Stolen Art Watch, Brazil Picasso Recovered as Police Follow the Art Hostage Thesis !!

Brazilian police recover stolen Picasso print, as wiretap leads to arrest in museum robbery

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/19/news/Brazil-Art-Heist.php

SAO PAULO, Brazil: Police have arrested a suspect in the heist of two Pablo Picasso prints from a museum in Sao Paulo and recovered one of the works, police and a museum official said Saturday.

Inspector Cesar Carlos Dias said information obtained through wiretaps of gang members involved in unrelated robberies led police to Ueslei Barros, the suspect in the July robbery.

Barros led police to one stolen Picasso print, "The Painter and the Model," hidden in an attic of a building on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Dias said.

"We were taken by surprise," Dias said. "We were keeping an eye on Barros and two other men because we had information they were planning to steal automatic teller machines and rob banks. In a tapped phone conversation, the Picasso print was mentioned."

Barros and the other two men, who were not involved in the art heist, were arrested Friday night in a parking lot of a shopping mall, Dias said.


Barros, a 30-year-old Sao Paulo resident, was arrested on charges of robbery and had not yet been assigned a court-appointed attorney on Saturday, police said.

Marcelo Araujo, director of the Estacao Pinacoteca Museum, told reporters the print was in its frame and in "perfect condition." Police found the print inside a plastic bag.

On June 12, three robbers also stole Picasso's print "Minotaur, Drinker and Women" and the paintings "Women at the Window" by Emiliano DiCavalcanti and "Couple" by Lasar Segall.

The prints and paintings have a combined estimated value of 1 million Brazilian reals (US$630,000 at current exchange rates), museum officials said previously.

The July robbery was the second high-profile art theft in Sao Paolo in less than a year.

In December, the paintings "Portrait of Suzanne Bloch" by Picasso and "O Lavrador de Cafe" by Candido Portinari, an influential Brazilian artist, were stolen from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art by three men who used a crowbar and car jack to force open a steel door.

The framed paintings later were found in a house on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. One of the suspects in that theft — a former TV chef — turned himself over to police in January, who already had two suspects in custody.

Art Hostage comments:

This is what Art Hostage said hours after the Brazil Heist on June 13th:

Brazil Art Heist Take Two !!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1026198/Robbers-pay-1-25-gallery-fee--make-Picassos.html

Art Hostage has learnt the latest Brazil Art Heist in Sao Paulo was carried out by friends/guns for hire of the first Heist accused and the Picasso's will be offered back if previous criminal charges are dropped.

Art Hostage is waiting on names and the address where the current stolen art is being held hostage, more to follow.

So, Brazil Police, don't bother looking at the airport, the Picasso's are local and will be offered back soon.

http://stolenvermeer.blogspot.com/2008/06/stolen-art-watch-da-vinci-madonna_13.html

Update:

See the robbers on CCTV linked below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7451986.stm

Seems Sao Paulo Police took the advice of Art Hostage and have recovered one of the stolen Picasso's.

What really happened was Police went into negotiations with Moises Manoel de Lima Sobrinho, the TV Chef involved in the first Picasso theft, who incidentally recruited the gang to steal the Picasso prints to use as a bargaining counter to have the original Picasso theft charges dropped.

So, having organised the Picasso print theft, Moises Manoel de Lima Sobrinho, then informs on the gang to Police, who then listen in to conversations, which included talks with Moises Manoel de Lima Sobrinho, which leads Police to arrest these guys and recover one of the stolen Picasso prints. Police may have jumped the gun a bit but could still recover the outstanding Picasso prints if the deal with Moises Manoel de Lima Sobrinho, goes through.

Back-story and timeline:

http://stolenvermeer.blogspot.com/2007/12/stolen-art-watch-fbi-uses-grand-jury-to.html

http://stolenvermeer.blogspot.com/2008/01/stolen-art-watch-fbi-icon-bob-wittman.html

http://stolenvermeer.blogspot.com/2008/01/stolen-art-watch-saudi-dr-no-waleed.html

More to follow.................

Stolen Art Watch, Gardner Art Gives Underworld Migrane as Police Sting/Raid Moves Closer !!

Police sting recovers painting

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7495647.stm

A valuable stolen painting has been recovered after a police sting operation in Belfast.

Going Home, by William Conor, was taken from the James Wray Gallery in James Street South last month.

The artwork is valued between £20,000 and £30,000.

A member of staff from the gallery called police after someone contacted him claiming that there were ways in which the painting could be returned.

One man has been arrested in connection with the theft but has since been released on bail.

Art Hostage comments:

Yes, there are ways to recover stolen art without getting arrested, and even getting paid a fee for services rendered.

First of all there was not any public offer of a reward for the recovery of this William Connor painting, so anyone requesting a reward is breaking the 2002 Proceeds of crime act and this is also covered by the laws governing extortion demands.

Second, if the person requesting payment does not stand up to scrutiny by, in this instance, the Police in the Northern part of the island of Ireland, then no payment will be made.

Thirdly, Police seem to have adopted a policy of arresting anyone helping facilitate the return of stolen art, before bailing them to a later date, or as with the Bill Reid icons stolen in British Columbia, Canada, arresting then releasing the returnees.

To have achieved any kind of reward for the recovery of this artwork the returnee would have to accept what ever is offered post recovery and not make any request or demand of a certain figure.

Then, the returnee would have to satisfy Police they were not involved with the theft and subsequent handling, then after receiving a letter from Police confirming this, they can then receive what ever is offered, no right of appeal.

To satisfy Police the returnee would have to be party to the sting operation and would also have to give evidence at any future trial, against the very people the returnee has negotiated with in order to return the stolen artwork.

If the returnee had met these conditions in this case they would have received about 10% of the lowest estimate, or 10% of the insurance claim, which ever is lower.

It is my understanding those with the stolen Vermeer from the Gardner museum have taken note of this stolen art recovery and will consider it in their deliberations on how to get rid of the Vermeer from their clutches, without getting themselves arrested, or left without neither Vermeer or money owed against it.

In the meantime Police tracking the stolen Gardner art are getting ever more confident they can recover the stolen Vermeer from the Gardner Museum by conducting a raid and arresting those in possession. The several current sting attempts are ongoing and they may result in the Vermeer and co being recovered during a supposed handover of money for the art in traditional sting fashion, at smart hotel, a country retreat, or a lay by on a isolated road.

However, Art Hostage to the rescue, the option of keeping the Vermeer and co in the underworld is becoming a bit of a millstone around the neck, so to speak.

"Headache" stolen art, that is what the Gardner art has become.

The historic trophy value of handling the stolen Gardner art has long gone and now most people who have been involved at one time or another are mightily relieved to be rid of the stolen Gardner art.

The window for the current handler of the stolen Gardner art, Vermeer, is fast closing and if action is not taken then they will be left without Vermeer or money owed.

The only sensible thing left to do is make the hand back on your terms, by that I mean make sure the Vermeer and co are placed in a Catholic Church confession box to be discovered by the Priest. The person who is tasked with taking the Vermeer and co to the Catholic Church confession box must not, I repeat, must not have had anything to to do with the original Gardner Heist, or and more importantly, not been involved in the subsequent handling of the Vermeer and co.

Once the Vermeer and co have been discovered, then the nominee can claim, via the Priest, or alongside the Priest, the publicly advertised $5million reward offered by the Gardner Museum.

I would like to say however, if it is only the Vermeer the reward may be $2.5 million, as it is the most valuable of all of the stolen Gardner art. The Rembrandt Storm on the Sea of Galilee would be $1.5 million, and the rest of the stolen Gardner art would be $1million.

Guys, you know who I mean, it is time to contact Anthony Amore, Head of security at the Gardner Museum, Boston 617 278 5114. Forget all the other Golden promises, Anthony Amore is ready to talk Turkey, he will even drop everything, grab his passport and attend a meeting.

Art Hostage has done as much as he can, explained all the pitfalls, found a suitable place to hand back the Vermeer and co, without leaving any trace, Catholic Church confession box, offered up Anthony Amore, who really can offer an avenue for payment.

