Latest news with #Notarbartolo
Time Magazine
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Stolen: Heist of the Century Features the Main Robber
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Stolen: Heist of the Century Stolen: Heist of the Century, a documentary about what's considered the world's largest diamond heist, is a cut above other true crime fare because in this one, the filmmakers interview the mastermind of the crime about how he pulled it off. The robber, Leonardo Notarbartolo, who had an office in the building he stole from, speaks on camera for the first time about his role in the theft of about $100 million worth of diamonds in Antwerp, Belgium, over the weekend of Feb. 15, 2003. His memory is selective, however, and Stolen also features law enforcement officials who fact-check his claims. The documentary, out on Netflix on Aug. 8, is based on the 2010 book Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History, which examines how the diamond thieves pulled off the heist and what led to police eventually catching them. Here, the book's co-author Scott Selby talks to TIME about the 'flawless' theft and what he thinks about Notarbartolo's account. How the thieves pulled off a massive diamond robbery Antwerp has long been considered the diamond capital of the world: About 85% of the world's diamonds pass through the city. The thieves targeted a building called the Antwerp Diamond Center, which housed dozens of gem trading companies. While the center was heavily guarded on the weekdays, there was less security on the weekends. Authorities believe that the thieves entered through the garage where a door led to the ground floor of the building and then opened it by modifying an alien key. Stolen shows thieves covering motion sensors with hairspray, light sensors with black duct tape, and cameras with black plastic bags. When the thieves were done, they stole security tapes so that no one could see them committing a crime. Somehow, they managed to break into the explosion-resistant steel door to the vault. 'For me, the biggest mystery is, how did they get past that combination lock?' Selby says. In the doc, Notarbartolo claims he hid a camera inside a fire extinguisher, which enabled him to see what combination was inside. But Selby argues the only way to see the numbers on the lock is through a piece of glass on top of the lock that acts like a magnifying glass. To open each safe deposit box in the vault, the thieves invented a device that hooks into the keyhole and then uses leverage to bend the deadbolt so the door pops open. Notarbartolo claims he trained for the heist in a recreation of the vault outside of the building. But Selby doesn't believe that because Notarbartolo had a safe deposit box in the vault. 'I'm not sure why one would need a replica of a vault that you already have total access to,' he says. To this day, almost all of the diamonds remain unaccounted for. Many of the safe deposit box owners did not have insurance because the Antwerp Diamond Center was considered the safest place to store diamonds, with plenty of CCTV and armed police guarding it during the week. 'It's important to remember these real victims,' Selby says. 'Real people with small businesses were wiped out.' Notarbartolo does not seem to have any regrets. 'I've always wanted to be part of something like this,' he says in the film, adding later, 'We felt proud of doing something so strong and powerful.' How the thieves got caught 'The theft itself was flawless—I mean, they pulled it off, right? It's just that the getaway was badly bungled,' says Selby. Police found some helpful clues in a heap of trash that was tossed into the last bit of forest off of the highway between Antwerp and Brussels. Unfortunately for the thieves, they dumped their trash onto the property of a man named August Van Camp, who routinely picked up the trash ditched by drivers and sifted through it to see if he could identify who was littering, regularly reporting the contents to the police. In this case, he told police that the trash had diamond-related materials, and since they were in the process of investigating the diamond heist, the police showed up right away. Inside the trash were tiny emeralds. There was a supermarket receipt, and police were able to go to the store and look at security footage to identify the person ringing up the listed items, Ferdinando Finotto, someone police had been looking for in connection to a different robbery. There was a piece of paper identifying Elio D'Onorio, an alarm specialist, authorizing him to do security work for Leonardo Notarbartolo, who had a safe deposit box at the Antwerp center. Police found out that he was from Turin, Italy, and called the head of the detectives for the robbery squad in the city to find out who Notarbartolo was and learned he was on their radar. Turin authorities told Antwerp authorities about the so-called School of Turin, a network of criminals in the area. Then, the building manager of the Antwerp Diamond Center was able to point him out for authorities on security footage. Notarbartolo's safe deposit box was one of the safe deposit boxes that had not been broken into, which was suspicious. Nearly a week after the heist, on Feb. 21, Notarbartolo was caught when he returned to the scene of the heist to enter the building with his badge so that it didn't look like he was the only tenant who didn't go into the building after the heist. The building's security team had already been fielding questions from authorities about him for days, so they recognized him immediately when he showed up. The building manager called the police, and then stopped Notarbartolo at the door, talking his ear off until the police arrived and arrested him. 'By then, you surrender,' Notarbartolo says in the doc. 'You face the situation.' Police ordered Notarbartolo to direct them to the thieves' safe house, where they found a carpet covered in emeralds, the same kind that police found in the trash pile. Notarbartolo was sentenced to 10 years in prison, because he was found guilty of being the mastermind, while D'Onorio and Finotto were each sentenced to five years in prison. What happened to Notarbartolo? Notarbartolo already did his time for the crime, so he can talk openly about it. 'There's no longer any legal jeopardy for him,' Selby explains. 'He served his time.' Notarbartolo lives with his wife in the countryside on the outskirts of Turin, where police still monitor him closely. He has a small business making wood pellets commonly used for fireplaces. Throughout the doc, he talks about how a man named Alessandro commissioned him to do the heist. But authorities interviewed say they never found any evidence of a partner named Alessandro. 'I don't think any outside partner commissioned him to do this,' Selby says. While the diamond heist was a complex operation, there are everyday steps that people can take to keep their personal property safe. 'Just because you live in a gated community doesn't mean that you don't need a good lock on your door,' says Selby. 'It doesn't mean that you can be complacent and just not have your security alarm on.'
