Big Safe
Description
Some say it was the biggest theft in American history. Maybe it was.
The multimillion-dollar burglary at eccentric gambler LaVere Redfield's Reno mansion was an endless comedy of errors. A target who hides from cameras and gets embarrassed for his dog. A failed songwriter "mastermind" who can't keep her mouth shut. A safecracker who can't pick a lock. And a convicted killer who allows his ill-gotten gains to be stolen while his pants are down. In almost every way, the 1952 Reno Heist is a study in how not to commit a crime, which is likely why the case lives on in infamy.
Historian Gavin Schmitt unfolds the notorious misadventures of bumbling crooks, shady casino owners and femme fatales.
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
By day, Gavin Schmitt works as a historian for Wisconsin's finest library. After sunset, his research turns to organized crime, unsolved murders and piracy in his home state. While Schmitt is best known as the author of Milwaukee Mafia, all he really wants is a good cup of coffee.