All that is left is finding your nominee who can stand up to Police scrutiny and claim the reward without any fear of prosecution because they have genuinely not been involved, other than just returning the Vermeer and co to the Catholic Church confession box.

At least then there is a good chance of the reward being collected, even worse way a legal battle could commence to force the reward payment, and if the Catholic church is involved the reward would be paid to save any embarrassment and shame created by reward refusal.

I confidently predict that if the Vermeer and co are not returned via a Catholic church confession box then they will turn up in a Police raid leaving the handler without Vermeer and co and perhaps more importantly, without monies owed against the Vermeer.

Heads, you could lose, tails you definitely lose, Vermeer, money, and possibly Liberty.

Something to think about as the clock is ticking.

Update:

The Stolen Gardner Art is firmly in a cul-de-sac with nowhere to go but back to the Gardner Museum Boston.

If you will allow Art Hostage to play Devil's Advocate for a brief moment.

The Vermeer and co are in my possession owing me outstanding money for drug deals that have been intercepted.

Now, the American millionaire offering to buy the Vermeer and co, probably FBI Icon Robert Wittman.

The Irish Millionaire offering to buy the Vermeer and co, probably Garda, Irish Police.

The Eastern European Godfather millionaire offering to buy the Vermeer and co, probably Rocky, who recovered the stolen Turners from Germany.

The Underworld contact offering to buy the Vermeer and co, probably he is in trouble and is making a deal to sting you, whist receiving a lesser sentence for his efforts.

When the guys come back to pay off the debt owed against the Vermeer and co, Special Branch, FBI and Police will be watching and all of you will get arrested.

You see the pattern developing here, the Vermeer and co have outlasted their usefulness in the Underworld and when the music stops and they are recovered, someone will be left holding a debt or owing a debt.

Arguments will follow, shootings may occur, people could lose their lives, criminal business will be disrupted, other Godfathers will be angry because of all the heat the Vermeer and co have generated, and so on, and on....

The final two options left are one, keep the Vermeer and co hidden, although this is just going to generate heat and the possibility of loss increases all the time as Police devote more resources to finding the Vermeer and co.

or second take the Catholic church confession box route with a nominee claiming the reward.

This will give you "Some" Chance of a reward, any other option will give you "No" chance of reward, and could cost you your liberty as well.

But go ahead, ignore the advice of Art Hostage enter into some kind of deal and get stung, arrested, keep the Vermeer and co hidden and risk their discovery, a thought that hangs over you like the Sword of Damocles, no, you must be a pragmatic intelligent person to have come this far in your career, possession of the Vermeer and co risks flushing all you have achieved down the toilet.

Oh and in case you are wondering, Art Hostage could claim the reward for handing back the Vermeer and co. if you offered the Vermeer and co to Art Hostage to hand back.

I would have to decline, why, well imagine Art Hostage trying to hand back the Vermeer and co and saying they were found behind the bike shed ?

Art Hostage would get a slap around the face by Vernon "The Bookkeeper" Rapley, FBI Icon Robert Wittman, Tricky Dick Ellis Mark "The Elitist" Dalrymple, and Julian Radcliffe.

Art Hostage would then be sent packing without so much as a thank you and the threat of prosecution ringing in his ears.

You see, Art Hostage is not trying to hoodwink, sting or other-wise.

No golden hello's from Art Hostage, no golden promises, just an untraceable venue to hand back the Vermeer and co, Catholic church confession box, and the advice to to give Anthony Amore a chance to explain how you may receive the reward.

Anthony Amore Boston 617 278 5114 or Anthony Amore, theft@isgm.org

Finally, if you feel confident in you nominee then just go ahead and facilitate the recovery of the Vermeer and co via the Catholic church confession box and start the ball rolling with the reward claim.

If Art Hostage is writing how the Vermeer and co have been recovered as a result of a sting, or recovered during a police raid, then you will only have yourself to blame, as I have tried till I'm Blue in the face to tell you to hand them back before they get snatched back.

Stolen Art Watch, A World Without the Gardner Art, Vermeer's Concert, Rembrandt's Storm, or is Dane-geld the only Answer ???

Stop the appeasement of art and antiquities thieves

Museums give criminals incentives to steal and steal again by paying ransoms for art works

GEOFFREY CLARFIELD

From Saturday's Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080704.wcoessay0705/BNStory/specialComment/?pageRequested=all

July 5, 2008 at 12:00 AM EDT

On June 17, Interpol held a conference in Lyon, France, to increase co-operation among its 186 member nations in the fight to retrieve stolen cultural property. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, the rise of the Internet and the globalization of the world economy, trade in stolen art and antiquities has been rising steeply.

Interpol is the international police agency through which countries share information on international crime. Of the missing art objects now on Interpol's list, 516 were taken from Canadian collections.

The number of art thefts in Canada has been growing, the most notable being the robbery in 2004 of five ivory statuettes from the Art Gallery of Ontario snatched in broad daylight. They are worth almost $1.5-million and were eventually returned to the owner. The gallery's insurer offered a reward of $150,000. After the police said that "persons of interest" had been spotted on a video, a criminal defence lawyer representing unidentified persons arranged for the return of the statuettes. These events have attracted speculation that the insurance company might have paid over the reward as a ransom, as this is one way in which thieves make their money.

Worldwide, the illegal art and antiquities trade ranks third in value, after illegal arms and drug smuggling, and in many ways they are connected. For example, Mohamed Atta, the terrorist hijacker, by his own account had sold stolen antiquities to finance the Sept. 11 attacks. The average gain by thieves on a piece of stolen art is 10 per cent of its value; in the advanced industrial democracies, art theft seems to have become a form of proxy kidnapping.


That explains why some paintings have been stolen and recovered more than once. Rembrandt's Jacob de Gheyn III has been stolen four times. It is the world's most stolen painting. Sometimes, one group of criminals gives stolen art as collateral to another group, to get credit for another illegal deal, a kind of crooked banking and credit system for robbers.

In the 1990s, a number of world-class paintings were stolen from the Gardner Museum in Boston. The heist took place on St. Patrick's Day (Boston has one of the largest communities of Irish Americans), and a fair amount of research suggests that rogue members of the IRA did the job. It is thought the paintings are now overseas, perhaps in Ireland or Britain.

"Criminals go where the money is," says FBI Special Agent Robert Widman, senior investigator on the agency's rapid deployment Art Crime Team (ACT). Each year the trade in illegal antiquities is thought to be in the range of $8-billion. A growing percentage of this "business" is perpetrated by organized criminal gangs who also deal in drugs and arms. These gangs work most effectively in countries that are plagued by corruption and terrorism and whose border officials can be bribed. This includes most of the "archaeological countries" in the Near East, Asia and Latin America. At the same time, the trade has triggered a growing business in copies, fakes and forgeries. One curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York believes that his museum contains a number of smuggled fakes that the Met's authorities are ashamed to acknowledge.

It is not only low-lifers who despoil countries and institutions of their cultural heritage. More than a hundred years ago, Hiram Bingham, a member of Yale University's aptly named secret society, the Skull and Bones, went on a swashbuckling Indiana Jones-like adventure into the highlands of Peru. There he rediscovered the Incan site of Machu Picchu and brought back a hoard of 5,000 objects to the university museum.

After 18 months, the museum agreed to return the artifacts to Peru, but it has taken Peru more than a century to mount a legal case to persuade Yale to hand them back. That will happen some time next year. After Bingham left archaeology for a seat in the U.S. Senate, not surprisingly, he eventually joined the select group of American politicians whom Congress has censured for misconduct.

FASCIST PRECEDENTS

The Italian government is at the forefront in investigating the illegal antiquities trade, in the spirit of the new archaeological responsibility. They do not pay ransoms. They convincingly argue that they are dealing with well-organized international crime syndicates that drive the trade in illegal art and antiquities.