Daily Mirror
08-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Netflix's Stolen Heist of the Century mastermind identity and what happened to criminals
What happened to the small group of master thieves said to be behind the heist A new Netflix documentary looks into the case of what is often described as one of the most daring diamond heists that ever took place. Stolen: Heist of the Century releases on the streaming platform from Friday (August 8). It comes from the same production company, RAW, who are behind other Netflix hits such as Don't F*** With Cats, American Nightmare and The Tindler Swindler. According to the synopsis of this new feature length doc tells the story of the ultimate true-life crime caper. The Antwerp detectives who cracked the case along with the alleged criminal mastermind are gathered for the first time to give a blow-by-blow account of what really happened. On the morning of February 17, 2003, detectives from Antwerp's infamous Diamond Squad were called to investigate the brazen night-time robbery of an allegedly impregnable vault in the middle of the City of Diamonds. It is estimated that at least $100 million worth of diamonds were stolen. Now, after more than 20 years, the world will finally learn how they pulled it off. One of the biggest questions viewers will have, is just who was the mastermind behind the heist and what happened to the criminals responsible? Be warned, below includes full spoilers for Stolen: Heist of the Century, so you should watch the film first if you want to go in without knowing anything. Who was the mastermind behind the Antwerp diamond heist? An ingenious gang of master thieves from Italy, known as The School of Turin were said to be behind the audacious heist. Despite his claims in the documentary, the individual said to be the mastermind behind this group was Leonardo Notarbartolo. He was assisted by four other individuals who Notarbartolo referred to in interviews by their aliases. These were: Speedy - a long-time friend of Notarbartolo and responsible for scattering the rubbish in the woods. Belgian police believe this to be Pietro Tavano. The Monster - apparently an expert lock picker, electrician, mechanic and driver. Belgian police believe this to be Ferdinando Finotto. The Genius - a specialist in alarm systems. Belgian police believe this to be Elio D'Onorio linked to series of robberies. The King of Keys - described as one of the best key forgers in the world. His true identity is unknown. What happened to the criminals responsible behind the diamond heist? Notarbartolo was found guilty of orchestrating the heist. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the court of appeal of Antwerp in 2005, but was released on parole in 2009. Tavano, D'Onorio, and Finotto each got five years in prison for their roles. The King of Keys was never identified. In an interview with Wired magazine, Notarbartolo claimed the heist was a part of an insurance fraud scheme. However, this is heavily disputed as the vault itself was uninsured. In that same piece, he also claims an anonymous diamond dealer told him how the heist could be done. According to Good To Know, Notarbartolo was found to be violating some terms of his parole, believed to be linked to paying back the value of stolen goods. As result he was arrested again in 2013 and made to serve the rest of his sentence. He is thought to be living in Turin since his release in 2017.
See - Sada Elbalad
28-07-2025
- See - Sada Elbalad
Netflix Unveils the Secrets of the 'Heist of the Century' in Antwerp: The Biggest Diamond Theft Without a Single Shot
Waleed Farouk On August 8, Netflix will premiere a new documentary titled "Stolen: Heist of the Century," shedding light on the largest diamond theft in modern history. The film revisits the infamous 2003 Antwerp Diamond Center heist, where an Italian gang made off with more than $100 million in jewels from the heart of Belgium's diamond district—outsmarting some of the world's most advanced security systems without firing a single shot. A Perfectly Crafted Two-Year Plan The documentary details what has been called the 'heist of the century.' Leonardo Notarbartolo led a team of five skilled thieves, executing a meticulously crafted plan that involved two years of preparation. They studied the site extensively, probing every possible weakness in its security, and ultimately penetrated the underground vault, then regarded as the most secure in the world. Bypassing Ten Layers of Security The gang overcame multiple formidable safeguards, including massive steel doors (weighing up to three tons), infrared and heat sensors, magnetic locks, and seismic alarms. Their ingenious tactics included spraying hairspray on sensors and covering magnetic locks with aluminum plates, allowing them to open over 100 safety deposit boxes without triggering any alarms. Loot Still Not Fully Recovered Belgian authorities later apprehended Notarbartolo and three of his accomplices, who received prison sentences ranging from five to ten years. However, most of the stolen diamonds have never been recovered, and one suspect remains at large. Documentary Sources and Interviews The film is based on the book "Flawless" by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell. It features exclusive interviews with the Antwerp detectives who led the investigation, as well as with Notarbartolo himself, who describes in his own words how he masterminded what he considers 'the perfect operation'. The "School of Turin" and the Anatomy of a Heist The documentary also explores the 'School of Turin,' a network of Italian professional thieves, each specializing in specific aspects such as lock-picking, alarm systems, disguise, and transportation. Every member played a defined role, emphasizing discipline and precision over brute force. Significance and Lasting Impact Decades later, the Antwerp diamond heist is still studied in the fields of security and major crimes. It stands as evidence that even the most sophisticated systems have flaws if faced by individuals with the necessary time and expertise. The enduring mystery of the missing loot and the nonviolent nature of the crime have fascinated media and filmmakers worldwide, setting the heist apart as a 'smart robbery' notable for its planning and creativity. Ultimately, this case highlights vulnerabilities in security systems once considered state-of-the-art, prompting broader questions about the limits of technology against patient human ingenuity. These elements make it an ideal subject for documentaries and dramatic works seeking a blend of suspense and true crime. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence"
