Harvey’s Casino Bomb • Hacker News Board

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#81

Post by littlecranky67 » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:27 PM UTC

Ndymium wrote: post #14

In the end he was caught because his van was identified and because "One of his sons had revealed to his then-girlfriend that his father had placed a bomb in Harvey's." I always wonder at how criminals that otherwise might seem movie-like masterminds are caught as a result of mundane mistakes and outright stupid moves like this. You would think if you are going to bomb a place, the first thing would be to not talk ab…

Posting this link (that somebody else posted in this thread) to an article with lot more coverage on the issue that wikipedia: https://magazine.atavist.com/a-thousand-pounds-of-dynamite/

Eventually, the sons of "Big John" caved in to the FBI in interrogation. While the tip of the former girlfriend made the whole family prime suspects in the first place, they did not have anything on them until the sons decided to talk (and get immunity for their involvement in exchange).

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#82

Post by MeinBlutIstBlau » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

IshKebab wrote: post #72

MeinBlutIstBlau wrote: post #6

>Tourists at neighboring casinos bet on when the bomb would go off, or if it would go off. After the bomb detonated, crowds cheered and reveled from a safe distance. Completely unhinged tourists. Hotel explodes and people cheer cause they probably won money.

What should they do? Mourn the loss of some concrete and steel?

I meant in a tongue and cheek kind of way. I was thinking it was funny. Apparently HN is full of people that interpret text literally and cannot infer nuance whatsoever.

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#83

Post by paulpauper » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 6:13 PM UTC

duxup wrote: post #38

the-dude wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is because you don't hear about the cases which don't slip up.

If Harvey got $3 million in cash and gotten away, or just not gotten caught. We would have heard about it. Unsolved Mysteries type shows and news stories would be all over that sort of thing.

and on FBI wanted lists too.

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#84

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 6:21 PM UTC

Ndymium wrote: post #14

In the end he was caught because his van was identified and because "One of his sons had revealed to his then-girlfriend that his father had placed a bomb in Harvey's." I always wonder at how criminals that otherwise might seem movie-like masterminds are caught as a result of mundane mistakes and outright stupid moves like this. You would think if you are going to bomb a place, the first thing would be to not talk ab…

[deleted]

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#85

Post by shahar2k » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 6:21 PM UTC

55555 wrote: post #21

kumarvvr wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As always, with any crime, the more people involved, the greater the possibility that human factors will sabotage the operation. The perfect crime has one perpetrator. It is also why its fascinating that people will believe in conspiracy theories that supposedly involve tens / hundreds / thousands of people. Theories that we faked the moon landing always intrigue me. Or that the earth is flat.

I see your point! I totally do. I also used to hold this belief. But then the Snowden revelations came out and it was revealed that probably 10,000 people in government were aware of a system that was sucking up all of our data for warrantless search and they had successfully kept the secret for something like 10 years (or more?). For sure it's true that a secret can be kept by three people if two of them are dead. B…

how many of those 10k people really have the awareness required to put that kind of data invasion in context and perspective? I think the reaction to large issues like climate change, tells you exactly all you need about people's ability to downplay large issues into "someone else's problem"

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#86

Post by nashashmi » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 6:28 PM UTC

Ndymium wrote: post #14

In the end he was caught because his van was identified and because "One of his sons had revealed to his then-girlfriend that his father had placed a bomb in Harvey's." I always wonder at how criminals that otherwise might seem movie-like masterminds are caught as a result of mundane mistakes and outright stupid moves like this. You would think if you are going to bomb a place, the first thing would be to not talk ab…

The book and movie the Irishman comes to mind when I think about people who got away. They never really can keep their mouth shut.

It’s in our nature to tell others who we are and everything we do. It’s why we have social media. It’s our nature.

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#87

Post by oneepic » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 6:41 PM UTC

duxup wrote: post #38

the-dude wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is because you don't hear about the cases which don't slip up.

If Harvey got $3 million in cash and gotten away, or just not gotten caught. We would have heard about it. Unsolved Mysteries type shows and news stories would be all over that sort of thing.

His name is John Birges Sr., not Harvey.

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#88

Post by SerLava » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 7:01 PM UTC

55555 wrote: post #21

kumarvvr wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As always, with any crime, the more people involved, the greater the possibility that human factors will sabotage the operation. The perfect crime has one perpetrator. It is also why its fascinating that people will believe in conspiracy theories that supposedly involve tens / hundreds / thousands of people. Theories that we faked the moon landing always intrigue me. Or that the earth is flat.

I see your point! I totally do. I also used to hold this belief. But then the Snowden revelations came out and it was revealed that probably 10,000 people in government were aware of a system that was sucking up all of our data for warrantless search and they had successfully kept the secret for something like 10 years (or more?). For sure it's true that a secret can be kept by three people if two of them are dead. B…

Actually we all knew the NSA was doing it, and what Snowden leaked was just the proof.

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#89

Post by whoaisme » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 7:30 PM UTC

paulpauper wrote: post #70

1-more wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ransomware is also a better sort of arbitrage against the legal system. If you somehow got caught and prosecuted you didn't do a violent crime, so that has to probably help you somewhat. Of course you did do a federal crime so you have to serve 85% of your time no matter what.

Not at all. White collar criminals often serve longer than even violent criminals. Look at Bernie Maddof, Allen Stanford and others

In your mind what does the word often mean?

Re: Harvey’s Casino Bomb

#90

Post by JaggerFoo » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 7:34 PM UTC

$3 Million vs cost to repair/rebuild casino with a five story crater - which was the better choice economically?

They would've caught the guy eventually, so they may have been able to recover some of the ransom.