Did you know the largest bank robbery in the United States took place in Orange County?In 1972, Phil Christopher robbed United California Bank, located in the Monarch Bay Shopping Center in Laguna Niguel, right off Pacific Coast Highway, and made off with $30 million.
The bank is still in operation today, though now operating as Bank of the West.
A new book, entitled, "Superthief
", has been published accounting Christopher's firsthand account of the heist. It was written by Rick Porrello, who hosts the website American Mafia. He was able to interview Christopher's wife, whom she communicated with Christopher himself, to get material for the book.Superthief provides a raw and candid accounting of Phil Christopher's brutal street world and subsequent prison life, and spills the details behind the planning and execution of his breach of the bank's vault.
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38 comments:
The Laguna Niguel branch of United California Bank is not the bank that was acquired by Bank of the West. The name United Calidornia Bank ceased to exist when the ank changed its name to First Interstate Bank of California, which was acquired by Wells Fargo Bank. Bank of the West purchased Sanwa Bank of California shortly after Sanwa resuscitated the name United California Bank.
I thought the UCB burglary was initiated by a gang from Youngstown, Ohio and led by a guy named Emil (?) Denzio ....or whatever spelling of his last name. They rented a condo on the East Nine, I believe, that overlooked the bank. The burglary was commited over three consecutive nights ....they never got into the vault, but looted countless safety deposit boxes. Who knows what was in those boxes? Could have been a ton of money and many valuables that the IRS didn't know about. I'd appreciate more details. Email, if you know of any.
Hi I think you are referring to Amil Dinsio.They robbed a bank over 3 days.and took off with about $80 million dollars [I believe.] It was mostly in Stocks, Bonds and Jewels.
How about we clarify this whole thing right now? I just watched a documentary on this heist on a TV show called "Criminal Masterminds".
Amil Dinsio and his crew flew into LAX [from] Youngstown, OH, took a cab to Dinsio's sister's house in Southgate, CA and tipped the cab driver $100. A real-estate agent then set them up in their rental condo within walking distance from the bank. The take was actually "only" EIGHT (8) million dollars in valuables, and occurred over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night until just hours before the bank opened Monday morning.
At the end of the program, Criminal Masterminds reported that the REAL motive for the heist was that then-President Richard Nixon
had a personal account at that bank, and the thieves were hoping to hit a "Mother Lode" of $30 Million, which they believed Nixon had stolen from someone else. This is why, after the Friday night break-in, they came back Saturday night, and then Sunday night, but never found it.
Dinsio's crew members were sentenced to 3-5 years in prison, and Dinsio himself got 10 years.
They did a magnificent job of trying to make a clean get-away,
but believe it or not, forgot to empty the dish washer in their rental condo before leaving. The crew's fingerprints were found all over the dirty dishes. Their car with their robbery tools in the trunk was also found, and they were all caught.
Moral to the story - even the finest and most seasoned criminals eventually manage to slip up somehow.
Amil is my uncle
Chris is just hired help who I guess is a rat now making a profit off my uncles genius. If I run in to you chris Im going to want my cut or iim gonna cut you.
Amil Dinsio, James Dinsio, Harry Barber, Ronald Barber, Phil Christopher, James Mulligan, Charles Brocekles(?) and someone else robbed the bank
I would like to know what Amil is doing now? Is he alive? Is he healthy and has he gone straight? He had a look about him that deep inside, he was a nice guy. I saw him on Masterminds. I think it would be a happy ending if he went straight and is a happy man now.
....and he was HANDSOME too!
Does anyone know where to purchase a copy of this video?
I just bought this book about the bank robber..my dad is working with him, I told my dad I wanted to meet him and take a pic with him..lol.. ;)
If this is the heist I'm thinking of, it was commited by a professional gang from Ohio, led by Amil Dinsio. They robbed the bank because it was believed that it was were Nixon kept his re-election money. Amil's nephew had been poisoned by Agent Orange in the Vietnam War and Amil and his gang were strongly opposed to Nixon's policies.
i was 19 at the time i found their tools for the break in. i was in the military at the time and found all of this so interesting for a kid from a small town in oregon. these guys were smart, they cut a hole in the roofing and installed a small mirror to reflect the setting sun so they could check if the hole was discovered from their condo. there was 3 trials in all.
Amil and James Dinsio are my uncles. Harry and Ron Barber are my cousins. James died this past year in prison. Amil is still in prison in New York. Very much alive. His daughter is a successful atty in Youngstown. Both of Amils daughters love him very much.
People if you are going to post about my family, please get your facts right. No dirty dishes left behind. ect etc etc. Bert J Dinsio
i know Amil from when i was a young kid and he used to supply my dads arcade with video games...all these thingsi read about "the dinsio gang" on the internet and about amils family why is his son "butch" never mentioned???....that guy looked just like oats from the music group hall and oats....lol
i saw this hiest on the fbi files on the id channel
Just watched the episode again on "MasterMinds" on TRU TV, one of my fav shows -- My Mom lives in Laguna Niguel and tricky Dick's brother Donald's son was on my 8 yo little league team in Whittier (1961).
