The Great Boston Brinks Robbery
At the Time It Was Called the Crime of the Century and Was the Biggest Robbery In US History. It Was A (Nearly) Perfect Crime
It was nearly the perfect crime. Just after 7 p.m. on the evening of January 17, 1950, five armed
men crept into the vault room on the second floor of the Brinks security firm building on Prince Street in Boston’s North End. The robbers wore soft shoes to muffle the sound of their footsteps. They were able to surprise the security guards and employees who were loading the evening’s cash, checks, and securities into the vault.
The five robbers wore identical disguises, gloves, a Navy style peacoat, a chauffeur’s cap, and a Halloween mask. They quickly set about binding the employee’s hands with rope and placing tape over their mouths. The thieves spent 15 to 20 minutes filling their canvas bags with cash and securities. The robbery netted the gang $2.775 million in total. With $1,218,211 in cash and $1,557,183 in checks and securities.
At the time, it was th…