1:23 AM, March 18th, 1990, and all is calm within the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA. 1:24 AM, two men dressed as police officers bang on the door, saying they’re investigating a disturbance in the area. As the two night guards would soon find out, the only disturbance is the one the two men were about to create. The police men handcuff the guards and dispose of them in a corner. Over the next eighty-one minutes the two men stole 13 works of art from the museum, the total value estimated between $200 and $300 million. The paintings were cut right out of their frames with straight razors, rolled up, and carried out of the building by the two men. Upon leaving, one of the men said to the guards, “Tell them they’ll be hearing from us.” The FBI was immediately involved with the investigation. The description of the two assailants was given to the FBI from the guards. The first man was described as being in his early 30s, standing at around 6 feet tall and weighing about 180-200 pounds. The second man was thought to be in his late 20s or early 30s, slim build, between 5'7" to 5'10' tall, and with a Boston accent. Both men had dark hair and eyes and wore fake black mustaches. A $5 million reward was offered, but nobody came forward with any information. Many outlandish theories about the heist pointed to South American drug cartels, the Irish Republican Army, the Japanese underworld, and even Boston area mobsters. Over the years all leads went cold and hope was lost. Then seven years later, the FBI began investigations on convicted art thief Myles Connor Jr. and antiques dealer William P. Youngworth III. Both men were thought to have masterminded the heist from behind bars. Youngworth and Connor tried to broker the paintings in exchange for immunity for criminal charges, the reward money and Connor's release from jail. Youngworth at one point arranged for Boston Herald reporter Tom Mashberg to see one of the paintings, Rembrandt's Storm on the Sea of Galilee, in a darkened New York warehouse. Ed Butler reported that Mashberg did see a painting that resembled the masterpiece but it was uncertain if it was genuine. The demands of the two were not met, and all other deals were struck down. To this day, Youngworth claims he knows who stole the paintings, although he cannot produce any evidence. To this day, nobody has come forth with any valid information, and the $5 million dollar reward has not been claimed.
Information found at CrimeLibrary.com
