Indictment in Notorious 1978 JFK Lufthansa Heist

A federal racketeering indictment has been issued in the 1978 Lufthansa robbery at New York’s Kennedy International Airport, a notorious heist featured in the Martin Scorcese movie “Goodfellas.”

The five defendants named Thursday include Vincent Asaro, an alleged captain in the Bonanno crime family. Information on his attorney was not immediately available.

The Dec. 11, 1978, heist was one of the largest cash thefts in American history.

Hooded gunmen invaded the airline’s cargo terminal and stole about $5 million in untraceable U.S. currency being returned to the United States from Germany.

The cash was never found. Authorities say jewelry worth about $1 million also was taken.

In June, FBI investigators descended on a neighborhood in the New York borough of Queens where it’s believed the robbery was planned.