The Video of the Best Pickpocketer in the World That You’ll Likely Want to See
Although you might not consider pickpocking anything but a crime, perhaps after watching a man considered one of the best pickpocketers in the world, you’ll see a bit of art in the practice.
Apollo Robbins (yes, that’s his name) was recently featured by Adam Green in The New Yorker. The 38-year-old living in Las Vegas is described in the New Yorker as a “peculiar variety-arts hybrid” also known as a “theatrical pickpocket.”
Apollo Robbins talks Adam Green with The New Yorker through his pickpocketing tricks. (Image: The New Yorker video screenshot)
Here’s an example Green included in his article that shows just how good the 38-year-old is at was he does:
He is probably best known for an encounter with Jimmy Carter’s Secret Service detail in 2001. While Carter was at dinner, Robbins struck up a conversation with several of his Secret Service men. Within a few minutes, he had emptied the agents’ pockets of pretty much everything but their guns. Robbins brandished a copy of Carter’s itinerary, and when an agent snatched it back he said, “You don’t have the authorization to see that!” When the agent felt for his badge, Robbins produced it and handed it back. Then he turned to the head of the detail and handed him his watch, his badge, and the keys to the Carter motorcade.
Robbins, who on his website is also known as “the gentleman thief,” shows off his skills against Green in this video:
Although a performer, Robbins does address the criminal side of pickpocketing — and how he could technically be successful on that front.
“You have to ask yourself one question,” he said, according to the New Yorker. “Am I being paid enough to give it back?”
Since he has been an entertainer for more than a decade, the answer to that question appears to be “yes.”
But it was criminal activity that got him interested in the first place. Here’s how he explains how he got into the pickpocketing business on his website:
My half brothers were involved with crime. But I was too young to participate. I also had certain disabilities that prevented me [from joining in]: like braces on my legs. When I became a teen, I ran into a friend at a magic shop who took me under his wing. I started reading up on magical theory and immediately blended that with what my brothers had shown me.
Although he may not pickpocket criminally himself — as he said above, he’s doing just fine pickpocketing for pure entertainment value — he did set himself up to be pickpocketed. On his website, he explained that he allowed himself to be pickpocketed in Spain so he could “feel the sensation.”
Read more about Robbins in the New Yorker’s feature here.
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Comments (63)
davidwjohnson
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 1:33amPassion always trumps facts!
Democrats learned a long time ago to phrase every remark in emotional terms. Republicans always make the mistake of answering with facts.
Democrat: You don’t want to see children go hungry?
Republican: 47 million families are on food stamps. We can’t keep up the spending. We’re need to make hard choices to curtail entitlements.
If Republicans in Congress keep talking like accountants doing a tax audit, the Democrats will always rule the day.
Republicans need to show some burning passion that they actually give a crap about America and the Constitution.
Republicans need to watch the likes of Alex Jones and Glenn Beck to at least learn how to emote until they can regain the burning passionate feelings of the American idea.
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RANGER1965
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 9:13amYou do have a point, but lets remember that much of the passion on the liberal side is pure theater It’s feigned. Calculated emotional words are used, and it’s always to describe a victim(s) being railroaded by: (1) A system that needs to be changed (2) A politician that needs to be reprimanded (3) A political party that is out of touch.
The deception is always two fold. They don’t really feel anything about what they are saying, behind their emotional words are eyes as hard as pig iron. Secondly, they always tell half truths with the lie. The system does need overhauling, their opponents are often out of touch. Their usually is a problem. This is how they sell bankrupt and incompetent solutions.
When people are real, and have deep feelings about somthing, it never sounds like a speech. It always sounds a bit screwed up, halting, a little foolish, and always incomplete. That’s human, and that’s real. Somthing you rarely see with a politician.
Facts and truth MUST come first. If the speaker becomes emotional about truth, and relates well to his audience then you have the perfect marriage of honor and communication. Somthing as rare as hen’s teeth in the Republican Party.
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GollygeeMrwilson
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 9:55amAbsolutely the truth in words that I have been struggling to find for years.
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QuincySmith
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 12:43amApollo Robbins is an amature compared to oblama.
