The Old Man and the Gun

Jul 17, 2026

Uploaded by Rowan

Account of Forrest Tucker’s final bank robbery just before his 79th birthday, detailing his preparation, disguise, method of coercing tellers, getaway planning, and the ensuing police pursuit that ended with his arrest. Includes background on Tucker’s health, lifestyle after retirement, and his reputation as an escape artist and notorious stickup man.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages89

Reading Time2 h 17 min

AccessFree to download

Contents The Old Man and the Gun True Crime The Chameleon THE SECRETS OF A LEGENDARY STICKUP MAN Just before Forrest Tucker turned seventy-nine, he went to work for the last time. Although he was still a striking-looking man, with intense blue eyes and sweptback white hair, he had a growing list of ailments, including high blood pressure and burning ulcers. He had already had a quadruple bypass, and his wife encouraged him to settle into their home in Pompano Beach, Florida, a peachcolored house on the edge of a golf course which they’d purchased for their retirement. There was a place nearby where they could eat prime rib and dance on Saturday nights with other seniors for $15 .50 a person, and even a lake where Tucker could sit by the shore and practice his saxophone. But on this spring day in 1999, while his neighbors were on the fairway or tending to their grandchildren, he drove to the Republic Security Bank in Jupiter, about fifty miles from his home. Tucker, who took pride in his appearance, was dressed all in white: white pants with a sharp crease, a white sports shirt, white suède shoes, and a shimmering white ascot. He paused briefly in front of the A.T.M. and pulled the ascot up around his face, bandit style. He then reached into a canvas bag, took out an old U. S. Army Colt.45, and burst into the bank. He went up to the first teller and said,“Put your money on the counter. All of it.” He flashed the gun so that everyone could see it. The teller laid several packets of fives and twenties on the counter, and Tucker inspected them for exploding dye packs. Checking his watch, he turned to the next teller and said,“Get over here. You, too.” Then he gathered up the thick packets—more than five thousand dollars—and hurried to the door. On his way out, he looked back at the two tellers.“Thankyou,” he said.“Thank you.” He drove to a nearby lot, where he had left a “safe” car, a red Grand Am that couldn’t be traced to him. After wiping down the stolen “hot” car with a rag, he threw his belongings inside the Grand Am. They included a .357 Magnum, asawed-off .30 carbine, two black nylon caps, a holster, a can of Mace, a pair of Smith & Wesson handcuffs, two rolls of black electrical tape, a police badge, five AAA batteries, a police scanner, a glass cutter, gloves, and a fishing cap. There was also a small bottle of medicine for his heart. No one seemed to notice him, and he went home, making what appeared to be a clean getaway. After a brief stop to count the money, he got back in the car and headed out again. As he approached the golf course, the bills neatly stacked beside him, he noticed an unmarked car on his tail. He turned onto another street, just to make sure. There it was again. Then he spotted a police car pulling out behind him. He hit the gas as hard as he could, trying to outmaneuver them, turning left, then right, right, then left. He went past the North Pompano Baptist Church and the Kraeer Funeral Home, pa

Jul 17, 2026

Uploaded by Rowan