Now he was inside.
Rows of file cabinets beckoned. This was the moment the group of eight had planned. They had long suspected FBI malfeasance and were convinced these records would prove it.
Daniel, then 26, rolled out the first metal cabinet drawer, scooped up the files and threw them into a suitcase. His gloved hands shook. The burglars had to hurry.
They had chosen March 8, 1971, because Muhammad Ali’s title fight against Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden would keep most of the country and world and most importantly, FBI agents and police glued to closed-circuit screens and radios for a few hours. One of the intruders could hear the broadcast in nearby apartments.