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YAHSHUARULES
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 2:01amObama is fruit of the agenda:
Do you know who the Fabians (with logo of wolf in sheep’s clothing); SDS, Frankfurt School and Willi Munzenberg, Herbert Markusa and Franz Noima; John Dewey, Antonio Gramsci, Mattechine Society, Saul Alinski (who dedicated his book which Obama taught for years in Chicago “Rules for Radicals” to Lucifer) was a disciple of Gramsci used to train at the rifle range with Leon Despres preparing for the revolution to take down America, later became a mentor to Obama and.Committees of Correspondence are? Connect all the dots that allowed Obama to waltz into the White House..
https://vimeo.com/52009124
All part of the Agenda to create an America so corrupt it stinks; use public policy to subvert America from inside, infiltrate and influence our culture driving us in a direction designed to destroy us. . No conspiracy – just verifiable facts! If you don’t know all this you need to find out!
This is the most comprehensive, best movie I have seen pulling all this together. I have watched it 12X to absorb all that is in it…give it 5 minutes and you won’t be able to walk away
Watch it. Share it. Arrange a showing in church, groups, clubs, with friends or family. Everyone who loves America needs to see this movie,
It is free on line for the moment
https://vimeo.com/52009124
If America goes down, the free world will go down with it and it will be finished for a very, very long time…
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busterpuddles
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 1:16pmI guess in a way that’s true. Obama is 1,600 miles away and he’s still picking my pocket.
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lingenmi
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 9:13pmWho the heck shakes hands using their left hand anyway?
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idrathermisstotheright
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 11:58pmMy dad since he only has a left hand.
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chingachgook
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 8:38pmThese tecniques work and they work well every Christamas you could expect Colombians to work their majic in the New York city area. At that time they ran pick pocket shools in Bogata and sent their graduates notth to NYC to take advantage of the Christmas shopping crowds. Their are many who have mastered these skills. The best advice is to protect your personal space, they are looking for easy targets the difficult targets are problematic.
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WatchingThePuppetShow
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 8:10pmI think he should go to Washington DC and steal some of our money back!
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JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 11:42pmAll of our money that went to Washington was spent before it arrived.
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SUNTZU
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 11:50pmIts not stealing if it was yours
to start with.
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YAHSHUARULES
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 2:05amThe real sleight of hand is what has been going on unbeknown to most Americans:
Relentless effort since 1883 regardless of who has been in office to change this culture and country in a way that it can never be changed back again
Agenda to create an America so corrupt it stinks; use public policy to subvert America from inside, infiltrate and influence our culture driving us in a direction designed to destroy us. . No conspiracy – just verifiable facts! If you don’t know all this you need to find out!
This is the most comprehensive, best movie I have seen pulling all this together. I have watched it 12X to absorb all that is in it…give it 5 minutes and you won’t be able to walk away
Watch it. Share it. Arrange a showing in church, groups, clubs, with friends or family. Everyone who loves America needs to see this movie,
It is free on line for the moment
https://vimeo.com/52009124
If America goes down, the free world will go down with it and it will be finished for a very, very long time…
Report this comment
trinity729
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 8:02pmI cannot imagine how many hours he must have practiced just to make that behind the back toss! Wow!
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DawgBreath
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 7:52pmEh… Adam Green is asleep. At the 6:26 mark of the video you’ll see the zipper to his pants is open. Or maybe Robbins was ‘rummaging’ in there also.
Why would you let anyone that close to you?
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Bro Geo Too
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 7:19pm`
Clearly the guy is coaching Obama.
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SirhanSirhan
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 6:36pmThieving Americans!
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Advection
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 6:44pmHe’s British, stupid.
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A.D.Hominem
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 7:11pm@ SirhanSillyPants
Oh yeah! You are so bright. I never had leechy little urchins like you accost me in London, Paris, Rome, New Delhi, Cairo, et errrrr cetera. Wait a minute, yes I did. Aren’t you a litle hypocrite because that never happened in Vegas. New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, okay, you’ve got me there. Sewers are sewers and rats are rats no matter where you are. You should know that, being a filthy little bottom feeder!
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SirhanSirhan
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 7:33pm@ ADVECTION- You lie like Muslims prayer rug! (Your i.q. is so low you probable wont get the pun)
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A.D.Hominem
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 7:51pm@ SirhanTheSpuriousPutz
Your “pun” is neither subtle nor smart. As usual, your singular lack of wit is showing. Did ya get that? Nah, you were probably too busy doing your faux camel. He called and said he’d prefer a boy with a little more in the …
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trinity729
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 7:54pmWho’s British? Both those guys are Americans (or just really good at American accents.
