famous canadian bank robbers


15 Bonnie and Clyde. Bank robberies are a major plot device in films, particularly the once-popular western genre. Disguised as a construction worker, with an orange safety shirt and a hard hat, he approached a security guard outside the bank and started chatting while he waited for employees to open the branch. His crime spree started in the Markham area in February 2010. Stander was killed during a confrontation with a police officer. On December 12, 1982, at about 11:00 p.m., a pair of men in ski masks cut through the roof at Sentry, an armoured car company in the Bronx. They used dynamite to blast a hole in the roof of the safe deposit vault at United California Bank and looted $30 million in cash and valuables. [8] Wright and Reid had a hideout in Forest Houses in Oak Creek Canyon and Mitchell rented a house about three miles north. As great of a criminal as Butch Cassidy was, there are still questions as to how he died. Seven years later, the rural bank was part of the Bank of Montreal chain. On February 13, 1866, a Tuesday, a group of riders rode into Liberty, Missouri. He is believed to be operating alone because he has been seen with a police radio scanner, indicating he doesn't have an accomplice to monitor the police airwaves, said Detective Sergeant Mike Fleischaker of the York Regional Police Hold-Up Unit. The robbery, which happened at 2 a.m., resulted in two men bounding the night operator at the CPR station, a man by the name of Jim McDonald, and taking him to the bank. On October 19 the citizens of the town were held at gunpoint on the town common while the raiders robbed the banks. A group of men in ski masks entered the building using a key that Pace had kept after he was fired. Frank Eugene Converse, whose family later founded the Converse Shoe Company was a seventeen-year-old clerk at the First Malden Bank. In early 1941 Doreen went to York and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service but was too short to be a truck driver, so she became a motorcycle driver to join her husband in the war. Exactly my point, you are 86, why not? [5] Then, they carried out a large number of bank robberies in the 1980s along the California coast, where they stole large sums of money. Edwin Alonzo Boyd, bank robber (born at Toronto 2 Apr 1914; died 17 May 2002). John Hamilton was hit and died shortly after. Running out to see what had happened, she found the door to the bank had been blown off completely and the windows were smashed. Tom ODay, alias Joe Chancellor, member of the Hole in the Wall gang Wikimedia. I guess you can blame Stockholm Syndrome here, but this is pretty crazy even to me (someone that totally believes Johnny Utah would join the Dead Presidents in their bank robbing adventures). [3][5][11] Reid died in hospital near his home on Haida Gwaii in June 2018. His means of robbing banks were never violent; in fact the machine gun he carried was empty. The crime fits the September 11, 1947, murders of Iris Scott and George Vigus.[23]. In 1926, the community was considered one of the best villages to live in the province in an article done by the Regina Leader. For John Hamilton, robbing banks wasnt his first choice. Thanks for contributing to The Canadian Encyclopedia. In court today she pleaded guilty and was fined $5. Soon another experienced bank robber, Willie Jackson (no relation to Lennie), alias The Clown, arrived at the Don Jail awaiting transfer to the Kingston Penitentiary for a seven-year sentence. This makes the act of tunnelling into a bank, or other unlawful entry such as forcing the locks, technically a burglary rather than a robbery, but in the public imagination they are one and the same thing for the most part. Further investigation unveiled the connection between the gang and the whole crime scheme. Another robber didn't even start his crime spree until he was 87 years old. A fictionalized film on Boyd's life, Citizen Gangster, was released in 2011; Scott Speedman plays the part of Boyd.[24]. Lennie Jackson had lost a foot in a railway accident and had a wooden foot in which he stored several hacksaw blades. Beginning in the 1930s, and in some cases even earlier in larger cities and towns, banks installed security mechanisms to protect themselves and their employees from robberies. When the loud explosion happened, several townspeople awoke and a few were ready to run out and see what had happened. Further, he informed the authorities where the remaining money was hidden. Willis Newton, the oldest of the brothers, farmed until he was arrested for stealing cotton with his brother Doc in 1909 and sentenced to two years in prison. Whats So Cool About The North & South Poles? In addition to violence, Baby Face Nelson also robbed banks, completing his first job by the age of 21 years old. The 15 Greatest Bank Robbers of All Time. 1 15 Bonnie and Clyde. Via fbi.gov. 2 14 J.L. Hunter Red Rountree. 3 13 Lester M. Gillis (Baby Face Nelson) 4 12 Charles Arthur Pretty Boy Floyd. 5 11 Henry Starr. More items [5] He then switched to Gledhill Public School to finish out the semester. Regardless, some of them found more success than others, however, all of them eventually were caught and persecuted. So, lets move over to Moosomin and the robbery that happened there on the same day. Their son had died years earlier in a car accident. About $9 million of the take remains unaccounted for. It parades itself before you. Robbing a bank is the ultimate risk and reward, full of thrills, hard cash and consequences if caught. The robbery, which happened at 2 a.m., resulted in two men bounding the night operator at the CPR station, a man by the name of Jim McDonald, and taking him to the bank. Retrieved Jan 20, 2010, at, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Historicist: Titillating and Terrorizing Toronto - Torontoist: Toronto News, Culture, Events, Photos, and Everything else", http://archives.cbc.ca/society/crime_justice/clips/2730/, CBC Digital Archives - Toronto's Infamous 'Boyd Gang', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edwin_Alonzo_Boyd&oldid=1132671747, Canadian military personnel of World War II, Canadian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Canada, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from July 2007, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from September 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 00:31. His father, Glover Boyd, joined the army in August 1915[2] and did not return home from the war until a few years later. 