trjm l~ l`rby@ bHtrf Unable to dig the tunnel himself, Albert posed as a contractor and obtained a map of the city's sewer system from the city hall. With the information from the map, he located the closest sewer branch to the bank and identified the starting point for the tunnel. Digging a 30-feet tunnel proved to be a challenge as it was underneath one of the busiest avenues, causing traffic noise that could potentially expose their operation. Lacking the resources and manpower to carry out the plan, Albert sought assistance from gang leaders in Marseille, including the sewer rats gang. They were enthused by the plan and agreed to help, ultimately leading to the successful execution of the heist. achieve it so he traveled to Marsil and met with some gang leaders, including the Sewer Rats gang. They really loved the plan and got excited for it. They agreed to help him in return for a big cut of the loot. Albert placed a group of guys on the digging zone with radios to notify the others if cops appeared unexpectedly, taking all the precautions to ensure the operation's success. The digging itself was exhausting as they used traditional equipment to avoid being heard by others. The space was tight, hot, and poorly ventilated, making it difficult for the diggers. One day, a man couldn't withstand the conditions and passed out. Albert divided them into teams, with each team working for 10 minutes and then resting for another 10. A doctor was also available for emergencies. They needed fresh air and light, so they brought ventilation tubes and a half-mile electrical cable, taking electricity from a nearby garage to run ventilators and lights. Albert believed that the workers' comfort was crucial for the plan's success, so he made sure to make them as comfortable as possible. After nine weeks, they finally reached the vault's wall. However, breaking through the 12-inch reinforced concrete wall was still a challenge. Albert feared that using jackhammers and drills could be heard, so he supervised from above the digging zone. Fortunately, his fears were unfounded, and they were able to break halfway through the vault wall that night. They decided to continue breaking the rest of the wall. D-Day arrived on Saturday, July 17th. They chose this day because it was the first day of the weekend, ensuring that the bank would be empty, giving them enough time to complete their operation. They entered the tunnel and continued breaking through the concrete wall, leaving only six inches of reinforced concrete to break. The drilling took longer than expected, but eventually, at two o'clock AM Sunday morning, the Sewer Rats finally entered the vault. Their first task was to weld the steel door to its frame, providing them with an escape route if someone attempted to access the vault space. Then they started breaking the safe boxes one by one, finding jewelry, gold, money, and everything they had dreamed of. They even celebrated their success by having dinner inside the vault. During their time inside the vault, armed couriers came to make a night deposit, unknowingly providing them with an unexpected bonus. They spent almost 27 hours inside the vault, managing to open 400 boxes out of the four thousand. It was more than enough for them. On Monday morning, at five o'clock AM, Albert decided it was time to leave. They had less than four hours before the bank would open. Before leaving, Albert left a famous quote on the wall: "Without weapons, without violence, without hate." This quote enraged the detectives and the people who laughed and applauded the crime. Ultimately, Albert was arrested along with the rest of the Sewer Rat gang. He cooperated with the detectives, providing them with all the details of the robbery to keep his wife away from it. He was in police custody until a final judgment was issued against him. During this period, he met with the judge every Thursday, demonstrating his willingness to cooperate. In a surprising turn of events, during the last meeting before his trial, Albert took advantage of the judge's confusion and escaped by jumping out of the window. He disappeared, leaving the police unable to find him or the stolen loot. However, it was reported that he sent $600 in cash to the owner of the car he landed on. From then on, Albert spent his life sending provocative photos and messages to investigators through the media. Unfortunately, his wife, who he loved so much, decided not to join him in his life of escape. She remained in Nice, working as a nurse. Albert, the mastermind behind the century's biggest robbery, passed away in 1989 from lung cancer. And with that, we come to the end of our story. If you liked it, don't forget to like, subscribe, and activate the bell button to receive new updates.