The Big Heist
A television film about the 1978 Lufthansa heist.
The Big Heist is a 2001 crime drama television film that dramatizes the 1978 Lufthansa heist. Directed by Robert Markowitz, the film stars Donald Sutherland, John Heard, Jamie Harris, and Janet Kidder. It aired on A&E on June 10, 2001.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Crime, Docudrama
- Based on
- The Heist
- Ernest Volkman
- John Cummings
- Writer
- Jere Cunningham, Gary Hoffman
- Director
- Robert Markowitz
- Starring
- Donald Sutherland
- John Heard
- Jamie Harris
- Janet Kidder
- Music
- Lou Pomanti
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Production
The Lufthansa heist was also depicted in the 1990 film Goodfellas and the 1991 television film The 10 Million Dollar Getaway. Filming for The Big Heist took place in Toronto. While the movie correctly shows Jimmy Burke leading a crew tied to Paulie Vario, the crew actually belonged to the Lucchese crime family, not the Gambino family as portrayed, and the robbery provided significant funding for Tony Corallo. The film presents Burke as an Irish immigrant with a strong Irish accent, though he was born and raised in the United States. Burke had connections with John Gotti, but Gotti was never involved in the Lufthansa heist. According to a rumour, an FBI wiretap from the 1980s captured Gotti saying he wanted no part of the heist. It was also alleged by Hill that John Gotti personally killed Tommy DeSimone.
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