The Big Heist backdrop
DRAMA . 2001 . 1h 32m . 4.9/10

The Big Heist_

Based on the 1986 book "The Heist: How a Gang Stole $8,000,000 at Kennedy Airport and Lived to Regret It", by Ernest Volkman and John Cummings, this TV movie tells the story about the 1978 Lufthansa Heist at JFK Airport in New York - the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil. The heist was also the subject of the much better-known 1990 film "Goodfella"s, directed by Martin Scorsese. It was also the subject of another made-for-television film: "The 10 Million Dollar Getaway" from 1991.

Starring Donald Sutherland, John Heard, Jamie Harris
4.9/10
Rating
1h 32m
Runtime
2001
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
The Big Heist poster

Based on the 1986 book "The Heist: How a Gang Stole $8,000,000 at Kennedy Airport and Lived to Regret It", by Ernest Volkman and John Cummings, this TV movie tells the story about the 1978 Lufthansa Heist at JFK Airport in New York - the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil. The heist was also the subject of the much better-known 1990 film "Goodfella"s, directed by Martin Scorsese. It was also the subject of another made-for-television film: "The 10 Million Dollar Getaway" from 1991.

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Cast
Donald Sutherland stars as Jimmy Burke in The Big Heist.
Donald Sutherland →
Year context
The Big Heist was released 25 years ago in 2001.
Overview
Based on the 1986 book "The Heist: How a Gang Stole $8,000,000 at Kennedy Airport and Lived to Regret It", by Ernest Volkman and John Cummings, this TV movi...
The Big Heist is a Drama, TV Movie, Crime film with a runtime of 1h 32m.

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
92 min (1h 32m)
Rating
4.9/10 (11 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is The Big Heist about?
Based on the 1986 book "The Heist: How a Gang Stole $8,000,000 at Kennedy Airport and Lived to Regret It", by Ernest Volkman and John Cummings, this TV movie tells the story about the 1978 Lufthansa Heist at JFK Airport in New York - the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil. The heist was also the subject of the much better-known 1990 film "Goodfella"s, directed by Martin Scorsese. It was also the subject of another made-for-television film: "The 10 Million Dollar Getaway" from 1991.
How long is The Big Heist?
The Big Heist has a runtime of 92 minutes (1h 32m).
Who stars in The Big Heist?
The cast of The Big Heist includes Donald Sutherland, John Heard, Jamie Harris, Janet Kidder, Nick Sandow.
What is the rating of The Big Heist?
The Big Heist has a rating of 4.9 out of 10 based on 11 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (3)

Drama TV Movie Crime
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