Air France Robbery (1967)
Encyclopedia
In 1967, $420,000 in cash was stolen from the Air France
cargo terminal at New York City
's JFK International Airport. While there were a large number of cargo thefts at JFK airport in 1967, this was the largest cash robbery that had taken place at the time. It was carried out by Henry Hill
, Robert McMahon, Tommy DeSimone and Montague Montemurro, on a tip off from McMahon. Hill still believes it was the Air France Robbery which endeared him to the Mafia
.
was the carrier for American
currency that had been exchanged in Southeast Asia. The airline had contracted to return the money to the US for depositing with American banks. The money was usually carried in linen bags
, each containing US$60,000, and Air France shipped up to $1 million per week in this manner. The money was stored in a cement-block "strong room" with a round-the-clock private security guard
.
According to Robert McMahon, who worked for Air France's cargo operation, Air France aircraft regularly delivered 3 or 4 $60,000 packages at a time, and he told Henry Hill that 3 or 4 men with pistol
s could easily steal it. However, it was difficult to predict when the money would be there, so a stickup
was risky. Hill decided it would be better to steal the key so they could attempt to steal the money at a moment's notice without tipping off Air France that they knew about the money. Reconnaissance
missions revealed that the most difficult obstacle would be the security guard, who kept the key with him at all times, even on days off.
A break-in to the guard's home turned up a potential vulnerability: women. McMahon introduced the guard to an expensive escort
at The Jade East Motel located near JFK International Airport. In time, the guard and the escort became intimate. After a number of dry runs, McMahon and the escort were able to distract the guard for long enough for Hill to retrieve the key from his pants and make a copy.
On the day of the robbery, Hill and Tommy DeSimone drove to the Air France cargo terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport
with an empty suitcase, the largest Hill could find. At 11:40 p.m, they entered the Air France cargo terminal. McMahon said that they should just walk in, as people often came to the terminal to pick up lost baggage. DeSimone and Hill entered the unsecured area unchallenged. They unlocked the door with the duplicate key. Using a small flashlight, they found seven of the bags, which they loaded into the suitcase and left. No alarm was raised, no shots fired, and no one was injured. The theft was not discovered until the following Monday, when a Wells Fargo
truck arrived to pick up the cash to be delivered to the French American Banking Corporation.
film, Goodfellas
. The film used this theft to foreshadow a similar robbery, the Lufthansa Heist
, which was to be the central pivot of the film as the consequences of that robbery, and impact on Hill and the Vario crew's lives was the denouement of the film.
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
cargo terminal at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's JFK International Airport. While there were a large number of cargo thefts at JFK airport in 1967, this was the largest cash robbery that had taken place at the time. It was carried out by Henry Hill
Henry Hill (mobster)
Henry Hill is a former American mobster, Lucchese crime family associate, and FBI informant whose life story was documented in the book Wiseguy, written by crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi, and in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film, Goodfellas, in which Hill was played by Ray Liotta.-Early life:Henry...
, Robert McMahon, Tommy DeSimone and Montague Montemurro, on a tip off from McMahon. Hill still believes it was the Air France Robbery which endeared him to the Mafia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
.
Planning
Air FranceAir France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
was the carrier for American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
currency that had been exchanged in Southeast Asia. The airline had contracted to return the money to the US for depositing with American banks. The money was usually carried in linen bags
Money bag
A money bag is a bag of money used to hold and transport coins and banknotes from/to a mint, bank, ATM, milled, business, or other institution...
, each containing US$60,000, and Air France shipped up to $1 million per week in this manner. The money was stored in a cement-block "strong room" with a round-the-clock private security guard
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
.
According to Robert McMahon, who worked for Air France's cargo operation, Air France aircraft regularly delivered 3 or 4 $60,000 packages at a time, and he told Henry Hill that 3 or 4 men with pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
s could easily steal it. However, it was difficult to predict when the money would be there, so a stickup
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
was risky. Hill decided it would be better to steal the key so they could attempt to steal the money at a moment's notice without tipping off Air France that they knew about the money. Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
missions revealed that the most difficult obstacle would be the security guard, who kept the key with him at all times, even on days off.
A break-in to the guard's home turned up a potential vulnerability: women. McMahon introduced the guard to an expensive escort
Call girl
A call girl or female escort is a sex worker who is not visible to the general public; nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency...
at The Jade East Motel located near JFK International Airport. In time, the guard and the escort became intimate. After a number of dry runs, McMahon and the escort were able to distract the guard for long enough for Hill to retrieve the key from his pants and make a copy.
Execution
McMahon received notice that between $400,000 and $700,000 would be delivered on April 7, 1967, a Friday. He said the best time for the actual robbery would be just before midnight, when the security guard would be on his meal break.On the day of the robbery, Hill and Tommy DeSimone drove to the Air France cargo terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
with an empty suitcase, the largest Hill could find. At 11:40 p.m, they entered the Air France cargo terminal. McMahon said that they should just walk in, as people often came to the terminal to pick up lost baggage. DeSimone and Hill entered the unsecured area unchallenged. They unlocked the door with the duplicate key. Using a small flashlight, they found seven of the bags, which they loaded into the suitcase and left. No alarm was raised, no shots fired, and no one was injured. The theft was not discovered until the following Monday, when a Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
truck arrived to pick up the cash to be delivered to the French American Banking Corporation.
Portrayal in film
The robbery was portrayed in the 1990 Martin ScorseseMartin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
film, Goodfellas
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
. The film used this theft to foreshadow a similar robbery, the Lufthansa Heist
Lufthansa heist
The Lufthansa heist was a robbery at John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 11, 1978. An estimated $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewels were stolen, at the time making it the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil...
, which was to be the central pivot of the film as the consequences of that robbery, and impact on Hill and the Vario crew's lives was the denouement of the film.