Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History

Summary

NOW A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY (Stolen: Heist of the Century)

"Tells the story with the gripping pace of a true-crime 'Ocean's Eleven.'" The New York Post • "Like a diamond, this true-life caper is clear, colorful, and brilliant." Publishers Weekly ★Starred Review★

The Antwerp Diamond Center was one of the most secure buildings in the world. With hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of diamonds stored in its subterranean vault, it had to be. Located in the heart of Belgium's ultra-secure Antwerp Diamond District, it was protected by two police stations, armed patrols, extensive video surveillance, and vehicle barriers securing an area where 80 percent of the world's diamonds trade hands.

But on February 15, 2003, a band of skilled Italian thieves—fronted by the charming Leonardo Notarbartolo, who spent over two years clandestinely casing the building—subverted every one of the Diamond Center's defenses and made off with a record amount of loot. Experts estimate they got away with nearly half a billion dollars in diamonds, cash, and other valuables. They'd pulled off the biggest heist in history.

The robbers did it with stealth and smarts; no one was hurt or even threatened during what was quickly labeled the largest diamond heist in history. The bandits—members of a group of professional thieves known as "The School of Turin"—used cunning in lieu of violence, successfully evading security cameras, thwarting an array of electronic sensors, and penetrating a vault protected by a double-locked, foot-thick steel door.

Flawless is a fast-paced global scavenger hunt uncovering the truth behind the daring Valentine's Day weekend heist. Tracking clues, sources, and documents throughout Europe — from seedy cafés in Turin, Italy, to sleek diamond offices in Antwerp, Belgium—authors Scott Selby and Greg Campbell retrace Notarbartolo's careful discovery of the building's security flaws. They recreate the heist and its aftermath—detailing how the thieves brilliantly neutralized each element of the security protecting the Diamond Center's vault while inviting listeners into the secretive world of diamonds and diamond dealing.

The result is a thrilling ride through the better-than-fiction heist of the century.

"Fans of caper books and movies will be in seventh heaven." Booklist ★Starred Review★