Most Violent Bank Robbery in the Entire History

Larry Eugene Phillips Jr., a man with a knack for trouble, and Decebal Ștefan Emilian "Emil," an ambitious engineer from Romania, forged an unlikely bond at the legendary Gold's Gym in vibrant Venice, Los Angeles, back in '89. Phillips had a history of scams and theft, while Mătăsăreanu came from Romania with aspirations of success. However, their destinies would soon take an unexpected turn.

But before their paths converged, Phillips had already carved a path of mischief, entangled in a web of real estate scams and sticky fingers. On the flip side, Mătăsăreanu, hailing from Timișoara, Romania, ventured to the City of Angels in '74, armed with an electrical engineering background and dreams of entrepreneurial triumph. Yet, fate had something different in store for them.

On October 29, their wild ride came screeching to a halt as handcuffs clasped around their wrists in Glendale, just northeast of Los Angeles. The charge? Operating a stolen vehicle, was a crime that couldn't go unnoticed. As the authorities took over, a search of their vehicle unearthed a magnificent arsenal. Amidst the chaos, two semi-automatic rifles, two handguns, over 1,600 rounds of 7.62×39mm rifle ammunition, 1,200 rounds of 9×19mm Parabellum and .45 ACP handgun ammunition, radio scanners, smoke bombs, improvised explosive devices, body armor vests, and a collection of different California license plates were discovered.

Caught in the act, Phillips and Mătăsăreanu surrendered after being discovered with a concealed weapon. Charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, they received a plea bargain resulting in a short prison sentence and probation. Upon release, their confiscated belongings were returned, except for firearms and explosives.

Their appetite for chaos remained unsatisfied. In June 1995, they committed a deadly ambush of a Brink's armored car in Winnetka, Los Angeles. They later targeted two Bank of America branches, earning them the title "High Incident Bandits" due to their use of heavy weaponry in previous robberies before their infamous North Hollywood attempt.

On February 28, 1997, Phillips and Mătăsăreanu armed themselves with illegal weapons and targeted the Bank of America branch at 6600 Laurel Canyon Boulevard. They planned to destroy evidence by setting their car and weapons on fire using a jar of gasoline. Phillips carried 40 pounds of gear, including bulletproof vests and homemade body armor, while Mătăsăreanu wore a bulletproof vest with a metal plate. They monitored their timing using watches sewn onto their gloves. Prior to the robbery, they took phenobarbital as a sedative. Later, toxicology reports revealed additional substances in their blood.

Phillips and Mătăsăreanu arrived at the Bank of America branch in North Hollywood in a white 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity. They set their watch alarms for eight minutes, matching their estimated police response time. Prior to the robbery, Phillips had monitored police transmissions using a radio scanner. As they approached the bank, they were spotted by LAPD officers Farell and Perello, who were in a patrol car on Laurel Canyon. Officer Farell called for assistance, reporting a possible robbery in progress with the code "211."

They have Armed with Norinco Type 56 S-1 rifles. They forced a customer leaving the ATM lobby to the floor and caught the attention of a security guard inside. The guard attempted to call the police, but the message was not received. Phillips yelled, "This is a hold-up!" and both robbers fired shots into the ceiling to intimidate the bank staff and customers and discourage resistance.

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