Final Confession: The Unsolved Crimes of Phil Cresta

By Bill Crowley and Brian P. Wallace

Book Overview

Phil Cresta was no run-of-the-mill thief. Mastermind of the legendary Brink's armored truck robbery and a string of countless other high-stakes heists, he stole more than ten million dollars in escapades that often were breathtakingly daring and at times marvelously inventive. The robberies baffled both police and fellow outlaws for decades, and most of the crimes remain unsolved today. Now the open case files of these memorable thefts can be closed as Cresta himself provides the true story on how they were planned and carried out. Born in Boston's North End in 1928, Cresta was raised in an abusive household. He was sent to Concord Reformatory as a teenager, where he learned the craft of picking locks, a skill later honed during stays at the Charlestown and Walpole prisons in Massachusetts. Following the Brinks robbery in 1968, he was put on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List, but eluded the law for five years, living in Chicago under an assumed name. After serving time at Walpole for the Brinks job, Cresta died penniless in Chicago in 1995. Yet shortly before his death, he revealed the full extent of his astonishing capers to coauthor Bill Crowley, a retired Boston police detective. Drawing from their extensive conversations, this riveting page-turner chronicles how Cresta, along with partners "Angelo" and "Tony," pulled off robberies of jewelers, rare coin dealers, furriers, and armored trucks, detailing the meticulous planning that marked his criminal career. Cresta's final accounting is brimming with vivid tales of betrayal, murder, and intrigue as well as a colorful cast of characters, including mob bosses, wise guys, informants, paid "ears," corrupt judges, a Hollywood starlet, and even the Mayor of Chicago. Filled with drama, tension, and humor, this absorbing saga takes the reader inside the dangerous yet exhilarating world of a life dedicated to crime.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1611683785
• ISBN13: 9781611683783
• Release Date: February 2013
• Publisher: Dartmouth College
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.7" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Wannabe wiseguys might want to read this book

A lot of fun to read. You can't help but laugh at a lot of these true-crime stories. You just can't make this stuff up. This book would make a great movie.

Excellent, well written!

Wallace produces an excellent book. A fast read that is highly entertaining and interesting. You do not have to be from Boston to enjoy the book. Both Brian Wallace and Mr. Crowley deserve great credit for a fascinating book on crime in Boston. Who will play Phil Cresta in the movie?..yes, the book is that GOOD!....My vote is with George Clooney!

For the thrill of it.

I really enjoyed this book and was facinated by Phil Cresta and how quietly he moved through life, but pulled off the most daring heists.Brian Wallace is a very exciting writer and he brings Phil and his gang vividly to life.

Great Book

I absolutely loved this book. Picked it up once and never put it down. It takes you thru the local Boston Mob scene from 1960's with Patriarca and Anguilo right up to the unsolved whereabouts of Whitey Bulger in 2000. Good story, but it ended too fast. Wanted to hear more of these true unsolved crimes. I remembered some of the crimes from the front pages of the Herald American. It's both amusing and amazing that this 'Phil Cresta' and his two sidekicks actually pulled them off! Colorful characters and vivid details of life in the South Boston, the North End, Fenway, etc. You don't have to be from Boston to appreciate the story, the mob, the real life characters and the history (even the Sox), but it helps. Great Book. Can't wait for the movie!

Cagney reincarnated

What a great book.Cresta was like a living James Cagney character. It's truly amazing what Mr. Cresta and his two partners, Angelo, and Tony got away with. I especially like that they pulled 98% (give or take) of their jobs without physically harming anyone. Phil could have been a lot worse a person, given his upbringing. I recommend this read to anyone, young, and old, especially if you're from the Boston area. It's too bad James Cagney,Humphrey Bogart, or Edward G. Robinson arent around to step in Phil and his partners shoes for what would surely be a blockbuster of a movie. Hats off to Phil and his partners.