Moloney continued to maintain his innocence and was supported by not only the community he had done so much for in New York City but by the Catholic Church. (Both passed, while O'Connor refused to take one.) In the letter, Tallchief told her mother not to worry because "we have never been true friends.". If he is still alive, however, he would be 76 years old today, and would have managed to evade FBI capture for 28 years. Its hard to say who Roberto Solis is, exactly. So I was extremely surprised when she showed up. What she told the media and authorities was one of the wildest stories ever told. Solis was released in September of 1991, and came back to the San Francisco area, though a parole violation for selling drugs too close to a school had him in and out of prison again. They have an incredibly long history: According to QSR, the company started back in 1859 with a single horse-drawn delivery wagon. 10. That's what they thought. Heather Tallchief: I was instructed to. Here are two more tales of casino theft. Authorities concede Roberto Solis was probably the mastermind and manipulated Tallchief. Id be lucky if I can coordinate an outfit in the morning. Consequently, it isn't clear who Donna Marie Eaton was, or if she ever existed. Writers: Ted Griffin. The Bellagio (Las Vegas): $160K | Jose Vigoa's heist of the Bellagio in 2000 was the last in a two-year crime spree. Heather Tallchief had committed armed robbery and now crossed state lines. Thomas O'Connor died in 2013, and according to investigative journalist Gary Craig of the Democrat & Chronicle, he had consistently refused to talk about the heist. In a 2005 interview with NBC, Tallchief claimed Solis began involving her in his "Sex Magick" rituals, leading her to worship before an altar laden with chalices of milk and blood, pushing her to invite "gods and goddesses" into her body, and using videotapes to hypnotize her. She was also struggling with her own addiction, and unfortunately the pair never established a mother-daughter relationship. That, says The Buffalo News, is how the feds ended up being at the right place at the right time to recover some of the cash that went missing from Rochester's Brink's. But is Heather as innocent as she claims? Rather successfully?Heather Tallchief: Oh yes. The Bellagio is one of the biggest and most magnificent casinos in the world. It was that connection that would become the lynchpin to this case: The feds were on the lookout for Millar, and O'Connor was smack dab in the center of the robbery. I feel that by turning myself in and surrendering, I can give him a better life, one that he deserves, she said. The apartment belonged to a man named Charles McCormick, and he was, of course, arrested in connection with the find. Very big. I believe he manipulated and influenced my mind for his own means. Their verdict was pretty shocking: O'Connor and McCormick were acquitted of any and all charges in their entirety. We were like a pre-packed family. Its 1470 rooms make it the city's 34 th largest hotel by number . Dushek: We found that they had cleared the place out. Using one of them, Solis had been involved in an armored truck heist before a botched attempt in 1969. Sometimes a simple 'walk away with a bag full of chips' approach would do the job perfectly. At the time, though, some members were suspected of fundraising in the U.S. and sending that money to the IRA. Was she used and then thrown away by a cold-blooded killer? After a couple of weeks together, Tallchief says Solis told her about his time in prison, how he had killed an armored car driver in 1969. Best Heist Movies, ranked. - Vulture That, says The Buffalo News, is when a door to the Brink's armored car depot in Rochester, New York was left unlocked. The Los Angeles Times says that it took O'Connor four days to hand over a deposition about the robbery unlike the other two guards, who had been forthcoming with testimony and a willingness to take a polygraph test. Meanwhile, Solis remains on the lam though if he's still alive, he would be in his late 70s as of 2021 (via Crime Reads). Investigative reporter Gary Craig wrote that he had kept in touch with Gibbons's family, and continued to promise them that he hadn't been forgotten. Philip Cline had been at his new job as a busboy at the Hilton for a grand total of two days when a fire broke out in an elevator lobby near him on the eighth floor. Police were called. The first two episodes delve deep into the crimes committed by Heather Tallchief, featuring archival footage, interviews with her family and friends, re-enactments and Tallchief's side of the story, narrated word for word by an actor. And once again, Heather Tallchief was the lead story in Las Vegas, as she had been 12 years before. Here is everything you need to know. Instant family.". I want you to sit in this now. He ordered me to be sick. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. And what does she look like. It was the "family friendly" phase. My nerves were just shaking. It was a large size van, full size van. In 2000, Oscar Cisneros, who was 23 at the time, and Jose Manuel Vigoa, aged 40, carried one of the boldest real-life heists in Las Vegas history. Heather Tallchief: It takes a tremendous amount of courage to face and confront whats in front of me. Brendan Gleeson, as the priest? According to her record, she passed the firing range within the first few weeks of her employment and reportedly "stunned her coworkers" after earning record high scores on the test. Keith Morrison: Do you remember anything unusual about that particular day?Stewart: The shoes that she was wearing, they werent the normal shoe that she would wear to work. And then about a year later, a turning point: Heather discovered she was pregnant with Robertos child, and never felt so trapped in her life. Heather Tallchief was an armored car driver making a stop at the Circus Circus casino in 1993 when she suddenly drove off with $2.5 million in cash. And the voice would count from ten to one. The Biggest Casino Heists of all Time - Casino Bonus Canada The 1993 Circus Circus heist is a great. They suspected, perhaps, Central America, but the trail had been cold for years. LAS VEGAS - The largest bank robbery in Las Vegas history went off without a hitch. On October 1, 1993, Tallchief found herself behind the wheel in one of the largest armored truck robberies in Las Vegas history. One time I was in church with my class. Another famous casino robbing stunt was when 23-year old Lucas Ramos stole more than $1.5 million from the Soboba casino vault in San Diego. Hardly. She is in negotiations with the U.S. attorneys office on a possible plea agreement. The Casino: Soboba Casino. He has never met his eldest sister. As for Millar and Moloney? Heather turned herself in. And it was kind of like, wow. The torso and foot were all that had washed up on the shores of Lake Ontario, and DNA testing confirmed they belonged to the missing Gibbons. He'd last been seen alive in 1995, and the investigation into his death turned up no leads. Heather Tallchief has been through some harrowing moments in her 33 years, but never one like this: Heather Tallchief: Theres no running away anymore. Fred Tallchief, Heathers father: A lot of people thought it was a great thing, you know. I wanted to get a little taste of what it was like to be like her. July 9, 2021 - 12:14 am Heather Catherine Tallchief is escorted to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005. And the other one was the temptress or the lust card. (Las Vegas Review-Journal) A FBI wanted poster for. Over the next few decades, he became widely known for his work at Bonitas House, providing for the poor. When Tallchief and her son Emilio left Solis, they managed to get fake passports "through a friend of a friend" which allowed them to stay in Amsterdam for 10 years. This 21-year-old kid gets away with $3 million dollars, she rips off the casinos, the insurance companies, like a Robin Hood. But what aborobinut the ill-fated boxer, just looking for his cut of the take? 'The Witcher' S3, Part 1 Finale Goes 'Ocean's 11'. She beat the system. Unfortunately, the real Donna Marie Eaton, or the person who organized the fake passports doesn't appear in Heist. We were about to hear Heather Tallchief tell her story for the very first time. Heather Tallchief: It just didnt registerthe magnitude. And that particular morning, she had a dressier shoe on. 11 Biggest Real-Life Casino Heists of All Time There are two aspects to this theft which make it rather unique. Heather Tallchief and her baby escaped their Amsterdam home with only a small amount of cash and some jewelry, per NBC. The Three Biggest Casino Heists Ever Attempted - Part Two But on that sunny, clear, quiet. Let's start with the bare-bones details and talk about what happened on January 5, 1993. Morrison: What did you or he or both of you do with the money? Heather Tallchief: Seeing his altar he had set up in his living room, it was so spectacular it had all these things on it like a goats skull, and candles and incense, and crystals. She did it right.Morrison: Did you think right off the bat somebody else had to be involved?Dushek: It would be pretty hard for one person to come off with the whole plan and carry it off by themselves. And at that last one was the exit to where Heather was supposed to pick us up.Morrison: So you got to the end of that run?Stewart: Got to the end of the run and no truck. And so the decision was made. According to the Democrat & Chronicle, Fennell's testimony led absolutely nowhere and, in spite of the missing money, it seemed as though things were kind of wrapped up. Buckle up. Heather worked for Loomis for less than two months. Elaine Tallchief, Heather Tallchief's sister: Our life has definitely been turned upside down.Morrison: Are you angry at her?Elaine Tallchief: Yes, I am.Morrison: Why?Elaine Tallchief: A lot of reasons. It was the loss of a child for me. Interestingly, prosecutors had agreed to completely drop the IRA angle from the trial and instead concentrated on the money that the accused had come into possession of. She didnt have to follow anybody. The surrender of Heather Tallchief - Mystery Wire Sounds straightforward? But then you start thinking about, could she have possibly gotten in an accident? Bob Axelrod, Heather Tallchiefs attorney: If the story shes telling you is true, and if Solis has the capacity to manipulate her, and if the world is compassionate enoughthen perhaps she goes home to her child. He told the Irish Independent that although America had been painted as the land of plenty, an up-close-and-personal look quickly showed him that for many, it was anything but. Stewart and his partner picked up the first of the money bags and walked out of the truck into the casino. According to FBI documentation, the four were connected with an organization called Irish Northern Aid, or NORAID. In fact, she was barely old enough to be in the bar the night she saw him. On October 1, 1993, less than two months after shed started the Loomis job, Heather Tallchief drove away in her armored work vehicle with three million dollars inside while her co-workers were inside the Vegas hotel Circus Circus loading up the ATMs. Morrison: Was he inquisitive?Heather Tallchief: He was. Roberto Solis and Heather Tallchief pulled off a $3.1 million heist. He was caught by police during his third attempt. Who is Heather Tallchief and what led her to become one of Las Vegass most notorious criminals? Just who was that boyfriend? Fred Tallchief: Because she was the first, I made a lot of mistakes. Time was ticking.". We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. She was gone.Elaine Tallchief: I always thought about it. Year : 2000 Country : USA Casino : The Bellagio Las Vegas Thief : Jose Vigoa Amount : $160,000. The Biggest Real-Life Casino Heists of All Time (Part 2) I hope you enjoyed part one about the biggest casino heists in history. Her lawyer will only tell us she arrived by plane. In 1993, the 21-year-old ex-nursing assistant had successfully executed a $3.1 million dollar heist, one of the largest in Las Vegas history, alongside her then-boyfriend Roberto Solis. After serving her term, Tallchief was under federal supervision for another five years, but as of 2015, she seems to have successfully faded into the woodwork, neither appearing in court nor giving media interviews. 3 of the Biggest Casino Heists of All Time | PartyCasino Blog A year after the heist, Tallchief reportedly gave birth to Solis' child and decided she needed out. ), Paul Wesley Brings Captain Kirk Down to Earth, 'Yellowstone' Spinoff '1883' Airing on Paramount, Molly Gordon Is a Scene-Stealer In 'The Bear', A Guide to Every Guest Star in 'The Bear' Season 2, Coach K Is the Improbable MVP of 'The Bear' S2, Lionel Boyce Loves His Place in the Chaos, Let's Break Down the Season 2 Finale of 'The Bear'. . The Buffalo News reports that thieves strolled off into the night with $7.4 million in cash, and the majority of the money remains unaccounted for no pun intended. How do you feel right now?Heather Tallchief: Extremely nervous. When the heist went down, law enforcement had a valuable asset: Thomas O'Connor. Moving boxes, crammed with stolen cash, which were shipped to a secret location to be retrieved later. The job went wrong and Solis murdered the driver, eventually getting sentenced to life in prison for his actions. And it was justI was gone. It wasnt her units visiting day. A deal is underway to demolish the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, paving the way to build a stadium for the MLB Las Vegas A's. . Emilio's name was changed to Dylan, to match his fake British passport. Then, she says, he barked at her: to change her clothes, put on a grey wig, colored contact lenses. She didnt make the connection. Heather Tallchief and the armored van had vanished with $3 million neatly stacked in the back. Here's the story behind one of the biggest armed robberies in U.S. history. Still, it must have seemed like he had been: It wasn't until 2015 that unidentified remains were exhumed from where they had been buried. I wasnt thinking about money, I was thinking, Holy sh**! Heather Tallchief Pulled Off the Perfect Crime in 1993. Jose Vigoa's heist of the Bellagio in 2000 was the last in a two-year crime spree. Morrison: What would his questions be?Heather Tallchief: Do you get to stop? He re-married along the way, got sober when Heather was about 8 years old, and went on to have four more children. Morrison: In Miami?Dushek: In Miami. And then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere here she was before our eyes. She says she only took pocket money and some jewelry with her. No, I dont get to stop! That's just the basics. As Netflixs series shows, she now lives in the United States, works in healthcare again, and is close with her son, Dylan, who graduated from college in 2019. Officially, NORAID is a U.S.