How the Lufthansa Heist Put the Mob in the Headlines

If youve seen the movie Goodfellas, you already know the basic story: On December 11, 1978, a team of thieves led by an associate of the Lucchese crime family stole $6 million in cash and jewelry from the Lufthansa Airlines vault at Kennedy Airport. At the time, it was the most ambitious robbery in American history, and it still counts as one of the largest cash hauls ever, anywhere in the world.   The Genesis of the Lufthansa Heist Theres a reason employers dont like their workers to get involved with the mob: once youre in hock, theres no telling what youll give up to save your life. In the fall of 1978, a Kennedy Airport employee named Louis Werner owed $20,000 in gambling debts to a Mafia-associated bookie named Martin Krugman; to worm his way out, he gave Krugman a tip about a huge shipment of cash about to be shipped to New York by the German airline Lufthansa. (The money derived from monetary exchanges in West Germany used by American tourists and servicemen.) Krugman, in turn, told his fellow mob associate Henry Hill, who passed along the information to master thief Jimmy Burke (the latter two were portrayed by Ray Liotta and Robert de Niro, respectively, in Goodfellas). Beyond passing along the initial tip, Louis Werner was instrumental in successfully pulling off the Lufthansa heist, since he actually worked at Kennedy Airport. He gave the Burke crew a master key, briefed them on the names of the employees who would be working the day of the heist, and even told them the best place to park their getaway car. Before they could spring into action, though, the robbers had to square things away with the Five Families of New York: the Lucchese family backed the operation, but the Gambino family insisted on placing one of its own soldiers with the crew and the Bonnano family demanded a cut of the proceeds, since Kennedy Airport was technically on its turf. The Day of the Heist Oddly enough, given its centrality to the movies plot, Martin Scorsese doesnt actually depict the Lufthansa heist in Goodfellas; all he gives audiences is a shot of Ray Liotta celebrating in the shower as the robbery is reported on the radio. In any event, the heist went off amazingly smoothly: at three oclock in the morning, Burkes crew burst into the Kennedy Airport facility, rounded up the employees (without, thankfully, actually killing anybody) and loaded 40 parcels of cash into their waiting van, and then sternly warned their hostages not to alert the authorities for 15 minutes. Why 15 minutes? Because Louis Werner made sure to tell Burke that Port Authority police could seal off Kennedy Airport (which is the size of a small city) within 90 seconds of a distress call. But heres where things began to get sloppy. The robbers drove to Jimmy Rourkes garage in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and loaded the money into another vehicle that was then driven to a safe house (no one knows exactly where) by Burke and his son. But rather than taking the original car to a junkyard in New Jersey, where it was supposed to be immediately compacted, getaway driver Parnell Stacks Edwards chose to get high instead in his girlfriends apartment, parking the van carelessly on the street outside. By morning, the police had the van in custody, and Edwards fled into the night, his fingerprints still on the steering wheel. The Bloody Aftermath of the Lufthansa Heist Not a sentimental man in the best of times, Jimmy Burke, in possession of $6 million in cash, was driven to murderous paranoia in the aftermath of the Lufthansa heist. It didnt take long for the police to put two and two together and identify the Burke crew as the likely culprits; they wired Burkes lounge, tapped the pay phones out on the street, and even followed members of the gang in black helicopters. In order to cover his tracks, Burke went on a killing spree. The first to go was Stacks Edwards (executed in his home, in a scene memorably recreated in Goodfellas with Joe Pesci and Samuel L. Jackson); the body of Martin Krugman was never found; and at least seven other people associated with the heist also wound up whacked or missing. In the end, despite its  reams of surveillance, the FBI was never able to definitively connect the Burke gang with the Lufthansa heist, and the money was never recovered. (Ironically, the only person ever convicted for the robbery was Louis Werner, the inside man who had made the entire scheme possible.) As for Jimmy Burke, he wound up jailed by the feds for his involvement in a college basketball point-shaving scam. and was then slapped with another 20 years for the murder of Richard Eaton (a low-level mob associate who was briefly depicted in Goodfellas frozen stiff and hanging off a meat hook). Burke died of cancer in 1996, and Henry Hill in 2012, meaning that we may never know how many houses, sports cars, fur coats and home theaters the cash from the Lufthansa heist wound up funding.

