The Lufthansa Heist: $6 Million Cash and Jewelry Theft

On December 11, 1978, masked gunmen stole $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewelry from Lufthansa Airlines' cargo building at JFK Airport.

THE MASTERMIND: Jimmy Burke ("Jimmy the Gent") planned the robbery with inside information from Louis Werner, a Lufthansa cargo worker with gambling debts.

THE EXECUTION: Six masked men arrived at 3:00 AM. The heist took 64 minutes with no shots fired.

THE CURSE: Jimmy Burke's paranoia led him to murder at least 10 people connected to the heist:

• Stacks Edwards: Shot December 18, 1978
• Tommy DeSimone: Disappeared January 1979
• Multiple others murdered

THE CONVICTIONS: Only Louis Werner was convicted of the actual robbery. Burke was never charged with the heist but died in prison in 1996.

Henry Hill turned informant. His story became the basis for the film "Goodfellas."

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