Great Bookie Robbery
Encyclopedia
The Great Bookie Robbery was a crime committed in Melbourne
, Australia
on 21 April 1976.
A well-organized gang of six stole between $6 million and $12 million from the Victoria Club, which was located on the second floor of a building in Queen Street
. The men, who included Raymond Bennett, Ian Carroll, Laurence Prendergast, Brian and Leslie Kane and Norman Lee, rented an office in the same building and hid the money there while making a fake getaway in a van. The money was never recovered and although Lee was charged he was later acquitted. None of the others were ever convicted. Lee was killed by police in 1992 during a heist at Melbourne Airport
.
Lee's lawyer Phillip Dunn, QC, revealed the details of the crime in the mid-1990s, including the identities of all those involved. Prendergast disappeared in 1985 and the rest of the gang had all been murdered by the end of 1987. As no-one was ever jailed or convicted, the Great Bookie Robbery remains technically an unsolved crime.
a miniseries
of three 90 minute episodes was released depicting the robbery. Lee participated in the production as a consultant, and even used his own residence in Verity Street, Richmond
as the shooting location for the house of one of the gang. Lee was still living there at the time of his death.
A highly fictionalised version of the crime was also depicted in one episode of the 2009 miniseries Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities
. In this version, Bennett pulls off the crime with the assistance of Robert Trimbole
, without the Kane brothers. The Kanes are tipped off after the event by Chris Flannery
, setting off a turf war. Neither Trimbole nor Flannery were actually involved in the real heist. The heist is mentioned in another episode of this same series, after two men allegedly rob a courier allegedly working for the Kane brothers who has just done a change over of money for drugs. This initiates a war when threats are made on both sides, leading to the murder of one of the Kane brothers in 1978.
draws on the Great Bookie Robbery for its major crime scene. In this version a number of people are killed during the robbery.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on 21 April 1976.
A well-organized gang of six stole between $6 million and $12 million from the Victoria Club, which was located on the second floor of a building in Queen Street
Queen Street, Melbourne
Queen Street is a street in the Melbourne central business district, forming part of the famous Hoddle Grid. It runs roughly from north to south. The northern end of Queen Street intersects with Victoria Street, while its southern end intersects with Flinders Street...
. The men, who included Raymond Bennett, Ian Carroll, Laurence Prendergast, Brian and Leslie Kane and Norman Lee, rented an office in the same building and hid the money there while making a fake getaway in a van. The money was never recovered and although Lee was charged he was later acquitted. None of the others were ever convicted. Lee was killed by police in 1992 during a heist at Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the...
.
Lee's lawyer Phillip Dunn, QC, revealed the details of the crime in the mid-1990s, including the identities of all those involved. Prendergast disappeared in 1985 and the rest of the gang had all been murdered by the end of 1987. As no-one was ever jailed or convicted, the Great Bookie Robbery remains technically an unsolved crime.
TV miniseries
In 19861986 in television
The year 1986 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1986.For the American network television schedule, please see 1986-87 American network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:*September 6 –...
a miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
of three 90 minute episodes was released depicting the robbery. Lee participated in the production as a consultant, and even used his own residence in Verity Street, Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
as the shooting location for the house of one of the gang. Lee was still living there at the time of his death.
A highly fictionalised version of the crime was also depicted in one episode of the 2009 miniseries Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities
Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities
Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities is a 13-part Australian television mini-series loosely based on real events that stemmed from the marijuana trade centred around the New South Wales town of Griffith. The timeline of the series is the years between 1976 and 1987. Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities...
. In this version, Bennett pulls off the crime with the assistance of Robert Trimbole
Robert Trimbole
Robert Trimbole was an Australian businessman, drug baron and organised crime boss whose alleged involvement in the disappearance of anti-marijuana campaigner Donald Mackay and involvement in drug trafficking in the Griffith, New South Wales area, led to a royal commission, a Coroner's inquest and...
, without the Kane brothers. The Kanes are tipped off after the event by Chris Flannery
Christopher Dale Flannery
Christopher Dale Flannery, aka Mr. Rent-A-Kill is alleged to have been an Australian hitman. Flannery was born in Brunswick, Victoria.- Juvenile Crime:...
, setting off a turf war. Neither Trimbole nor Flannery were actually involved in the real heist. The heist is mentioned in another episode of this same series, after two men allegedly rob a courier allegedly working for the Kane brothers who has just done a change over of money for drugs. This initiates a war when threats are made on both sides, leading to the murder of one of the Kane brothers in 1978.
Movie version
The 2002 Australian feature film The Hard WordThe Hard Word
The Hard Word is a 2002 Australian crime film about three bank-robbing brothers who are offered a role in a bold heist while serving time in prison. The film was written and directed by Scott Roberts, and stars Guy Pearce and Rachel Griffiths....
draws on the Great Bookie Robbery for its major crime scene. In this version a number of people are killed during the robbery.