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The audacious heist left everyone in disbelief.

By William Van Zyl

Published in 2021. Edited in 2025.

The hairspray can rattle—barely audible, but enough to snap nerves. Inside, a small glass ball stirred the viscous contents with a clink that echoed louder than it should’ve. Jules Bartolnoro froze mid-descent, palm pressed tightly over the canister, his other hand clenched around the rope.

12:16 a.m. The city of Venice slept. But above the Medici Bank, two shadows crept down the side of a four-story building like predators on silk threads.

Bartolnoro tilted his head. Just a metre away, Olaf Janssens dangled in silence, his black duffle swaying like a pendulum of purpose. A thin rope secured it to his waist—its contents unknown but vital. Bartolnoro’s backpack shifted against his back, weighed down with tools no civilian should carry.

Both were wrapped in darkness: black balaclavas, charcoal clothing, and nerves stitched with quiet urgency. From the empty alley below, they were invisible—phantoms suspended in the night, orchestrating something far beyond mischief.

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In Olaf’s left trouser pocket were a couple of magnets clumped together. His faded jeans had a total of four pockets. In his trousers’ remaining pockets were a small notebook with sketches and diagrams, an android mobile phone, a roll of masking tape, small scissors, a short piece of string, a pocket knife, blue tack, a couple of sheets of black cardboard and white polystyrene. Jules’ tools included a simple map of the bank, sketched in pencil, in his notebook, a couple of codes, a long piece of wire folded up, a long-nosed pair of pliers, two screwdrivers, a magnifying glass, and a pair of rubber gloves. These seemingly ordinary items played a crucial role in the heist, showcasing the ingenuity of the thieves.

A pistol and a sawn-off shotgun were sitting proudly in holsters strapped around their chests, covered with baggy jackets.

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The unique vault key, which was hanging just around the corner of the vault seconds ago, turned.

The code was followed accurately as the combination wheel clicked and clicked. The large, heavy door slowly swung open. They were inside. Rows and rows of safety boxes stared at them, holding their breaths. Who will be first?

The two masked men looked at one another and asked: “Which ones should they pry open first?”

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The next day, the tabloids splashed the headlines in bold letters on the front pages of every newspaper and every screen. The news rolled over the large and small screens of the world – billions of them.

Medici Bank Outwitted By Hairspray And Magnets!

How could a plan involving just $30 worth of hairspray, polystyrene, tape, black plastic, and magnets beat a million-dollar security system? The question was on everyone’s lips.

The security boxes in the bank’s belly – 75 lockable brass boxes in total – were raided on Thursday night, 23 April 2016. The valuables – precious jewellery, diamonds, gold, watches, and several Fabergé eggs were missing. The estimated loss? A staggering 60 million dollars worth of personal belongings were taken in the heist. Why could such a simple plan outwit the bank’s sophisticated security system?

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The robbers did their homework well in advance.

When Bartolnoro and his accomplice pressed the buzzer on the steel grate, a guard upstairs glanced at the video feed, recognised Bartolnoro and Janssens, and remotely unlocked the steel grate. They were posing as diamond dealers and had befriended the bank’s security personnel. They had been customers at the bank for over 2 years. Bartolnoro and Janssens stepped inside the vault with a small bag, supposedly filled with valuable diamonds. After all, they were regular customers of the bank.

The vault was not patrolled; the bank officials believed that the security system was impenetrable. A huge mistake. It allowed the thieves to work at their leisure, picking and choosing what they wanted.

How did they get the code for the vault? Was it an inside job? How did the men know the bank and the system so well?

After the investigation, it was found that Bartolnoro had a security box in the vault. He posed as a diamond dealer, visiting the bank regularly. During his 2 years as a bank client – moving in and out of the vault to secure his diamonds – he studied the security system. He also befriended one of the security guards. A pen camera – neatly sitting in his shirt’s upper pocket – collected all the details.

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After the shocking news release, many of the owners of the precious jewellery, diamonds and Fabergé eggs were assembling in front of the bank. Just after 2:00 pm, on the day of their loss, fuming owners demanded to see their security boxes in the bank’s basement. They demanded answers. How many of them have lost their treasures?

