The Stopwatch Gang
The Stopwatch Gang consisted of three Canadians who made a living robbing banks in the United States and Canada — an estimated 100 banks and $15 million CDN. Consisting of Paddy Mitchell, Lionel Wright and Stephen Reid.
The gang was famous for the brilliant planning of their jobs. They were known for robbing banks in 90 seconds or less and getting away with no trace. The group got nicknamed 'The Stopwatch Gang' by the FBI because the gang leader was seen wearing a stopwatch around his neck while on the job. They were known for non-violent methods and politeness to victims.
They successfully completed a $750,000 gold heist in 1974 from the Ottawa airport. They carried out a large number of bank robberies in the 1980s along the California coast with large sums of money stolen. The gang's greatest heist took place at a Bank of America branch in San Diego in 1980, when the US$283,000 they stole set a California record.
The gang's story is recorded in several television documentaries and books, including Mitchell's autobiography, This Bank Robber's Life, which he wrote from prison. Stephen Reid later became a noted Canadian author after writing Jackrabbit Parole and being paroled. In 1999, Reid re-offended, was sentenced to 18 years in prison and released on day parole on January 28, 2008.
Sources
External links
- Watch Inside Time, a documentary about Stephen Reid, National Film Board of Canada