NYC's Most Infamous Robbery: The Pierre Hotel Heist

On New Year's Eve in 1972, a group of thieves pulled off one of the most daring heists in the history of New York City. The target of their crime was the Pierre Hotel, a luxurious hotel located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The heist involved a group of criminals who entered the hotel and made off with millions of dollars in cash and jewelry. This brazen crime has become a legend in the history of New York City, and it continues to capture the imagination of people to this day.

The Team

The Pierre Hotel Robbery involved a group of experienced criminals who had planned the heist down to the smallest detail. Professional thieves and burglars Samuel Nalo and Robert Comfort had a history of major heists and burglaries, including the theft of $1,000,000 worth of cash and jewelry from Sophia Loren's suite at the Sherry Netherland Hotel, and similar crimes committed at the Regency Hotel, the Drake Hotel, the Carlyle Hotel, and the St. Regis. Although Nalo was the primary planner behind these operations, Comfort played a significant role as an organizer.

On December 30, Nalo gathered the team in the back room of his nightclub, the Port Said, to disclose their intended target. The group comprised of Robert "Bobby" Germaine, an associate of the Lucchese crime family, who was responsible for prying open the lockboxes for guests in an open vault; Ali-Ben, a hitman who typically worked for the Albanian Mafia, and Al Green, Ali Ben's brother-in-law.

Events Leading Up to the Heist

The Pierre Hotel Robbery was not a spur-of-the-moment crime. It was the result of months of careful planning and preparation. The group of thieves spent a significant amount of time studying the layout of the hotel, its security measures, and the movements of its staff and guests.

One of the key factors that made the Pierre Hotel an attractive target was the fact that it was one of the most luxurious hotels in New York City. The hotel was known for its high-end clientele, many of whom were wealthy individuals who were likely to have valuable items in their rooms.

The heist was planned to take place on New Year's Eve, which was one of the busiest nights of the year at the hotel. The thieves knew that the hotel would be filled with guests, and they hoped that the chaos and confusion of the holiday celebrations would provide them with the cover they needed to carry out the robbery.

The Heist

On the night of the heist, the thieves made their way into the hotel disguised as deliverymen. They were carrying large boxes, which they claimed contained audio equipment for a party that was taking place in one of the hotel's ballrooms.

Once inside the hotel, the thieves made their way to the second floor, where they found the hotel's security guard, a man named Daley. The thieves overpowered Daley and tied him up, leaving him in a storage closet. They then made their way to the ninth floor, where they began to loot the rooms of the hotel's wealthy guests.

The thieves used a variety of techniques to gain entry to the rooms. In some cases, they picked the locks or used a passkey. In other cases, they posed as hotel employees, using fake IDs and uniforms to gain access to the rooms.

Once inside the rooms, the thieves took a wide variety of valuables, including cash, jewelry, and other expensive items. The exact value of the items stolen is difficult to estimate, but it is believed to be in the range of $4-5 million.

One of the most notable items that was stolen was a 50-carat diamond ring that belonged to the billionaire oil magnate, John Getty. The ring was estimated to be worth over $1 million at the time, making it one of the most valuable items stolen in the heist.

The heist took approximately two hours to complete, and the thieves were able to leave the hotel undetected. They made their way down the stairs and left the hotel through a side entrance, where they loaded the stolen items into waiting cars.

Aftermath

The Pierre Hotel Robbery had a significant impact on the world of crime. The heist inspired a wave of copycat crimes, as other criminals tried to emulate the success of the Pierre Hotel thieves. It also served as a warning to hotel owners and other businesses that they needed to be more vigilant about their security measures.

After reading about the stolen property that was recovered in Michigan, Ali-Ben and his brother-in-law, Al Green, suspected that Nalo had attempted to cheat them out of their share. As a result, they left the country for somewhere in Europe, where they enjoyed their newfound wealth for a number of years. In the meantime, Robert Comfort sold the jewelry to mobsters in the Rochester Mafia. The gangsters kept the loot and when Comfort attempted to recover some of it, they almost killed him.

Donald Frankos was supposed to receive $750,000, but he was infuriated when he only received $50,000 at first. Over time, Donald was given a total of $175,000, the same as Bobby G and Al Visconti. Sacco received around $2,000,000. Ali-Ben and Al Green spent most of their money while in Europe. Robert Comfort ended up with $1.5 million, and Samuel Nalo received his jewels that his friends had not stolen.