Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief by Bill a Mason and Lee Gruenfeld

Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief by Bill Mason and Lee Gruenfeld, (New York: Villard Books; 2005), 365 pages.

Confessions always make good reading. From the times of Saint Augustine we've read them in great number. Those of us that live quiet lives seem always willing to pay for the confessions of Saints and sinners. Bill Mason fits into the sinner camp. He was an exceptional jewel thief that plied his specialized craft in Cleveland and South Florida. During the day, Mason worked a a successful property manager and real estate investor. On the side, he was a jewel thief that over his career stole more than $35 million worth of jewels from wealthy industrialists, actors, show business personalities, and wealthy socialites. This book reflects on his early life and early crimes, his growing confidence as he successfully completed more dangerous robberies, his relocation to Florida and fresh crop of new targets, his embarrassment of the Florida police, the five years he spent as a fugitive, his time in jail and prison, and the events that led to him retiring from a life of crime.

Mason's confessions show how the life of crime does not pay. We read of his excitement of successfully completing a succession of heists, and the highs of completing a range of jobs. But we also read of his brush with death after being shot by a security guard, the dogged pursuit of him by the Florida police, the misery he caused his family by long absences in jail and being a fugitive from the law for five years, as well as the stress and strain he caused his wife by her not knowing whether he will come home from a job. Mason paints a pretty good picture of the highs and lows of his criminal life and appears genuine when he apologizes for all the misery and pain he inflicted on his wives and children. He regrets the life that he lived, but shows that even though he had a lot of fun for a while, in the long run his live as a master jewel thief was not worth the suffering he inflicted on himself and those he loved. Let's hope that any potential criminals that read this book learn from Mason's experience and heed his advice.