swore revenge. 646 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: There was nastiness with Francos, Ali Ben and Al Green. 647 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:32,799 Speaker 1: I'm not going to talk about it because that's not 648 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:35,439 Speaker 1: the crime we're discussing right now. Oh yeah, so like that, 649 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:39,800 Speaker 1: I just stepped aside, did you keeping. I just changed 650 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: lanes and I put it into fourth. Okay. So Bobby 651 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:47,399 Speaker 1: he wound up working with Ira Burkaw on a book 652 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: about the heist. Naturally got to write a book, The 653 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:52,239 Speaker 1: Man who Robbed the Pierre. Most later at people in 654 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 1: the world apparently are criminals. I mean exactly exactly. So 655 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:57,880 Speaker 1: it was called The Man who Robbed the Pierre. The 656 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:00,839 Speaker 1: Story of Bobby Comfort and the Biggest tell Robberie ever. 657 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:05,080 Speaker 1: When Burkow was writing the book nineteen seventy eight. The 658 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,840 Speaker 1: Statute of Limitations had expired on Bobby's criminal past, and 659 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:13,000 Speaker 1: that allowed him to avoid prosecution for information shared regarding 660 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:15,840 Speaker 1: the crimes, so that he had that going for him. 661 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 1: Nick the Cat, only surviving heist participant, he gave a 662 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 1: tip regarding a triple murder he overheard information about while 663 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:26,840 Speaker 1: in jail, and he was placed in the federal witness 664 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 1: Protection program in nineteen seventy four. From Cat to snitch 665 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:36,240 Speaker 1: exactly works, exactly, keep you alive. So Nick the Cat 666 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:40,200 Speaker 1: he decided to break his long held silence about the heist. However, 667 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:46,960 Speaker 1: he collaborated with author Daniel Simone so another book to 668 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:49,680 Speaker 1: write a tell all book about the heist, entitled The 669 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 1: Pierre Hotel Affair. And this way it's more of a 670 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:55,880 Speaker 1: tell more book. Yes, yes, so Nick the Cat. He 671 00:36:55,960 --> 00:37:01,319 Speaker 1: stayed anonymous by corresponding with Simone via po and phone conversations. 672 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:03,480 Speaker 1: They never met face to face. I like this, so 673 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: he maintained his witness protection. It's like when you put 674 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 1: messages to me in the newspaper, exactly, those are your messages, right, sure, yeah, right, 675 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:18,239 Speaker 1: So he published the book in twenty seventeen. Okay, it's 676 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:20,439 Speaker 1: been optioned to be made into a movie called Eight 677 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:22,600 Speaker 1: Gentlemen Thieves. I think that would be a good one. 678 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,560 Speaker 1: I think it would. According to Nick the Cat, everyone 679 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:27,399 Speaker 1: involved in the heist went into it with an all 680 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 1: or nothing mentality. But you kind of have to write, 681 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:32,680 Speaker 1: he said, quote, we decided we weren't going to give up. 682 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:36,000 Speaker 1: We were going to shoot first. Okay, all right, cat. 683 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:39,319 Speaker 1: At one point a patrol car was spotted driving by 684 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:42,720 Speaker 1: as the robbers were emptying a vault, but it didn't stop. 685 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:45,680 Speaker 1: And this is what Nick the Cat said, quote, of course, 686 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:49,000 Speaker 1: nothing goes as you wanted to. Hair raising incidents cropped 687 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,920 Speaker 1: up left and right. Many of the Pierre's guests, rich 688 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: and influential, were eccentric, bizarre characters whose lives were as 689 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 1: weird as a vegetarian wolf. Yes, that's the best simile 690 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 1: I've heard. That is a Zaren's style. Similar. I like that, 691 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:07,240 Speaker 1: Hi as giraffe's eyebrows. That's perfect. So the Pierre Hotel 692 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:10,680 Speaker 1: heist is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records 693 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 1: as the largest most successful hotel robbery in history again 694 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,799 Speaker 1: Book World right. Well, and to this day, though no 695 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 1: one knows how much was taken. It's still a mystery. 696 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,680 Speaker 1: Nick the Cat said most of the jewelry was taken 697 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:28,800 Speaker 1: to New York jeweler contacts who removed all identifying marks, 698 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:32,000 Speaker 1: ground down the jewels, reset them, and then resold them 699 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 1: all over the Yeah, you know who does not care 700 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:37,480 Speaker 1: about where they get stuff, jewelers and bankers exactly. And 701 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 1: Nick the Cat also said that there was always suspicion 702 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:44,520 Speaker 1: that Bobby and Sammy didn't fully divulge the sum total 703 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,280 Speaker 1: of the stolen goods in order to keep more profits 704 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 1: from themselves, and a lot of things weren't reported as 705 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,640 Speaker 1: stolen by the victims because they didn't want to report 706 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: to the irs. That's a comment we've seen that before. 