New Clues In World's Greatest Art Heist
COOPER: There is new information about the theft of 13 priceless working of art back in Boston. Back in 1990, it took thieves just moments to commit the greatest art heist in history. Twenty years later the trail has not gone cold. The FBI is releasing names that may know something about it, and that the art may have been sighted. Randi Kaye has more on the television interview given with one of the guards that night. Here's her report.</s>RANDI KAYE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a beautiful and priceless collection. Hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of art housed inside these walls. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Visitors from all over the world come to see these masterpieces. But that is not all they're looking at. They're also looking at a crime scene. In fact, a crime scene from the biggest art heist in history still unsolved. And this is all that is left.</s>RICH ABATH, FORMER ISABELLA GARDNER MUSEUM GUARD: Come in, clock in. There would be two guards.</s>KAYE: Rick Abbott was one of the night watchmen on duty the night of the crime.</s>ABATH: They say Boston Police, we have a report of disturbance on the premises. So I buzzed them in. The cop that was dealing with me said don't I know you? Don't I recognize you? I think there is a warrant out for your arrest. Can you step out from behind the desk?</s>KAYE: He steps away from the security desk and away from the panic button, his only way to contact the outside world. His only way to prevent what was about to happen. In a matter of minutes the two thieves had both night watchmen completely under their control.</s>ABATH: Finished cuffing me and he cuffed my partner. And very dramatically said Gentlemen, this is a robbery.</s>KAYE: The thieves lead Rick and his partner down to the basement to different areas. It all happened so fast he never had a chance to hit the one panic button by the guard desk. He knew no one was coming to help. Did the thieves know that, as well? It appears they did. Since they were in no rush to get out.</s>ANTHONY AMORE: Half as interesting, they took the guards after they handcuffed them and taped them and brought them into the basement. About 24 minutes elapse, though, before we see them again.</s>KAYE: Motion detectors placed throughout the building picked up their trail for nearly an hour and a half. But that didn't matter. Those motion detectors were nor connected to police outside. They only alert the guard sitting at the computer by the entrance. A computer that was now unmanned.</s>AMORE: It is in this hallway where you see the first motion detectors go off so that is how we know it was 24 minutes. So it is about 1:48 and they're walking down this hallway together and they enter the Dutch room.</s>KAYE (on camera): Which is right there?</s>AMORE: Exactly. And from the Dutch room they took six pieces including the Rembrants and the Chinese vessel.</s>KAYE (voice-over): The real work had begun for the thieves, but as they get ready to take Rembrandts "Storm on the Sea of Gallilee" is only seascape, a high pitched alarm sounds. Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, Steven Girkgin has investigated this case for "The Boston Globe" for decades. He says this alarm was designed to keep visitors from getting too close to the Rembrandt.</s>AMORE: That seascape, even if you look at it now you will see a vision of him himself. The art specialists, common folk knew that, and they would come up and put their finger close to, to point out the image of Rembrandt. And if they got too close the alarm would sound.</s>KAYE: Like the motion detector, this alarm was not connected to the outside world but did the thieves know that, as well because they didn't pack up and leave at that point. They continued on with their crime and they took their time.</s>AMORE: Same path backwards goes to the early Italian room, the Raphael room. All the while passing incredibly priceless art.</s>KAYE: At 2:41 a.m., the door to the museum opens and closes. The thieves were gone.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once they leave, they're never heard from again.</s>COOPER: Randi joins us now, this is really one of the biggest mysteries in the history of the art world. They finally have a lead on what happened?</s>KAYE: That is what they're saying now. Investigators are saying they have seen the art work and have confirmed sightings of the artwork and this is a really big deal, as you said because this art work is at least $500 million. And for years, they feared some people who took it put it in the attic or basement and it was never to be found so this is a really big break.</s>COOPER: I remember last year that investigators had said there was a break. They had identified the suspects. They didn't actually name them. What are they saying now?</s>KAYE: They are naming them now, three suspects, two of which are dead. One of them is Carmello Marlino, he died in prison and what investigators are saying is that he talked with undercover FBI agents many, many years ago and told that he had some of this art work including the Rembrandt that we just there. And that he was going to return it and ask for a reward. Well, that never happened. Another person is Robert Gentile. He is actually alive, imprisoned on another charge. He has always said that he had nothing to do with it. But Anderson, they searched his home regarding drug charges and say that they found items that linked him, hand cuff scanners, two-way radios. Things that might have been used because remember --</s>COOPER: Was there a third name?</s>KAYE: There was a third name, but that person is also dead, yes.</s>COOPER: Fascinating stuff. Randi, we'll keep on it. Thanks very much. "The Ridiculist" is next. We'll be right back.