by Danise was consistent with Kapatos’ version of events. The existence of Danise had never been disclosed to the defense by the prosecution. Kapatos' attorney, Joseph Aronstein, filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf based on this new information. On July 9, 1962, judge Edmund L. Palmieri granted the writ of habeas corpus on the basis that the Manhattan district attorney's office had prejudiced his case in failing to disclose the existence of the witness, thus depriving him of the due process of law at his trial in 1938. Having served twenty-three years in prison, Kapatos was released in August 1962 after the charges against him were dismissed. Robberies On November 8, 1963, Kapatos and four others took part in what was dubbed by the press as the "Great Bungled Jewel Robbery of 1963", the attempted theft of a $3 million interstate jewelry shipment being transported in a station wagon by six employees of the AAA Jewelry Service. Driving a black sedan and disguised as policemen, he and another man ordered the station wagon to pull over in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan before holding the employees at gunpoint and ushering them into a following panel truck, where they were shackled and handcuffed. The heist failed, however, as the robbers were unable to drive the station wagon because it had a standard gear shift which they did not know how to operate. Rather than alert authorities, nearby workers who witnessed the attempted robbery then looted the jewels themselves. Approximately 90% of the stolen valuables were ultimately recovered. Kapatos was identified as a suspect by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) shortly after the failed robbery. In early 1964, Kapatos joined a gang of would-be robbers consisting of John Pierce, Charles Roberts, Frank "Machine Gun" Campbell, and Henry "Speedy" Speditz. The group were known to each other and frequented the Market Diner on West 51st Street in Hell's Kitchen, which was a gathering place for men who worked in the neighborhood. Recruited by Pierce because he owned several garages in New Jersey, as well as pistols, a machine gun and other necessary equipment and paraphernalia, Kapatos orchestrated a plan to heist a First National Bank of Passaic County, New Jersey money truck as it passed through a secluded side street in Paterson. Requiring a fifth man for the job, Kaparos brought his friend, Thomas Callahan, in on the scheme in late