To show their good faith they have returned an obelisk looted from Ethiopia during the fascist period in the 1930s. Based on first-rate detective work and a more than 10-year, concerted legal inquiry with full government support, they sued employees and associates of the Getty Trust and the J. Paul Getty Museum for allegedly importing illegally excavated antiquities into the United States. They have also pressured the Met in New York to return antiquities that were clearly smuggled out of Italy. In some instances, the Met has complied.

Though the greatest art thieves of the 20th century were the Nazis, who despoiled thousands of European Jews, as well as the galleries and museums of numerous conquered countries, of their paintings and artifacts, the later surge in art theft and antiquities smuggling was triggered by a Sotheby's auction held in 1957 in London. To heighten the glamour and no doubt raise the bidding, the auction was held at night and guests were asked to wear evening dress. Prices hit the roof and they have been going up ever since. Art and art theft are now big business, and much of what is put up for auction has false provenance, or none.

The most colourful art and archaeology thief of the past 20 years has been Jonathan Tokeley-Parry. He is a Cambridge-educated (moral sciences!) scholar and expert restorer, who spent much time in Egypt. He became friendly with Egyptian antiquities dealers and smugglers and perfected the art of disguising real ancient Egyptian antiquities by painting them, to make them look like cheap imitation tourist artifacts for export, and then sent them to Europe for sale. Investigated by the British authorities, he eventually spent three years in jail for his activities, though before he was sentenced he dramatically drank hemlock in an apparent suicide attempt.

IRAQ AND IRAN

Most of Iraq is unexcavated, but with the breakdown of national authority and the continuing insurgency, archaeological sites are being looted every day, if not every hour. Three years ago the former director of the Iraqi National Museum warned that the sale of looted artifacts was funding the purchase of arms and ammunition for use against the newly constituted Iraqi armed forces and police and their Western allies.

This has been confirmed by Marine Reserve Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, who argues that, much as the trade in opium funds the Taliban in Afghanistan, the illegal excavation, smuggling and sale of looted Iraqi antiquities is contributing to the funding of both Sunni and Shia militias in Iraq. An entire nation's archaeological heritage is being destroyed by the civil war, while financing it at the same time. The case of Iran is more complicated, as a state sponsor of terror that also wants the West to repatriate its antiquities.

In 2006, victims of a terrorist bombing attack carried out by Hamas in 1997 in Israel and sponsored by the Iranian government, were awarded damages against that government by a U.S. court. This means that the court can seize any assets belonging to Iran held by American institutions, including those holding archaeological objects that Iran wants to repatriate. During the 1990s, a significant hoard of Iranian antiquities was illegally excavated and smuggled out of the country and into the U.S. According to American law, the institutions holding them are now acting as temporary owners, or guardians of Iranian national property in the United States.

Under the U.S. Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, the victims of this especially vicious act of state terrorism may rightfully win legal ownership of these artifacts, with the right to resell. So the court has frozen their return to Iran, a precedent that suggests that some justice may be extracted from a largely dirty and unjust trade.

Art owners and museums still pay huge ransoms for stolen art. Our publicly funded museums and private auction houses have encouraged illegal trade by buying imported antiquities and muddling their provenance. Anyone who buys antiquities smuggled out of Iraq is indirectly paying for the civil war there.

In the 1930s, the British had a word for such behaviour, "appeasement." It would be wise for museums and the public to reject and actively oppose this underground trade and its addiction to paid ransoms.

Canada is not immune. Although local thieves seem to have carried the heist in May of art works by Bill Reid and other artifacts worth $2-million, at a museum in British Columbia, it is only a matter of time before the larger syndicates see Canada and Canadian museums as easy targets.

In the B.C. theft, a reward was offered, a tip was received and most of the works were recovered. Suspects were questioned, but no one was charged. According to the CBC, there was a deal of some sort.

If we continue to appease thieves, smugglers and terrorists, we can be sure that more of our museums and galleries will be plundered and held for ransom. By doing nothing we will be giving a free hand to organized crime in our own and other countries.

Geoffrey Clarfield is the former curator of ethnography at the National Museums of Kenya. He is a Toronto-based anthropologist, musician and writer

Art Hostage comments:

As you can imagine Art Hostage has much to say so I will try and add comments over a period of time.
First and foremost I want to draw attention to this paragraph below:

"In the 1990s, a number of world-class paintings were stolen from the Gardner Museum in Boston. The heist took place on St. Patrick's Day (Boston has one of the largest communities of Irish Americans), and a fair amount of research suggests that rogue members of the IRA did the job. It is thought the paintings are now overseas, perhaps in Ireland or Britain."

The so-called rogue members of the IRA were in fact members of the INLA, a totally separate entity to the Provisional IRA.

One of the Gardner Museum thieves did make a reference using the term "Mate" which is an Irish or British expression rather than a term used by an American.

Post Gardner Heist approaches were made to the FBI by Joe Murray, a man with close links to both the Provisional IRA and also the INLA, who is alleged to have purchased the stolen Gardner art for $300,000 post theft, about a deal involving the stolen Gardner paintings being returned for the release of Dominic McGlinchey who was in jail as a leader of the INLA and also a close family friend of Joe Murray.

The FBI did not agree to any kind of deal and the Vermeer painting stolen from the Gardner Museum made its way to Ireland where it is now being used as collateral for drug deals.

Those drug deals have been intercepted and there is now an Underworld debt owed against the Vermeer. Both Irish Police and the FBI have been offered the Vermeer on many occasions but refuse point blank to make any kind of deal other than hand back the art and then claim the reward, which we all know will result in the FBI, Irish and British authorities refusing to sanction any reward payment.

The stand off continues with those in possession of the Vermeer refusing to hand it back without their drug deal money paid and authorities refusing to make any kind of deal.

However, there was a chance to recover the Vermeer last year which I posted about, linked below:

http://stolenvermeer.blogspot.com/2008/05/stolen-art-watch-vermeer-gardner-art-in.html

As to the whereabouts of the rest of the stolen Gardner art then that is still debatable, some still in or close to Boston being held by associates of David Turner perhaps, held by members of the Italian mafia who hail from Providence Rhode Island, perhaps, if this is so then these stolen Gardner artworks may be returned sooner rather than later as Mr Frank Salemme could be released this month if those Gardner artworks appear.

For my part, Art Hostage has always tried to establish a middle ground in the recovery process, that being a Catholic Church confession box as a neutral venue.

Any payment before, or during the recovery of the Gardner art will inevitably be a sting, why, because that is the job of law enforcement and any deals done whereby payment is made before or during the recovery of the stolen Gardner art would be unlawful and result in the indictment of all concerned.

However, if the stolen Gardner art is placed in a Catholic Church confession box and the Priest taking that confession reports the discovery of the stolen Gardner art in his confession box then no-one will be arrested for retuning the stolen Gardner art.

As for trying to claim the reward offered by the Gardner Museum, that has always been the hardest part of all, for obvious reasons.

The Catholic Priest could claim the reward on behalf of the person who placed the stolen Gardner art in the Confession box, but then again how trustworthy would the Catholic Priest be ??

Although, the INLA have used Catholic Priests before when handing class A drugs seized from drug dealers for destruction.

Whilst the payment of the reward money is the final thing to be worked out, all concerned now agree that a Catholic Church Confession box is the only place to be used for the actual recovery of the stolen Gardner art, as this will not result in arrests for the recovery, something law enforcement have reluctantly agreed to.

Until then the Gardner art continues to be held Art Hostage by both the Underworld and Law Enforcement.

In the meantime Law Enforcement are pulling out all the stops, especially in Ireland to try and sting those with the Gardner art, and also using all means to locate the stolen Gardner art before raiding the locations with extreme force.

The recovery of the Gardner art is not in doubt, it only a matter of how, where and when that is still to be decided.

To those who say the refusal to make any deals with regards the Gardner art has stopped further art thefts, then all the evidence proves this to be a conspiracy theory judging by the amount of art theft worldwide.

Solution is to treat each case on its own merits and if a deal is done then it should be kept secret, unless the architect of said deal does not get paid their fee.

Then the inevitable legal action will expose the deal and undermine future deals and prevent informants coming forward with vital information needed.

