Discovery Channel - Daring Capers: True Crime Stories Set 1 (1999)

From the narrow streets of Nice to the gleaming corridors of Wall Street, Daring Capers tracks some of the world's most fascinating criminals and their audacious crimes. Here's a rogue's gallery of bank robbers, art thieves, and debonair con artists who tried to steal their way to wealth through brilliant ploys and slick transactions.

Part 1: Art Attack
The theft of S200 million worth of art from a Boston museum in 1990. The International Foundation for Art Research tracks and recovers pilfered works of priceless art, including a rare Rembrant. In 1990, two thieves dressed as police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. They managed to tie up the security guards and make off with a Vermeer, Rembrandt's only known seascape, and eleven other treasures valued at close to S200 million. They were never caught. Ninety percent of all stolen art remains uncovered. But in terms of international crime, art theft is second only to drug trafficking. Once they make off with a recognizable painting, how do thieves cash it in? For the past quarter-century, the International Foundation for Art Research has been tracking and recovering pilfered works of art and demonstrating that every stolen picture tells a story.

Part 2: The Silver Touch
Legendary cat burglar Blane David Nordahl is a man of discriminating taste – he only steals fine silver from the homes of celebrities. The crimes of Blane Nordahl were almost legendary among the police. The wily cat burglar specialized in stealing silver from the homes of celebrities. His national crime spree spanned a decade and he chose only the finest pieces. He'd deftly disable alarm systems by shimmying up the power pole to cut the electricity. Then he'd slip through a window and pilfer whatever caught his fancy. Rumour had it that he tested the silver before he stole it to be certain it was pure, or that he'd abandon the stainless steel knives on the lawn and take only the spoons and forks. He stole over S1 million worth of candlesticks, platters, tea sets, and even 120 pairs of Ivana Trump's salt-and-pepper shakers. He was finally caught in August, 1997, at a Walmart, buying plastic bowls. A book of celebrity addresses was tucked under his arm.

Part 3: Armored Robbery
Fed up with his S7-an-hour job, a security guard at an armored car company makes off with S18.8 million- the largest heist in U.S. history. Philip Johnson had a S7-an-hour job as a security courier, but he dreamed of bigger things. On March 29, 1997, his dream came true when he made off with S18.8 million from his employer, Loomis, Fargo & Co, in Jacksonville, Florida. He'd planned the crime for years, gradually accumulating fake identifications, casually scoping out Loomis, Fargo's operation. Friends had no idea what he was planning. Then one night he kidnapped two co-workers, loaded the cash - in unmarked tens and twenties into a van and fled. The co-workers were released unharmed, but Johnson and the cash (which weighed nearly 1,000 pounds) were gone. It was the largest heist in U.S. history – a glorious crime, but a short-lived one. In September, 1997, Johnson, travelling under an assumed name, was flushed out during a routine inspection of a bus crossing from Mexico to Texas. He was carrying more than S10,000 in his pockets. The FBI recovered all but S100,000 of the money in a storage unit in North Carolina.

Part 4: Kennedy Airport Caper
Seven men rob the Lufthansa Air Cargo terminal at Kennedy Airport in an intricately choreographed crime that nets S8 million in cash, gems and gold. Two employees for Lufthansa Airlines devised a plan to rob the high value room at the Kennedy Airport. One of the employees, who owed money to his bookie, gave the plan to a group of criminals. The criminals received permission to execute the plan from the local Mafia that controlled the airport. Just before dawn on December 7, 1978, seven men entered the Lufthansa Air Cargo terminal at Kennedy Airport and escaped with S8 million in cash, foreign currency, gems and gold. Each of the robbers received about S50,000 in cash and the Mafia took the rest. The intricately choreographed, perfectly timed crime went off without a hitch and despite strong efforts by the NYPD and FBI, not one cent or piece of loot was ever recovered, nor have any of the thieves been convicted. Most of the robbers died and the money and gems were never recovered, presumed to be in the coffers of the Mafia. Torn apart by greed over their unexpectedly huge haul, all suspects in the crime kave been murdered or are missing and presumed dead, victims of their own success.

Part 5: Plunder under Nice
A group of accomplished international thieves tunnel under the streets of Nice, France to steal S10 million in cash and jewels from an allegedly impregnable vault. The wealthy left their valuables in the Societe General Bank on the French Riviera. In July, 1976, the bank managers went to open the bank vault. It took 6 hours to open the 20 ton vault door while customers panicked outside. They discovered the bank had been robbed via a tunnel. Inside the vault was written, "without arms, without violence, without hate." The gang, dubbed "The Sewer Rats", left behind 2500 pounds of equipment. They broke into 400 of the bank's 4000 boxes. The caper became known as the "Heist of the Century". Albert Spaggiari was a cavalier, stylish and successful bank robber. With his hand-picked group of international thieves, Spaggiari, in 1976, spent two months digging a tunnel under the streets and into the impregnable vault of the Societe Generale bank of Nice, France. In a single weekend, they took 10 million dollars and left behind a fortune in cash and jewels. Their maddening Wail of taunts and clues baffled, humbled and embarrassed police in a dozen cities. Captured, only to bound out of the courtroom window in the middle of his trial, Spaggiari became a kind of folk hero.

