In a shocking turn of events, the details of a daring bank heist that took place in Cleveland in 1969 have finally come to light, leaving the daughter of the suspect grappling with the truth about her father's secret life. Ashley Randele, the daughter of Tom Randele, recently shared her father's hidden past on the podcast "Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad," which delves into the mysteries surrounding the heist.

Tom Randele, a car salesman known to his daughter as a confidante rather than just a father figure, confessed to Ashley before his passing in May 2021 that he had been living under a false identity and had orchestrated the audacious heist at the young age of 20. Rather than using his real name, Conrad, and birthdate of July 10, 1949, he had been operating under a fake birthdate of July 10, 1947.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Conrad, who was employed as a vault teller at Society National Bank, nonchalantly left work on Friday, July 11, 1969. It was not until the following Monday that bank managers discovered the staggering amount of $215,000 missing, which would equate to approximately $1.8 million in today's value. Along with the stolen funds, Conrad had vanished, leaving both the authorities and his closest confidants stunned.

Those who were familiar with Conrad's fascination with the 1968 film "The Thomas Crown Affair" found his heist less surprising, as the movie depicts a character, played by Steve McQueen, who orchestrates an elaborate bank heist for the excitement of it. Friends of Conrad revealed that he often expressed how easy it would be to pull off a similar feat.

Close friend Russell Metcalf, who had spent time with Conrad leading up to the heist, recounts his shock upon discovering his friend's involvement. Metcalf had planned to play golf with Conrad on Saturday, July 12, but when he received no response at Conrad's apartment, he dismissed it as a minor inconvenience. Little did he know that Conrad had disappeared with a significant sum of money.

The revelation of Conrad's secret life as a fugitive has left Ashley Randele questioning everything she thought she knew about her father. In her interview on the podcast, she expressed disbelief that the relaxed and easygoing man she knew could have harbored such a complicated past. The podcast delves deeper into her journey of coming to terms with her father's hidden identity.

The story of Conrad's heist and subsequent disappearance has captivated the Cleveland community and beyond, as the passage of over five decades has only heightened the intrigue surrounding the case. The podcast "Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad" brings to light the untold story of a man who managed to keep his criminal past hidden for years, leaving his daughter and the public wondering about the depths of his secrets.