London Diamond Thief Jailed

Published on 11/06/12

A reputed Chicago mobster who gained notoriety 32 years ago for stealing the 45-carat Marlborough Diamond from a London jewellery store has been sentenced to prison in another case, telling the judge he got involved in more robberies because he was bored.
Arthur "The Brain" Rachel, 73, was sentenced to eight and a half years for his involvement in planning robberies with two other accomplices, both of whom are also in their 70s.
Before the sentencing in Chicago, US District Court judge Harry Leinenweber asked Rachel why he got involved after spending nearly a decade in prison for the London diamond robbery. "It's the way we are," Rachel answered. "We got nothing better to do. We sit around talking."
Rachel and Joseph "The Monk" Scalise staged a daring daytime theft of the Marlborough Diamond in 1980. Both men were convicted in Britain of threatening to use a hand grenade while robbing London's Graff Jewellers of £2.3 million worth of goods, including the diamond. They began serving 15-year prison terms in 1984 and were released in 1993. The diamond was never recovered.