For dedicated followers of the Stolen Vermeer blog you may wonder why I have not mentioned much about the real Nelson Mandela of Irish Republicanism, General Thomas Slab Murphy lately ???

Well, General Thomas Slab Murphy is well aware of the benefits he could receive if he can use his influence in getting the Garner Museum's Vermeer handed back via a Catholic Church confession box.

Unfortunately, up until now Irish Brit and American authorities have refused to give any indication of credit for General Thomas Slab Murphy if he he facilitates the return of the stolen Gardner art, Vermeer in particular. We are only talking about a reduction in the sectarian tax demand, not even giving any of the Gardner Museum's reward money, still Authorities will not concede any ground. Review the Ransid sectarian Prosecution of General Thomas Slab Murphy below:

http://stolenvermeer.blogspot.com/2007/11/stolen-art-watch-rancid-retrospective.html

Both sides in the whole Gardner Heist affair, law enforcement and the Underworld are acting like spoilt juveniles, a case of threatening to throw ones toys out of the pram if they don't get what they want.

For art lovers worldwide this means the world is denied some of the top ten artworks in existence, bloody shame, shame on the Underworld and also shame on Law Enforcement.

Art Hostage will comment further on this article later...............

Update:

Geoffrey Clarfield calls it appeasement of art and antiquities thieves, Art Hostage calls it Dane geld and uses Rudyard Kipling to explain why, see below:

IT IS always a temptation to an armed and agile nation,
To call upon a neighbour and to say:
"We invaded you last night - we are quite prepared to fight,
Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for Dane-geld,
And the people who ask it explain
That you’ve only to pay ’em the Dane-geld
And then you’ll get rid of the Dane!

It is always a temptation to a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say:
"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we’ve proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray,
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say:

"We never pay any one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost,
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that plays it is lost!"

Stolen Art Watch, Philly Art Heist Could Prove Fatal for Thieves, Uncle Joe Ligambi and FBI Icon Robert Wittman Seriously Pissed !! Updated !!

Stolen Philly Painting Prompts Reward

http://www.nbc10.com/news/16704697/detail.html

Artwork depicting one of the most picturesque views in Philadelphia has been stolen, and a reward is being offered for its safe return.

John A. Woodside is believed to be the artist who painted the famous Water Works picture, long before the Philadelphia Museum of Art stood behind it in the Fairmount section of the city.

Until Monday morning, the painting hung on the wall of the city's Park Services office at 16th and Arch streets.

But an employee noticed it was missing from its 10th Floor location at the beginning of the week, NBC 10's Mike Strug reported.

Janic Fedarcyk, special agent in charge of the Philadelphia FBI Office, said the federal agency is investigating the case and trying to located the painting, which is worth more than $70,000.

She said the FBI doesn't want the stolen painting to slip below the radar, so they are offering a $10,000 reward. The local office has a history of recovering stolen art; they have found $215 million worth in recent years.

Investigators did not say if surveillance cameras captured the robbery on tape.

Video here: http://video.nbc10.com/player/?id=268950#videoid=268843

Art Hostage comments:

In the fullness of time this will go down as one of the dumbest crimes committed in Philly recently, why, because Philadelphia is home to the most pro-active FBI Art Crime team in America.

Also home to FBI Icon Robert Wittman.

Did you notice the value placed on this stolen artwork ?

$75,000, that's $5,000 over the amount needed for the FBI to involve itself in this investigation, a Bob Wittman touch to start the ball rolling.

Now the thieves are already being hotly pursued and I expect the painting to be recovered within 7 days safely intact because the FBI Art Crime Team reputation is on the line.

We see this added impetus with an immediate reward offer of $10,000.

O'h by the way, the true value of the artwork is closer to a million if it were to be offered for sale because of the cultural significance, but don't quote me as this is meant to be secret.

Memo to the Philly Steve Olsen, remember him the moron who stole the Goya ?

http://stolenvermeer.blogspot.com/2007/10/stolen-art-watch-moron-of-week-steven.html

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06122008/news/nationalnews/goya_thieves_jailed_115126.htm

This John A. Woodside artwork is so radio-active the FBI will tear up the Philly Criminal Underworld looking for it so the best thing the thieves can do is take it to Uncle Joe Ligambi or one of his representatives and they will honestly hand it back to the people of Philadelphia.

The consequence for the thieves if they retain the artwork is the wrath of the Philly criminal underworld because of the extreme FBI heat applied to the Philly Underworld in pursuit of the stolen artwork.

The FBI Art Crime Team is the least of the thieves worries, so do yourself a favour and hand the stolen artwork to any associate of Uncle Joe Ligambi

You think I'm kidding ??

Well, let me tell you, when the Philly Criminal Underworld gets raided and loses money or contraband they will hold the John A. Woodside art thieves personally responsible.

So, in the future the story could be how the Philly art thieves were discovered in the Boon Docks !!

Finally, the choices at clear for the Philly art thieves, they can either hand the stolen artwork to Uncle Joe Ligambi or one of his associates, or they can contact the FBI Art Crime Team and tell them where they can collect the stolen artwork, following the recovery the reward will be paid in this instance because it will save any further embarrassment for the FBI Art Crime Team.

Failure to do either option within the next seven days will result in either arrest and conviction, or worse, at the hands of seriously pissed Philly Gangsters whose business has been disrupted by this foolish, dumb art theft.

Act now, you've been officially warned from both sides of the criminal divide !!

FBI Icon Bob Wittman Strikes Again as Florida Frenchie, Berny Ternus charged in '07 theft of art

Associated Press - June 27, 2008 10:34 AM ET

http://www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?S=8564789

MIAMI (AP) - A French man is facing a U.S. indictment in Miami for involvement in the 2007 theft of 4 paintings from a museum in the French Riviera.

Federal prosecutors said Friday that 55-year-old Bernard Ternus is charged with conspiring to transport the stolen paintings. The paintings were stolen by masked gunman in August 2007 from a museum in Nice, France. They were works by Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

The paintings were recovered earlier this month in France and others involved in the theft arrested.

Ternus was already in U.S. custody on a visa fraud charge. His attorney in that case did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

French man faces US charge in theft of paintings
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gHU_gLGGW6_wdjtvnGbBD-Q-TaYAD91IHGOG0

By CURT ANDERSON – 13 minutes ago

MIAMI (AP) — A French man allegedly involved in the theft of paintings by Claude Monet and two other artists has been charged in the U.S. with attempting to broker the sale of the stolen art to undercover FBI agents, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Bernard Jean Ternus, 55, was indicted by a grand jury on a single count of conspiring to sell the paintings stolen in August 2007 by masked gunmen from the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Nice, France, federal prosecutors said.

The paintings are Monet's "Cliffs Near Dieppe;" "The Lane of Poplars at Moret" by Alfred Sisley; and two works by Jan Brueghel the Elder: "Allegory of Earth" and "Allegory of Water."

All four were recovered in Marseilles, France, on June 4 after a deal was struck to sell them to the FBI undercover agents for 3 million euros, or about $4.7 million at current exchange rates. French national police arrested at least two other men when the art was found.

Ternus is a French citizen who lives in Cooper City, a suburb north of Miami, and several of the alleged meetings with the FBI agents took place in Miami, according to the indictment. Ternus was already in U.S. custody on a visa fraud charge. His lawyer in that case didn't immediately respond Friday to an e-mail seeking comment.

According to the indictment, Ternus first met with the FBI agents in October to begin negotiations for the sale of the paintings. Those talks continued for several months in Miami and other locations, including Barcelona, Spain.

The visa fraud charge involves Ternus' alleged failure to admit on a visa application that he had been arrested in the past. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents later determined that Ternus has been arrested at least seven times in France, accused of crimes ranging from breaking and entering to robbery to assault with a deadly weapon, according to court documents.

Art Hostage comments:

Backstory:
http://stolenvermeer.blogspot.com/2008/06/stolen-art-watch-fbi-sting-recovers.html

This Bernard Ternus guy was waiting on the cellphone in Florida pokey as FBI Icon Robert Wittman and French police swooped on the car that contained the stolen art in the South of France.

