Five men have been arrested and charged with taking part in a long-unsolved 1978 Lufthansa heist at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Court papers allege that the men were responsible for for acts of extortion and arson, including the heist, which was made famous by the 1990 film "Goodfellas."

Vincent Asaro has been identified as one of the leaders of the gang. He's been charged with stealing $5 million in cash and $1 million in jewellery from a Lufthansa Terminal in December 1978.

Mr Asaro's attorney says he didn't do it.

At the time, it was the biggest cash heist ever recorded in the United States. The stolen funds would be equivalent to nearly $18 million dollars today.

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