Arthur 'The Brain' Rachel, Aging Diamond Thief And Reputed Mobster, Sentenced In Separate Case

CHICAGO -- A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a reputed Chicago mobster who first gained notoriety three decades ago for stealing the 45-carat Marlborough Diamond from a London jewelry store.

Arthur "The Brain" Rachel received an 8 1/2-year prison term for racketeering for his involvement in several unrelated robberies in recent years.

Before Thursday's sentencing, Judge Harry Leinenweber (LY'-nuhn-web-ur) asked the 73-year-old defendant why he got involved in planning more robberies after already spending so much of his life in prison.

Rachel responded by saying he and his cohorts were bored and had nothing better to do.

Rachel and an accomplice staged a daring daytime theft of the Marlborough Diamond in 1980. They began serving 15-year prison terms in 1984 and were released in 1993. The diamond was never recovered.

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