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How were the culprits apprehended? The thieves made no mistake. No fingerprints, no DNA, nothing was left behind on the crime scene. They were very thorough in their methods; simplicity and ingenuity paid off.

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A lady who loved watching movies and reading about solving murder mysteries saw the technical sketches of the vault combination wheel and the magnets on the side of the vault’s door in the local newspaper. She phoned the police 3 days after the heist.

“Police officer, this may sound a bit strange, but I have a gut feeling about two men who rented an apartment from me for the last 3 months,” she said.

“About 2 weeks ago, one of the men came to the reception to pay his rent. I mixed up the rent dates on my computer, and he leaned over to see the screen. At that moment, as he leaned over the counter, several of my drawing pins and paperclips stuck to his trousers’ pocket. He laughed and said, “It’s my fridge magnets.”

He then pulled the drawing pins and the paperclips off his trousers and placed them back in the small container, which was situated on the lower shelf in front of the desk at reception.”

‘Are the two men still renting?” asked the police officer.

“No, they rented for about 3 months and left a day after the heist. Could that be a coincidence? I must admit that I watch way too many murder stories; I don’t want to waste your time,” she chuckled.

Surveillance footage from the lady’s reception area proved invaluable. The forensic team zoomed in and out with meticulous precision. They were able to determine the shape and measurements of the magnet in the tenant’s pocket. It matched the shape and size of the magnet found on the crime scene. The thieves had to leave the magnets. The alarms would go off if they had removed the magnet from the vault’s door.

The chief inspector on the case placed the magnet in his trousers pocket and enacted the mystery tenant’s movements at Mrs Lucy Oppenheimer’s reception desk. A small toy duck’s shape appeared in his pocket. A total of 5 drawing pins and six paperclips clung to the notorious magnet in the officer’s pocket. The pattern and position of the pins and clips matched the surveillance footage. They had a perfect match!

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They had to find the men. Identikits were distributed.

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“Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention, Mr Bartolnoro wore his fringe in a large swirl curving to the right – called a quiff. As a woman who loves beautiful hairstyles, I knew that the tenant had to use a strong hair mousse or hairspray to keep his curl in position all day long.”

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The two suspects were apprehended in a campervan in a small park in Venice. No evidence was found in the campervan or on the two men. Fortunately, the hairspray of Bartolnoro matched the sticky layers on all the sensors in the bank.

L’Oréal Paris Elnett – Extra Strong Hairspray.

L’Oréal Paris Elnett hairspray was widely regarded as the gold standard in hairspray at the time; it remains a go-to choice for professional stylists and celebrities.

The two convicted men are now serving 8 years’ jail time in a Venice prison. The valuables were never recovered. It is believed that the men buried the treasure somewhere in the small park. However, a couple of treasure hunts did not yield any results. Where could it be?

When you purchase L’Oréal hairspray in Venice, people will occasionally ask – tongue in cheek – ‘Do you want to rob a bank?’

Men with hair-sprayed hair–with a slight curl (quiff) – would be referred to as having a bank robber’s hairstyle: “The Robber Style.”Men with hair-sprayed hair–with a slight curl (quiff) – would be referred to as having a bank robber’s hairstyle: “The Robber’s Style.”

From the author’s sketchbook (ink and watercolours). The Door and Vault. Exterior details – the solid steel door with sensors installed above and around the door. Interior details (notes only) – inside the vault. Note that there is a second door behind the main door (not shown), a locked steel grate. See the annotations for more details (October 2021).

L’Oréal Paris Elnett – satin-type hairspray covered every sensor in the bank. The bank’s sensors were blindsided (fictitious).

The Teddy Boy Quiff hairstyle —The Teddy Boy quiff is arguably the most unique take on this throwback cut, as it features a long, forward curl that hangs down at the forehead. This unique characteristic is often compared to a duck’s tail, as it comes down to a point near the eyebrows. This is one of the quiff’s boldest and most unique variations—it’s not for guys who want to blend in! Credit: https://peteandpedro.com/blogs/the-pedro-post/what-is-a-quiff-haircut