Deep beneath the bustling streets of Antwerp, Belgium, a vault considered absolutely impenetrable held billions in precious gems. On a cold February weekend in 2003, this fortress of diamonds was breached in what became known as the Antwerp Diamond Heist, a staggering theft valued at over $100 million. It remains the world’s biggest diamond heist, a true crime saga now vividly explored in the Netflix documentary “Stolen: Heist of the Century,” featuring the enigmatic mastermind himself, Leonardo Notarbartolo. This is the incredible, complex story of how a team of ingenious thieves pulled off the impossible, only to be undone by a moment of panic and a discarded sandwich.
The Impenetrable Target: Antwerp Diamond Center
The Antwerp Diamond Center was no ordinary bank. Situated in the heart of the city’s labyrinthine diamond district, it was a hub where an estimated 80% of the world’s rough diamonds passed through. Security was legendary: 10 layers protected its subterranean vault. Infrared heat detectors, Doppler radar, a magnetic field, seismic sensors, and a lock with 100 million possible combinations stood guard. A three-ton steel door, rated to withstand 12 hours of non-stop drilling, sealed the treasures inside. During weekdays, armed police and 24-hour surveillance made it a veritable fortress. Yet, the thieves exploited a crucial vulnerability: significantly reduced security on weekends.
Leonardo Notarbartolo: The Charmer & The Thief
At the center of this audacious plot was Leonardo Notarbartolo, an Italian master jewel thief with decades of experience. He wasn’t a brute; his specialty was charm. Posing as a gem importer from Turin, Italy, Notarbartolo leased an office in the Antwerp Diamond Center two years before the heist. This provided him with critical access, including his own safe deposit box within the vault. His amiable demeanor and subtly accented French allowed him to move freely, observing patterns and subtly gathering intelligence without arousing suspicion. He even joined the Netflix documentary “Stolen: Heist of the Century” years later, sharing his selective recollections.
The “School of Turin” Assembles
Notarbartolo, by his own account, had honed his craft since childhood. By his thirties, he assembled a specialized crew known as the “School of Turin,” each member a master in their own right. This Italian gang included:
The Genius: An expert in alarm systems, later identified as Elio D’Onorio. Notarbartolo claimed D’Onorio could disable almost any alarm.
The Monster: A physically imposing man, skilled in lock-picking, electricity, mechanics, and driving. Likely Ferdinando Finotto, known for his immense strength.
The King of Keys: A quiet, older man considered one of the world’s best key forgers, whose identity remains unconfirmed by Notarbartolo and police.
Speedy: Notarbartolo’s childhood friend, a nervous and prone-to-panic associate, believed to be Pietro Tavano.
This diverse team was equipped to tackle every aspect of the vault’s intricate defenses.
The Meticulous Plan: Replicas and Reconnaissance
The preparation for the Antwerp Diamond Heist was exhaustive, spanning months. Notarbartolo’s initial assessment was that the vault was impregnable. To convince him otherwise, a mysterious diamond dealer (who Notarbartolo claims commissioned the heist, though authorities found no evidence of his existence) showed him an exact replica of the vault antechamber inside an abandoned warehouse outside Antwerp. This life-sized model allowed the “School of Turin” to practice their moves repeatedly, perfecting their methods away from prying eyes.
Notarbartolo himself conducted meticulous reconnaissance. He used a miniaturized digital camera disguised as a pen to photograph security checkpoints and the vault entrance. He secretly installed a fingertip-sized video camera above the vault door, concealed behind a recessed light. This camera, broadcasting via a tiny antenna, captured the guard’s routine, including the crucial combination code being dialed and a clear image of the unique, foot-long vault key. Experts like Scott Selby, co-author of “Flawless,” express skepticism about the camera’s ability to capture the combination, suggesting a magnifying glass-like lens on the lock itself might have been necessary.
Disabling the “Impregnable” Defenses
Two days before the robbery, Notarbartolo made a final visit to his safe deposit box. Unnoticed by security cameras, he deployed a simple yet effective trick: a quick spray of women’s hairspray onto the combined heat/motion sensor. This oily, transparent mist would temporarily insulate the sensor from temperature fluctuations, buying precious minutes for the team.
The gang’s entry into the building itself was also carefully orchestrated. On a deserted Saturday night, they entered a run-down office building next to the Antwerp Diamond Center. From there, they accessed a private garden at the rear, an area not under video surveillance. Using a ladder and a homemade polyester shield to block infrared detection, The Genius bypassed a heat-sensing detector on a second-floor terrace, gaining access to a stairwell that led directly to the vault antechamber.
The Heist Unfolds: A Surgical Strike
Inside the antechamber, with security cameras covered, the team faced the daunting vault door. The Genius ingeniously bypassed the magnetic field sensor. He affixed a custom-made aluminum slab to the two abutting metal plates, unscrewing their bolts. The sticky aluminum held the plates together, maintaining the magnetic field and preventing an alarm while he pivoted them out of the way.
The King of Keys, playing a hunch from Notarbartolo’s videos, found a major security lapse: the original vault key hanging in a utility room. Using this, combined with the combination gleaned from the hidden camera, the door was opened. The Monster then meticulously bypassed the vault’s internal security system. He climbed into the ceiling, located the main inbound and outbound wires, and expertly clipped a new wire between them. This rerouted the electrical pulse, effectively isolating the sensors and disabling the alarm system. They also used a Styrofoam box to blind the heat/motion detector and tape to cover the light detector.
