A Byte Out of History - Brinks Robbery

A Byte Out of History
The Great Brinks Robbery

Thieves stole more than $1.2 million in cash and another $1.5 million in checks and other securities in the 1950 Brinks heist. The robbers were eventually captured and more than half the money, some shown above, was recovered.

02/09/07

It was billed as “the perfect crime.” And it nearly was.

On January 17, 1950, employees of the security firm Brinks, Inc., in Boston, were closing for the day, returning sacks of undelivered cash, checks, and other material to the company safe on the second floor.

Shortly before 7:30 p.m., they were surprised by five men—heavily disguised, quiet as mice, wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and soft shoes to muffle noise. The thieves quickly bound the employees and began hauling away the loot. Within minutes, they’d stolen more than $1.2 million in cash and another $1.5 million in checks and other securities, making it the largest robbery in the U.S. at the time.

The evidence left behind? Paltry. Just some tape and rope used to gag and bind the Brink’s employees.

Let the investigation begin. Boston police and Bureau agents got to work within minutes of the bank’s call—scouring the crime scene, identifying missing items, questioning the employees (and checking for possible disgruntled ones), and blanketing the wider community of criminals and their supporters.

Slowly key clues began to emerge. In February, a police officer found a gun stolen in the heist. The next month, Bureau agents located the getaway truck that was used—at least part of it, as the criminals had cut it to pieces and dumped it at a scrap yard.

Also taking shape was a group of key suspects:

• Anthony Pino, a local hood whose M.O. fit the crime;
• Joe McGinnis, a Boston underworld figure who’d been with Pino that night; and
• Joseph O’Keefe and Staley Gusciora, both local ex-cons who knew Pino, had a reputation for being able to handle guns (the “strong arms” needed for such a heist), had weak alibis, and had family near the getaway truck discovery.