Hello internet - how’s it going - I’m your host Jack Finch, right here on Most Amazing
Top 5, bringing you the scariest stories of inmates - who have actually escaped from maximum
security prison.
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/below/ - to let us know what you’d like to see more of.
Now, in the movies, a prison break is seen as a daring, edge of your seat kind of adventure.
But in reality, it’s usually down to some pretty severe brute force violence, a little
lapse in concentration - or just plain old *luck*.
There’s a reason that most of these daring escapees have been locked behind bars, and
that’s - generally - because they’ve committed some incredibly heinous crimes.
So,
Starting us off at Number 5 - we have the Texas 7.
Hailed as the biggest prison break in Texan history, the famed escape happened in December
of 2000 - when seven inmates forced their way out of maximum security prison - John
B. Connally Unit - in the isolated Texas town of Kenedy.
The escape was led by George Rivas, who was 30 at the time, and serving 18 consecutive
life sentences for burglary and kidnapping - two of the group were also convicted murderers.
The Texas 7 began their prison break by overpowering two guards and 8 maintenance men, stealing
their clothes and the keys to a truck after locking them in a utility closet.
They then fooled several other guards in a watchtower to hand over a cache of weapons,
before tying them up and fleeing the prison in a truck.
The infamous group then went on a day-long crime spree, from San Antonio to Dallas, and
then to Colorado where they were eventually captured.
Sadly though, not before killing 29-year old police officer Aubrey Hawkins, who bravely
attempted to apprehend the group.
The Texas 7 were eventually captured, and secured back into the prison system.
At Number 4 - we have the story of an escape at the Everglades Correctional Institute in
Florida.
Now - there’s nothing stronger than a mother’s love for her child, especially if that child
is sentenced to serve 20 years in jail for armed robbery.
Jay Junior Sigler, who was 31 at the time, had already served eight-years of hard time
before the events took place.
But his mother, 58-year old Sandra Sigler - was hatching a plan that would reunite the
pair /without/ the consent of the local law.
The prison, spread over almost 100 acres of coral rock was designed to be one of the most
secure and advanced in the state - with concrete slab cell blocks, buried motion sensors and
multiple chain-link fences.
Sandra, along with two accomplices, set into motion a plan that would see her son home
- and she did just that.
The group got hold of a big-rig tractor, and during broad daylight, they plowed through
the prison’s front gates - as well as multiple maximum security razor-topped fences.
Sandra followed close behind in an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and when the assailants reached
the prison unit - they then had a gunfight with guards, whilst waiting for Jay Junior
to make his break.
The plan worked - and they roared out of the complex into the streets of southwest Miami.
Sandra and here accomplices were swiftly caught - but Jay Junior Sigler soon disappeared into
the Florida swamps and everglades.
He was later captured - but the daring escape deeply shocked the Sunshine State.
Coming in at Number 3 - we have a story all the way from Vologda in Russia.
Alexei Shestakov, had been sentenced to 24 years in prison for the murder of eight people.
The prison in Vologda is located roughly 500-kilometres north of Moscow - and is pretty isolated from
the rest of the country.
Now it’s important to note that, at the time of his escape, Alexei had served roughly
half of his term.
He’d spent nearly /12 years/ in a pretty desolate, isolated prison.
So, no one expected what happened next.
During exercise time in the prison yard, guards and prisoners alike were perplexed at the
sight of a helicopter hovering above their heads.
The chopper quickly descended, and Alexei made his dash - grabbing a rope ladder that
was thrown from above.
The prisoner clung on for his *life* - as the helicopter swooped away, out into the
Russian wilderness.
It all happened so fast, that the guards /didn’t even/ have time to react.
Alexei and his accomplices left the helicopter - as well as the pilot, who they had bound
and gagged, on the northern edges of Vologda.
His escape was short lived though, after police quickly found the group - and Alexei was wounded
in the exchange of gunfire.
The court added 12 years to his prison term - where he still remains to this day.
Bringing it in at Number 2 - we have the explosive tale of French gangster, Antonio Ferrara.
Antonio's criminal career is something straight out of a Tarantino movie.
He was part of a group of incredibly successful bank robbers - who had nicknamed themselves,
the Dream Team.
At the time - they were labeled the most dangerous gang in Europe by Interpol.
Antonio was particularly famous in the French underworld for his uncanny ability to create
the perfect explosive device - that would blow open a safe, but leave the cash completely
unharmed.
At the tender age of 29, Antonio was finally caught and sentenced to serve an eight-year
prison term for two armed robberies - as well as being the key suspect for at least 15 more.
Well - five years into his prison career, the explosives expert decided that he’d
had just about enough - and hatched a plan /to escape/ the French prison.
At 4:30 AM, on a March morning in 2003, six men drove up to the front gates in fake police
cars, clothed in police uniforms and ski masks.
Check this - they blew up the gates with rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
During the comotion, Antonio blew up his cell door with a stick of dynamite - believed to
have been given to him by one of the prison guards.
Once out - he joined up with the gang and fled.
The whole thing took 10 minutes.
Antonio was on the loose for a staggering four months, and was declared France’s most
wanted man by then president, Nicholas Sarkozy.
He was later recaptured after the efforts of a massive undercover operation at a bar
in Paris.
As the arresting officer slapped on the cuffs, he was quoted as saying just one thing:-
“You again?”
And finally - at Number 5 - we have a story that is equally scary to both its prisoners,
as well as the general public.
When you think prison escape - you think Alcatraz.
The infamous San Francisco prison that has been hailed as the most impossible prison
to escape, /in the world/.
Built on an *actual* rock - Alcatraz had some insane security policies.
Rows and rows of iron grates, twelve cell checks per day - and you know, the fact that
the prison itself was surrounded by the ice cold waters of the Pacific.
Four men were brave enough to make the attempt, and on June 11, 1962 - after weeks of meticulous
planning, Frank Morris, and brothers Clarence and John Anglin - decided they’d had enough
of being locked behind bars.
After leaving Allen West behind, their other co-conspirator, the trio scaled 30 feet of
plumbing to the prison roof - where they also plunged a further 50 feet of piping to the
shore below.
Now - everyone who had attempted to escape Alcatraz before, had ended up dead - their
bodies washed up on the shores of San Francisco bay.
But the bodies of Morris and the Anglin’s were never found - with many believing that
they actually made it to freedom.
And who knows - they could still be roaming around freely, to this very day.
That’s all we’ve got time for today folks - we hope you’ve enjoyed this video.
Make sure to hit that subscribe button and leave a comment in the box below.
Until next time, I’ve been your host Jack Finch - take it easy.