Elegant, charming and formidable. The story of Bruno Sulaknicknamed “the Arsène Lupine of jewelry stores”, is that of a robber from the 1980s who is out of the ordinary. A former legionnaire, he is distinguished by his code of honor: never use violence to achieve one's ends. Charismatic, seductive and cheeky, Sulak left his mark on those he met during these years of robberies and on the run. But before becoming public enemy number one, he was a young soldier in the Foreign Legion in Calvi, in the parachute regiment. This Friday, November 1st, the new film by Melanie Laurent on the life of the famous French robber: Librewith Lucas Bravo in the role of the famous robber, is available on Prime Video.
Declared a deserter after returning to Marseille for vacation and never returning, Bruno Sulak then began robbing Mammoth supermarkets. His first coup, on October 14, 1978, in a Mammoth in Albi, earned him the equivalent of 40,000 euros today. With his brother-in-law, Yves Carillohe operates with his face uncovered and without a weapon. Sulak will even go so far as to abandon a robbery when the cashier feels unwell. A revealing detail of his non-violent approach to crime.
Bruno meets Patricia, his girlfriend, who becomes pregnant. There is then no question of marrying under a false name or of not recognizing your daughter, Amélie. Sulak takes the risk, and is arrested four days after their wedding, not for his robberies, but for his desertion. During the search, the police found weapons and tickets, thus establishing the link with the robberies. Incarcerated in the Albi remand center, Sulak escaped by sawing the bars of his cell on June 24, 1980, helped by an accomplice on a motorcycle. Leaving behind his accomplice Carillo, also in prison.
The Freedom Train
After his escape, he led a social life in Paris, devoting himself to petty theft while frequenting nightclubs. On January 25, 1982, he was arrested while going to his new girlfriend, Thalie, and surrendered without resistance. There, he meets the commissioner Georges Moreasdirector of the ORCB, the Central Office for the Suppression of Banditry, with whom he maintains a friendly relationship, even confessing to him a large part of his robberies. During his transfer by train to Lyon, Sulak seized an opportunity by escaping, despite the surveillance of five gendarmes, thanks to two armed accomplices. Funny detail: one of the weapons used for his escape was later found in a stolen BMW, driven by Anthony Delonthen aged 18.
It was at this time that Sulak met Steve Jovanovicwho will become his accomplice. Together, they move from small thefts to major heists, targeting renowned jewelry stores. Their first coup: the famous jeweler Cartier, avenue Montaigne, where they seized jewelry worth 10 million francs. Meticulously prepared, he carried out this heist while François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl, the French and German heads of state, paraded on the Champs-Élysées. Sulak does not fail to boast after the feat, calling Moréas to tell him: “Hey, did you see what I did? “. Moréas, fascinated, wishes to meet him in person, but Sulak will never show himself. During a memorable heist, Sulak steals an engagement ring but realizes that the bride-to-be was trying it on. Not without panache, he slips the ring on her finger before running away.
Subsequently, the duo of thugs travels to Cannes. On the busy Croisette, Sulak made several visits to the Cartier boutique, gaining the trust of the staff present. On the big day, Sulak and Jovanovic disguise themselves as tennis players, posing as rich players. Among the stolen items is the famous panther lighter, of which there are only four examples in the world. The final loot amounts to the equivalent of 40 million francs, once again placing Sulak and his sidekick in the legend of the robberies.
Lost in flight
In 1984, Bruno Sulak officially became public enemy number one. His face is on the front page of all the newspapers. But despite his condition as a robber, he continues to attract public sympathy. His code of honor and his charisma have a lot to do with it. However, the Thionville hostage-taking affair shook him deeply. Shortly after this episode, Sulak flew to Brazil, seeking to escape police pressure. However, his need to stay in France, close to his family, quickly brings him back to the territory, under a false identity. Arrested in Spain for false papers, the local authorities quickly discovered that he was the famous Bruno Sulak. He was transferred to the Draguignan remand center, near Bordeaux.