Working in near darkness, using flashlights only for split seconds, the team systematically cracked 109 of the 189 safe deposit boxes. The King of Keys utilized a custom hand-cranked drill to break the locks, while others emptied the contents: gold bars, various currencies, and satchels of rough and polished diamonds.
The Fatal Flaw: A Bungled Getaway
After hours of intense work, the vault was stripped. The team had secured their loot, estimated by police at over $100 million, though Notarbartolo later claimed they found only $20 million, suggesting an elaborate insurance scam by dealers who pre-emptively removed their goods. The initial plan was for the team to drive back to Italy with the gems, while Notarbartolo and Speedy would dispose of the incriminating evidence in France.
However, the heist’s undoing came from an unexpected source: Speedy’s crippling panic. Just 20 minutes into their drive on the E19 motorway out of Antwerp, Speedy insisted they dump the garbage bag filled with evidence immediately. Against Notarbartolo’s better judgment, they pulled off the highway and into a dense thicket of trees. Speedy, in a full-blown panic attack, frantically scattered the contents: spools of videotape, Israeli and Indian currency, even a half-eaten salami sandwich. Tiny, glittering diamonds were flecked across the muddy ground.
Unbeknownst to them, they had dumped the evidence on land owned by August Van Camp, a retired Belgian grocer with a keen eye and a strong aversion to litter. The next morning, Van Camp discovered the refuse, including envelopes marked “diamond center, antwerp.” He reported it to the police, who initially dismissed his calls but quickly sprang into action when they heard “Diamond Center.”
The Capture: Tracing the Trash
The discovery of the trash heap in Van Camp’s forest provided the crucial clues needed to unravel the Antwerp Diamond Heist. Detectives from Antwerp’s specialized “Diamond Squad,” led by Patrick Peys and Agim De Bruycker, painstakingly collected the evidence. Among the discarded items:
A supermarket receipt: This led police to security footage identifying Ferdinando Finotto, aka The Monster, purchasing salami.
An invoice for a low-light video surveillance system: The buyer was Leonardo Notarbartolo.
A business card: Bearing the name Elio D’Onorio, the suspected Genius, an electronics expert linked to other robberies.
Tiny emeralds: Consistent with the stolen gems, providing a direct link to the heist.
Notarbartolo, incredibly, returned to the Antwerp Diamond Center nearly a week after the robbery, on February 21, hoping to avoid suspicion by being the only tenant not to show up. However, the building manager, aware of police interest in Notarbartolo, immediately detained him until the Diamond Squad arrived. Notarbartolo surrendered, reportedly stating, “You face the situation.” Police then found additional evidence at his Antwerp apartment, including a carpet covered in emeralds.
The Enduring Mystery and Legacy
Leonardo Notarbartolo was sentenced to 10 years for masterminding the Antwerp Diamond Heist. Elio D’Onorio and Ferdinando Finotto received five-year sentences. Pietro Tavano (Speedy) also served five years. The King of Keys and a fifth thief were never apprehended. Notarbartolo was paroled in 2009 but re-arrested in 2013 for failing to compensate victims, serving the remainder of his sentence until 2017. He now resides in rural Turin, operating a wood pellet business, under police monitoring.
The vast majority of the stolen diamonds remain unrecovered. The true value of the loot is still debated, with official estimates around $100 million, but Notarbartolo maintaining it was closer to $20 million due to the alleged insurance scam. Scott Selby and law enforcement officials dispute Notarbartolo’s claim of a hidden “Alessandro” commissioning the heist. Many small business owners, trusting the vault’s reputation, were uninsured and suffered devastating losses. Notarbartolo, however, shows no remorse, expressing pride in “doing something so strong and powerful,” as highlighted in the “Stolen: Heist of the Century” documentary. This audacious crime continues to fascinate, a testament to intricate planning undone by a single, panicked mistake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the “impregnable” vault of the Antwerp Diamond Center fall to thieves?
The vault, protected by 10 layers of security including heat and motion sensors, a magnetic field, and a 100-million combination lock, was breached through meticulous planning. The thieves, led by Leonardo Notarbartolo, used a hidden camera to record the vault combination and key. They deployed hairspray to temporarily disable sensors, a custom aluminum plate to bypass the magnetic lock, and an internal wire bypass to neutralize the main alarm system. This combination of observation, replica training, and ingenious hacks allowed them to circumvent every layer of defense.
What key evidence led to the capture of the “School of Turin” after the Antwerp Diamond Heist?
The thieves’ capture stemmed from a critical error in discarding evidence. Speedy, one of the gang members, panicked during the getaway and scattered incriminating items in a forest near the E19 motorway. A local resident, August Van Camp, discovered the trash, which included envelopes from the Diamond Center, tiny emeralds, an invoice for a surveillance system linked to Notarbartolo, a business card for Elio D’Onorio (The Genius), and a supermarket receipt. This receipt, linked to security footage, identified Ferdinando Finotto (The Monster), allowing police to quickly connect the dots to the “School of Turin.”
What became of the stolen diamonds from the Antwerp Diamond Heist, and is the mastermind, Leonardo Notarbartolo, still at large?
The vast majority of the diamonds and other valuables, estimated to be worth over $100 million, remain unrecovered more than two decades later. Notarbartolo claims the actual loot was much less ($20 million), suggesting an insurance scam by some dealers. Leonardo Notarbartolo was apprehended, served his 10-year sentence (with a re-arrest for parole violation), and was released in 2017. He currently lives in Italy, running a wood pellet business, still under police monitoring. The “King of Keys” and a fifth thief involved in the heist were never caught, and the fate of the missing millions remains one of the world’s greatest criminal mysteries.
