Superthief: A Master Burglar, the Mafia, and the Biggest Bank Heist in U.S. History

by Rick Porrello

Superthief, in development for a motion picture, is a captivating first-hand look at the life of Phil Christopher, a career criminal, Mafia associate, and one of the most successful bank burglars in the United States. In a raw and candid accounting, Author Rick Porrello takes readers inside Phil's brutal street world and prison life and exposes the details behind the planning and execution of the daring and record-setting 1972 United California Bank burglary in Orange County, California. The UCB burglary is the biggest in United States history and has been featured in documentaries on Court TV and the Discovery Channel.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime, Biography, History, Research

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 2005

About the author

Rick Porrello, a retired police chief with mob roots and a jazz musician, has been writing books that attract filmmakers. His second title, To Kill the Irishman, which he self-published, was adapted for the film Kill the Irishman starring Ray Stevenson and with Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer and Vincent D'Onofrio.

Rick has several projects in development for theatrical adaptation. His latest book, Just Play Like You Do in the Basement: Coming of Age as the Drummer for the Greatest Entertainer in the World, was inspired by the two-and-a-half years he spent working for the legendary Rat Pack performer, Sammy Davis, Jr.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a longtime fan of Rick Porello's work. His exhaustive research and lively writing style have made his previous books both entertaining reads and social / historical documents of real significance. His career as a police officer and the fact that he is descended from Cleveland organized crime figures give him insight into the criminal psyche from BOTH ends of the spectrum.

"Superthief" examines the life and crimes of Phil Christopher, labor official and sometime killer who pulled off the spectacular United California bank robbery in 1972. Although Christopher's legend is based on that primary heist, Porello goes into great detail about his other crimes, his personal and professional links to organized crime figures, and the spirited personality who can rob a bank or kill a rival without any remorse. When you also take into account the fact that the author collaborated with Phil Christopher during the research phase of "Superthief", you have to credit Rick for giving True Crime fans an entertaining and invaluable study of an underworld legend.

[Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Superthief by Cleveland native, Rick Porrello. Being from the area it takes you back to the crumbling rustbelt and chaos of those years. I am currently listening to the Crooked City podcast which follows closely the timeline of this book. The podcast probably used this book as a source. Basically a unrepentant narrative by Phil Christopher, a Cleveland born burglar, safe cracker, drug dealer and murderer connected to the mafia. Phil tells his story in a conversational style that is unique to the rustbelt. It definitely helped that he had access to 30,000 pages of FBI material on his crimes as he goes all the way back to grade school to tell his story in detail. Yes, he had success but he also spent 32 of his 61 years this book covers in jail. So not sure how "Super" a thief he was. It is rather pathetic how his parents/family stuck with him with their love and support through a lifetime of crime, punishment and a string of failed relationships and marriages. If you are a fan of Crooked City, all the characters are in this book and you get a deeper insight into them and the darkness of this era. Deduct a star or two for reading on Kindle. Was annoyingly formatted with broken type sections and too numerous to count typos.

[Monzenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

High four stars. It's a great narrative journey, where at one point I was rooting for the main character and then a couple of chapters again I'm wondering if he deserved any of my sympathy. It definitely broke against the usual mould of start to middle to end. Unfortunately, burglary isn't really the topic that I am most interested in, even amongst just crimes. Still, a worthy book to recommend for those who want to read a blend of Mafia, drugs, burglary, and general hoodlum stuff.

[Diane Shipley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember this era well, my era. I went to Collinwood class of '63. I did not know Phil Christopher, but heard of him, and knew his first wife, who was very, very nice. The book is a fast read, and I finished it in a couple of hours. It is interesting, as I recognize some of the place where it took place and walked on those streets as well.

Great read.

[Padgett Ratings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superthief: A Master Burglar, the Mafia and the Biggest Bank Heist in U.S. History is very well written and is a thorough pleasure to read.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story

Very interesting story about an interesting criminal. He’s mob adjacent so that’s kind of a new twist. Highly recommend this book to anyone who likes criminal memoirs.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I put it away after about 30 pages. The writing just wasn't very interesting. The is a lot of potential for a great story but it comes across very flat.

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of interesting, and a very quick read. I have limited speed reading ability, and was done with the book in about 20 minutes at 100 pages.

You really don't have to read it, and a lot of the book is filled with references to outdated technology/hardware, I can summarize the advice below to save you the read :

1. alarms suck, but get one anyways. If you don't want to pay for one, just put up stickers and fake panels, etc. Alarms are all about the psychological deterrant.

2. put up weird notices, handwritten, like "dear electrician, the rattlesnakes are out again, don't go in today"

3. get a boat horn, get some for your neighbors, and use these to scare theives away.

4. make sure people can't see into your home via curtains.

5. storm shutters are really hard to break into, bars are easy and signal to a thief that something valuable is inside.

6. don't hide anything valuable in your master bedroom, thats the first place everyone goes.

7. Dogs are a great deterrent, if your dog alerts you to something, check it out. He said that tons of people would tell their dog to shut up when the dog would bark at him casing their house.

8. make sure your home is well lit on the outside.

9. floor safes are WAY better than wall safes


There are a few more, but those seem to be the real takeaways. Its a worthwhile read if you're interested in the mind of a burglar, since he did a lot of surveying in prisons.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Fascinating story about a local figure of whom I had never heard until I went to a lecture at the Beachwood Library by author, Rick Porello. Fascinating look inside the life of a life-long criminal & bank burglar, so diametrically opposite of my experiences. The escapades of Superthief Paul Christopher kept me interested from beginning to end.

[William Scalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the same time frame as the book "The Herd from 93rd" and it's in a nearby neighborhood of Collinwood. Unlike the guys from 'The Herd' who lived for the next laugh, the Collinwood group was more into burglary. The book is a page turner and offered an insight into the minds of proffesional burglars.

[Eric Frazee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining book. Not sure why they called this guy Superthief...he always seemed to be getting arrested.

[Arielle Estare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and captivating read. You want to not like the author so much, but his story is tragic and intriguing at the same time!

[Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

- a true, first-hand look at the life of one of the most successful bank burglars in U.S. history

[Ben Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quit a tale.