Top Escape Artists You've Never Heard Of

Thanks to Clint Eastwood and papier mache, we've all heard of "Escape from Alcatraz." And "The Texas Seven" escape isn't even a decade old. Yet some of the heros behind harrowing prison escapes aren't the ones with an IMDB credit.

• 1. Antonio Ferrara

  

  Five years into his prison career, six heavily armed men drove up to the front gate of Fresnes Prison impersonating officers, and freed Ferrara. He was only on the lam for four months before being recaptured. (via)

• 2. Bobby Storey and Gerry Kelly

  

  Storey and Kelly led the biggest prison escape in British history in September 1983 at Maze Prison in Northern Ireland. 38 Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners escaped and held guards and an entire cellblock hostage until forcing a supply truck to drive them to hiding. Only 19 of the 38 were ever caught. (via)

• 3. Pascal Payet

  

  Payet escaped twice from high security prisons in France via hijacked helicopter. And upon his second escape, he hid out near Barcelona and underwent plastic surgery to evade police. (via)

• 4. Jay Junior Sigler

  

  Jay's mom, Sandra Sigler, drove an industrial sized truck through three prison barricades. Once through, Jay was passed a shotgun, which he fired at guards as they retreated. After switching cars outside of town, the crew were eventually captured at a nearby gas station. (via)

• 5. Bill Goldfinch and Jack Best

  

  This one only sort of counts since the Colditz POW camp was relieved before Best and Goldfinch could escape, however their plan was to construct a two-person glider to fly over the river from a prison tower. It was almost 100% complete when they were freed. (via)