Episode Details

On this episode of pplpod, we travel back to January 17, 1950, to break down the "crime of the century"—the Great Brink's Robbery in Boston. We discuss how a crew of eleven men executed what was then the largest robbery in U.S. history, stealing over $2.7 million from the Brink’s building in the North End.

Listen in as we explore the years of meticulous planning behind the heist, which included the robbers removing locks to fabricate keys and infiltrating the alarm company. We cover the night of the crime, where the perpetrators donned Captain Marvel Halloween masks and pea coats to surprise the vault employees, escaping with bags weighing more than half a ton.

Finally, we reveal how the "perfect crime" unraveled just days before the statute of limitations expired. We examine the internal conflict that led estranged crew member Joseph "Specs" O'Keefe to testify against the gang after surviving a hit ordered by his former partners, ultimately sending eight men to prison for life.