isabella stewart museum theft early hours march security guards isabella stewart museum boston massachusetts let men disguised police officers claimed responding disturbance inside pair revealed true intentions tied guards spent hour stealing art museum collection loaded vehicle found taken works art valued million making largest private property theft history despite efforts fbi multiple world arrests artwork recovered case remains open museum offering reward million information leading recovery art stolen works originally purchased art collector intended left permanent display museum rest collection collection layout permanent frames remain hanging homage missing works returned experts choice paintings stolen especially valuable artwork untouched stolen works concert known works thought valuable painting million missing storm known works stolen according fbi stolen artwork moved region offered sale philadelphia early 2000s believe thieves members criminal organization based mid atlantic new_england claim identified suspects publicly identified deceased boston gangster cited possible collaborator murdered result ongoing gang wars significant evidence suggests connecticut gangster knows location works denies involvement robbery midnight sunday morning march red dodge pulled near entrance isabella stewart museum palace road men fake police uniforms waited hour car possibly trying avoid noticed people leaving day party nearby later security guard returned desk patrolling museum switch positions security guard guards people building time opened quickly shut palace road door claiming trained ensure door locked claimed security logs nights times previously fbi seized logs commented issue men outside pushed near door told policemen heard disturbance courtyard requested let inside knew let guests inside unsure rule applied police officers men believed police officers based uniforms partner patrol decided buzz men arrived main security desk told looked familiar default warrant arrest stepped desk alarm button alert police accessed quickly asked ordered face wall believed arrest misunderstanding realized hadn officer wax second security guard arrived minutes later asked arrested thieves explained arrested robbery proceeded guards museum basement guards pipes wrapped tape hands feet heads museum equipped motion thieves movements museum recorded tying guards thieves went upstairs approached local alarm sounded immediately smashed pulled painting wall attempted wooden panel heavy frame unsuccessful attempt left painting floor cut storm frame lady gentleman black removed concert landscape frames additionally took chinese bronze museum stole drawings eagle lay napoleonic flag attempted wall failed stolen location motion records footsteps detected night times match said passed patrol frame painting found security chief chair near desk thieves trips car artwork theft lasted minutes leaving visited guards telling hearing year heard guards remained police arrived later morning stolen artwork altogether thirteen pieces stolen estimated loss million making robbery largest private property theft history frames remain hanging museum homage missing works returned paintings concert major acquisition known works world thought valuable stolen painting value estimated million painting storm sea known bronze taken napoleonic flag possibly appearing like gold thieves museum offering reward piece museum stresses paintings kept good condition museum director stated works kept stable environment humidity additionally kept away light stored acid free paper noted avoid rolling paintings crack paint guidelines followed paintings damaged drop value need hurts paintings integrity following thirteen stolen works missing notes investigation took control case grounds artwork likely cross state lines conducted hundreds interviews stretching world involving japanese french authorities private investigators museum directors art dealers fbi believes thieves members criminal organization based mid atlantic new_england stolen paintings moved connecticut philadelphia area years following theft art offered sale philadelphia early 2000s including storm knowledge happened works attempted sale limited fbi stated believed know identity thieves announced deceased declined identify individuals single motive pattern emerged thousands pages evidence gathered selection works puzzles experts specifically valuable artworks available fbi lead agent assigned case finds difficult understand assortment items stolen despite thieves museum time wished way thieves passed painting rape museum known valuable pieces stolen ways criminals handled robbery cutting painting frames smashing frames sketches investigators believe thieves amateur criminals experts commissioned steal particular works investigators believe works destroyed explaining reappeared theories theft include organized order raise money bargain release imprisoned comrades theory states theft time boston crime boss fbi informant museum offered reward million later increased million reward information leads directly recovery items good condition remains offer quarter century later federal authorities stated charge voluntarily turns artwork caught possession stolen items prosecuted thieves face charges year statute limitations expired leads museum director received letter promised return pieces million interested museum boston_globe publish coded message business story message published writer disappeared law enforcement got involved late night reporter driven warehouse brooklyn purported storm sea career criminal associate new_england art thief connor investigating theft briefly allowed view painting given paint chips authenticity later confirmed experts fragments dutch 17th century origin stolen painting determined real fake fbi quit speaking making progress painting disappeared august police released video night theft believed dry run robbery men appear tape remains unidentified confirmed security guard duty night video appears unidentified man museum twice minutes man stayed minutes lobby returned car drove police video opens new lines investigation new_york_times points draws new attention potential collaborator guards previously interviewed deemed pulled december fbi agents conducted search suffolk downs horse racing track acting tip stolen works agents searched horse stables parts closed early 1990s open stand rumors employees 1990s temporary hiding location paintings search reveal stolen works potential collaborators boston gangster involved new_england art thief prison time robbery stated associate eyed museum 1980s oversaw operation shortly robbery seen night club sack police uniforms worked boston crime boss visited prison early 1990s asked robbery said buried stuff find way negotiate release murdered result ongoing gang wars connecticut gangster suggested multiple occasions knowing location works fbi agents searched home manchester connecticut find stolen works despite searching preferred hiding spot beneath false floor help son basement found sheet paper listing stolen piece draw black market january fbi contrived gun charges force reveal location missing works hearing federal prosecutor revealed significant evidence tying crime prosecutor stated mob partner attempted use return stolen pieces reduce prison sentence associates wife told investigators early husband possession art gave paintings died cancer federal prison told people knowledge stolen art submitted lie test denying advanced knowledge possessing paintings result showed chance according lawyer federal agents convinced stolen works home searched fbi lawyer insists stolen artwork knowledge whereabouts turned reward money long time ago museum raised bounty said locate missing artwork exchange legal immunity authorities rejected offer connor believes works passed unknown hands probably told don remember said blaming heart attack affected memory boston area gangster claims owed plan fake policemen request access museum night popular culture high profile museum theft referenced parodied different works theft subject documentary stolen appeared slightly different version known paintings referenced multiple shows including episode simpsons episode american history episode boston american greed books written investigators including deception stolen masterpiece boston_globe reporter case written book experience titled master thieves theft central plot novel
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft