Famous Failed Bank Heists

The times are tough right now with the biggest recession we’ve seen in decades. However, don’t give up hope or throw caution to the wind with some frenzied wild-eyed scheme. There have been many individuals throughout history who have either fallen for the romanticized outlaw persona, or let harsh circumstances lead them in to crime . What Hollywood doesn’t show you is that a majority of this crime is rewarded with even more misery than before. To illustrate this point I present you with an examination of some of the most famed failed bank heists undertaken in in America.

James-Younger Gang

While most people weather tough economic times and look forward to a more stable and pleasant future, there are always some people who will go to the extreme in order to stay afloat. Even in modern times where large-scale crime is considerably more difficult we’ve seen a marked increase in crime as a result of the current recession. Statistics released by Southern California show that after a 30 year low in bank heists in 2007 there has been a sharp increase during 2008; some experts attribute this to the faltering economy.

The period after the American Civil War was also one of extreme hardships. Some of Americas most notorious outlaws emerged from this era of the ‘Wild West’. Jesse James, a leader of the well publicized James-Younger Gang ‘sewed his wild oats’ during this time. The exploits of Jesse James and his gang have long been fantasized by the public; evidence of this can be seen in the many films and stories centered around them. One of the major bank heists by this group of renegades ended in a complete mess. The attempt to hold up a First National Bank in Northfield, Minnesota would result in the death of townsfolk and gang members, plus the arrest of gang members. Things started as usual in September of 1876 with the gang riding in wearing dusters to conceal their weapons. It all went wrong when a loyal bank clerk refused to open the volt and was shot dead. Residents responded to the shot by engaging in a shoot out with the outlaws resulting in the death of two gang members and one civilian. This show of vigilante justice led the gang to flee the scene and commence a four hundred mile chase. The gang was forced to split up so that some members, including James, could escape. The Youngers would not be as fortunate; the three brothers would all end up in prison with one associate sent six feet under. Those who have seen the brad Pitt film on the Life of Jesse James know that he would eventually be shot in the back by one of his own crew.

The Dalton Brothers

Not long after the famed James-Younger gang rode the plains there was another gang of brothers called the Dalton Brothers reeking terror on the banking institutions of America. The Daltons began their career on the wild side as officers of the law who enjoyed the dubious hobby of stealing horses. For obvious reasons their career in law enforcement came to a crashing halt forcing the brothers to form a gang in order to pursue a full time life of crime; which included the practice of robbing banks. In October of 1892 the Dalton Brothers aspired to rob the two banks of Coffeyville Kansas. The plan went to ruin once they were recognized emerging from one of the banks. This again resulted in the tough local citizens taking up arms against the band of outlaws. The townsfolk proved the better marksmen killing all of he Dalton Brothers except for Emmett, who would serve a fourteen year prison sentence.

A Dog Day Afternoon

The ‘Wild West’ is not the only era where bank robbers were in swing. In August of 1972 John Wojtowicz and Sal Naturile attempted to rob the Chase Manhattan bank in Brooklyn. Wojtowicz was driven to this rash act by his desire to get a transsexual operation for his partner over in Denmark. Wojtowicz had some knowledge of the banking system from his time as a bank clerk. However, it is rumoured that he based most of the plan on scenes from the popular film “The Godfather”. Perhaps that is why the attempted bank heist resulted in multiple employees being held hostage for hours on end. This was the beginning of the end; once the duo reached JFK Airport the authorities pounced and arrested Wojtowicz while shooting Naturile. Woltowicz entered a plea of guilty and served seven years of his twenty year sentence; he claims that a deal had been struck which was never honoured.

Life Magazine printed an article about the incident that made Woltowicz a celebrity. The story was later sold off to become a Hollywood film starring Al Pacino. Ironically, the revenue he earned from selling his story would finance the very operation that spurred the bank heist scheme to begin with. Further proof that Hollywood and the public really are taken in by outlaws.

High-Tech Stick Up

Not all bank robbers use guns and wear bandannas to disguise their identities. One recent attempt that took place at the Sumitomo Mitsui Bank in London during September of 2006 saw the perpetrators use only their wits and USB sticks. The plan included an inside man, the bank’s security supervisor, who would attempt to cover the activity of the two infiltrators by manipulating the security footage; the use of USB sticks to install keylogger software in computers in order to record employee information; and a series of bank accounts for business fronts to launder the money. Problems began to emerge early on with the not-so-discreet tampering of camera footage by the crooked security supervisor. The major blow came when the two men entered the bank and failed to transfer the money out of the big business accounts. The same problem occurred again the following week when the two failed to withdraw money from the stolen accounts. The reason for the failure was due to a simple error in filling out the wire transfer information boxes. On Monday morning staff members noticed the failed transactions, totaling approximately 229 million pounds and some cut camera cables. Police were alerted and soon uncovered the involvement of the bank’s security supervisor. Recovered footage from the security cameras and the paper trail left from the attempted wire transfers led to the capture of the two infiltrators of the bank and the four men who were at the other end of the wire transfers. Police were unable to determine who the criminal mastermind was. Authorities believe that this type of high-tech robbery will replace the cliched weapon brandishing methods of the past.

The Bank Job

All failed bank heists are not due to the efforts of police or gun totting honest citizens. For anyone who has seen the popular British crime film “Bank Job”, starring Jason Stathom, it will be apparent that sometimes the wrong people are affected. The film is partially based on fact; a gang did tunnel underneath a branch of the Lloyds Bank in London during 1971 and robbed some safety deposit boxes. Their plan was ruined when a local ham-radio operator overheard their radio conversations and contacted the local authorities. It seems as though the police issued an order to the media for them to cease all broadcasts concerning the crime as a matter of national security. The producer of the film claims that an inside source provided information that the contents of one safety deposit box included sex photographs Princess Margaret which could be used as blackmail. These pictures are the basis of the films plot concerning MI5 setting up the robbery in order to retrieve these photos from the clutches of local gangster Michael X. This lands the gang in to a world fraught with danger. It is not sure how accurate this information is; but the film creators have stated that some of the film was fabricated for dramatic affect.

Hopefully these failed bank robberies have helped to dispel the romanticized beliefs surrounding outlaws and bank heists. After all, if the big criminals could be met with chaotic failure perhaps it is better to leave the profession of robbing banks to actors in films. If you need to get rich try starting a business (with government grants if you can get one) and devoting oneself to earning an honest living.