Robert Sberna's Blog

Where is the $6 million loot from the Lufthansa Airlines Heist?

In a new book, The Mystery of the Lufthansa Airlines Heist: A Wiseguy Reveals the Untold Story journalist Robert Sberna, and Dominick Cicale, a former Bonanno crime family member, reveal what happened to the cash and jewels stolen from the Lufthansa Airlines cargo vault at JFK airport in 1978.

The robbery has puzzled the FBI for 37 years. At the time, it was the largest cash robbery in U.S. history. The take would be worth about $23 million in today’s dollars. Only one heist participant was ever convicted for the crime and the whereabouts of the loot has remained a secret…until now.

In this short-format book, Cicale not only discloses never-before-told details about the stolen money, but shares candid insights about mob figures John Gotti, Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano, Anthony “Bruno” Indelicato, and John Gotti Jr.

The book includes portions of an unpublished interview with Henry Hill, a confidant of Jimmy Burke, who masterminded the Lufthansa heist. Sberna interviewed Henry Hill in 1989 while Hill was living in California. Hill and the Lufthansa case were immortalized in the Martin Scorsese movie “Goodfellas.”

Burke (nicknamed Jimmy the Gent) is suspected of murdering most of his accomplices soon after the robbery in order to keep their shares and to ensure that they could never betray him. However, Cicale says that Burke was obligated to pay significant portions to the heads of the Bonanno, Gambino and Lucchese families as tribute. The various mob bosses had formed an alliance to run criminal enterprises at JFK, including truck hijackings, cargo theft, bookmaking, drug trafficking, and labor racketeering.

But what happened to the remainder of the Lufthansa loot? Cicale shares the surprising answer in “The Mystery of the Lufthansa Airlines Heist.”
Cicale, who turned government cooperator in 2006, was released from prison in 2013. He had served eight years of a 10-year sentence for various mob-related crimes, including murder.

Cicale had originally faced two life terms for his involvement in a pair of killings ordered by Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano, a capo in the Bonanno family. But Brooklyn Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis reduced Cicale’s sentence, citing his “extraordinary assistance” in helping the government fight organized crime. Cicale testified against numerous ranking mobsters, including Basciano, Patrick “Patty from the Bronx” DeFilippo, and John Gotti Jr.

EXCLUSIVE to TheCrimeBeat.com - Dr. Alan Hoffer's Neighbor Describes Bizarre Attack in Cleveland Hts.

"The Shouting Was So Loud...It Sounded Like a Street Fight" -- Laura Paglin, Dellwood Road resident and 9-1-1 caller. 

[image error] Dr. Alan Hoffer (UPDATED) In the pre-dawn darkness of Sept. 4, Dellwood Road residents Laura Paglin and her husband Duane Verh were readying for work. Three houses away, Dr. Alan Hoffer was fighting for his life.

Hoffer had been ambushed in a ninja-style attack by Dr. Georges Bensimhon , the 66-year-old father of Hoffer's estranged wife, Danielle Bensimhon .

During the attack, Hoffer, 39, was struck repeatedly in the head and arms with a steel crowbar. Eventually, Hoffer managed to overpower Bensimhon, who had been hiding in the shrubbery behind Hoffer's house. Hoffer's repeated shouts for help were heard by Paglin and Verh.  

"We thought somebody was getting mugged or there was a street fight," says Paglin. "The shouting was disturbing and unusual, especially for this quiet neighborhood. I told Duane that he'd better go out and see what was happening."

What Duane Verh found was the 250-pound Hoffer sitting atop the 5-foot-7 Bensimhon, an anesthesiologist from Allentown, Pa. Hoffer was bleeding profusely from his face, arms and neck. 

Paglin dialed 9-1-1 and awaited the arrival of Cleveland Heights police. Minutes later, a patrol car sped down Dellwood, directed to Hoffer's house by Paglin and other neighbors who had gathered outside.

"When police arrived, Dr. Hoffer was still on top of Bensimhon, who was laying on his stomach," Paglin says. "Hoffer had him under control. He's a big guy and Bensimhon was complaining that he couldn't breathe. He told Dr. Hoffer in an exasperated tone: 'Alan, will you get off of me. My arm is broken!'"

Bensimhon's alleged weapon was laying nearby. Initially it was described by a neighbor as a "scythe," but police say it is a 12-inch crowbar with a sharpened point. The instrument had been wrapped in athletic tape. Also found nearby was a backpack, belonging to Bensimhon, that contained syringes and injectable sedatives. Police described Bensimhon as wearing a black mask and dressed all in black at the time of his arrest. He wore purple latex surgical gloves, and carried a silver flashlight in his pants pocket.

According to a police statement, Hoffer said that he was beaten with the crow bar and bitten repeatedly. He was treated at University Hospitals for his injuries, while Bensimhon was taken to the Cleveland Clinic. 

Paglin, a longtime neighbor of Hoffer's, describes him as a "nice guy who's quiet and very pleasant." She says she was shocked to learn that Hoffer was attacked by a family member. However, Alan Hoffer's father, Dr. Barry Hoffer told police there has been a history of bad blood between his son and Dr. Bensimhon, including several threats of violence. 