707 00:38:57,640 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 1: So Saren Elizabeth, what is your ridicul was takeaway? Man? Oh, 708 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:06,360 Speaker 1: if you're gonna get into like the robbery game, right, 709 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: these guys pretty much did it almost perfectly, but they 710 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:12,840 Speaker 1: left out the one thing that we often talk about it. 711 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,760 Speaker 1: You know, I always say there's three parts of the crime, planning, 712 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:18,400 Speaker 1: the commission, and the getting away. They did not have 713 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:22,680 Speaker 1: a solid getaway because they had everything on lock well. 714 00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:24,239 Speaker 1: And then also the only one is the dude to 715 00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:26,319 Speaker 1: went down to Mexico. He had it. He's like, look, 716 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:28,600 Speaker 1: I'm getting out of the country and you guys, you're 717 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:30,479 Speaker 1: gonna have to come on to an adventure to find 718 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,279 Speaker 1: my ass. Well, and part of like the what's going 719 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:36,360 Speaker 1: to happen after? Um, you know we're saying he didn't 720 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:38,480 Speaker 1: think the Zen what No, exactly, but he made a 721 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:42,000 Speaker 1: mistake of putting his faith in a large criminal enterprise. Yeah, 722 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:43,920 Speaker 1: so like who is he to go up against the 723 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,719 Speaker 1: Luczy crime family or the Rochester man. None of those 724 00:39:46,719 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: He had no leverage none, So he didn't think that through. 725 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:51,400 Speaker 1: All the leverage he had was when he had the 726 00:39:51,480 --> 00:39:54,120 Speaker 1: jewels and then they needed them from him, right, And 727 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:55,480 Speaker 1: he should have That should have been part of his 728 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:57,799 Speaker 1: getting out plan, which is I'll give this if you 729 00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:01,000 Speaker 1: give me that, and then they just took it. We're like, 730 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 1: what are you going to do now? Exactly? The reflect 731 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:05,319 Speaker 1: on I remember we're a crime family, Like did you 732 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 1: not remember that part? The big part of it crime 733 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:10,480 Speaker 1: on my middle name? Exactly. He's on the top of 734 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:13,760 Speaker 1: the building. Well, I was. I was listening to Rancid 735 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:16,279 Speaker 1: as I put this outline together, and when I got 736 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:18,919 Speaker 1: to the section about everything falling apart for him after 737 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 1: the heist. The song Hyena was on, Oh nice, and 738 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:25,200 Speaker 1: there's the chorus Hyena fighting for the lion's share sometimes 739 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:28,000 Speaker 1: that lion's share night there, and it was like, this 740 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 1: is way too accurate. He Bobby never had a chance 741 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: to walk the street and narrow and like criminal movement 742 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:37,560 Speaker 1: was all he knew. Sure, it was all that was 743 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:40,200 Speaker 1: around him. So his normal was so different from main 744 00:40:40,239 --> 00:40:43,000 Speaker 1: street society. But he was just like Clawn at Scraps. 745 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,200 Speaker 1: You know, he had all these huge heist but in 746 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,640 Speaker 1: the end he wound up being little Bobby pulling the 747 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:50,759 Speaker 1: money out from under the pillow. He never escaped the 748 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:53,719 Speaker 1: idea of taking money from Dad. Yeah, you know, he 749 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:55,239 Speaker 1: never got to the place that he was a man, 750 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:56,959 Speaker 1: would be the one to make them, to have the money, 751 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:59,799 Speaker 1: make the money. Yeah, Bobby, Well that's all I have. 752 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,000 Speaker 1: I was a good one. Bobby Comfort and Sammy Arab 753 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:04,920 Speaker 1: I love you. You can find us online at Ridiculous 754 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:08,000 Speaker 1: Crime on both Twitter and Instagram. Email us if you 755 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:10,920 Speaker 1: want at Ridiculous Crime at gmail dot com, download the 756 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,279 Speaker 1: iHeart app and leave us at talk back. I dare 757 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:15,840 Speaker 1: you to do that and tune in next time. You 758 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:19,960 Speaker 1: could be like, Hey, everybody, it's me, look at you. 759 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:30,360 Speaker 1: It's contagious. Ridiculous Crime is hosted by Elizabeth Dutton and 760 00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:34,239 Speaker 1: Zaron Burnett, produced and edited by Dave Kuston. Consigliary to 761 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 1: the Peachtree Crime Family, Research is by Diamond Laden heiress 762 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:41,600 Speaker 1: Marissa Brown and flashy socialite Andrea Song Sharp and Tier. 763 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:44,520 Speaker 1: The theme song is by Thomas the Hamster Lee and 764 00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:48,080 Speaker 1: Travis the chinchill At Dutton Executive producers are Ben can 765 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:51,279 Speaker 1: we get some fresh pillows? Bowlin and Noel We can 766 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 1: wait until you're done stealing off cash Brown. Life is depressing. 767 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:03,160 Speaker 1: There is actively trying to kill us. Life is depressing. 768 00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:06,959 Speaker 1: Government Street deals with the devil. How can I go 769 00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:10,719 Speaker 1: back to a space where my smile is in place? 770 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:15,520 Speaker 1: I pull out my secret weapon, a bagel top above 771 00:42:15,560 --> 00:42:20,480 Speaker 1: a ranch conception. It's my new favorite obsession. It will 772 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 1: rocking me right to heaven. Heyna Valley, Ranch ice Cream. 773 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:29,120 Speaker 1: I'm sorry you had to hear that. I wrote that 774 00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:31,879 Speaker 1: song for you guys. It's a kind of my take 775 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 1: on a review of the Ranch ice Cream, and I 776 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:37,560 Speaker 1: didn't have a lot of time. I had to sing 777 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:39,880 Speaker 1: it quickly and I had to cut out a few lines, 778 00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:46,200 Speaker 1: but yeah, Elizabeth asked for a song, So there you go. 779 00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:54,120 Speaker 1: I hope you're happy, were quiet? See it one more time, 780 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:58,680 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime. It's a production of iHeartRadio. Four more podcasts, 781 00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:01,759 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio, visit the eye heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 782 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:03,680 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.