The Retirement Heist

They even gave the papers free to their closest people so those friends could move up the ranks

and build a web of influence inside the department. Their network grew stronger — and with

that control inside the system, they became bolder and more fearless. By 1980,

Gerald and Tommy decided on one last, huge act — a final robbery that would secure them for

life. They called it their “retirement heist.” Tommy was already a customer of that

bank, and he had a safety-deposit box in the same vault. Because of that,

he could go into the bank without raising any suspicion — and that’s where their planning began.

Tommy’s first job was to watch everything carefully and remember it. He went into the