Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Robber that disguised himself as Hasidic Jew struck three times
A man of many hats he is.
Police say the stocky, middle-aged bank robber who donned creative costumes and threatened tellers with fake bombs and nerve gas in the past has returned, striking on Long Island at least three times since Friday.
And distinguishing himself by his headgear.
An Indiana Jones fedora. A black hat favored by Hasidic Jewish men. He once even applied makeup to a turban costume to make himself look more dark-skinned, police said.
Nassau investigators say he's successfully demanded cash at banks at least 10 times since 2006 in New York City and in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
"The disguises? Obviously, he doesn't want anybody to know exactly who he is," said Det. Sgt. John. J. Giambrone, commander of the Nassau robbery squad.
"And he feels if he wears the disguise, he doesn't have to keep his head down and he has a better chance of getting away."
Referencing surveillance camera footage being reviewed by investigators, Giambrone said, "We refer to him here dressed as a pirate or as the Gloucester Fisherman."
Police believe the same man who robbed a Roslyn Savings Bank in New Hyde Park on Friday also robbed an Emigrant Savings Bank in Elmont Monday and a Bank of America, also in New Hyde Park, about a half-hour later.
At the Emigrant in Elmont, witnesses said he simply wore a black hat. In the robbery immediately afterward, a witness described his hat as resembling one Indiana Jones would wear.
For the most part, the robberies tend to occur during inclement weather so that, police suspect, fewer people are likely to be on the street to witness his flight and police response times are likely to be delayed.
Still, since any cash he stole appears to have come from teller drawers, the maximum he's been able to get has been a few thousand dollars, Giambrone said.
"He hasn't gotten much," Giambrone said.
During all the robberies, the typed demand notes the robber passes also appear to be, for the most part, identical.
"They all indicate that if the teller doesn't comply, that someone's going to be hurt or he might shoot," he said.
Det. Sgt. Robert Doyle, commanding officer of Suffolk's Major Case Investigations Unit, said the suspect would commit a bank robbery, displaying a fake bomb device and then not be heard from for several months.
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/wednesday/longisland/ny-lihat145684963may14,0,7751203.story
Police say the stocky, middle-aged bank robber who donned creative costumes and threatened tellers with fake bombs and nerve gas in the past has returned, striking on Long Island at least three times since Friday.
And distinguishing himself by his headgear.
An Indiana Jones fedora. A black hat favored by Hasidic Jewish men. He once even applied makeup to a turban costume to make himself look more dark-skinned, police said.
Nassau investigators say he's successfully demanded cash at banks at least 10 times since 2006 in New York City and in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
"The disguises? Obviously, he doesn't want anybody to know exactly who he is," said Det. Sgt. John. J. Giambrone, commander of the Nassau robbery squad.
"And he feels if he wears the disguise, he doesn't have to keep his head down and he has a better chance of getting away."
Referencing surveillance camera footage being reviewed by investigators, Giambrone said, "We refer to him here dressed as a pirate or as the Gloucester Fisherman."
Police believe the same man who robbed a Roslyn Savings Bank in New Hyde Park on Friday also robbed an Emigrant Savings Bank in Elmont Monday and a Bank of America, also in New Hyde Park, about a half-hour later.
At the Emigrant in Elmont, witnesses said he simply wore a black hat. In the robbery immediately afterward, a witness described his hat as resembling one Indiana Jones would wear.
For the most part, the robberies tend to occur during inclement weather so that, police suspect, fewer people are likely to be on the street to witness his flight and police response times are likely to be delayed.
Still, since any cash he stole appears to have come from teller drawers, the maximum he's been able to get has been a few thousand dollars, Giambrone said.
"He hasn't gotten much," Giambrone said.
During all the robberies, the typed demand notes the robber passes also appear to be, for the most part, identical.
"They all indicate that if the teller doesn't comply, that someone's going to be hurt or he might shoot," he said.
Det. Sgt. Robert Doyle, commanding officer of Suffolk's Major Case Investigations Unit, said the suspect would commit a bank robbery, displaying a fake bomb device and then not be heard from for several months.
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/wednesday/longisland/ny-lihat145684963may14,0,7751203.story
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