2 GROUPS LINKED TO SURGE IN VIOLENT HOLDUPS.

Byline: Jaxon Van Derbeken Daily News Staff Writer

An alarming surge in violent takeover robberies at San Fernando Valley banks has been tied to two groups - the ``Shoot 'Em Up'' bandits and the ``Black Nylon Bandits,'' the latter of which eluded a police dragnet by running across the Ventura Freeway.

William Rehder, bank robbery coordinator for the FBI's Los Angeles office, said that the ``Shoot 'Em Up'' group, responsible for May holdups of Bank of America branches in Van Nuys and Winnetka, ranks highest on his agency's priority list.

``This is the worst I've ever seen,'' said Rehder, who has been investigating bank holdups for 28 of his 30 years with the FBI. ``I've never seen that many (bullets) fired in two robberies.''

Los Angeles police say that in the San Fernando Valley there has been a 216 percent increase in takeover robberies, in which bandits take control of banks and order employees and customers to the floor, compared to last year. There are already more takeover robberies in the Valley than there were in all of Los Angeles city last year, officials said.

Rehder said that in both of the recent holdups attributed to the ``Shoot 'Em Up'' bandits - the Van Nuys holdup on May 2 and the one in Winnetka on May 31 - the suspects fired a hail of bullets at the door leading to the vault to get around the plexiglass ``Bandit Barrier'' used to prevent holdups.

In both holdups, the suspects carried machine guns or assault rifles. In the second holdup, a 27-year-old bank worker who was seven months pregnant was hospitalized with an injury she suffered scrambling to avoid the gunfire.

``They are the most violent robbers that I've seen,'' said LAPD Detective Tom Gattegno. ``These guys are a different breed.''

In each holdup, both committed about 10 a.m., the masked, gloved gunmen entered the branch and ordered customers to the ground. They then trained their attention on the manager and the door leading to the vault and opened fire.

``Obviously, they have no reluctance to fire - that's what makes them so damn dangerous,'' Rehder said. He noted that while the rounds are directed at the door to the vault, at least two employees have suffered minor wounds from fragments.

``They were attempting to destroy parts of the bandit barrier that would allow them access,'' he said. ``But once that round pierces the bandit barrier, it's indiscriminate after that - it's happenstance where it winds up.''

A $100,000 reward has been offered by Bank of America for help in the capture of the group.

The ``Shoot 'Em Up'' gang is the most violent, but police in the West San Fernando Valley are plagued by the prolific ``Black Nylon Bandits,'' as well as other suspects who follow the more typical scenario of showing a note and demanding cash.

``We don't have anything to pinpoint as to this is the reason why there's all these takeovers,'' said Gattegno, charged with probing Valley robberies for the Los Angeles Police Department.

The ``Black Nylon Bandits'' or ``Nylon Stocking Bandits'' have been tied to 13 holdups since January - including a Woodland Hills holdup in mid-April in which they managed to escape by running across the Ventura Freeway.

The latest crime was on June 3, when the two suspects and an accomplice who acted as a driver held up a Home Savings of America at Saticoy Street and Louise Avenue.

Authorities say the suspects normally walk in and one orders the bank guard to the ground at gunpoint, while the other goes behind the teller line. Police attribute six holdups in the West Valley, five in Devonshire and two in Van Nuys to the ``Nylon Stocking Bandits.''

``They are quite active, there's no question about it,'' Rehder said.

The overall result is a significant upswing in the totals for the city and Valley in takeover crimes.

Last year to date, there were six takeover robberies in the Valley, but officials say there have been 19 so far this year. ``That's a 216 percent increase,'' Gattegno said.

He also noted an increase in all types of robberies in the Valley.

``Last year, 1995, in May, we had 101 robberies. This year, we're at 152 - we're up, and the bulk of them are takeovers,'' said Gattegno, a 23-year veteran investigator.

Meanwhile, takeover robberies are down 11 percent citywide over the same period. Gattegno said the pace in the Valley has already outstripped the citywide tally of 15 takeovers in the city for last year.

The record year for robberies in the city was 1992, with 880. The number has steadily dropped, with 515 robberies in 1993, 340 in 1994 and 335 last year.

Gattegno described a catalog of bandits active in the Southern California area, including a man who resembles the character Flanders on the television series ``The Simpsons.''

Among the other robbers:

The ``Over-the-Counter Bandits,'' or the ``Student Account Bandits'' are sought in two takeover holdups in the San Fernando Valley in April. The three suspects inquired about opening an account for student loan customers, then vaulted the teller counters and escaped with money from the teller drawers. The holdups have been at the Glendale Federal Bank on April 20 and April 26 at the Los Angeles Teachers Credit Union - both institutions were at the same intersection.

The ``Computer Note Bandit'' is sought in five bank robberies in the Valley, two in May and one each in the three months previous. ``He must have access to a computer. He has the little note all typed up nice and neat,'' Gattegno said. He is described as 5-6, with a medium build, clean shaven and wearing a baseball cap.

The ``Manila Envelope Bandit'' is sought in the Feb. 22 holdup of a Home Savings of America in Woodland Hills. He is described as 5-5, about 40, with short hair that is gray on the sides and thin on the top. In the holdup, he asked for money to be put into the envelope, but the dye pack activated, and he fled without any cash.

The ``Read This'' bandit is also known as the ``Flanders Bandit'' for his resemblance to a character on ``The Simpsons.'' He is suspected in one holdup of a Great Western Bank on Ventura Boulevard on April 19. He entered the bank and told the teller, ``I want you to read this,'' providing the teller with a paper demand note, with the words, ``No bait, no dye packs, or I'll shoot you.'' He is described as 5-10, about 40 years old, with a medium build.

The ``Stay Calm Bandit,'' formerly known as the ``Bearded Bandit,'' is sought in eight bank robberies since August 1993. He is described as about 5-9, with a medium build, and age 25 to 30. He has been hitting sporadically at banks throughout the Valley over the three-year period, most recently the Trans World Bank in Northridge in March. He recently shaved off his brown to black beard, but he is also known for his instruction to tellers to ``stay calm'' after passing them a demand note.

The ``Bicycle Bandit,'' also known as the ``Huck Finn Bandit,'' rides a mountain bike, sports a floppy, wide-brimmed straw hat and is about 50 years old. The suspect parks a ramshackle pickup nearby, jumps on a black bicycle and pedals his way to the target bank, where he calmly walks in and hands the teller a note demanding money. He is described as about 5-9, with a medium build and a fair complexion. His possibly dyed hair is alternately gray, brown or red. Since May 8, the oddly dressed man has robbed six banks in the Valley.

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos

Photo: (1) This young man, dubbed the ``Computer Note Ba ndit'' is a suspect in five robberies this year.

(2) This ``Over-the-Counter Bandit'' is caught on tape during one of two April takeover bank robberies.

(3) A camera caught the ``Read This Bandit'' robbing a Great Western Bank in Tarzana on April 19.

(4) The ``Bearded Bandit'' is wanted for a three-year spree, including a March robbery in Northridge.