It looks like Oceans 88, a cross between Benidorm Bastards and a gangster film, but in Rome a gang of elderly robbers is now serving their punishment. The judge did not listen to the pleas that cited ‘advanced age’ and ‘health problems’ as mitigating circumstances. The sentence was four years in prison.
The police used a telephone tap to collect evidence against the mature gangsters and eventually a prostate problem destroyed the gang. When they planned their final battle, the gang’s regular driver wanted to fail. “It won’t work anymore with the scooter. I need to get my prostate done.” He suffered from incontinence due to his prostate problems and did not feel like riding the scooter anymore. He also urgently had to undergo surgery, which would jeopardize the timing of the robbery.
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The leader of the gang, one Italo De Wit, did not listen to the whining of his accomplice. He asked him to postpone the operation until after the robbery. Initially, De Witt says he will drive himself, but the other gang members do not trust his driving skills.
Ultimately, De Witt allows the driver to undergo surgery, but his recovery is difficult. The result? The robbery is postponed several times. They gradually discussed their plans and the changes, including over the telephone, and detectives were able to listen in. When the gang stormed into the targeted post office, the police were waiting for them.
‘The German’ with a Dutch name
The leader of the gang is no stranger to justice. De Witt – whose surname, according to Corriere Della Sera, betrays Dutch roots, although he is known in the world as ‘The German’ – made the front pages of the newspapers as early as 1995. Then he and his gang allegedly opened a bank near the Spanish steps robbed in Rome. He took fifteen bank employees hostage for a while. An employee who replenished the bank machine had to put the money in sports bags. De Witt and his gang were able to escape with a loot of 210 million lire, which is about 100,000 euros. Especially for that time: a lot of money.
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Today De Witt is 70 years old. His companions are also no longer young foals. The person who was supposed to be a lookout – and was already there in 1995 – is 68 years old today. The gangster who carried out the actual robberies while armed: 68 years old. The ‘hacker-like’ type of the gang, who had to counterfeit the keys to the post offices to be robbed, is 66 years old. In addition, two people in their fifties were involved who are said to have prepared the robberies: at least one of them is a stone cutter who made holes in the walls of banks and post offices that the gang had in mind. Another blow to the gang’s credit: a robbery of a Roman post office on May 3. Then three of them were able to steal 195,000 euros.
But now their empire is over. They spend their pension in prison.
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