For a grueling seventeen hours, a petty criminal remained hidden in the ceiling of the Bank of America armed with only a small telescope, pen, paper, and a child’s potty. Stuart Buckley’s determination paid off when he managed to observe the manager entering the vault below him and jot down the lock’s combination through a peephole. This meticulously planned heist, which would become the world’s largest bank robbery, was orchestrated from a park shelter in the heart of Mayfair.
The inside man, Buckley, described the £8 million robbery at a London bank branch in 1974 as a potentially flawless operation. Employed as an electrician just three months after serving a nine-month prison term, Buckley quickly gained the trust of bank officials, granting him unrestricted access to various branches and keys.
Operating under the guise of an electrician, Buckley conducted detailed reconnaissance of the Mayfair vault, documenting security measures and systems. Despite eventually informing on his accomplices, Buckley refused to testify against the mastermind, who evaded justice.
Initially unsuccessful in drilling the vault’s lock, the gang eventually acquired the combination with Buckley’s help. However, the heist took a turn for the worse when one member, William Gear, received a parking ticket, leading to his arrest and subsequent disclosure of the operation.
Following the trial, seven members of the gang, including key figures like safe-cracker Leonard Wilde and used car dealer Peter Colson, received lengthy prison sentences. Despite extensive efforts, a significant portion of the stolen loot, now valued at £100 million, remains unaccounted for, believed to have vanished with the elusive mastermind, Frank Maple.
Maple, a flamboyant South London criminal, led a lavish lifestyle in Spain before being apprehended in Greece for various crimes, including the Bank of America robbery. Despite facing multiple charges and convictions in different countries, Maple continued to evade justice, leaving behind a trail of criminal exploits and missing wealth.
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