Summary: Guy from unfortunate family background becomes a highly successful silver thief, stealing millions in antique silverware from high-end homes in the Northeast. He evades capture for years, as he is meticulous, patient and leaves no trace behind. Eventually he is caught through a series of small breaks. People close to the thief speculate that his motivation was more for the thrill of stealing than for the money itself.
I'm not sure what in the world this has to do with HN, but I will tell you that it was one of the better stories I have read.<p>I want to meet this guy.
Great story. A real life 'To Catch a Thief'. To relate it to HN, I think it shows the power of dominating a niche by obsessive attention to not just planning but execution.<p>"He leaned back and sighed. I began to think that perhaps it wasn't the stealing that was the thrill for Nordahl so much as the escaping. He said, "If you were being chased by a bear, your adrenaline's going to be pumping, you know what I mean? Later, you might not really say, 'Gee, that was fun.' But, at the same time, if nothing else really was going on, it might have added flavor to the day. As long as you got away from the bear. But, of course, if you got caught by the bear, you know, it's another story."
He even merits a brief wikipedia article, which indicates he was sentenced to 8 years in 2004. Maybe he's already out?<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blane_Nordahl" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blane_Nordahl</a>
> <i>"We'll say, 'We know he's fencing here, and when we arrest him he's facing a life term and he'll turn on you.' Within a week, we'll find Blane in a drum in the East River, because that's how these guys play."</i><p>It surprises me that i'm not entirely opposed to that idea, but I really have to wonder if it's legal.