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Banda Brothers TolstopyatovuhBandit group
Country:
 Russia |
Content:
- Biography of the Tolstopyatov Brothers
- Early Life
- Criminal Beginnings
- Prison Friendship
- Innovative Crimes
- Robberies and Capture
- Capture and Trial
Biography of the Tolstopyatov Brothers
The criminal group Thunderous Crimes has become a source of inspiration for writers and filmmakers, as their daring exploits have been embellished with fantastic details. The case of the Rostov "Phantoms" has been recounted in books and served as the basis for the TV series "Once in Rostov," while rumors about them have long become urban legends. However, the true story of the Tolstopyatov brothers, documented in real records, is just as dramatic and incredible as the most imaginative fiction.
Early Life
Vladimir and Vyacheslav Tolstopyatov were born far from Rostov, in a village in Bryansk. Their father served as the head of a local police department and died at the beginning of the war. The family had thirteen children, and their mother, along with sixteen-year-old Vladimir, one-year-old Vyacheslav, and their sister, managed to reach distant relatives living in Rostov. During the occupation, the Tolstopyatovs lived in a tiny cottage in the village of Nakhalovka. After the war, life didn't get much easier for the family - their mother worked as a janitor and a postwoman for a meager salary, the children were constantly hungry, and during winter, they had nothing to wear to school. Despite this, Vladimir had good musical abilities, and Vyacheslav excelled in drawing.
Criminal Beginnings
In 1944, Vladimir was drafted into the army and took part in combat operations. He was awarded a medal after the capture of Königsberg. Vyacheslav performed well in school and improved his drawing skills over the years. At the age of fifteen, he could accurately reproduce an old-style hundred-ruble banknote. He would exchange the counterfeit bill for a bottle of alcohol, which he would then discard since he didn't like alcohol. He would then use the change to buy whatever he desired. Over time, he started using taxis to exchange his counterfeit money, handing over a quadrupled folded fake note, and only filling out one side. However, this led to his arrest when a taxi driver unfolded the "hundred-ruble" bill and realized it was fake. At the investigation, Vyacheslav didn't hide anything, showing the entire process of making the money. He was polite and modest, which resulted in him receiving only four years of imprisonment, despite the serious charge.
Prison Friendship
In prison, Vyacheslav Tolstopyatov formed a close friendship with Sergey Samasyuk, who was serving time for "persistent hooliganism." Vyacheslav spent his free time drawing and often mentioned that "everyone will hear about him." After his release in 1964, he visited his older brother and shared his plans to create an armed gang that would engage in bank robberies. Samasyuk joined the gang, saying that he would prefer to die with a bag full of money rather than under a wine store. Their neighbor and friend Vladimir Gorshkov, a factory worker, also joined the gang.
Innovative Crimes
The Tolstopyatov brothers' robbery plans were innovative for the criminal world at the time. They proposed using self-made automatic weapons instead of war leftovers, developed plans for capturing vehicles and hostages, and conducted extensive surveillance before and after each crime. The gang's workshop and headquarters were located in the older Tolstopyatov's cottage, which had a concealed entrance. Vyacheslav worked as a driver, an artist-designer, and even supervised the marksmanship section.
By 1965, the brothers had designed blueprints for weapons that were specifically made for the caliber of a sporting cartridge and were deemed unparalleled by experts. Vyacheslav obtained the cartridges from the shooting range section, while the brothers used their own small-caliber rifles for the barrels. They made arrangements with workers from the Rostov "Legmash" factory to produce all the necessary components. The gang successfully created three automatic weapons and four pistols and planned to rob a bank, aiming to take one million rubles and "disappear."
Robberies and Capture
However, organizing a bank heist with their resources proved difficult. So, the Tolstopyatov brothers decided to rob an armored car during a cash delivery near a bank. After a month of surveillance, the criminals learned the cash-handling procedures, paydays, and other details. Their first attempt on October 7, 1968, was unsuccessful when the driver of the "Volga" car, stopped by the gang, jumped out upon seeing their weapons, disrupting their plans. Vyacheslav then called the police to report the location of the vehicle.
On October 10, the gang ambushed a cashier from a shoe factory using a car driven by an acquaintance. Once again, luck was not on their side, as the driver made an illegal U-turn and escaped the criminals by entering the factory gates. On October 22, the Tolstopyatovs and their accomplices robbed a grocery store in the "Mirny" settlement. They arrived by tram, wore cut-up nylon stockings on their heads, and entered the store with their weapons. Samasyuk, armed with a pistol, took the money from the cash register, which amounted to only 526 rubles. Tolstopyatov Jr. shot a man who tried to interfere at point-blank range. The criminals then returned home on the tram. Rumors about the "Phantoms" gang began to spread throughout the city.
A month later, the gang hijacked a car belonging to a radio engineering school, tied up the driver, and took a bag containing 2,700 rubles from an armored car guard. In December of the same year, they robbed a grocery store, this time taking 1,498 rubles. Their next major target was supposed to be a cashier from a chemical plant. However, Samasyuk was arrested for a minor offense, and without him, the gang's luck ran out. The bag with the money was now being carried by an armed guard, Gorshkov was wounded, and citywide manhunts began. The criminals went into hiding and focused on improving their weapons.
In 1970, Vyacheslav developed a powerful folding automatic rifle that fired 9mm pellets. Additionally, he devised homemade grenades using a mixture of gunpowder and aluminum powder and improved the design of the automatic rifle. Around the same time, a certain Kirakosyan was arrested for committing robberies with small-caliber weapons, and the Tolstopyatovs' crimes were erroneously attributed to him. Witnesses even identified Kirakosyan as one of the "Phantoms." In the summer of 1971, after Samasyuk's release from prison, the Tolstopyatov gang robbed a major construction organization, making off with 17,000 rubles. In December of the same year, they executed a shocking robbery of the Pushkin Savings Bank. The gang had been observing the work of the cashiers for two months and discovered that only one cashier entered the vault while two others waited in the car. The criminals made homemade bulletproof vests, seized a bag of money from the cash register, and rushed towards the getaway car. The cashier, Dzyuba, opened fire but was killed. The criminals disarmed and tied up the driver before fleeing in the armored car. Gorshkov was injured in the buttocks. In the bag, they found bonds, lottery tickets, and 17,000 rubles. They used 2,000 rubles to bribe a surgeon named Dudnikov, who treated Gorshkov's wounds.
In the fall of 1972, the Tolstopyatovs developed a powerful folding automatic rifle that shot 9mm pellets. However, their planned attack on a cashier from the "Strela" store was thwarted. The gang captured a "Volga" car with a bound driver and drove to the store. However, they discovered that the cashiers had already left. Trying to catch up with them near the Central Bank, Vyacheslav Tolstopyatov drove recklessly and crashed into a tree. The criminals fled, and a nearby police patrol officer heard the gunshots. He wounded Samasyuk in the chest and legs, and Gorshkov in the buttocks. While the officer reloaded his pistol, the criminals tried to escape in the stolen "Moskvich." However, a taxi driver cut them off after noticing a grenade in the hands of the "Moskvich" driver. Tolstopyatov, taking wounded Gorshkov and the money, attempted to hide in the territory of Rostselmash but was unsuccessful.
Capture and Trial
The Rostov police took extraordinary measures, strengthening their presence and forming mobile police groups. In June 1973, the "Phantoms" committed their final crime. Their attempt to rob the cash register at the "Southern Hydrology and Agriculture Institute" was initially successful. Gorshkov and Samasyuk took a bag of money at gunpoint from the cashier and ran down the stairs. Institute employees chased after them. Samasyuk began shooting, but his gun misfired. He fled onto the street, where Tolstopyatov was waiting with the automatic rifle. A warehouse worker named Martovitsky, who tried to stop them, was instantly killed. The sound of gunshots attracted a nearby police patrol, and Lieutenant Rusov wounded Samasyuk in the chest and legs, and Gorshkov in the thighs. While Rusov reloaded his pistol, the criminals tried to escape in the stolen "Moskvich." In pursuit, a fire brigade vehicle, with Rusov and his partner Kubishta inside, joined the chase. Tolstopyatov stopped and threw grenades at their pursuers. At that moment, Samasyuk died on top of the bag of money, just as he had predicted. Tolstopyatov attempted to escape again and cut off a "Volga" taxi, which also pursued him. The collision with the taxi caused the "Moskvich" to crash into a curb. However, a fight between the two taxi drivers did not occur as the "Moskvich" driver saw a grenade in the hands of the taxi driver. Tolstopyatov seized the wounded Gorshkov and the money and attempted to hide on the premises of Rostselmash but was unsuccessful.
The trial of the "Phantoms" took place in July 1974, and the participants in the gang were sentenced to death, while their accomplices received varying prison terms. While awaiting execution, the brothers worked on improving their weapons and schematics for a perpetual motion engine. Vyacheslav, speaking to an undercover agent in his cell, shared his plans to create a portable helicopter and fly to Finland. Perhaps it is because of this that the legend arose that the brothers were not executed but sent to work in a secret research institute.