Since 2011, Alan Hoffer and Danielle Bensimhon have been involved in a contentious divorce and custody battle over their daughter, who is age 1. On the morning of the attack, Hoffer was preparing to leave for Florida to pick up the girl, police said.

Two years ago, Danielle Bensimhon, 34, relocated to West Palm Beach, Fla. A graduate of Oberlin College, she works as a realtor and is a cantor at Temple Beth David in Palm Beach Gardens. 

 Hoffer, a neurological surgeon at University Hospitals of Cleveland, lives on Dellwood with his 7-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. 

Paglin says in the day or two after the attack, Dellwood Road residents were visited by a private investigator, who had been hired on behalf of Dr. Bensimhon. "He was talking to all the neighbors...just asking what we saw or heard. I guess he was gathering information for Bensimhon's defense lawyers," she says. 

When asked if she had any theories about Bensimhon's failed "hit", Paglin, who works as a filmmaker, says she wonders whether the physician had plans to "knock out" Dr. Hoffer with sedatives, then transport him elsewhere. Police found Bensimhon's car parked at the nearby Cleveland Heights Public Library on Lee Road.

Bensimhon was indicted Sept. 12 on charges of attempted murder, attempted aggravated murder, felonious assault, and kidnapping. His arraignment is set for Sept. 25 at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Bensimhon was born in Morocco and has U.S. and Israeli passports. As a condition of bail, Bensimhon surrendered his passports, which were reportedly held by Danielle.  

EXCLUSIVE to The Crime Beat - Dr. Alan Hoffer's Neighbor Describes Bizarre Attack in Cleveland Hts.

"The Screams Were So Loud...It Sounded Like a Street Fight" -- Laura Paglin, Dellwood Road resident and 9-1-1 caller. 

[image error] Dr. Alan Hoffer (UPDATED) In the pre-dawn darkness of Sept. 4, Dellwood Road residents Laura Paglin and her husband Duane Verh were readying for work. Three houses away, Dr. Alan Hoffer was fighting for his life.

Hoffer had been ambushed in a ninja-style attack by Dr. Georges Bensimhon , the 66-year-old father of Hoffer's estranged wife, Danielle Bensimhon .

During the attack, Hoffer, 39, was struck repeatedly in the head and arms with a steel crowbar. Eventually, Hoffer managed to overpower Bensimhon, who had been hiding in the shrubbery behind Hoffer's house. Hoffer's urgent screams for help were heard by Paglin and Verh.  

"We thought somebody was getting mugged or there was a street fight," says Paglin. "The shouting was disturbing and unusual, especially for this quiet neighborhood. We heard four screams and then I told Duane that he'd better find out what was going on."

What Duane Verh found was the 250-pound Hoffer sitting atop the 5-foot-7 Bensimhon, an anesthesiologist from Allentown, Pa. "Dr. Hoffer was bleeding profusely from his face, arms and neck," says Paglin. "He yelled at Duane to call police." 

Paglin dialed 9-1-1 and stood outside with her husband to await the arrival of Cleveland Heights police. "When they arrived, Dr. Hoffer was still on top of Bensimhon, who was laying on his stomach," says Paglin. "Hoffer had him under control. He's a big guy and Bensimhon was complaining that he couldn't breathe. He told Dr. Hoffer in an exasperated tone: 'Alan, will you get off of me. My arm is broken!'"

Bensimhon's alleged weapon was laying nearby. Initially it was described by a neighbor as a "scythe," but police say it is a 12-inch crowbar with a sharpened point. The instrument had been wrapped in athletic tape. Also found nearby was a backpack, belonging to Bensimhon, that contained syringes and injectable sedatives. Police described Bensimhon as wearing a black mask and dressed all in black at the time of his arrest. He wore purple latex surgical gloves, and carried a silver flashlight in his pants pocket.

According to a police statement, Hoffer said that he was beaten with the crow bar and bitten repeatedly. He was treated at University Hospitals for his injuries, while Bensimhon was taken to the Cleveland Clinic. 

Paglin, a longtime neighbor of Hoffer's, describes him as a "nice guy who's quiet and very pleasant." She says she was shocked to learn that Hoffer was attacked by a family member. However, Alan Hoffer's father, Dr. Barry Hoffer, who also lives on Dellwood Road, told police there has been a history of bad blood between his son and Dr. Bensimhon, including several threats of violence. 

Since 2011, Alan Hoffer and Danielle Bensimhon have been involved in a contentious divorce and custody battle over their daughter, who is age 1. On the morning of the attack, Hoffer was preparing to leave for Florida to pick up the girl, police said.

Two years ago, Danielle Bensimhon, 34, relocated to West Palm Beach, Fla. A graduate of Oberlin College, she works as a realtor and is a cantor at Temple Beth David in Palm Beach Gardens. 

 Hoffer, a neurological surgeon at University Hospitals of Cleveland, lives on Dellwood with his 7-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. 

Paglin says in the day or two after the attack, Dellwood Road residents were visited by a private investigator, who had been hired on behalf of Dr. Bensimhon. "He was talking to all the neighbors...just asking what we saw or heard. I guess he was gathering information for Bensimhon's defense lawyers," she says. 