A slight whiff of a deal perhaps, ??????????????

The Informant is about to be outed, no not by Richard Armitage, someone else will get the Plame !!!!!!

More to come..............................................................

Stolen Art Watch, Gardner Art Heist, What Really Happened, Well Nearly !!

Art Hostage has been busy consulting many people regarding the Gardner Heist recently and here is what I have found.

A contact reveals that on the night of the actual Gardner Heist one of the security guards recognised a robber as non-other than David Turner. Fearing for his life the security guard did not reveal this to the FBI, but did confide this to another security guard who worked at the Gardner Museum.

The Grand Jury that met last fall:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/12/17/grand_jury_to_hear_art_theft_case/

interviewed some of the guards from the Gardner museum and it is still unclear if any revealed the knowledge of recognising David Turner as one of the robbers.

Apparently one of the security guards who was working at the Gardner museum on the night of the Gardner heist died in Paris under mysterious circumstances several year ago.

Post Gardner heist, David Turner was said to have sold some of the Gardner paintings to Joe Murray, who tried to use those Gardner paintings to have his longtime Staunch Irish Republican friend Dominic McGlinchey released from Jail.

The lesser valued stolen Gardner works of art were held back by David Turner and have been floating around David Turner's close circle ever since. These are supposedly several of the drawings taken from the Gardner museum.

Now the world and his wife have been looking for the elusive Gardner paintings and the recent coverage has put some of the David Turner gang held stolen Gardner paintings in play.

Enquiries have been made by Mr Frank Salemme as to the whereabouts of the stolen Gardner art and the results should be known by July 15th 2008.

As for the whereabouts of the Vermeer, well all indications it is, to some extent being controlled from Ireland as well as from America within certain Irish Republican circles.

However, there are also reports the Vermeer has been used as collateral against some drug deals that were intercepted and there is now an outstanding balance owed to the Underworld.

That was not the case last year when the Vermeer was free from Underworld debt and was offered back to authorities, who refused point blank, again to give any concessions.

As it stands there are two offers on the table for the return of the Gardner art.

First from Anthony Amore, head of security at the Gardner Museum, who will endeavour to pay the reward offered. However, this is fraught with danger for obvious reasons, although I am sure Anthony Amore could allay those fears with his own indomitable style.

Boston 6172785114

Ssh, Anthony Amore is so keen to recover the Gardner art he will make sure the art is recovered before telling anyone, and I mean anyone !!!

Second is the offer by Frank Salemme, of quietly paying a reward, out of his own pocket, quietly and discreetly, before Frank Salemme arranges for the stolen Gardner art to be placed in a Catholic Church confession box as a symbol of absolution.

For this act Frank Salemme gets released on July 15th 2008 instead of early 2009.

So, wherever the Gardner art is held hostage, the rightful way to recovery is to place the art in a Catholic Church Confession box and any subsequent credit, reward is given post recovery.

As for the Vermeer, still waiting, still hoping for a Catholic Church Confession box recovery !!

Stolen Art Watch, Stolen Gardner Art Recovered by July 15th 2008, Mr Frank Salemme goes home July 15th 2008 !!

Former Mafia boss Cadillac Frank pleads guilty

http://www.mafia-news.com/former-mafia-boss-cadillac-frank-pleads-guilty/

Former New England Mafia boss Francis “Cadillac Frank” Salemme pleaded guilty today to lying and obstruction of justice as part of a deal that may allow him to be released from prison by the end of January.

Salemme wore a charcoal-colored suit and a blue tie in US District Court this afternoon and took no chances as he formally entered his plea. He had mistakenly told Judge Richard Stearns that he was already 75 years old, and made it clear he did not want to be accused again of making a false statement.

“I want to make one correction,” Salemme said. “I won’t be 75 until Aug. 18th. Anything can happen, your honor.”

Stearns scheduled sentencing for July 15. Prosecutors and defense attorneys have both recommended that he serve five years in prison. With credit for the time he has served since his arrest on the charges in November 2004, plus earned good time, Salemme could be released by the end of January, prosecutors said.

Salemme pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment that charged him with making false statements and obstruction of justice after he began cooperating with investigators in 1999 in a probe into the FBI’s corrupt handling of longtime informants James “Whitey” Bulger and Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi. Salemme admitted he misled investigators when questioned about the 1993 disappearance of South Boston nightclub owner Steven DiSarro.

However, Salemme did not admit to allegations in the indictment that he watched his son, Frank, strangle DiSarro, then helped him dispose of the body. The younger Salemme died two years later of lymphoma. DiSarro’s remains have never been found.

A plea agreement signed by Salemme and filed with the court today says that he “denies any responsibility for the disappearance and presumed murder” of DiSarro. One of his lawyers, Steven C. Boozang, told the Globe in February that his client, “100 percent denies any involvement in DiSarro’s disappearance and presumed murder.”

Assistant US Attorney Brian Kelly said today that prosecutors were prepared to prove at trial that the defendant was present at the killing. The plea deal did not require Salemme to admit to each allegation in the indictment.

Stearns does not have to follow the recommendations to sentence Salemme to five years. Under federal guidelines, which are advisory, Salemme faces a sentence ranging from 51 to 63 months.

Salemme was indicted on racketeering charges in 1995, along with Bulger and Flemmi, then began cooperating with the government after learning Bulger and Flemmi were longtime FBI informants who had given authorities information about local Mafia leaders, including him. He pleaded guilty to racketeering and extortion charges and admitted participating in eight gangland murders in the 1960s.

Art Hostage comments:

The Feds drive a very hard bargain.

Part of this plea deal was Frank Salemme using his influence to recover some of the stolen Gardner art, sadly not the Vermeer.

Now sentencing was due on April 14th 2008 but put back by Judge Richard Stearns until July 15th 2008 to see if the stolen Gardner art is recovered.

Both Defence and prosecution have agreed on 5 years jail time, with time served means Frank goes home in January or February 2009.

However, Art Hostage would like to point out that if indeed Frank can use his influence and some of the Gardner art is recovered before July 15th 2008, would it be such a blow to allow Mr Frank Salemme to walk from court on July 15th 2008, would this act by Judge Richard Stearns be acceptable ?

Art Hostage firmly thinks Frank Salemme should be allowed to walk free from court July 15th 2008 as long as all the stolen Gardner art Frank can influence is recovered, after all it is only another six months off what has already been agreed by both Defence and prosecution.

Whilst all this is good news for the Gardner Museum and art lovers around the world, Art Hostage has some troubling news on an even bigger Art Heist that could be in the making.

Some Philadelphia wiseguys whilst discussing the Gardner art case focused their attention on the Barnes collection in Merion Philadelphia, it seems that these wiseguys have an inside contact, or a wannabe wiseguy has an inside contact at the Barnes collection, or closely associated to the Barnes collection. That source has said the Barnes can be robbed given the right inside information.

However, and this is important, the Philly wiseguys don't want to take this to Uncle Joe Ligambi because he will certainly deny permission to rob the Barnes collection.

Uncle Joe has worked tirelessly in the recent past to reinvigorate the Philly family and has kept a very low profile. A Gardner style heist at the Barnes collection would so undermine Uncle Joe and would cause so much FBI attention, the spotlight would be back on big time towards the Philly family.

An alternative being considered by the renegade Philly wiseguys is a Modus Vivendi with elements associated to the Providence Rhode Island family.

The Barnes Heist could be an even bigger art heist than the Gardner Heist, with Cezanne's Card Players as the main target.

Time for Uncle Joe Ligambi to rein in these over zealous Philly young guns and give them a historic lesson in staying below the Feds Radar, it will not be the first time Uncle Joe has had to step in and calm down some eager Philly family members. Not a August birthday present Uncle Joe would relish.

It has also been suggested that a raid on the Barnes Collection could serve as insurance against any Gardner art hand back deal not being honoured.

Enough already with the Barnes Collection Heist talk, just get the Gardner art recovered and lets see Frank Salemme go home on July 15th 2008.

