A fresh Netflix documentary delves into what is often dubbed one of the most audacious diamond heists in history performed by a gang known as The School of Turin.
Stolen: Heist of the Century premieres on the streaming giant from Friday (August 8).
It is brought to you by RAW, the production company behind other Netflix successes such as Don’t F*** With Cats, American Nightmare and The Tindler Swindler.
This new feature-length docudrama unravels the story of an ultimate real-life crime escapade.
The Antwerp detectives who solved the case, along with the alleged criminal mastermind, come together for the first time to provide a detailed account of the actual events.
On the morning of February 17, 2003, detectives from Antwerp’s notorious Diamond Squad were summoned to probe a daring night-time robbery of a supposedly unbreachable vault in the heart of the City of Diamonds.
It’s estimated that diamonds worth at least $100 million were pilfered. Now, after more than two decades, the world will finally discover how they accomplished it, reports the Mirror.
One of the biggest questions viewers will have is, who was the brains behind the heist and what became of the criminals responsible?
Be warned, the following includes full spoilers for “Stolen: Heist of the Century”, so if you wish to watch the film without any prior knowledge, do so before proceeding.
Who was the mastermind behind the Antwerp diamond heist?
The audacious heist was reportedly orchestrated by a clever gang of master thieves from Italy, known as The School of Turin. Despite his assertions in the documentary, Leonardo Notarbartolo is believed to be the brains behind this group.
He was aided by four other individuals, whom Notarbartolo referred to by their aliases in interviews.
- 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.
So, what became of the criminals responsible for the diamond heist?
Notarbartolo was convicted of masterminding the heist. In 2005, the court of appeal of Antwerp sentenced him to 10 years in prison, but he was released on parole in 2009.
Tavano, D’Onorio, and Finotto each received five-year prison sentences for their involvement. The identity of The King of Keys remains unknown.
In a conversation with Wired magazine, Notarbartolo suggested that the heist was part of an insurance fraud scheme. However, this claim is highly contested as the vault itself was not insured.
In the same article, he also alleges that an anonymous diamond dealer provided him with information on how to execute the heist.
According to Good To Know, Notarbartolo was found to be breaching some conditions of his parole, thought to be related to repaying the value of the stolen goods. Consequently, he was re-arrested in 2013 and required to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Since his release in 2017, he is believed to be residing in Turin.
Stolen: Heist of the Century is streaming on Netflix.