When asked if she had any theories about Bensimhon's failed "hit", Paglin, who works as a filmmaker, says she wonders whether the physician had plans to "knock out" Dr. Hoffer with sedatives, then transport him elsewhere. Police found Bensimhon's car parked at the nearby Cleveland Heights Public Library on Lee Road.

Bensimhon was indicted Sept. 12 on charges of attempted murder, attempted aggravated murder, felonious assault, and kidnapping. His arraignment is set for Sept. 25 at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Bensimhon was born in Morocco and has U.S. and Israeli passports.

(first reported by TheCrimeBeat.com) DOCTOR ATTACKS DOCTOR: Bizarre Incident in suburban Cleveland

[image error] Dressed in black and clutching a 12-inch metal pry bar, Dr. Georges "Yossi" Bensimhon (pictured at left) crouched in the bushes behind his son-in-law's house in the early morning hours of Sept. 4.

Police say Bensimhon, an anesthesiologist from Allentown, Pa., had driven six hours to Cleveland Heights with intentions of administering the Big Sleep to  Dr. Alan Hoffer , who is engaged in a bitter divorce with Bensimhon's daughter, Danielle Bensimhon . 

The attack was thwarted, however, when Hoffer, after stepping out his back door at 5:30 a.m., heard rustling behind him. The 66-year-old Bensimhon, garbed in a black mask and purple surgical gloves, swung the metal bar at Hoffer, hitting him repeatedly in the head and arms. Although bloodied and dazed, Hoffer, a neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, was able to overpower the 5-foot-7 Bensimhon and restrain him until his neighbors called police. 

Cleveland Heights police charged Bensimhon, reportedly a veteran of the Israeli Army, with attempted aggravated murder, breaking and entering, and possession of criminal tools. Investigators recovered a backpack at the scene, apparently belonging to Bensimhon, that contained hypodermic needles and various injectable sedatives. 

Law enforcement officials said they have not ascertained whether Danielle Bensimhon had prior knowledge of her father's intentions. On the morning of the attack, Hoffer was planning to drive to the Cleveland airport to pick up his young daughter, who lives in North Miami Beach with Danielle. Hoffer and his estranged wife are involved in a custody battle over their daughter.

The couple are scheduled to begin their contested divorce trial on Sept. 30. Danielle, who moved to Florida two years ago, works as a realtor and is also a cantor at Temple Beth David in Palm Beach Gardens. She previously was a cantor at Congregation Bethaynu in Pepper Pike, an eastern suburb of Cleveland. 

Hoffer's father, Dr. Barry Hoffer, told police there had been problems between his son and Dr. Bensimhon in the past, "including threats." 

(Update) Dr. Bensimhon was indicted Sept. 12 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on charges of kidnapping, felonious assault, attempted murder, and attempted aggravated murder.  

(first reported by The Crime Beat) DOCTOR ATTACKS DOCTOR: Bizarre Incident in suburban Cleveland

[image error] Dressed in black and clutching a 12-inch metal pry bar, Dr. Georges "Yossi" Bensimhon (pictured at left) crouched in the bushes behind his son-in-law's house in the early morning hours of Sept. 4.

Police say Bensimhon, an anesthesiologist from Allentown, Pa., had driven six hours to Cleveland Heights with intentions of administering the Big Sleep to  Dr. Alan Hoffer , who is engaged in a bitter divorce with Bensimhon's daughter, Danielle Bensimhon . 

The attack was thwarted, however, when Hoffer, after stepping out his back door at 5:30 a.m., heard rustling behind him. The 66-year-old Bensimhon, garbed in a black mask and purple surgical gloves, swung the metal bar at Hoffer, but only landed a glancing blow on his forehead. Although bloodied and dazed, Hoffer, a neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, was able to overpower the 5-foot-7 Bensimhon and restrain him until his neighbors called police. 

Cleveland Heights police charged Bensimhon, reportedly a veteran of the Israeli Army, with attempted aggravated murder, breaking and entering, and possession of criminal tools. Investigators recovered a backpack at the scene, apparently belonging to Bensimhon, that contained hypodermic needles and various injectable sedatives. A bible was found among the items seized from Bensimhon, say police.

Law enforcement officials said they have not ascertained whether Danielle Bensimhon had prior knowledge of her father's intentions. On the morning of the attack, Hoffer was planning to drive to the Cleveland airport to pick up his young daughter, who lives in North Miami Beach with Danielle. Hoffer and his estranged wife are involved in a custody battle over their daughter.

The couple are scheduled to begin their contested divorce trial on Sept. 30. Danielle, who moved to Florida two years ago, works as a realtor and is also a cantor at Temple Beth David in Palm Beach Gardens. She previously was a cantor at Congregation Bethaynu in Pepper Pike, an eastern suburb of Cleveland. 

Hoffer's father, Dr. Barry Hoffer, told police there had been problems between his son and Dr. Bensimhon in the past, "including threats." 

(Update) Dr. Bensimhon was indicted Sept. 12 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on charges of kidnapping, felonious assault, attempted murder, and attempted aggravated murder.