Vassilis Paleokostas: Greece's Daring Outlaw

Vassilis Paleokostas, a notorious Greek bank robber, embarked on a criminal career at the age of 19, initially robbing a local jewelry store while barricading the police station's door. Over time, he and his gang became folk heroes due to Greece's economic struggles, corrupt banking practices, and their donations to the poor. After his brother Nikos was imprisoned, Vassilis orchestrated a daring prison break, driving a tank through the prison wall, but was captured during the attempt. He later escaped prison by tying bed sheets together like a scene from a Hollywood comedy.

In 1992, Paleokostas executed Greece's largest cash robbery and bizarrely threw bricks of cash at random pedestrians to dispose of the evidence. His audacity continued when he stole a Nissan during an emergency, polished it, stocked it with $600, and returned it to the owner. Despite multiple arrests, he managed two helicopter escapes from prison in 2006 and 2009. As of now, he remains at large with a one-million-euro bounty on his head.