Last month I quizzed you on watches—central to the mystery that unfolds in Bind. This month the questions keep coming only this time the focus is on thievery. Scroll down for the answers.
Try you hand at these…
1.
If not for a Rolex watch, Albert Johnson Walker might not
have served 26 years in prison. Where was he incarcerated?
A.
England
B.
Canada
C.
St. Pierre
2.
What is the largest theft in Canadian history? (Can you
guess what they stole?)
A.
The
“Canadian Maple Syrup Heist” in 2011-2012
B.
The
“Pearson Airport Gold Heist” in 2023
C.
The
“Gem Star Heist” in 2007
3.
Which Canadian city was once known as the bank robbery capital of North America?
A.
Toronto
(or T-Dot as the cool kids say)
B.
Vancouver
(or Raincity as the locals call it)
C.
Montreal
(the City of Saints, unofficially of course)
-
4.
Which Canadian criminal was known as the Flying Bandit?
A. Ken
Leishman, convicted gold robber
B. Gilbert
Galvan Jr., convicted bank robber
C. Johnson
Aziga, convicted murderer
5.
Who is Canada’s most infamous female bank robber?
A. Machine
Gun Molly (she liked disguises)
B. The Church
Lady Bandit (who robbed eight banks while on probation)
C. Bank
Robbin' Mama (also known as Ma Barker)
And the answers are …
1.
If not for a Rolex watch, Albert Johnson Walker might not
have served 26 years in prison. Where was he incarcerated?
A.
England
B.
Canada
C.
St.
Pierre
Answer: A &
B
In July 1996, British police used a Rolex
watch to identify a body that was found in the English Channel. When they visited
the home of Ronald Platt, they discovered his business partner, Canadian-born
Albert Johnson Walker, pretending to be him. In 1998, Walker was convicted of first-degree murder
and incarcerated in England. In 2005, he was allowed to transfer to a Canadian prison
where he was further convicted of embezzling millions from his Canadian
clients. In 2024, he was still in prison in B.C.
2.
What is the largest theft in Canadian history? (Can you
guess what they stole?)
A.
The
“Canadian Maple Syrup Heist” in 2011-2012
B.
The
“Pearson Airport Gold Heist” in 2023
C.
The
“Gem Star Heist” in 2007
Answer: A
Over
several months in 2011 & 2012, thieves stole nearly 3,000 tonnes of maple
syrup from a storage facility in Quebec (value of about $30 million in 2024). The
theft was featured in the Netflix documentary series Dirty Money in
2018 (Season 1, Episode 5).
3.
Which Canadian city was once known as the bank robbery capital of North America?
A.
Toronto
(or T-Dot as the cool kids say)
B.
Vancouver
(or Raincity as the locals call it)
C.
Montreal
(the City of Saints, unofficially of course)
Answer: C
From the
1950s to the 1970s, Montreal was the bank robbery capital of North America,
with more bank robberies per year than even New York and Los Angeles. This was largely due to the light sentences handed down by Quebec courts—5
years in prison for convicted thieves compared to the 20 years in prison
normally handed down by American courts.
-3-
4.
Which Canadian criminal was known as the Flying Bandit?
A. Ken
Leishman, convicted gold robber
B. Gilbert
Galvan Jr., convicted bank robber
C. Johnson
Aziga, convicted murderer
Answer: A & B
Canada
had two Flying Bandits!
The first was Kenny Leishman who masterminded
the biggest gold heist in Canadian history—until the Pearson Airport Heist in
2023. He earned the nickname The Flying Bandit after he escaped from
prison, stole a plane, and flew to the US where he was arrested.
The second was Gilbert Galvan Jr., an
American who escaped from a Michigan jail and fled to Canada where he robbed 59
banks and jewelry stores. He was dubbed The Flying Bandit for his habit of flying
from city to city to rob banks. He robbed banks in every Canadian province
except PEI and Newfoundland.
Johnson Aziga is the first person to be
charged and convicted of first-degree murder in Canada for spreading HIV, after
two women he had infected without their knowledge died.
5.
Who is Canada’s most infamous female bank robber?
A. Machine
Gun Molly (she liked disguises)
B. The Church
Lady Bandit (who robbed eight banks while on probation)
C. Bank
Robbin' Mama (also known as Ma Barker)
Answer: A
Monica Proietti, better known as Machine
Gun Molly, was a Canadian bank robber from Montreal. She was suspected of
masterminding at least 20 bank robberies during her short life. On September
19, 1967, she robbed a Montreal credit union with two accomplices. That set off
a high-speed chase that ended with her being shot and killed by police.
It’s been said that “If Al Capone had had a
daughter, he would have wanted her to be Monique Proietti.”
I hope you were
intrigued—and challenged—by the questions. Let me know how you did.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing, Donalee.
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