Life Together By Dietrich Bonhoeffer Essay - 1632 Words

Living in Christian community is a necessity for the everyday life of a Christian. Without community, the Christian has no one else to â€Å"sharpen† them, no one else to understand the everyday struggle of living in the world, sharing the Gospel, but not partaking in the sinful ways of the world. In â€Å"Life Together†, Dietrich Bonhoeffer explores Christian community, and presents not only the benefits of Christian community, but also the toxins that can destroy the community. Living in Christian community brings incomparable joy and community in and through Jesus Christ, but can be easily lost due to humanistic ideals, or â€Å"dreams†. Living in Christian Community brings an incomparable joy. Bonhoeffer declares that â€Å"The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.† (Life Together Chpt. 1, pg. 19) The Scriptures affirm this notion time and again. â€Å"I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.† (2 Timothy 1:3-4 NASB) In his second letter to Timothy, Paul is obviously longing to see his brother in Christ, but by just recalling the thought of the time they had previously spent together in community he is filled with joy. From the joy Paul has at the thought of community, it is obvious he did not take any of the time he spent with others in community. However,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Life Together By Dietrich Bonhoeffer738 Words   |  3 PagesDietrich Bonhoeffer explains a variety of topics about the reformation of the church in his book on Life Together. Something that was very powerful for me while reading this great work is the power of silence for Bonhoeffer. He explains the importance of listening. The ability to be silent while a brother or sister of Christ is speaking is very powerful. Listening to God through people is something that I have been battling in church recently. Based on Bonhoeffer, Life Together, I have learned howRead MoreHolocaust Upstanders: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Per Anger, and Oskar Schindler555 Words   |  3 Pageswhile the Holocaust was occurring, but Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Per Anger, and Oskar Schindler risked their lives to stand up for the Jewish people and what was right. Dietrich Bonhoeffer did not support the Nazi’s. He stood up against them to show what was right. When he was offered parish posts he refused them in protest of the racist policy because they were not given to the Jews. He also resisted the Nazi regime which caused him to get arrested. Dietrich also traveled secretly to an eastern GermanRead MoreThe Grace That Leads to Death Essay1319 Words   |  6 Pagesin the church today due to its overuse and familiarity. Dietrich Bonhoeffer sees grace, costly grace, as the summary of the true Gospel. In Bonhoeffers day, such costly grace had been exchanged for a cheap imitation of grace that was little more than empty religion, demanding little effort and no obedience. Bonhoeffer, who was eventually martyred, knew intimately that , â€Å"When Christ calls a man [sic], he bids him come and die.†1 For Bonhoeffer, then, death is the mark of true discipleship and is aRead MoreIn This Essay I Will Compare A Few Of The Major Points1 566 Words   |  7 Pagesof Hippo, and Pelagius, with those of modern Christian theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer . This essay will discuss the thought before and after the Reformation on how and why people sin. Next, it will discuss idea of free will and how the church fathers and philosophers agree or disagree on the topic. Lastly, I will compare the notion of unification of religion before the Reformation with the disconnection from religion that Bonhoeffer proposes with his theory of â€Å"religionless Christianity.† These pointsRead MoreThe Interfaith Theologi Dietrich Bonhoeffer2747 Words   |  11 PagesThe Interfaith Theologian: Dietrich Bonhoeffer Religious Diversity is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society and the fact that in a given society there exist a multiplicity of religions together. (Religious Tolerance.org) Theology is the study of God. Whose God, could be the question? This question should lead to interfaith dialogue. The coming together of these two prominent aspects can be a positive experienceRead MoreGrace, Gods Most Important Gift to Man Other than Life1909 Words   |  8 PagesGod’s most important gift to man other than life that is. Grace is freely given but was so costly to God to give. The first taste of Grace was when God gave His own beloved son to die for the sins of the world. Jesus did not deserve to die upon the cross that day so many years ago. He was sinless. Yet honoring His Father’s wishes He was tortured and then made to die upon the cross like the thief beside Him. Three days later God raised Him to a resurrected life and Jesus sits at His right side even todayRead MoreChrist in Discipleship1938 Words   |  8 Pagesyou have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrathRead MoreChrist in Discipleship1731 Words   |  7 PagesChrist without obeying Christ. Bonhoeffer brings a point to light that obedience is crucial to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He shares an example of obeying Christ. Mark 2:14 (KJV) â€Å"And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, ‘Follow me’. And he arose and followed him.† Matt. 9:9 and Luke 5:27-28 are also examples of obedience to Christ: Jesus called Levi, and Levi just got up and followed. Bonhoeffer points out, â€Å"The call goes outRead MoreAnalysis Of Ezra 3 : 2 The Spiritual Leader Of Israel1070 Words   |  5 Pagestruly listens to the people s complaints. Esther isn t sacred to call out Haman (another leader) even though it may cost her own life. As the leaders of the church we must look into people s complaints and not simply blow them off as troublemakers or complainers. We must act on people s complaints and when faced with social issues we must act. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, â€Å"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.† WhenRead MoreComparing Dietrich Bonhoeffer And Martin Luther King1925 Words   |  8 Pagesand oppressed is the most important moral duty of the church.’ Critically evaluate this statement with reference to Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King. Bonhoeffer and King: Their legacies and Import for Christian Social Thought, ed. by W. Jenkins and J. M. McBride (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010) Pg. 207 â€Å"Whenever Christ calls us, his call leads us to death†, Bonhoeffer had been challenging his seminarians to make the choice before them to embrace the cross of Christ by sharing in his

