15. The Lufthansa Heist (1978, USA)
On December 11, 1978, a group of armed robbers executed a meticulously planned heist at the Lufthansa cargo terminal in New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The crew, associated with the Lucchese crime family, overpowered staff and stole approximately $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewelry, making it the largest cash robbery in U.S. history at that time. The operation’s precision and scale have been immortalized in popular culture, notably in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 film “Goodfellas,” where the character Jimmy Conway, portrayed by Robert De Niro, is inspired by the real-life mastermind James “Jimmy the Gent” Burke. For more details, refer to the CBS News report: cbsnews.com