Memo to FBI Icon Robert Wittman:

Another Wittman moment last Wednesday in France hey Bob !!

Now you have just got back to Philly, sort this Barnes stuff out, and a new security review is in order.

O'h and the disgruntled inside person at the Barnes, it shouldn't be too difficult to track them down.

Looks like the Barnes Collection is going to be on "Lock-Down" for a while.

Memo to those thinking of robbing the Barnes Collection:

You could have been caught in the act and sentenced to 25-life for the Barnes heist, in time you may be grateful to Art Hostage, rather than be angry.

There are plenty of things to do that steers clear of high value art theft, especially if the art is on public view in Museums, that if stolen, really gets the public and authorities pissed, and more importantly, focuses the spotlight on family business !!!

Finally, the Art Hostage Catholic Church Confession box remains the most suitable place for the stolen Gardner art to be discovered, symbolism of absolution and all that, got it !!!

http://www.barnesfoundation.org/h_main.html

Stolen Art Watch, Lowry Monday, Newby Tuesday !!

Art Hostage has learnt that the one of the Lowry's taken in a violent armed raid is about to be handed back as a sign of goodwill, hope it is "The Viaduct", all part of a plea deal as the robbers seem to be breaking rank.

Art Hostage would like to think Lowry Monday will be followed by Newby table Tuesday !!

Anniversaries always bring fresh hope !!

Stolen Art Watch, FBI Sting Recovers Stolen Paintings Taken, France, August 2007 !!

French police recover four priceless works nabbed in 2007
3 days ago

MARSEILLE, France (AFP) — Two Bruegels, a Sisley and a Monet snatched from a French Riviera museum last year have been recovered and several people detained, French judicial sources said Wednesday.

The sources said the paintings had been found in Marseille and around 10 people detained.

The four priceless works were robbed in a brazen afternoon heist in Nice last August by a group of men who entered the Beaux-Arts Jules Cheret museum on a Sunday afternoon, when entry was free for the public.

The oil paintings include "Falaises pres de Dieppe," (Cliffs near Dieppe) painted by Monet in 1897 and Sisley's "Allee de peupliers de Moret" (The lane of poplars at Moret) dating back to 1980.

The two stolen works of Jan Breugel, a Flemish Baroque era painter who lived between 1568 and 1625, were "Allegorie de l'eau" (Allegory of Water) and "Allegorie de la terre" (Allegory of Earth).

Art Hostage comments:

So, anyway, a few months ago the FBI got a call about an American making a play for the stolen four priceless paintings taken in an armed raid in the South of France last August.

Not ones to allow the grass to grow beneath them, the FBI Art Crime Team pass this information to Paris and the sting commences. True value is many millions, not the low estimate advertised. $10-$20 million.

Now, the American buyer is waiting in Florida, his representative has arranged for a viewing of the painting's and wham, bam, thank-you Mam, the French police move in and recover the paintings, whilst at the same time arrests are made elsewhere and another notch is carved on the FBI Art Crime Team bedpost. Which part did Bob Wittman play, tell you later...

Now, those who try and sell stolen artworks via the underworld are fair game, those who desire the return of stolen art should be allowed to do so in a "Fetch and collect" manner.

I mean, the stolen artworks that are going to be returned should be placed in a safe location, untraceable, and the authorities should be informed of the location, then fetch and collect.

Any agreement made before the recovery should be addressed post-fetch and collect.

Art Hostage will say again, "A Catholic Church Confession box is just the place, untraceable, for the stolen Gardner Art to be placed for a "Fetch and Collect"

The olive branch was chosen by God to give Noah the news of the end of the flood. Since then it has been considered a symbol of absolution, therefore the placing of the stolen Gardner art in a Catholic Church Confession box will signal the end of the nightmare for the Gardner Museum and art lovers around the world.

The Symbolism of Absolution will be an attractive proposition for some !!

To be continued............................

Stolen Art Watch, Stolen Gardner Art in London Deposit Box Centre Raid, What Was I Flinking !!!

Police hope to lift lid on crime proceeds in safe deposit raids·

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jun/07/ukcrime?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews

David Pallister

Saturday June 7 2008

Three vaults sealed off and boxes examined
· Directors arrested on suspicion of laundering

The Yorkshire-based property millionaire stepped out of his Mayfair house on
Wednesday morning and strolled down Park Lane to pick up some petty cash.

Normally the procedure would be simple, if highly security-conscious. A few
months ago he rented a safe deposit box at a business tucked away in a side street behind the Grosvenor House and Dorchester hotels. The service cost just over £300 a year. The box was little bigger than a laptop and inside was £40,000. He had provided ID, proof of his address and a palm recognition print for a hand-reading machine. In return he got two keys, two numbered codes and a swipe card that would finally give him access through the steel doors to "cages" where the boxes were stored.

But when he turned the corner into Park Street he found a police crime scene
tape and an officer carrying a Heckler & Koch machine gun. Park Lane Safe Deposit Ltd was off limits. The raid that closed it down — and two others in Hampstead and Edgware owned by the same people — had been planned for eight months with 300 officers, sniffer dogs and enough firepower to start a small war. The Metropolitan police's assistant commissioner John Yates said it was an "unprecedented operation". Each of the 7,000 boxes would be treated as a potential crime scene. Suspected offences involved ran the gamut of organised crime: drugs, human trafficking, prostitution, fraud, firearms and money laundering. Many of the boxes may have been rented with false identities.

Forty-eight hours after the police went in, they revealed some of their findings: £14m in cash, a firearm, counterfeit currency, passports, chequebooks and credit cards, a substantial amount of high value
jewellery and four paintings — three landscapes and still lives in the 17th century Dutch style and a 20th century Russian portrait. At the Hampstead centre, an Edwardian redbrick mansion block on Finchley Road, two police trucks were filled with crates yesterday. Police believe the total value will be in tens of millions.

It doesn't take an inspector Poirot to work out that safe deposit centres might
be an ideal place to hide the proceeds of crime. Traditionally no questions
have been asked and ID was not always required. It has even been possible to rent a walk-in room for larger items — the odd Gainsborough, perhaps, or suitcases of swag. There was no regulatory framework until December last year when the 2007 money laundering regulations brought safe deposit businesses under supervision of the Financial Services Authority. Like banks, owners would have to "know their customer" and report any suspicious activity. The 10 safe deposit companies in London — and the two in Manchester and Birmingham — are required to register with the FSA by June 15. At the time of the raids a search of the register showed no results for the parent company of the three vaults, Safe Deposit Centres Ltd. The FSA said an application could be pending.

Detectives have stressed that their main targets are criminals who may have
used the centres for proceeds of crime. But they also arrested three directors of the safe deposit firm on suspicion of money laundering. By Thursday morning Milton Woolf, 52, Jacqueline Swann, 44, and Leslie Sieff, 60, were released on police bail, to return early in September. Company records show that the business was set up as Hampstead Safe Deposit Vaults in 1983
by Sieff, an accountant from Port Elizabeth in South Africa who became a British citizen. With his wife Jill he also runs the Hampstead School of English in the same mansion block as the vaults. Sieff was joined in the business by Milton Woolf, 52, another South African expatriate.

Although hundreds of innocent box owners have been calling the special police centre to claim their belongings, others may be trying to cover their tracks.

After the prolific Italian robber Valerio Viccei raided the Knightsbridge safe
deposit centre in 1987, around 30 of more than 120 owners never came forward.

"I'm sure they have all got a story to tell," said the detective in charge of the case. The raids of 2008 will undoubtedly reveal many more.

Art Hostage comments:

Would it be too much to ask that one of the Landscape's found is the stolen Flink from the Gardner Museum, in a box registered to Jean Marie Messier ???

Unfortunately, I think these three are Still Life paintings, with a bit of landscape in the background and may not be stolen, but housed for security.

Could be wrong and there is still hope of other stolen artworks being discovered in the remaining deposit boxes yet to be opened.

Seems to be a "Lull before the Storm" in the Gardner art recovery efforts, if you excuse the pun.

Things are being considered and decisions may be imminent.

