BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com)
-- Wednesday marked the 25th anniversary of the heist from the Isabella Stewart
Gardner Museum. Priceless artwork was taken right out of their
frames 25 years ago and still have not been tracked down.
On March 18, 1990, 13
pieces, valued at $500 million, were stolen. The most famous piece taken was
Rembrandt's only seascape, "Storm on the Sea of Galilee."
The FBI says that two men
dressed as police officers subdued two guards and had their run of the Gardner
Museum for 81 minutes. FOX25's Bob Ward broke international news last May that
the FBI had confirmed sightings of at least some of the stolen artwork back in
2000, 10 years after the heist.
The FBI told FOX25 that
organized crime figure Carmelo Merlino once told an FBI informant that he
planned on returning the Rembrandt masterpiece for the reward money, but
Merlino then ended up busted for other crimes and died in prison.
FBI Agent Geoff Kelly
told FOX25 that the Merlino lead took them down a path of organized crime
figures in Connecticut and Philadelphia, leading investigators to believe at
least some of the paintings have been offered for sale in Philadelphia.
Investigators believe they're on the right track to finding the paintings.
On the anniversary of the
heist, the FBI reminded the public that they still need help in tracking down
the stolen artwork, A $5 million reward and immunity has been offered in order
to recover the 13 works of art worth a half-billion dollars.