Donald was very generous --took the whole team to batarama every week, bought us treats. I miss tricky Dick. I go see him often in Yorba Linda.
Per the last comment... Is it just me, or isn't Richard "Tricky Dick" Nixon passed away now? You go SEE him!? Whoa.
Republicans see a lot of things no one else sees.
And no I don't mean that in a good way.
Nixon's grave and birth home is in Yorba Linda, so I'm sure anonymous was referring to seeing his grave. And yes, us republicans can see the change promised by the new administration just not happening...
Republicans can't see the nose before their face unless a moron like Rush Limbaugh tells them too.
I lookforward to pissing on Nixon's grave (again) next time in YL.
Well Well, it seems my post has awakened and ignited a few dumbo cruds . . . really didn't mean to to that . . . it just goes to show . . most dumbo cruds (and I KNOW THEM AS THEY ARE MEMBERS OF MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY) are really just a bunch of lazy leaches . . . jealous of the fruits of those who are super industrious and hard working. AGAIN, I KNOW THESE LEACHES as I had to SHED THEM OFF ME . . . back to my buddy Dick. Well, he was a super bright guy that brought the US into esteem in the East. BTW, it was a super dumb DUMBO CRUD that told Bush "it's a 'SLAM DUNK'".
Your buddy was a DICK, that's for sure. And history has proven that the only thing republicant's CAN do is bitch and moan and F- things up.
But then again, maybe there is a god.
Novak got what he deserved. Death.
And tell us a little about you...how have you contributed to society? And who is your hero? Bill Clinton perhaps? Oh, he was a model of virtue and uprightness, wasn't he? By the way. Novak was a Democrat, just like yourself!
where is phil working
Iron workers he just got out of the joint.
I went to school with Amil Dinsio and sister Palma, James was a few years ahead of me, They came from a hard working family and they were the most intellegent men I ever met, That includer their brothers William and oldest brother Vincent. If it could be done they could do it. They excalled in sports, amd macherinery genius's. Some thing a lot of people don't know is Amel married his high school sweet heart and their first born at the age of three had a brain tumor, They were in the coal business had their own tiple at the time. I beleave in my heart of hearts the medical bills were over whelming and to get money they starting their banking heists, first local then saw how easy it was and their hunger grew.
These boys /men were kind and generious, and wouldn't hurt any one in any way.
a very good friend and school mate
I WORKED FOR WACKENHUT AND HAD CHECKED OUT THE ALRM SYSTEM AS I DID EVERY MONTH.......IT WAS WORKING FINE, THERE IS MORE TO THIS STORY...MY NAME IS GLENN ROWE...AFTER THIS HIEST MY JOB BECAME MUD THANKS BANK THIEVES YOU OW ME. I MOVED TO THE COUNTRY AND LIVE IN A LOG HOME I BUILT ON THE KETTLE RIVER COSE TO CANADA......
investigate glenn rowe further and there will be an alternate ending to this story.
Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. (Job chapter 4 verse 8) King James Bible. In other words, what you sow is what you will reap. If you plant an apple seed you will eventually be eating apples! From someone who reaped from the Dinsio harvest!
i am james dinsio,s grandson i was born in 1983 and i was there my grandfather was a good man and he loved us all very much and they took great pride in fooling the FBI it does not bother me at all that the feds got what they deserved a run for the money! the things i saw is all history
Bert Dinsio, the dirty dishes in the dishwasher was part of documentary, also in ID Investigation discovery.
Wow Youngblood..
According to SEVERAL of these posts; your grandfather & Great Aunts / Uncles were extremely intelligent....,Obviously the apple fell EXTREMELY far from the tree!!! I is supposed to be capitalized as well as Names...oh & when pluralizing something you don't use a coma (,) you use an apostrophe ('). Do yourself a HUGE favor....GO BACK TO SCHOOL...but again, if you are part of the Dinsio family and are a generational Democrat, there is no more need for explanation:-)
lol you all act like they were great bank robbers, actually they got caught, these guys would ofnly been great if they got away,
The biggest and best you never know about.
I think the guys are legends my family is connected to them and I would love to meet Amel cuz he was good friends with my family.
I recently discovered the story about these men from talking to people around where i am from in greenford, oh. I asked someone about an old abandoned looking property that i see almost daily. I am very curious about the property if anyone knows what i am talking about.. I was told that it was an old church that was used to launder the money that was robbed from the banks. If anyone can get me more info i would apprectiate it! thanks
I find many of your posts heartwarming because you understand the true kindness and gentleness of my father, Amil Dinsio, and the rest of my family. I am in no way condoning my father's career choice, but I am asserting that many factors lead a person down his life's path and mold his character. Thank you to so many of you for recognizing the generosity and compassion in my father's soul. I will always be proud to be his daughter.
Melissa D. Dinsio
I am seeking information on Harry Barber, whom I knew as a child growing up in Brookville, PA (where he lived while hiding out from 1972-1980). He was a kind, good hearted man, and touched my family deeply. Anyone with any info, please post here. I'll check back. Thank you!
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