Casino heist movies make for pretty daring and entertaining movies. While these are mostly fictitious, robberies of casinos do happen in real life and they’re more common than you might think.
In one famous example, Ronaldo Luda Ramos robbed a casino in California and escaped with huge wads of money. He did this by posing as a security employee and using his technical know-how.
1. Heather Tallchief
The Bellagio may be one of the most iconic casinos in the world, but it’s also been the site of a few very bold casino heists. The latest to hit the headlines involves a man later known as the Biker Bandit who stole 1.5 million chips from the famed casino.
Heather Tallchief first met Roberto Solis at a San Francisco bar when she was 21-years-old. Despite learning that her new lover was a convicted murderer, Tallchief fell head-over-heels for him and joined his secret crime syndicate.
In 1993, Tallchief worked as a driver for Loomis armored car company and was instructed to drive a truck that was full of cash from casinos around the country. Solis allegedly split her psyche with hypnotic VHS tapes that he played in her vehicle before she was to drive. The couple left the United States and went on the run, with Tallchief giving birth while on the run and working as an escort and a hotel maid to support her son.
2. James Manning
Many blockbuster movies such as Ocean’s 11 and 21 are inspired by real-life casino heists that have taken place. Some of these heists are quite elaborate and involve a lot of planning and stealth. Others are just downright audacious.
One of the most famous examples of a daring casino heist took place at the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas in 1992. Casino cashier Bill Brennan quietly packed $500,000 in chips and money into a backpack. He then walked out the casino doors without being spotted by any security personnel.
Another famous casino heist took place in 2013 at the Crown Casino in Perth, Australia. The venue was infiltrated by a team of hackers and a millionaire who was invited to play VIP blackjack. The casino employee secretly gave the gambler signals on how to play his cards and he ended up winning $32 million in just eight hands. However, the heist was foiled and Manning received only a lifetime ban from gambling enterprises.
3. Reginald George
When you think of a casino heist that could make the plot line for one of the greatest gambling films, you might picture something quite elaborate. However, some of the most famous casino heists have actually been rather simple, and these more basic schemes have often succeeded where much more complicated ones have failed.
One of the most notable examples of this is that of Bill Brennan. This long-term employee of the Bellagio had an excellent knowledge of how the casino’s security worked and was able to get past cameras and cashiers without being seen.
He attempted to rob the casino on two occasions, and on both occasions, the heist was foiled thanks to an excellent understanding of how casinos’ security systems were set up. He was eventually caught by the police after a short high-speed chase and was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison. The incident also led to the Bellagio installing bars around all of its cashier cages.
4. Ronaldo Luda Ramos
If you love movies like Ocean’s Eleven then you’ll have noticed that heists at luxury casinos are regular themes. Some of these heists have been very complicated while others have relied on a lot of violence. But did you know that heists at high profile casinos actually do happen in real life?
For example, one casino employee was caught giving tips to a high roller in order to steal $32 million. The thief was caught and got a lifetime ban from the casino.
Another famous heist was the Soboba Grab and Dash which saw two low level security workers rob the casino of $1.5 million. Ramos, who had worked as a surveillance technician at the time used his knowledge of the casino to turn off the cameras and point a gun at his co-workers (though he later claimed it was only a BB gun that wouldn’t hurt anyone).
He tried to live it up by spending the money on prostitutes and cocaine before being tracked down in a hotel near LAX and arrested for kidnapping, false imprisonment, and robbery. He was eventually sentenced to 16 years in prison.
