Masterminds
Overview
Masterminds, a Canadian true crime documentary series, aired on truTV and later found a home on History Television and Global TV as of February 2011. Each half-hour episode delves into a different criminal case, spotlighting extraordinary heists or scams that often involve significant amounts of money or goods. The show emphasizes the innovative and complex tactics employed by these criminals, many of which left law enforcement baffled at the time. While most of the featured criminals were apprehended within a few years of their offenses, some cases stand out for their sheer audacity and ingenuity.
Episodes
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1
The Anthon Forgeries
The tale of Mark Hoffmann, a skilled forger, who produced a series of counterfeit documents linked to the origins of the Mormon church, managing to de...
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2
The Dunbar Heist
Mark Hoffman creates over 600 counterfeit American historical documents.
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3
The Knightsbridge Heist
The biggest robbery in British history yielded a staggering $90 million in jewels, cash, and narcotics for the mastermind behind it.
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4
Man Called Hollywood
Scott Scurlock carried out a series of bank heists in Seattle, robbing a total of 19 banks from 1992 to 1996. His criminal activities spanned several ...
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5
Double Crossed
A woman successfully deceived the residents of Colorado Springs, swindling more than $185,000 from them.
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6
The Laguna Niguel Heist
The story of Amil Dinsio, America's most notorious robber, unfolds as he makes headlines in 1972 after orchestrating an audacious heist at the wealthi...
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7
A Smuggler Supreme
Brian O'Dea, a fisherman by trade, cleverly exploited his profession in the 1980s to smuggle marijuana into the United States, amassing a staggering f...
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8
Art Fraud
Two Americans uncover the identity of the individual responsible for orchestrating the largest art scam in British history.
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9
The Hotel Pierre Heist
On New Year's Eve in 1972, Bobby Comfort and his crew executed the biggest hotel safe robbery ever seen in the U.S. at the Pierre Hotel in New York Ci...
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10
The Perfect Score
William Smarto, a notorious robber, managed to conceal himself inside an Illinois bank until it closed for the day. Once the doors were locked and the...
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11
Harn
A group of fraternity brothers devises a clever scheme using technology to swindle the horse-racing industry.
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12
A Day at the Races
A group of crooks managed to swindle over $3 million by creating fake winning tickets for the Breeders' Cup horse races, but their scheme ultimately u...
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13
The Stopwatch Heist
The FBI successfully located the infamous robber Paddy Mitchell and his crew of skilled thieves, known for executing heists in just 90 seconds. Their ...
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14
King of Car Thieves
The team delves into the apprehension of Bill Dhaliwal and his crew of skilled car thieves, notorious for stealing luxury vehicles and selling them to...
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15
The Riviera Job
In 1976, Albert Spaggiari executed a daring heist at the Societe Generale bank in Nice. His meticulously planned operation resulted in the theft of mi...
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1
James Bond Gang
Explore the world of the James Bond gang, a notorious group of New York criminals who specialized in elaborate heists during the 1980s. This crew was ...
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2
The Dublin Job
The focus is on the 1986 heist of £30 million worth of artwork from Russborough House, located near Dublin. This audacious robbery was orchestrated b...
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3
Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief
An infamous cat burglar shares his secrets on how he managed to climb tall buildings and steal valuable diamonds and jewelry.
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4
The Friday Night Robber
Carl Gugasian orchestrated a series of over 50 bank heists, all executed on Fridays, managing to stay one step ahead of law enforcement for three deca...
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5
The Kansas City Diamond Heist
A group of thieves, donning Halloween masks and coveralls, pulls off a heist, making off with millions of dollars in jewels.
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6
The Silver Bandit
A meticulous burglar targets the silver spoon collections of unsuspecting victims, leaving no trace behind. With an eye for detail, this thief meticul...
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7
The Cairo Caper
A charismatic thief makes off with over 2,000 priceless ancient artifacts, trafficking them across the globe.
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8
Slot Machine Genius
The episode delves into the criminal activities of Tommy Lee Carmichael, who orchestrated a daring heist, making off with $2.5 million from fruit mach...
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9
The Jewelry Show Job
Jeweler Tony Granims and his crew executed a series of heists at jewelry stores, leaving law enforcement puzzled by their clever tactics.
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10
Air America
Cocaine smuggling.
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11
The Memorial Day Heist
Officer Jerry Clemente orchestrated a daring bank robbery.
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12
The Disappearing Man
A bank employee embezzles more than a million dollars from the institution where he’s employed, then flees, abandoning both his wife and the state.
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13
The Superthief
Jack McClean became notorious for his audacious crime spree, which led to him being dubbed the 'superthief.' His elaborate heists and cunning escapade...
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1
The Air Cargo Millions
A delivery driver for an air-freight service orchestrates a high-stakes air-cargo heist operation worth millions, maintaining a network of contacts th...
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2
Halloween Heist
During a Halloween celebration at the bank, a group of thieves pulls off a heist, making off with cash while trapping partygoers inside a vault. They ...
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3
The Social Register Gang
Delve into the world of Raymond Flynn, an elegant burglar who meticulously chose his victims from the social register, a list showcasing the nation’...
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4
Stealing Vegas
A cunning thief has made off with millions from Las Vegas casinos through a series of elaborate slot machine heists, managing to outsmart the most adv...
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5
Maid in the Shade
Carrie Lee Jenkins led a group of thieves who were disguising themselves as housekeepers.
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6
Money Bags
Criminal mastermind Maurizio Percan, who orchestrated an auto parts theft operation that earned him $14 million, is facing justice after three years o...
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7
The Berlin Heist
Using an underground tunnel, a thief executes a daring heist, making off with millions in cash and valuable jewelry from a bank.
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8
The Highway Robber
David Brankle, an ordinary family man living in the suburbs, was secretly living a thrilling double life as a notorious thief. Over the course of 50 h...
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9
The Great Escape
Jeffrey Manchester, a convict who broke free from prison, managed to elude capture for months while taking refuge in a toy store. During his time ther...
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10
Off the Rack
In New York, a clothing wholesaler operates his shop as a cover for an incredibly successful burglary operation, one of the most notorious in American...
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11
The Art of Double Dealing
Ely Sakhai, an art dealer based in New York, was involved in the sale of numerous counterfeit paintings attributed to renowned artists.
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12
Motorcycle Bandit
After being excluded from his affluent family’s will, Roni Leibovitz turned to a life of crime, pulling off 22 band robberies. Stripped of his finan...
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13
Cleaning House
Carrie Lee Jenkins, a stunning and clever strategist, leads a group of skilled thieves in a daring heist that nets them over 5 million dollars. With h...
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14
The Highway Bandit
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15
Fashion Crime
Clothing wholesaler Peter Cassese.
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16
The Invisible Man
Stephen Blumberg's fixation drove him to pilfer $40 million in rare books from various libraries. His compulsive need to acquire these valuable texts ...