18th March, 1990 – The largest art theft in US history, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist happen

18th March, 1990 – In the largest art theft in US history, 12 paintings, collectively worth around $500 million, are stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist of March 18, 1990, remains the largest art theft in U.S. history and one of the most famous unsolved crimes in the world. Twelve paintings and other valuable pieces—collectively worth around $500 million—were stolen from the museum in Boston, Massachusetts. 1. The Setup • The robbery took place in the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, the day after St. Patrick’s Day. • Around 1:24 AM, two men dressed as Boston police officers rang the museum’s side entrance buzzer and told the security guards they were responding to a disturbance call. • The guards, Rick Abath and Randy Hestand, broke protocol by allowing the “officers” inside. 2. The Robbery • Once inside, the fake officers overpowered the guards, tied them up in the museum’s basement, and blindfolded them. • The thieves then spent 81 minutes moving through the museum, stealing 13 pieces of art from different galleries. • Notably, the museum’s motion sensors recorded their movements, showing they avoided certain high-value pieces, suggesting they had a specific target list. • At 2:45 AM, the thieves left in a stolen vehicle with the artwork. The Stolen Art Among the 13 stolen items were priceless masterpieces, including: Major Paintings Stolen 1. “The Concert” – Johannes Vermeer (one of only 34 known Vermeer paintings in the world) 2. “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee” – Rembrandt (his only known seascape) 3. “A Lady and Gentleman in Black” – Rembrandt 4. “Landscape with an Obelisk” – Govert Flinck (previously attributed to Rembrandt) Other Valuable Works 5. A Self-Portrait Etching by Rembrandt 6. “Chez Tortoni” – Édouard Manet 7. Five Degas Drawings 8. A Chinese Bronze Gu (ritual vessel) from the Shang Dynasty • The frame of Rembrandt’s seascape was left behind, suggesting the painting was quickly cut from it. • The thieves ignored other valuable works, including a Michelangelo sketch and a Raphael painting. The Investigation • The FBI took over the case immediately. They believed the robbery was orchestrated by an organized crime group. • In 2013, the FBI stated they believed the thieves were connected to the Italian mafia based in New England but did not disclose their identities. • Over the years, multiple suspects emerged, but no arrests have been made. Suspects & Theories 1. Local Criminals (Mob-Related) • Some believe the Boston Mafia, specifically Carmen “The Cheeseman” DiNunzio and associates, were involved. • Convicted mobster Robert Gentile was investigated after he allegedly tried to sell some of the paintings. However, no artwork was found. 2. Inside Job? • Some experts believe security guard Rick Abath, who let the thieves in, might have been involved. • However, no solid evidence links him to the crime. 3. International Smuggling? • Some theories suggest the stolen art was smuggled out of the country and sold in black market dealings. ⸻ Ongoing Efforts & Reward • The museum continues to offer a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen artwork. • The empty frames still hang in the museum as a tribute to the missing pieces. • Despite over 30 years of searching, none of the stolen artwork has been recovered. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist remains one of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries in art history, with investigators and art lovers still hoping for a breakthrough. #heist #Art #todayinhistory #standardpresenter