User Panel
Posted: 2/17/2009 11:08:45 AM EDT
This happened back in the 60's and is a facinating story.
Joel Singer Joel Singer was born in 1943 and grew up in Chomedey, Laval, on the north shore of Montreal. After finishing high school, he got involved with the West End Gang, doing various robberies, and served prison time for burglarizing a store. In 1965, Singer joined into a clever conspiracy that would net him more money than he's ever seen before. It would almost be the biggest mistake of his life. Jack Franck, a New York mechanic and uncle of Singer's, walked into a Alexandria, Virginia arms depot on March 30, 1965 and purchased two Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons and 200 rounds of armor piercing ammo for $800. He asked for the guns to be delivered to Plattsburgh, New York. A suspicious store employee investigated the address that Franck had provided and discovered that it was fake. He alerted the FBI who in turn contacted the Canadian authorities, who were wary of weapons being smuggled into Quebec for the terrorist group Federation du Liberation du Quebec (FLQ). The weapons arrived in Plattsburgh on April 5 and, like the rest of the merchandise, was kept in a storage office. Singer knew that the police were probably watching the building and broke into the warehouse that weekend and took his high-powered firearms back. The employees arrived at work early Monday morning to find that the locks had been broken and that the weapons had disappeared. Singer was ecstatic. Things had went off without a hitch so far. He and four associates, with one of the Finnish cannons and various other burglary equipment in their position, left Montreal six months later, on October 23, 1965, and headed for Syracuse, New York. The group broke into its target, the Brinks company, the next night. They entered through the garage and made their way to the vault, where they shot 33 armor piercing rounds from one of the Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons Singer that stole earlier that year. Their mission took more than two hours to complete and the group got away with almost $425,000! Singer visited his uncle, Jack Franck, the next day to tell him that he was behind the spectacular robbery. He also handed Franck $200, for his help in getting the firearms. Franck panicked and called the FBI. In return for immunity, he promised to tell them everything. Singer was placed on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List on November 19, 1965 and was arrested in a Henri-Bourassa restaurant 12 days later. Staying true to the code of the streets, Singer refused to name his accomplices and was sentenced to ten months in prison. Singer was among the inmates in Attica when chaos erupted on September 9, 1971. Prisoners revolted and the government had to take back the penitentiary by force. 43 inmates were murdered and the horrific incident marked Singer for life. He was transferred a psychiatric hospital in July, 1972 and released three months later. He returned to Montreal, where he continued to experience psychological problems. Singer killed himself by swallowing cyanide in his apartment on February 6, 1973. Police have only recovered $166 of the nearly $425,000 stolen seven years earlier. Link |
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Singer visited his uncle, Jack Franck, the next day to tell him that he was behind the spectacular robbery. He also handed Franck $200, for his help in getting the firearms. Franck panicked and called the FBI. In return for immunity, he promised to tell them everything. How many criminals are caught due to a complete inability to SHUT THE FUCK UP. |
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made their way to the vault, where they shot 33 armor piercing rounds from one of the Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons Singer that stole earlier that year. Their mission took more than two hours to complete
So they spent over 2 hours shooting off 20mm rounds indoors, in a city and no one suspected a thing? Yet you keeping hearing about folks with asshat neighbors who complain after 10 mins of shooting in the rural countryside. |
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made their way to the vault, where they shot 33 armor piercing rounds from one of the Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons Singer that stole earlier that year. Their mission took more than two hours to complete
So they spent over 2 hours shooting off 20mm rounds indoors, in a city and no one suspected a thing? The used a potato silencer. |
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Singer refused to name his accomplices and was sentenced to ten months in prison
Wouldn't see that today. |
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two Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons and 200 rounds of armor piercing ammo for $800
That's a deal! OK....why did he want to have the guns shipped to NY? Why not just take possession of them and not attract attention? |
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Quoted: Quoted: made their way to the vault, where they shot 33 armor piercing rounds from one of the Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons Singer that stole earlier that year. Their mission took more than two hours to complete So they spent over 2 hours shooting off 20mm rounds indoors, in a city and no one suspected a thing? The used a potato silencer. That's an awfully big potato |
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Singer refused to name his accomplices and was sentenced to ten months in prison Wouldn't see that today. Was everyone deaf after blasting off those rounds? |
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two Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons and 200 rounds of armor piercing ammo for $800
That's a deal! That's about $5,400 when adjusted for inflation. |
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Singer refused to name his accomplices and was sentenced to ten months in prison Wouldn't see that today. With a hard crew? I've heard that it still happens. |
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Interesting story, and thanks for posting it. Next time I see Clint Eastwood in "Thuderbolt and Lightfoot", I'll remember the history behind the plot.
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Theres another thread about this rifle on here somewhere. I cant find it right now.
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Quoted: Isn't that Thunderbolt and Lightfoot? First thing I thought of, too. |
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two Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons and 200 rounds of armor piercing ammo for $800
That's a deal! That's about $5,400 when adjusted for inflation. For two 20mm Lahti's and 800 rounds of ammo, that would still be a hell of a deal. |
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Isn't that thunderbolt and Lightfoot? Sure sounds like it. Did they have a guy dressed up in drag during the robbery? |
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saw that on an episode of CSI:NY and though it was a pretty weak idea, did not know it had actually been done
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Have you ever seen the potato’s served at some steak houses? Some of them can be larger than your fists put together. Suppressing a 20m should be easy for those monsters.
