'FBI's most wanted list' hits 60-years

New Haven, Conn. (WTNH) - On the 60-year anniversary of the 'The FBI's10-Most Wanted List,' statistics show that nothing else has helped track down more fugitives.

It was September 1983 when agents say Victor Manuel Gerena pulled off a $7 million heist at the Wells Fargo depot in West Hartford. A year later, he was put on the 'FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted List,' now he is still on it. "He has been on there for almost 26 years," said Kimberly Mertz of the Connecticut FBI.

CT Special Agent in charge Kim Mertz spoke exclusively to News Channel 8 and says while it hasn't worked yet to find Gerena, she still believes its a useful tool. "Typically there is a very high probability an individual will be captured," explained Mertz. "With Victor Gerena we haven't been successful but we haven't given up."

In 1959, East Norwalk Bank Robber Emmet Bernard Karavan was 'most wanted' for only a month. Then in 1970, Edmund Devlin was nabbed for a Norwalk robbery after five months on the list. In 1996, Bridgeport triple killer Oneil Vassell was found after a year among the 'top ten.' "It's not our intention that they're famous or rather infamous there is a lot of noteiety, but for us that notoriety also leads to exposure and that frequently leads to to information," explained Mertz.

But even since the birth of the 'top ten list' technology has helped find suspects as well. Instead of the 'most wanted' poster featured in your local post office or supermarket, the agency is using new technology to promote the list like Facebook and Twitter.

Gerena has been on the top ten list longer than Osama Bin Laden, and for now New Haven's FBI isn't looking to get any other criminal on the poster. "We haven't had anyone else that we would propose nominating at this time," said Mertz. "Again our interest is definitely on Gerena," Mertz said adamantly.

Only one other person has been on the list longer the Victor Gerena. That person is Donald Eugene Webb. He was on the list for 37 years and was finally caught three years ago.