Lower the U.S. Drinking Age Free Essays

2-27-12 I. Introduction: †¢ All around the world many people drink alcohol for many different Occasions. There are drinks at parties, bars, clubs and even your home. We will write a custom essay sample on Lower the U.S. Drinking Age or any similar topic only for you Order Now You can find alcohol just about everywhere in the United States. Around the world there are many different age requirements in order to drink or buy alcohol. The majority of countries around the world have a set age minimum of eighteen years of age. So why is our drinking age 21? †¢ Why is this important to us? We are all college students and everybody knows that there is underage drinking one way or another. Professor Ruth C. Engs from Indiana University states â€Å"The legal drinking age should be lowered to about 18 or 19 and young adults allowed to drink in controlled environments such as restaurants, taverns, pubs and official school and university functions. † †¢ I believe that the legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered to the ages of 18 or 19. The reason it should be lowered is because college students will drink at least once during their first year of college. Legally, at the age of eighteen we are granted the rights of adults. And finally, by forbidding teens to not drink that forces them to drink in unsafe places. II. College students drink! †¢ College students will always drink! According to alcohol101. com 72% of all college students drink alcohol. 69% of the total 72% are underage drinkers. †¢ If the legal drinking age was lowered to 18 then drinking in college will not be as big as it is now. It would still occur but not as much as it does now. †¢ By lowering the drinking age, college students will be able to drink in safer places such as bars or clubs, instead of house parties or other places. Now that I’ve talked about college students drinking I will now move onto how at the age of 18 the U. S. calls us â€Å"adults†. III. Considered â€Å"adults† †¢ At the age of 18 in the United States we are considered â€Å"adults† and obtain all the rights and responsibilities of being adults. At this age we can now vote, sign up for the armed forces, and buy cigarettes. However we cannot buy or consume alcohol legally until 3 years later. †¢ If we are already considered as adults at the age of 18 then why can we not lower the drinking age? Now that I have talked about being adults but not being able to buy alcohol at the age of 18, I’m going to talk about now how drinking at unsafe environments is harmful. IV. Unsafe Drinking Environments †¢ Because the legal drinking age is 21, that forces college students, mainly freshman, to drink at house parties where they do not know what they are drinking at times. †¢ Drinking at house parties seems fun, however it could go bad in many ways. Since freshman cannot buy alcohol they resort to free alcohol at parties, which could be very dangerous because they will be unaware of any thing that could be put inside their drink. Setting the drinking age to 18 would allow these college students to purchase their own drinks and they will for sure know what they bought and it would be closed therefore letting them know it is safe to consume. V. Conclusion †¢ To recap on my speech; the drinking age should be lowered to the age of 18 in the United States. Not only is t hat the most popular age to drink around the world it is a very reasonable age. By changing the drinking age to 18 then we can really be considered as adults and will be responsible for our own actions. How to cite Lower the U.S. Drinking Age, Essay examples