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made their way to the vault, where they shot 33 armor piercing rounds from one of the Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons Singer that stole earlier that year. Their mission took more than two hours to complete
So they spent over 2 hours shooting off 20mm rounds indoors, in a city and no one suspected a thing? The used a potato silencer. That's an awfully big potato |
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two Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons and 200 rounds of armor piercing ammo for $800
That's a deal! That's about $5,400 when adjusted for inflation. Still worth it. |
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two Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons and 200 rounds of armor piercing ammo for $800
That's a deal! That's about $5,400 when adjusted for inflation. The Lahti 20mm anti-tank guns were sold back in the early 60's for about $175. For that sum, you got the gun, 10 spare mags, tool kit, spare parts kit, snow sled mount, and a wooden crate made for the gun and accessories. As I recall, ammo was about .75 cents a round. Ammo and gun could be shipped right to your door with no paperwork. About 1000 were imported in the early 60's along with about 200,000 rounds of ammo. |
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two Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons and 200 rounds of armor piercing ammo for $800
That's a deal! That's about $5,400 when adjusted for inflation. The Lahti 20mm anti-tank guns were sold back in the early 60's for about $175. For that sum, you got the gun, 10 spare mags, tool kit, spare parts kit, snow sled mount, and a wooden crate made for the gun and accessories. As I recall, ammo was about .75 cents a round. Ammo and gun could be shipped right to your door with no paperwork. About 1000 were imported in the early 60's along with about 200,000 rounds of ammo. Their is still one in Griggs dept store(sporting Goods) Pasco, WA.... |
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Singer refused to name his accomplices and was sentenced to ten months in prison Wouldn't see that today. Was everyone deaf after blasting off those rounds? Probably why he didn't give names. He didn't know what the fuck the police were saying. |
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One the funnier ads I remember reading in Shotgun news eons ago was from a fella who owned a Lahti.
He was begging for anyone- please- for the love of God- to sell him some ammo for his Lahti. I think the ad title was "Need Food For My Boombeast" |
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Quoted: At night or on a weekend in an industrial/commercial area? Might not have been anyone around to hear it.made their way to the vault, where they shot 33 armor piercing rounds from one of the Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons Singer that stole earlier that year. Their mission took more than two hours to complete So they spent over 2 hours shooting off 20mm rounds indoors, in a city and no one suspected a thing? Yet you keeping hearing about folks with asshat neighbors who complain after 10 mins of shooting in the rural countryside. |
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Singer refused to name his accomplices and was sentenced to ten months in prison Wouldn't see that today. Was everyone deaf after blasting off those rounds? WHAT?! |
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This is an ad from a 1958 "Guns" magazine. http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh63/jeep442007/04-25-2007090743PM2.jpg |
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This is an ad from a 1958 "Guns" magazine. http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh63/jeep442007/04-25-2007090743PM2.jpg That's an S18-1000, not a Lahti. Man I wish I had one. Made by Soluthurn |
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This is an ad from a 1958 "Guns" magazine. http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh63/jeep442007/04-25-2007090743PM2.jpg +1 i hate the BS we have to go through today. |
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Singer was among the inmates in Attica when chaos erupted on September 9, 1971. Prisoners revolted and the government had to take back the penitentiary by force. 43 inmates were murdered and the horrific incident marked Singer for life. He was transferred a psychiatric hospital in July, 1972 and released three months later.
Murdered? |
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two Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons and 200 rounds of armor piercing ammo for $800
That's a deal! That's about $5,400 when adjusted for inflation. The Lahti 20mm anti-tank guns were sold back in the early 60's for about $175. For that sum, you got the gun, 10 spare mags, tool kit, spare parts kit, snow sled mount, and a wooden crate made for the gun and accessories. As I recall, ammo was about .75 cents a round. Ammo and gun could be shipped right to your door with no paperwork. About 1000 were imported in the early 60's along with about 200,000 rounds of ammo. i was a kid during the 60s and into guns big time. you could order wwII howitzers and ammo outta the backs of magazines.. |
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Singer visited his uncle, Jack Franck, the next day to tell him that he was behind the spectacular robbery. He also handed Franck $200, for his help in getting the firearms. Franck panicked and called the FBI. In return for immunity, he promised to tell them everything. How many criminals are caught due to a complete inability to SHUT THE FUCK UP. Every one we hear about, except DB Cooper, who is still being sought by the FBI by the way. |
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At night or on a weekend in an industrial/commercial area? Might not have been anyone around to hear it.
made their way to the vault, where they shot 33 armor piercing rounds from one of the Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons Singer that stole earlier that year. Their mission took more than two hours to complete
So they spent over 2 hours shooting off 20mm rounds indoors, in a city and no one suspected a thing? Yet you keeping hearing about folks with asshat neighbors who complain after 10 mins of shooting in the rural countryside. deep inside the building too. Anyone hearing the noise may have thought it was a air hammer or something. |
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This is an ad from a 1958 "Guns" magazine. http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh63/jeep442007/04-25-2007090743PM2.jpg Of all places LA CA, Just go figure |
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okay, managed to find this video on Youtube after watching enough 20mm vids.
"Stop That Tank" pretty cool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov4lOcD7O5c&feature=related |
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Isn't that Thunderbolt and Lightfoot? First thing I thought of, too. Me too I loved the scene with the lunatic and the rabbits in the trunk. Just plain bizzarre. |
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Quoted: Singer refused to name his accomplices and was sentenced to ten months in prison Wouldn't see that today. Heck no we wouldn't. |
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Jack Franck, a New York mechanic and uncle of Singer's, walked into a Alexandria, Virginia arms depot on March 30, 1965 and purchased two Finnish Lahti 20mm Cannons and 200 rounds of armor piercing ammo for $800. He asked for the guns to be delivered to Plattsburgh, New York. That is some serious Group Buy material. |
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