08 February 2018
Newsdesk
In Den of Thieves, a high octane heist thriller starring Gerard Butler, a crew of bank robbers in downtown Los Angeles plan to raid the Federal Reserve. An impossible task…unless they can completely blindside the city's most elite and skilled police unit.
To celebrate the release of Den of Thieves, here's our top 5 notorious bank robbers that pulled off seemingly impossible heists in their lifetime.
DEN OF THIEVES IS RELEASED IN UK CINEMAS ON FRIDAY 2ND FEBRUARY, 2018
John Dillinger
As one of the most infamous bank robbers in American history, Dillinger and his gang spent the 1930s ransacking banks across the country. Despite being responsible for ten deaths during the course of their criminal careers, the general public regarded Dillinger's gang as "folk heroes" since their escapades provided them with an escape from reality during the Great Depression. After breaking out of prison twice, Dillinger was finally shot down by FBI agents in an alley while exiting a theatre that fateful night.
Carl Gugasian
"The Friday Night Bank Robber" robbed over 50 banks in the span of 30 years, accumulating stolen wealth of $2 million. What's more, he also had a black belt and master's degree. A meticulous student, Gugasian studied his robbery sites with intensity. The bank always had to be close to a wooded area and he would never spend longer than three minutes at any given bank. He would stash evidence of his robbery in hiding places, one of which was discovered and finally landed him in jail. Gugasian's obsession with robberies began early in life, when he robbed a sweet shop at the age of 15. However, he started cooperating with the authorities while in jail, and even helped them catch criminals. He will be released from prison in 2021.
Valerio Viccei
In July 1987, the Knightsbridge Safe Deposit Centre was robbed. Holding the employees at gun point, the son of an Italian lawyer managed to rob £40 million with his gang in tow before fleeing the country. After being deported back to Italy, Viccei died in a shoot-out with the police in 2000. How did he get caught? Shortly after the robbery, he was arrested while returning to the UK to ship his Ferrari Testarrosa to South America.
Ronnie Biggs
In 1963, Biggs led his gang in "The Great Train Robbery", where they stole an estimated £40 million from a Glasgow-to-London Royal Mail train. After halting the train with a fake stop sign, the gang struck train driver Jack Mills on the head before proceeding with the robbery. The blow proved fatal for Mills, who eventually died of his injuries. Despite being arrested, Biggs escaped from prison in 1965 and spent 36 years on the run before dying in 2013.
Baby Face Nelson
Born as Lester Gillis, Nelson is perhaps one of the deadliest bank robbers in American history, known for killing more FBI agents than any other person. Nelson became friends with the aforementioned Dillinger in an Indiana prison, before both of them decided to help each other escape, making Nelson part of Dillinger's gang. Nelson died in a bloody shoot-out with FBI agents, a fight so lethal it was dubbed 'The Battle of Barrington'.
DEN OF THIEVES IS RELEASED IN UK CINEMAS ON FRIDAY 2ND FEBRUARY, 2018
