LAS VEGAS (KLAS) —Long before the Las Vegas Strip became synonymous with luxury and high-stakes living, one of the most infamous jewel heists in FBI history unfolded just miles from the neon lights — and it all started with a diamond that was impossible to miss.
In April 1959, socialite and former actress Vera Krupp was living at her remote Spring Mountain Ranch estate, about 26 miles southwest of Las Vegas, when a knock at the door turned into a nightmare.
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Three men posing as workers forced their way inside within seconds. Their target: a massive 33-carat diamond ring Krupp wore almost everywhere — a stone so large it drew attention wherever she went, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The men ripped the ring from her finger, then tied Krupp and her foreman back-to-back and ransacked the home, stealing cash, valuables, and the now-infamous diamond, the FBI said…