Part 6: A Great Escape
During WWII, a crafty German fighter pilot escapes not once, buy twice as he is being transported to prisoner-of-war camps. When Franz von Werra, a German fighter ace in World War II, was shot down over England and taken prisoner in 1940, he vowed that he would get away. Arrogant, cunning and intelligent, von Werra successfully arranged and executed a daring escape from Swanwick prison camp. Six weeks after his arrival, he and four others crawled to freedom through a tunnel they constructed. Dressed as a Dutch pilot, von Werra found his way to a nearby airfield and was grabbed, frantically trying to start the engine of a parked Hurricane. The recaptured von Werra was put on a ship headed for a Canadian POW camp, but the distance did not discourage this determined prisoner. He made a perilous leap from the transport train before it reached the prison camp and pushed his way across the icy St. Lawrence River to the then neutral United States. He did finally reach German soil, but three months later, while leading a patrol of fighters off the coast of Holland, his aircraft experienced engine trouble and plunged into the sea. No trace of von Werra, or his aircraft, was ever recovered.

Part 7: The Pierre Hotel Heist
Five men in tuxedos enter the lobby of Manhattan's lavish Pierre Hotel, handcuff nineteen guests and employees and make off with S10 million in gems and cash. In 1970, a group of robbers in New York had a brilliant idea. They would strike at fashionable hotels in the early morning hours, surprise the hotel staff, and rifle the safety deposit boxes. On August 7, 1970, they robbed the Regency and placed a safe and the boxes on a dolly and left the premises. Elizabeth Taylor was upstairs with over S2 million in diamonds and gemstones. Becoming more brazen, on October 11, 1970, they broke into Sophia Loren's suite at the Hampshire House and stole S500,000 worth of uninsured jewels. On January 2, 1972 they struck the Pierre Hotel at 4:00 A.M. and subdued 14 people in 15 minutes. The hotel had over 200 boxes. When they realized it was getting late, they commandeered the box list and only opened the boxes of prominent names. They finally opened 47 boxes and took about S10 million in jewels. They hired a person to be the go between with a new fence. However, the fence's partner was an FBI informant. An FBI sting netted about S250,000 in jewels and two of the robbers. Another S1 million worth of jewels was later found. The FBI refused to give up their informant and the two robbers received light sentences. The other two accomplices and 90 percent of the jewels were never recovered.

Part 8: The Great Train Robbery
A gang of fifteen of England's greatest thieves stops the Royal mail train and make off with 120 bags of mail containing an estimated S5 million in untraceable bills. It was the biggest train robbery in British history. In the early morning of August 8, the robbers rigged a false red signal light near a section of track called Sears Crossing. When the locomotive stopped at the light, more than a dozen men in ski masks appeared, beat the driver with a metal rod and uncoupled most of the cars. After forcing the driver to move the remaining cars to a rendezvous point a mile up the track, the thieves formed a human chain and quickly transferred 120 bags of money into three waiting vehicles. They acted on an inside tip: the trains real cargo was a large, untraceable shipment of old, unmarked bills to be removed from circulation. The bandits made off with an estimated S5 million. After escaping the scene, the robbers hid out for several days in a nearby farmhouse, where they celebrated by playing Monopoly with their two-and-a-half tons of stolen cash. Spooked by the high police presence in the area, the men eventually divided the loot and split up. Police were later called to the scene, where they discovered heaps of evidence—including fingerprints on the gang’s Monopoly board—that helped them track down the thieves. Eventually, all but one was caught. Ronald Biggs escaped to Brazil where he's become a minor celebrity… For a price you can dine with him.

Part 9: Reach for the Stars
A surfing champion turned cat burglar steals the famous "Star of India" sapphire from the American Museum of Natural History. In October, 1964, three "playboy" beachbums checked into a three room suite at the Regency in New York. During the night they hit all the hot spots, but during the day, they visited the American Museum of National History. They especially enjoyed the J.P. Morgan Hall of Gems and Minerals. One night they broke into the museum, climbed to the fifth floor, dropped via ropes to the fourth floor and entered the Hall through an open window. Two went inside and one was the driver. They stole 24 gemstones, including the 500 carat Star of India Sapphire, the DeLong Ruby, and the Midnight Star Sapphire. The security system at the museum had not been maintained in years! The two main burglars flew to Miami. They fenced the unimportant gemstones, but the main stones were "too hot to handle". A bellhop at the Regency tipped the police. The police waited in the hotel until the driver returned. He was arrested and the next day the other two were arrested in Miami. They were also arrested for a burglary of Eva Gabor's jewels. Facing hard time, the burglars offered to get the gems back for a reduced sentence. Eventually 9 of the 24 stones were returned, including the Star of India and the Midnight Star. The three burglars received three years in prison. Later, six more stones were recovered, including the DeLong Ruby, but 9 were never found.

Part 10: Miami Heights
The notorious "Spiderman" burglar scales 30-story buildings in affluent Miami without ropes or hooks to steal a total of over S6 million in cash and jewels. In 1996, a cat burglar defied the laws of gravity by scaling high-rise condominiums in Miami. In search of cash and gemstones, he would climb up to 10 stories without ropes, nets, or tools. He only stole real jewels and left the costume jewelry. The condos were viewed as fortresses by the residents and many owners never locked the sliding glass windows of their balconies. Detectives finally understood how Spiderman was conducting these burglaries when they noticed smudge marks on the sliding glass windows where the burglar pressed his face to look into the condos. Soon Spiderman was operating in a 300 mile radius throughout South Florida. One night, a man saw Spiderman attempt to enter his high rise condo. Based upon this encounter, the police made a composite sketch of Spiderman. In early 1998, police finally discovered a valuable clue. Not only was Spiderman stealing gemstones and jewelry, he was also stealing credit cards. Based upon Spiderman's use of a credit card, they discovered he was driving a green SUV and always bought gas at a specific station. They staked out the gas station for a month before Spiderman showed up. After running his license plate, they discovered he had 18 felony convictions and had been an Army paratrooper. They put a tracking device on his automobile and caught him after a job at the Bristol Towers condominium. At trial, a jeweler stated he bought S8 million worth of gemstones and jewelry over four years. Spiderman is presently serving a 30 year sentence.