The British English Podcast S5/E4 - Learn English Through a Wild French Bank Heist: Albert Spaggiari with Alastair Budge
Nov 19, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Alastair Budge, creator of English Learning for Curious Minds, shares the audacious tale of the 1976 Nice bank heist masterminded by the seemingly ordinary wedding photographer Albert Spaggiari. They delve into the wild escapade of digging through sewers, the dramatic courtroom escape that made Spaggiari a reluctant folk hero, and how he crafted a glamorous image as a gentleman thief. Listeners are treated to an intriguing blend of crime, notoriety, and the curious decisions behind one of France’s most notorious heists.
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Welded Vault And Vault-Side Picnic
- Police found a 20-ton vault door welded shut and signs of a long stay inside the vault.
- The robbers left wine, cigarettes and tinned ravioli, showing they spent many hours looting safety deposit boxes.
Sewers Provided The Hidden Access
- Investigators discovered an eight-metre tunnel linking the vault to the municipal sewers.
- The gang exploited hidden, low-security entry points rather than attacking the bank's main defenses.
Wedding Photographer Turned Mastermind
- Police arrested Albert Spaggiari, a local wedding photographer, after witnesses named him.
- Officers found guns, ammunition and the tools used in the Nice heist in his farmhouse.
