The Societe Generale Bank Heist - 1976 Nice, France

  

During the 1976 Bastille Day weekend in Nice France Albert Spaggiari took a group of men and broke into the Societe Generale bank. They had drilled a tunnel from the city's sewers into the vault.

 They spent four days opening safety deposit boxes whilst cooking food and drinking wine. They escaped with $8-$10 million in gold, cash, jewellery and gems, but before he left Spaggiari scrawled on the walls "sans armes, ni haine, ni violence" which translates into "no weapons or hatred, or violence" elevating himself to a higher class criminal.

 It was then the largest bank theft in history, and by the end of October 1976, Spaggiari had been arrested and had confessed to the crime. During a trial hearing, he made a daring escape by distracting the judge and jumping through a window onto a parked car, he drove off on a waiting motorcycle. 

 He was later convicted in absentia and sentenced to life in prison but remained hidden until his death in 1989. Six other men were arrested; three were acquitted and the others sentenced to between five and seven years. The loot from the heist has never been fully recovered.