Was also hoping the Newby Table may have been housed in one of the Walk-in size deposit boxes.

Maybe some good news for Graff's, their stolen diamonds are in there somewhere.

Amongst this current cluster of high value stolen art recoveries, the Gardner art still remains elusive, hope springs eternal !!!

Update:

Apparently, security agencies such as the C.I.A., MI5/6 and others have also been using these deposit centres to stash slush fund money amongst other things.

Also there is rumoured to be certain govt documents stashed by potential whistle blowers and tapes of Govt ministers being compromised.

If the Police are allowed to, then expect some sensational headlines over the coming months relating to things other than Organised crime, political intrigue of the highest nature.

Stolen Gardner art in London Deposit box centre raid, what was I Flinking !!

Stolen Art Watch, Underworld hands back Bernadino Luini via Patsy Dealer !!

Stolen painting found in antique shop

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/06/06/stolen-painting-found-in-antique-shop-91466-21035555/

A RENAISSANCE painting by Bernadino Luini, an Italian painter in Leonardo da Vinci’s circle, that was stolen from a Welsh church has been found, it emerged today.

The painting, Depicting Jesus Teaching by Bernadino Luini, a renowned Renaissance artist, was stolen from St Peter's Church Chancel in Evenjobb, near Presteigne.

The 500-year-old work of art had been a centrepiece in the chancel of the Presteigne church for more than a century.

The oil painting believed to be worth thousands if not hundreds of thousands of pounds, has been found in an antique shop, a source from the Church in Wales said today.

One of the artist’s most famous paintings, The Executioner Presents John The Baptist’s Head to Herod, is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, one of the oldest and well known art museums in the world, where most major Italian artists are represented.

Luini’s was one of the most prominent followers in Lombardy of Leonardo Da Vinci, whose painting, the Mona Lisa, is arguably the most famous masterpiece of all time.

Art Hostage comments:

The stolen Luini painting has been handed back via an underworld friendly Antiques dealer, who will say he bought it off a man who "walks with a lisp and talks with a limp !! "

What the Underworld has received is still unclear.

What is clear, is the Painting will not be returned to the church, but it will be sold and a copy will take it's place in the church.

So, although the painting has been handed back, the church-goers will not have the chance to enjoy it, as the value will prevent it's public display.

The Church will get some of the money, with the rest going to Head Office.

More to come........

Stolen Art Watch, Iconic Stolen Art found, London Deposit Box Raid, Harry Hyams, Lord Rothschild,Graff's, Harry Winston, America Holds their Breath !!

Security box raids: art and £16 million seized
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2075773/Security-box-raids-art-and-andpound16-million-seized.html
Police have seized Renaissance artworks, £16 million cash, expensive jewellery and a gun after an unprecedented raid on concrete vaults holding 7,000 safety deposit boxes.

Scotland Yard believe the operation may unlock clues to every layer of serious crime in Britain - including murders, shootings, drug trafficking, fraud and paedophile gangs.

After two days of prizing open the boxes, police confirmed that the growing haul included several paintings. They are investigating whether they are stolen, or possibly forged.

Officers also found sheets of "uncut" counterfeit currency.

More than 300 officers and staff were involved in simultaneous raids at three depots in London's Park Lane, Hampstead and Edgware on Monday.

It is believed that a top tier of criminal masterminds may have rented out "the majority'' of the boxes from the company - Safe Deposit Centres Ltd - which has been operating for more than 20 years.

Assistant Commissioner John Yates, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "Each box will be treated as a crime scene in its own right.''

It is believed a potential £1 billion treasure trove of cash, drugs, artwork and stolen jewellery may be uncovered in the raids, codenamed Operation Rize.

Although police do not know how many of the £100-a-year boxes are being rented, detectives suspect that up to 90 per cent of them being used may hold criminal assets.

Commander Allan Gibson, Head of Economic and Specialist crime directorate said: "Operation Rize is a huge undertaking and we are still in an early phase of the enquiry.

"Search teams have been working around the clock to open all the boxes at the location and are progressing well, although we are likely to remain at the locations for some time yet. This is a complex and unique investigation that will use all of the expertise within the economic crime command and the findings are within our expectations at this stage.

"I am confident that this operation will have a damaging impact on organised crime in London and around the rest of the country."

Two directors of the company, Jacqueline Swan, 44, who was arrested at the Mayfair address, and Leslie Sieff, 60, who was detained in Hampstead, north-west London, have been bailed as the investigation continues.

Police said that a specially set up call centre has received a large number of calls from the public seeking the return of their property, which they claim is legally held and stored legitimately.

The number for members of the public who legitimately store property at the business is freephone 0800 030 4613.

Art Hostage comments:

When the U.S. Cavalry wanted to to find the Indians they used Indian trackers, in this case a top Underworld Godfather has dealt a blow to the global Criminal Underworld that will be remembered for years to come.

The legalities of this raid may be called into question but the resulting discoveries will far out way any legal oversight.

What will the Underworld Godfather who set this whole thing up receive....more later !!!

Although some stolen iconic art has already been discovered, Harry Hyams, Lord Rothschild's heart rate has increased, Graff's, Harry Winston on standby, this was known before the Police raided the deposit building, this was also used to obtain the warrants, much more is still locked away in boxes not yet opened.

The Police needed an "in" and stolen art was the intelligence.

More is coming in, funny enough from America !!

France, they recover stolen paintings taken last August , Britain, Manchester, Police charge a man with the violent Lowry theft, although no recoveries yet, this art recovery from London,above,

Please, please don't let the Gardner Museum be the Cinderella again !!!!!!!!!

The Gardner Museum shall go to the stolen art recovery Ball, arrests not needed !!

Stolen Art Watch, Gardner Art in Play, Catholic Confession Box Discovery Imminent !!

Art Hostage has had it confirmed by a confidential source that two or three of the stolen Gardner paintings are in play and the subject of negotiation's.

Instead of acting, as in the past, like the Grand Old Duke of York, whereby negotiation's break down, Art Hostage is taking charge, right here, right now !!!!

(1) The main priority of this is the safety of all concerned.

(2) The recovery should only be conducted in a Discovery fashion, not a Handover, as these always end in arrests and possible damage to the artworks.

(3) Place where the Gardner paintings can be discovered that leaves no trace, no CCTV,

Catholic Church confession box. Plenty to choose from around Boston and the Burbs.

(4) Payment of reward.

Now this is something that has to be worked out by those who have these two or three Gardner paintings and Anthony Amore, Boston 6172785114.

(5) Art Hostage assures those with these Gardner paintings that if they place them in a Catholic Church Confession box and allow them to be discovered, there is no possibility of arrest in possession of stolen Gardner art.

Finally, yes getting paid the reward is difficult but I am sure it can be worked out with Anthony Amore.

Update:

If we are talking the Rembrandt Storm on the Sea of Galilee, please treat it with care, and if you look on the back you will notice the old repair, curved, shaped like a capital L, the protective wax and varnish should have stopped it getting damaged, but this painting really needs to be in the restorers workshop, as does the other Rembrandt, A Lady and Gentleman in Black, as you will see if you are in possession.

Update, Update:

It sometimes takes serious illness to realise the magnitude of ones power and the power to influence people.

"nanos gigantum humeris insidentes"

"Sir, you stand on the shoulders of Giants"

Art Hostage has the task of safe recovery without arrests.

Stolen Art Watch, Vermeer, Gardner Art in Ireland Missed by hours, June 18th 2007 !!

After consulting with those in the know within the Underworld, Art Hostage has further news on the Gardner Art Heist investigation.

First a little history lesson.

In 2002 Anne Hawley, Director of the Gardner Museum, was in London and met with Mark Dalrymple, of Tyler and Co, Art Loss Adjusters.

At that meeting Mark Dalrymple offered to recover the stolen Gardner art on two conditions:

(1) All media reports about the Gardner Art Heist were to be stopped for a period of two years.

(2)Once recovered, the Gardner art reward of $5 million would be payable to Mark Dalrymple, owner of Tyler and Co the Art Loss Adjusters.

Anne Hawley, Director of the Gardner Museum could not offer any conditions, especially about payment of the reward. Mark Dalrymple came to the conclusion the reward offer was bogus.

Furthermore, Anne Hawley also met with Dick Ellis ex-head of Scotland Yards Art and Antiques Squad whilst in London 2002 and Dick Ellis also offered to help locate the stolen Gardner art if the $5 million reward could be made available post recovery.

Again Anne Hawley declined the offer and Dick Ellis came to the same conclusion as Mark Dalrymple, the reward offer was bogus.

It has to be remembered that both Mark Dalrymple and Dick Ellis are on the side of law enforcement thus payment of the $5 million reward would be lawful.

Moving on to the fall of 2006, Anthony Amore is the Gardner Museum Head of security and point man.

An Underworld informant gets information the stolen Vermeer/some Gardner art is being held in Galway Ireland. The FBI mount a sting operation and head for Galway. Those with the stolen Vermeer see right through this sting and it is only after a warning was given that the FBI called off the sting as there would have been a gun battle and the loss of the Undercover FBI Agent.

The FBI headed back to America with their tails between their legs having failed again to sting the people with the stolen Vermeer /some Gardner art.

However, not to be deterred, the FBI mounted another sting in 2007 when they learnt from ***** that the stolen Vermeer/ some Gardner art has been retrieved from the people who were holding it as collateral as that debt was paid in full.

Now, a deal was offered whereby the Vermeer and co would surface and a nominee would come forward to collect the reward.

That deal was rejected by Irish Police and the FBI so on the 18th June 2007 Irish Police raided two addresses in County Waterford (1) John O’Donoghue (aged 27) of Clonard Park, Ballybeg, Co Waterford (2) James Butler (aged 55) of Ardmore Park, Ballybeg, expecting to find the stolen Vermeer and co.

Apparently the Irish Police, with the FBI bringing up the rear, missed the Vermeer/ some Gardner art by hours, as it was again used as collateral for drug deals and moved just before the raid. However, a number of these drug deals have been intercepted with the help of a top informant so as to try and squeeze the Underworld into making a mistake allowing the stolen Vermeer/some Gardner art to be recovered.

see link: http://www.waterford-today.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=803&Itemid=10202&ed=48

Follow up: http://www.breakingnews.ie/archives/?c=IRELAND&jp=mheygbeyidey&d=2008-01-29

Subsequently, there was another attempt to return the stolen Gardner art via a Catholic Church Confession box, with the Catholic Priest claiming the reward late 2007, early 2008.

Again the Irish Police and FBI rejected this out of hand, not offering anything in return, the stand off continues.

The latest spin being offered to those with the Gardner art is they better be careful as both Irish Police and the FBI are closing in and it would be better to just hand back the stolen art than get caught with it.

To sum up, Anthony Amore is a stand up guy, a real gentleman, who would dearly love to pay the reward, however, there is not a chance in Hell authorities will allow this to happen and if Anthony Amore did go out on his own and recover the stolen Gardner art and pay the reward he would find himself facing serious criminal charges.

"If you strike us, imprison, or kill us, out of our prisons or graves, we will evoke a spirit that will thwart you, and perhaps, raise a force that will destroy you!

We defy you! Do your worst!"

(James Connolly)

With quotes like the above, no wonder the Irish Police and FBI always seem one step behind in recovering the stolen Vermeer/some Gardner art. These guys are the real deal, true masters of disaster, kings of sting, whose belief in their Irish Republican aspirations far outweigh any poultry reward offered.

Art Hostage has tried to offer an avenue for the Gardner art to surface, Catholic Church confession box, it is the Irish Police and FBI who refuse to accept this middle way.

I will give further details of who, where, and when later.

Boy, is this to be continued..........

Stolen Art Watch, Turners Sting, in a Long Tail, Indictments Prevail !!

Kunstraub
Prozessauftakt im Frankfurter Kunstraub von 1994

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.focus.de/panorama/diverses/kunstraub-prozessauftakt-im-frankfurter-kunstraub-von-1994_aid_301677.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DProzessauftakt%2Bim%2BFrankfurter%2BKunstraub%2Bvon%2B1994%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGLJ_enGB209GB209

Before the Frankfurt district court must have been today two suspected handlers responsibility. They should in 1994 from the Frankfurt Museum Schirn Leihwerke stolen by William Turner and Caspar David Friedrich's original museums offered for sale.

Nearly 14 years after the spectacular art robbery in Frankfurt's Schirn museum since Wednesday, two alleged handlers in court.

The public prosecutor accused the 60-year-old Joseph S. and the 64-year-old K. Hartmut to launch the process before the District Court of Frankfurt am Main blackmail. They are two of the three stolen pictures of the Tate Gallery in London to buy back and offered five million euro ransom.

Stolen were on the night of 28 July 1994 two works by William Turner with the titles "Shade and Darkness (shadow and darkness)" and "Light and Colour (light and color), which is regarded as loans from the Tate Gallery in the Frankfurt exhibition" Goethe and Art "came , And "fog" by Caspar David Friedrich - this image contributed Hamburger Kunsthalle. The three images had an insured value of a total of 35 million euros.

Four offenders had the alarm system was turned off and then on the freight elevator in the Kunsthalle reached. They overwhelmed a guard, tied him and took him the keys. The three images transported in a small truck.

One of the perpetrators concerted according to the indictment car dealer Joseph S., that he should keep the stolen property. But this had a garage in Frankfurt-Bornheim rented. First sales failed attempts in 1995.

Advocate sued Kunsthalle

In February 1999 the court sentenced two robbers Frankfurt handlers and a. A 31-year-old courier driver received a prison sentence of eleven years and a 29-year-old fruit seller eight years in prison A 33-year-old driver was sentenced to two and a half years for favouring convicted. He had a covert police investigators of the two Turner images for ten million U.S. dollars offered for sale. The perpetrators had their backers not betrayed, and the images were initially disappeared.

Only in the years 2000 and 2002 appeared masterpieces by Turner again. The Frankfurt lawyer Edgar Liebrucks acted as middle-men. The Tate Gallery for the pictures to be five million euros have paid, the lawyer received 320,000 euros commission. In July 2000, "Shade and Darkness" back to London, in December 2002 "Light and Colour".

In January 2003, the Hamburger Kunsthalle the painting "fog" for 1.5 million euro ransom and 250,000 placement fee. Attorney Liebrucks paid the vendors' own figures, 250,000 euros for the picture and gave it in August 2003 to the Hamburger Kunsthalle, which it with the replacement task. Liebrucks sued the Kunsthalle later successfully agreed on payment of 250,000 euros.

According to the indictment had alleged handlers for their business off to Brazil. There they were arrested in February 2007. Josef was on 11 p. October 2007 delivered to Germany, Hartmut K., 23 January this year.

Art Hostage comments:

Backstory:http://msn-list.te.verweg.com/2005-November/003925.html

Follow up:http://arthostage.blogspot.com/2006/11/recovery-of-tate-turners-investigated.html

Sorry for the lack of good grammar but the article above is a direct translation from German.

The story is the two men responsible for returning the Turners have now, after six years, been charged for the offence of blackmail.

This should be a warning to those who seek to return stolen art for reward monies alone.

Previously this Turner case was held up as an example of how stolen art can be ransomed back to the insurers or victims.

Millions of euros was paid and everyone thought the bad guys had won.

However, as with all stolen art that is returned without Police co-operation and involvement, there is always a sting in the tail, be it after one year, or as with this case, six years.

Upon another note, I do wonder if others involved in the Turner recovery may be indicted, or at the very least exposed for their criminal actions ??


The lawyer who facilitated the return of the Turners, Edgar Liebrucks, successfully sued in court last year for the payment of 250,000 euros and seems to have escaped any indictments, at this stage.

Moral of this story is whenever stolen art is returned there will always be a sting in the tail, however long it takes after the initial recovery.

So, anyone negotiating the return of stolen art beware, it's a
"Sting, sting, sting, you morons !!"

When in doubt, leave it out, walk away and live to fight another day.