-based organization dedicated to things like education on Irish history and language, along with promoting the idea of a united Ireland. Morrison: What happens with a case like that? Unfortunately, the identity of the man who became part of Tallchief and Dylan's family is never revealed in the Netflix documentary. But according to the Democrat & Chronicle, O'Connor initially refused to be interviewed. I said goodbye, Ill be away for a while, so. Location: Fortaleza, Brazil. I have a lump in my throat. On the spot. So what do you do?Morrison: What do you do? When The Village Sun caught up with Father Patrick Moloney in 2020, the then 88-year-old priest still maintained that he was innocent while, the publication notes, being happy to talk about all the ins and outs of the case. Moving to Las VegasIn Las Vegas, Solis suggested she find a job, even brought home applications for her to fill out. In the documentary, Tallchief recalls falling in love with Solis but also being easily manipulated by him,. Ive done enough of that. And then the FBI got involved. And over ten years later, the story isnt over. Stewart: Fridays were normally our busiest day because obviously were preparing the casinos along the Strip for the busy tourist weekend.Morrison: So there would be more money?Stewart: Absolutely. And they wheeled me over to a small plane and they helped me get into it. The story of the 1993 robbery, which will be featured on the upcoming Netflix documentary series "Heist," begins not with Heather Tallchief, but with Roberto Solis, an armored car thief and convicted murderer turned acclaimed poet and then armored car thief again. Joseph Dushek was the case agent assigned. Tallchief was released in 2010 and spent the following five years under federal supervision. Tallchief was also ordered to pay $2.9 million back to Loomis, the security company. Born in Nicaragua in 1945, Solis was a convicted murderer twenty-seven years her senior when Tallchief met him. So we were trying to do radio contact with her and there was nothing.Morrison: Were you afraid she may have been kidnapped?Stewart: Oh, absolutely. And so they flew from Las Vegas to Denver, but there her story is interrupted by her attorney, Bob Axelrod. He was also what he described as "fiercely dedicated to the cause of Irish freedom," and was not only a devout priest but also a devout Republican, serving as an active voice in calling for an Ireland once again united under Irish rule. The Greatest Casino Heists in the History of Las Vegas and Some Other Cities The history of the whole gambling industry witnessed many robberies. Elaine Tallchief, Heather's younger sister: Whenever she had a new hairstyle I would ask her to do mine. In October, 2000, Reginald Johnson burst into the Treasure Island Casino wielding a gun, making off with $30,000. Let's take a look at his story and why law enforcement was so sure that he was in on it. Morrison: While all of this was going on, how did you feel?Heather Tallchief: I think I was absolutely devoid of feeling. Stewart and his partner, stranded at the casino, placed a worried call to the office. At the time, there was still more than $5 million missing, and that's not the sort of thing that tends to be taken lightly. And I just want him to have a normal day at school. A parole violation for selling drugs sent him back to prison briefly, but afterwards he returned to San Francisco, where he met Heather. Heather says she lost track of him 10 years ago and has no idea what happened to whats left of the $3 million. She has returned to a career in nursing and continues to reside in the US. I havent seen him since then. At the same time that Fennell was being summoned to court, there was another player in the game who had shown up looking for his cut of the money and then, he disappeared. Morrison: So you got an idea over time when the fat days were, and when the not-so-fat days were, in terms of how much money you were carrying.Heather Tallchief: Youd get an idea over time, like okay, that day youre doing that, so theres a lot of paper there. In December 2010, Mr. Carleo rode his bike up to the steps of the Bellagio hotel and boldly walked in wearing his motorcycle helmet, gun in hand. We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. He felt that he was in a position where he could beat all the odds. Heather says she was stunned to get the job because she didnt feel qualified. And 12 years after the robbery, where are they? Heather did call occasionally from San Francisco over the months that followed. She met Solis during this tough time in her life, and he showed her affection and introduced her to a new world of sex magic, mysticism, and crime.