GARDNER MUSEUM HEIST
Early in the morning of March 18, 1990, a pair of thieves disguised as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, stealing thirteen works of art from the famous gallery.
Posing as Boston police officers, they entered the museum and explained to the onsite security guard that they were responding to an emergency call. The security guard broke protocol and allowed them to enter through the museum’s security door. Once inside, the thieves lured the guard away from his desk and the only alarm button. When the only other guard in the museum arrived, both were handcuffed and taken to the basement where they were bound and gagged.
The next day the morning security guard arriving to relieve the night guards discovered that the museum had been robbed and the real police were notified.
Among the stolen were works by Rembrandt, Degas and Manet.
The stolen art work was never recovered, but the investigation remains an active, open case for the FBI Art Recovery Squad.
Some estimates have put the value of the stolen works at between $200-500 million making it the single largest property theft in history.
Who did it?
The museum is offering a $5 million dollar reward for information leading to discovery of these works in good condition.
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