‘Crime Beat’ podcast: ‘Stealing Nixon’s Millions’ tells about the biggest bank heist in U.S. history
The President of the United States started committing crimes in an effort to win an election.
The president ordered shakedowns, obstruction of justice and a massive cover-up of the crimes his operatives committed to get him elected.
While this was going on in the White House, seven guys from Youngstown, Ohio, pulled off the biggest bank heist in the history of the United States. They targeted President Richard Nixon’s ill-gotten campaign funds, going after $30 million they were told the president had amassed through shady deals.
The year was 1972. Their target: a bank right here in Southern California, close to Nixon’s Western White House.
Welcome to “Crime Beat”, a true crime new podcast by the Southern California News Group and reporter Keith Sharon who is based in Orange County.
This is “Crime Beat,” Season One: “Stealing Nixon’s Millions”. The first two episodes are available for you to download and subscribe at:
- iTunes
- Google Play
- Stitcher
- Spotify
New episodes will be available weekly throughout the six-week series.
“Stealing Nixon’s Millions” tells the story of getaway driver Harry Barber, who not only participated in the heist but also got away. He escaped with a new identity to a little town in Pennsylvania and tried to start a new life.
The story is told through interviews. The main subjects are Barber and the FBI agent, Frank Calley, who tracked the thieves for almost a decade.
You will also meet mastermind Amil Dinsio, Harry’s uncle, who is the greatest bank burglar who ever lived. Dinsio and his crew took on the president and nearly got away with it.
Three days after the heist, Nixon approved the Watergate break-in. Coincidence?
“Crime Beat,” Season One: “Stealing Nixon’s Millions” chronicles how the crime in 1972 became the inspiration for a Hollywood film called “Finding Steve McQueen” starring Forest Whitaker, Travis Fimmel, Rachael Taylor and William Fichtner. The film, directed by Mark Steven Johnson and written by Sharon and Ken Hixon, will open March 15 in theaters and on streaming services across America.
The original 10-part series that ran in the newspaper in 2003 is available on the Orange County Register website.
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 1: Plans to rob the president of his secret fund
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 2: Uncle Amil assembles the crew, the tools and the getaway
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 3: $30 million is only one successful blast of explosives away
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 4: Cash and jewelry, but where’s the president’s money?
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 5: How do you transport a boatload of cash to Vegas? A boat, of course
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 6: No leads, but does the president get involved?
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 7: The getaway car comes back to haunt them
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 8: No fingerprints, but the thieves forgot to wash the dishes
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 9: He got away from the FBI, but then fell in love
- Stealing Nixon’s Millions, Part 10: The past catches up with Harry Barber