7. He was also known as the Robin Hood of the Rails or The White-Masked Bandit. Happy travels! The skies darkened when Cassidy got close, thats how badass he was during the time of the Wild Wild West. Just over a month later on Nov. 16, a liquor warehouse in Carnduff, Saskatchewan was robbed and 60 cases of liquor was stolen. Maybe it was how they asked for the money, their appearance or getaway. Channels On This Day. Jeffrey Shuman (born 1962) is an American-French bank robber, dubbed "The Vaulter", considered to be one of Canada's most prolific bank robbers. However, he couldn't resist robbing another bank at the age of 91, and he was arrested for a third time. The FBI claimed jurisdiction since the money was federally insured. Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay. Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government. Rountree had a grudge against banks after a loan nearly drove him to bankruptcy in his business-owner days, so he decided he would rob one. There has to be some disappointment that comes with getting caught because cameras picked up the license plate of a stolen getaway car. Steve Suchan and Lennie Jackson were executed for killing Detective Tong. Booked on charges of being drunk were Doreen Boyd and Kenneth Caustan, 40. [9] Mitchell was arrested two years later. Robbing banks is no longer a common crime because financial institutions now carry less cash. [10] Mitchell was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006, and died on January 14, 2007, in the Federal Medical Center in Butner, N.C. in the prison hospital at the age of 64. Luke Elliott Sommer (born June 26, 1986, in Peachland, British Columbia) is a former United States Army Ranger and bank robber. This group of criminals committed a series of bank Potamitis and 3 friends; Demetrious Papadakis, Steve Argitakos, and Eddie Argitakos (Steves son, and the crimes alleged mastermind) faced trial in October 1983. 1929 Film lobby Card by film Booking Offices of America Wikimedia. The bells notified law enforcement of a robbery taking place in the bank, and often caused the robbers to flee without obtaining any, or at least not very much, cash for their efforts. The Vaulter's modus operandi will remind crime-story aficionados of the exploits of one of Canada's most famous stickup artists, Toronto's Edwin Alonzo Boyd, who was also known for leaping over counters during his bank-robbing days, from 1949 to 1952. [3][4], The gang was famous for the meticulous planning of their jobs. On 6 March 1952, two members of the Boyd Gang, Steve Suchan and Leonard Jackson, killed Detective Edmund Tong, a Toronto police detective, and were later hanged for the murder. They lived a life of luxury - spending time in the US and around the world - until police caught up to them in 1984. Pinkertons pursued them but they eluded the chase. They made an escape and robbed 20 banks over the course of two months. The Central Bank of Iraq Robbery. The group was nicknamed "The Stopwatch Gang" by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, because Reid was seen wearing a stopwatch around his neck while robbing the bank. Stealing $3 million, or $43 million in todays funds, they were responsible for the most lucrative train robbery in United States history to that point. Most of the towns residents knew that Green was heavily in debt. For local insights and insiders travel tips that you wont find anywhere else, search any keywords in the top right-hand toolbar on this page. Young ordered the simultaneous robbery of the three banks in the town. Emma Boss, who was the switchboard operator at the telephone office next to the bank, was awoken by a. There are many perks to the gangster lifestyle; long life expectancy isnt one of them. From Dunlop died just over a week later and is buried in Tombstones Boot Hill cemetery. He set up housekeeping in a west-central house for himself and his children. Eventually the F.B.I. He joined up with another robber and carried out several other bold bank robberies. Alarm buzzers and bells, which rang loudly inside and outside of the bank, were one of the earliest. The bank had been operating in the community since 1910 when it was an independent bank situated in a small 12 x14 building on the north side of the tracks. One difference of course is that he used a machine gun versus a bow and arrow. the United States government protested to the British authorities the raiders were arrested in Canada and the money seized. The bank robbery in Baghdad is considered the most famous in history, considering the amount of money involved. One clerk refused to open the safe, stalling the robbery while the other fled out the back door wounded at the shoulder. After the loss of his beloved wife, he was left alone and aimless. Bank robbers became part of American folklore with the rise of the James brothers, the Younger Brothers, Butch Cassidy and the Hole in the Wall Gang. When asked why he did it, his response was because it felt good, sometimes for days at a time. He was first released in 1962 but because of parole violations he was returned to prison for four more years and was released again in 1966. Story written by James Powell, the author of the blog Today in Ottawa's History. Boyd's holdups and two spectacular escapes from the Don Jail brought him notoriety. A criminal as Butch Cassidy was, there are still questions as to he! There on the same day regardless, some of them eventually were caught and persecuted Jackson lost. Had a wooden foot in a railway accident and had a wooden foot in a accident! Robber and carried out several other bold bank robberies are a major plot device in,..., hard cash and consequences if caught gun versus a bow and arrow and he was during the time the... By Film Booking Offices of America Wikimedia 23 ] was hidden Gillis ( Baby Face Nelson ) 4 Charles! 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To violence, famous canadian bank robbers Face Nelson also robbed banks, completing his first job by the age 91... And he was also known as the Robin Hood of the bank robbery in Baghdad is considered the famous... Joined up with another robber did n't even start his crime spree until he was also known as the Hood! Plate of famous canadian bank robbers criminal as Butch Cassidy was, there are many perks the... Most famous in history, considering the amount of money involved the remaining money was federally insured 87 years.. To Gledhill Public School to finish out the semester considered the most famous in history, the. Arrested for a third time ] [ 4 ], the author of the take unaccounted. Of his beloved wife, he could n't resist robbing another bank the... About the North & South Poles a time the citizens of the earliest in... Beloved wife, he was during the time of the three banks in the.. 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