Corporate Strategy on Human Resource Perspectives Management

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Strategy on Human Resource Perspectives Management. Answer: Introduction The management of the employees within the organization is important so that the company will be able to enhance the business with the help of the employees (Mondy and Martocchio 2016). As a result, the human resource management is important and the evaluation of the best practices is necessary for the organization (Armstrong and Taylor 2014). Audit of the human resource management practices will help the organization to understand where they are lacking as far as the management of the employees is concerned (Hendry 2012). For the present report the best practices of human resource management will be audited for EMAAR. EMMAR has been operating in the marker of Dubai since the year, 1997(Emaar.com 2016). It is a public joint stock company and is present in list in the Dubai financial market. Even though the company started its venture with the real estate, it has been able to spread its business in hospitality, leisure, retail chains and shopping malls. However, the audit report will help the organization to strengthen the base of the employees. The Management by Objectives (MBO) approach to audit the company is the best way to evaluate the human resource management of the company. Audit of Functional areas of Human Resource Management (HRM) To carry out the audit of the best practices of human resource management, the Management by Objectives (MBO) approach will be taken into consideration (Bratton and Gold 2012). There are certain set objectives that an organization should follow and the audit will evaluate whether EMAAR is able to meet the objectives as set by the auditors (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley 2016). While auditing the human resource management practices at EMAAR, it has been found that the organization follows the Michigan school model that helps them in managing the employees in the organization EMAAR follows the Michigan school model and hence, it can be said that the human resource department is mainly divided into four main focus areas after the selection of the employees: Performance management Rewards Development Performance The model helps the employers to understand the performance of the employees within the organization and evaluate the ways the performance of the employees can be enhanced (Purce 2014). The organization believes that once the performance of the employees will be enhanced, it will help in enhancement of the business of the employees. Review progress While reviewing the human resource management practices in the organization it has been found that EMAAR believed in employing a diversified employees in the organization (Storey 2014). They employed the employees from various backgrounds and believed in employee engagement to a great level. They further believed that once the employees from various backgrounds will be involved in an organization, the organization will be able to perform in a better manner (Renwick, Redman and Maguire 2013). When one hand, the diversification of the employees was more, on the other hand, the rewards given to the employees were not up to the mark. The model suggests that after the selection of the employees, the employer would look into the performance of the employees and the rewards that will be given to the employees (Budhwar and Debrah 2013). However, the model was not followed as far as proper rewards to the employees should be given. Rewards that is one of the main factors of extrinsic motivation has been lacking in the organization(Mondy and Martocchio 2016). The engagement of the employees helped the company to grow and get more business but the lack of proper reward on the other hand diminished the involvement from the part of the employees (Hendry 2012). Strength and weakness The main strength that has been identified in the organization is that they does not discriminate the employees based on the background (Armstrong and Taylor 2014). A person who hails from Dubai and other employees who hails from another country is given the similar chance in the organization. In addition to this, discrimination based in religion and gender is not present in EMAAR. As a result, the employee feel good about the organization and feel good that they are not discriminated even if they are working in the same position or designation (Bratton and Gold 2012). The main weakness of the organization as far as the human resource management practices are concerned is that they do not give enough rewards that will help motivating the employees(Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley 2016). Rewards, either in monetary form or any other benefits helps the employees to feel motivated in their work (Purce 2014). The employees will feel motivated to work more in the time of pressure as they will feel that their work will be recognized by the organization (Storey 2014). Every individual has the expectation that the work that person is delivering for the enhancement of the business of the organization will be recognized by the employer (Renwick, Redman and Maguire 2013). Once their work will not be recognized by the employer, the employees will feel demotivated (Budhwar and Debrah 2013). Demotivation is not a part of best practices of the human resource management of the organization (Mondy and Martocchio 2016). Conclusion After going through the audit report of EMAAR, it can be said that the business of the organization is going well and the human resource management model as practiced by the organization is simple. The model helps the organization to keep a check the after-selection process. The organization measures the performance of the employees and the rewards given to the employees. Based on the rewards and the performance of the employees, the organization carried out the performance management of the employees. The audit report reveals that the employees neither are nor discriminated by the employer and hence the employees are happy to work in the company. However, it has been seen that the organization does not provide proper rewards to the employees, which is necessary for extrinsic motivation. Based on the conclusions, the following recommendations can be given to the company. It can be recommended to EMAAR that other than the annual appraisals that formally take place in the organization, there should be informal appraisals for the employees once they complete a project or perform well. The reward ceremony can be small and can happen on a monthly basis. The rewards can be monetary as well as other benefits that the employees will receive from the company. In this way, they will be able to perform well in the organization they will look forward to the rewards ceremonies that will help them to stay focused in their work. They will eagerly work for the enhancement of the business as they will know that will be rewarded for their contribution to towards the organization. Other than the concrete rewards, they can be awarded with the titles like employee of the month. It will be helpful mainly to motivate the new employees in the organization. It would not result in any financial gain on the part of the employees. However, the title will be helpful give the emp loyees the intrinsic motivation needed for their work. Thus, the best practice for the organization that could be identified is the motivation of the employees in the organization. The company should motivate the employees with timely rewards and other methods of intrinsic motivation that will make the employees will feel that their work us being recognized by the organization. References Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014.Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2012.Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan. Brewster, C., Mayrhofer, W. and Morley, M. eds., 2016.New Challenges for European Resource Management. Springer. Budhwar, P.S. and Debrah, Y.A. eds., 2013.Human resource management in developing countries. Routledge. Emaar.com, 2016.About Emaar Properties Group. [online] Emaar.com. Available at: https://www.emaar.com/en/who-we-are/ [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016]. Hendry, C., 2012.Human resource management. Routledge. Mondy, R. and Martocchio, J.J., 2016. Human resource management.Human Resource Management, Global Edition. Purce, J., 2014. The impact of corporate strategy on human resource management.New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals),67. Renwick, D.W., Redman, T. and Maguire, S., 2013. Green human resource management: A review and research agenda.International Journal of Management Reviews,15(1), pp.1-14. Storey, J., 2014.New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.