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A.D.Hominem
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 8:10pm@Trinity
According to Google, you’re right. At least, it claims that Apollo Robbins is American Born. His web site doesn’t say squat – the “squat” was just for you, Sirhan boy! We all knows how you likes it. Couldn’t help it, Sirhan is such a douche!
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SirhanSirhan
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 9:42pm@ A.D.HOMINEM- Bottom line, you’re gay and more than likely, you’re the bottom!
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A.D.Hominem
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 10:52pm@ SirhanSpankyHand
The whiny little camel wetter crawled back to his madrassa. His camel mewled and Sirhan drooled, ’cause he’d nailed him in the a$$a!
No, you’re gay!
Wah,Wah, Wah! Oh no, the effete little Arab wanker wanna be called me gay! Whatever will I do?
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SirhanSirhan
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 6:00am@ A.D.HOMINEM- Your partner, I guess!
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Advection
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 6:27pmWhen I lived in Europe, several times after returning home/hotel, I found my belongings had been opened. I learned to put small padlocks on things which I wanted to keep. The trick is to stop someone for a few seconds. That’s all you need.
By the way, Europe is FULL of thieves. Every socialist paradise is because the government steals so much from them. They’re desperate.
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LakeHartwellSailor
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 6:01pmHe’s NOT the best pick-pocket in the world. Our Administration and Congress has earned that title.
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Whiskey_Tango
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 6:51pmAmen
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RabidPatriot
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 7:04pmThis guy is a petty pick pocket. The government is a strong-arm robber. There is a difference.
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John655
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 5:24pmKeep your personal buffer space at all times, especally if you’re carrying. My guard goes up with anyone I don’t know gets too close.
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Jayms
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 5:17pmThis video should be titled The Best “Known” Pickpocket In The World.
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Jayms
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 5:16pmThis would be great to try in a crowded theater. It doesn’t seem like these tricks would work very well on a street because walking through a city no one touches, even in dense crowds. In a theater you could pass someone in an isle, though.
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Eastinfection
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 5:10pmthe Artful Dodger.
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ThoreauHD
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 5:01pmMeet your new Jobs Czar.
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cessna152
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 4:50pmThat’s nothing, Obama and company have picked the pockets of hundreds of millions of people in less than 4 years.
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KissMyAmericanFlag
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 10:29pmBravo. Thinking along the same lines.
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Tickdog
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 4:49pmso thats how obumma does it..
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booger71
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 5:25pmYou beat me to it……
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spfoam1
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 4:09pmDoes this guy run the IRS?
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ArmedAndReallyPissed
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 4:03pmEntertainment
The Video of the Best Pickpocketer in the World That You’ll Likely Want to See……………………….
I’ve seen more than enough Video’s of the Fuhrer Obozo, thanks anyway.
Wh”O”s in YOUR wallet.
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lid.smoker
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 4:03pmThat’s why I carry a wallet shaped turd in my back pocket.
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nappy
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 4:43pmhahaha!!
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A.D.Hominem
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 7:25pmThat’s just funny!
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DLV
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 7:41pmHe has a 100 pickpocketing skill in Skyrim.
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Tri-ox
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 4:00pmI beg to disagree – - – obama is the best pickpocketer in the world.
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OniKaze
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 4:17pmObama is so good, he gets a crack at it, before you even GET your check… Let alone your money…
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Rowgue
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 3:59pmTheatrical pickpocketing doesn’t translate to real pickpocketing. It requires you to put on a big dog and pony show and build a level of trust that allows you to grab and touch a person without them becoming overly suspicious. It’s a variety act not a practical skill.
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PK_SEA
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 5:45pmSure it does. On the street, he just has to come up to you and say you’ve got a loose thread on your jacket (or some other ruse), and bam, your wallet is gone.
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Rowgue
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 2:20amYeah because a complete stranger walking up to you in the street mumbling something about a loose thread and proceeding to grab and manipulate you would seem totally natural. The stuff this guy is doing only works under the premise of some sort of demonstration, it’s usually done in the guise of a magic act. He has to keep directing your attention all over the place to distract you from what he’s doing, that doesn’t feel normal in the context of a normal encounter.
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BehindBlueEyes
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 3:58pmObama is a master at this too. Only he makes your money disappear before it ever gets to your wallet.
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paulwbrown
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 4:10pmExcellent!
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Mr.Fitnah
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 3:54pmSeen these things live I don’t believe them.
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