Wanna buy a Diamond?
While the daring Sunday robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris continues to capture worldwide attention, it has belatedly put other museums on high alert about safeguarding their own treasures. Thieves looted France’s most famous crown jewels, including an emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set of Empress Marie-Louise. In August 1911, “panic broke out at the Louvre” when Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” was found to have disappeared. A thief had swiped the painting from its frame — and escaped with it by hiding the work of art under his coat. “The news [of the theft] spread like wildfire and generous rewards were promised for her return,” the Louvre recounts on its website. Two years later, Vincenzo Peruggia — a glazier who had worked at the Louvre — tried to sell the da Vinci masterpiece that he’d stolen to an Italian art dealer. The dealer alerted authorities — and the world’s most famous painting was ultimately returned to the Louvre. Peruggia was arrested and served only a short prison term for the theft, according to History.com. This begs the problem that makes theft of famous art and museum grade relics one of the safest high dollar crimes in the world.
Five more suspects have been arrested in connection with the daring daytime heist of the French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, though the priceless treasures remain missing. One of the newly arrested individuals is suspected of being part of the four-person team that stormed the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery in broad daylight on Oct. 19, stealing jewels valued at $102 million in less than eight minutes. Eugénie’s emerald-encrusted crown – set with over 1,300 diamonds – was later found damaged but recoverable outside the museum. The Louvre Director acknowledged a “terrible failure” in museum security. However there is no evidence the theft was an inside job.
Meanwhile in California:
More than 1,000 items and historical artifacts have been stolen in an early morning heist from a California museum’s off-site collection, according to police. The Oakland Police Department, along with the FBI, are investigating a burglary that occurred at the Oakland Museum of California’s storage facility. Authorities said that the suspects broke into the facility and stole more than 1,000 items from the museum’s collection, including “Native American baskets, jewelry [and] laptops,” according to a statement from the Oakland Police Department. “I think it is very possible that the people who stole these items don’t really know themselves what they have, why it might be important, and where to actually try to pass it off or sell it.” The FBI Art Crime Team has been assigned to this case and is currently investigating the heist alongside local authorities.
Jovial Gems
After a very successful heist, a thief treats his two close friends to a sumptuous meal at a fancy restaurant.
Friend A: “You’ve walked away with millions?? By stealing from a printer company? How on earth did you pull that off??!”
Friend B: “You must’ve had to drive out an entire truckload of printers to make that much!”
Thief: “It was actually a lot easier than that. I just walked out with all my pockets filled with ink cartridges.”
An art thief pulls off an incredible heist at the Louvre. He loads a bunch of priceless paintings in the back of his van and drives off.
He is about to make the perfect getaway when his van suddenly stops. The police nab him, and one of them asks, “What happened to the van?”
The thief replies: “I did not have the Monet, to buy Degas, to make the Van Gogh.”
Fact, when you find diamonds, old coins or anything of value on your property, it belongs to the government. But, if the police find drugs, they belong to you.
Last Halloween, my friend Lucy dressed up like a cat burglar on a jewel heist.
Lucy….in disguise with diamonds.
November 5th Birthdays
1963 – Tatum O’Neal, 1983 – Alexa Chung, 2001 – Alex Hook, 1940 – Elke Sommer
1982 – Odell Beckham, 1941 – Art Garfunkel 1994 – Zack Henri, 1952 – Bill Walton