This is the American Greed podcast presented by CNBC. I'm Stacey Keach.

In this episode of American Greed, a well-dressed bank robber with plenty of flair.

The FBI thought of that as Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction.

An amincing violent streak.

He would pull out a gun, pointed at the tellers, and say, I will kill you if you don't get me into the vault.

The feds linked Joseph Jose Banks to 20 bank robberies,

totaling millions of dollars in losses.

He was probably the most successful bank robber in recent memory in the Chicago area.

But from a cell in a high-rise jail, he shows the world he won't be caged.

The fact that you had people willing to carve their way out of a facility and to repel down a building in the middle of the downtown.

It's almost too perfect an escape plan to have worked that properly, but it did.

It's a cold December day at this city bank branch on Chicago's north side. Jim Love is working inside

when he notices a strangely attired man approaching. He's walking in full suit after a wig

and sunglasses on and my first reaction was to laugh going good luck with this guy. I mean,

I'm glad I don't have to deal with him. It soon becomes clear that this is no laughing matter.

My next real memory is suddenly seeing a flash.

It's this big blur of afro wig, brown clothing, and within a matter of seconds, I turn around,

and there's a big silver gun in my face, tell me to get down on the floor.

The robber orders the employees to open the bank's ATMs and its vault,

then subdues a customer who happens to wander in.

Speaking gruffly and trying to move fast, the robber hits love with his gun,

and another employee collapses in apparent distress.

...