Wells Fargo used to store large amounts of money in its depot at Culbro Industrial Park in West Hartford, exploiting a lack of public awareness about it and the city's industrial nature to keep as much as $30 million at the site. The corporation employed individuals at minimum wage, hoping to offset losses caused by an increase in competition. However, this mostly attracted employees with little to no experience. This branch was managed by Jim McKeon, who took the job after only five months of guard duty. This lack of experience manifested itself in his management of the delivery routes and assets, where he granted liberty beyond the rule book to his subordinates for the sake of completing the task with the resources available. McKeon employed 25-year old Víctor Manuel Gerena as his second in command, with both starting their employment with the company with only a month of difference. Among his coworkers, Gerena gained a reputation as a stoic individual, distancing his personal life from most, but his work load earned him one of the vault's keys.