Real-Life Thieves Stole Heist Tricks From 'The Town'

Best way to learn how rob a bank? Watch 'The Town,' apparently. Five men in NY were just arrested for a string of burglaries allegedly inspired by the 2010 drama directed by and starring Ben Affleck. The NYPD stated that the group used many of the tricks shown in the film, including cutting power to their target's store and splashing bleach onto ATMs and cash drawers to get rid of DNA evidence. Back in May, bank robbers in Chicago used the same nun costumes that Affleck and Jeremy Renner used in the film. The NY crew are reportedly responsible for 62 burglaries since August 2010. An NYPD spokesperson said that the real-life burglars made off with $217,000 after robbing delis, pizzerias and other stores in Brooklyn and Queens. Since 'The Town' was released in September of 2010, the NY crew was already in business before the movie came out. While Affleck got great reviews for 'The Town,' his second directorial effort, and Renner received an Oscar nomination, guess we didn't realize just how inspirational this movie really was. [via THR] [Photo: Warner Bros.] The Dumbest Criminals in Movies 10. 'Small Time Crooks'9. 'Saving Grace'8. 'Snatch'7. 'I Love You to Death'6. 'Raising Arizona'5. 'Barbershop'4. 'A Fish Called Wanda'3. 'Dog Day Afternoon'2. 'Fargo'1. 'Take the Money and Run' See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED