Monday, May 23, 2016

The Stopwatch Gang

Bank robbers aren't normally the smartest bunch. They are looking to feed some habit, and don't think far enough ahead to do the kinds of things that would prevent them from getting caught. The Stopwatch Gang of the 1970s was different. They set records for their well-planned heists, and stayed out of or escaped from jail better than anyone else. Greg Weston goes the extra mile to tell us the story of The Stopwatch Gang.

The story is totally real, but it reads like a novel. The never-ending drama is almost too unbelievable to not be fiction. Somehow the trio manages to escape from jail several times. They fool guards with their good behaviour and demeanor, as these guys don't act like your typical criminals.

They read books about faking ID's and about stealing cars, which were needed for their getaways. They put in 9-5 days casing banks, figuring out when people go on break, when deliveries arrive, and most importantly, when the money gets shipped in/out. This allowed them to make their heists in as little time as necessary, a requirement because most banks were equipped with hidden, silent alarms.

I can't help but wonder why these guys needed to steal. With the discipline and diligence these guys had, they could have easily been successful in endeavours that were less risky. They weren't doing it for the thrills, but rather for the money. I suspect enterprising guys like that could have acquired substantial sums of money, but that's just a guess.

If you're at all tempted so far, I highly recommend the book as it is very well done.

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