Kensington, NY – The following CBS2 report was first reported (HERE) by YWN and then the NY Post:

Safe Deposit Boxes were not safe enough at the Borough Park branch of Astoria Federal Savings. Three creative crooks scaled fences and walls, trotted from one roof top to another until they were directly above the bank.

Investigators said they set up a fake chimney and used it to hide all their blow-torching and carving.

When they were done they had a hole large enough to lower themselves in to. They stole the contents of 60 safe deposit boxes, valued at as much as $1 million.

The thieves had it all worked out except for one thing. They were caught on surveillance video for several weeks leading up to the crime.

Barbara Landau knew something was up.

“Ah ha! I knew it. I had such a feeling,” Landau said.

Landau owns the restaurant that shares a wall with the bank. On her video security system she saw three men trespassing and casing the area. She figured it had something to do with the bank. The three men stole her camera. They even returned to make sure it hadn’t been replaced. But Landau bought a new and improved camera and put it in a different spot that the thieves did not see.

Before the heist Landau went to a bank manager and told her about her suspicions. She said she is not sure what, if anything, was done with that information. On Monday morning, however, it was clear what they had been up to. The crooks made off with items valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe even a million.

Some of the victims are Landau’s regular customers.

“There is one guy who is wiped out. Everything was in there. Money for his children’s weddings, jewelry, everything. They are devastated. Devastated,” she said.

Since Monday there has been a non-stop line of nervous customers at the bank. Frank Kalinewski arrived to find his safe deposit box dented but intact with everything inside.

“I’m lucky,” he said.

Customer Lawrence Burke said, “You would think they would have some kind of triple protection in the ceiling, like cement then steel then cement.”

Burke said many are surprised to learn the contents safe deposit boxes are not insured. The bank recently underwent renovation and investigators are looking into the possibility someone familiar with the blueprints may have been involved.

The bank issued the following statement:

“There was a burglary at the 18th Avenue Astoria Federal Savings branch (4302 18th Ave at East 2nd Street in Brooklyn) sometime early Monday morning, Feb. 23. Approximately 2 percent or 60 of 2,900 safe deposit boxes were compromised due to circumstances beyond our control and despite the fact that all our security systems functioned and operated as designed.

“The branch was closed Monday while the NYPD investigated the scene. We re-opened for business early Tuesday and to date, we have enabled over 1,000 of our safe deposit customers to view the untouched contents of their safe deposit boxes. We have also started the process of reviewing and itemizing any remaining contents from the compromised boxes. And, we have already initially met with over 30 of those safe deposit box owners with compromised boxes, to start the process of understanding the detailed, itemized content of their boxes.

“A special ‘Customer Care Unit’ has been established and will work exclusively with any customer with a box that has been compromised on a case-by-case basis. In addition, we have met with members of the community through the assistance of the Kensington Action Force. We apologize for this inconvenience, appreciate the patience our customers have demonstrated and are fully cooperating with the NYPD’s ongoing investigation. We also encourage any customer with a safe deposit box at this location to visit the branch in person so we can verify the safe deposit box ownership and status. We have extended our branch hours and will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through this Saturday.”

CBS 2 HD has learned police have leads and may know who the creative thieves are. It is Landau’s video that could be key to getting convictions to put the bank robbers in a place they cannot carve their way out of.