This was a 6 foot by 8 foot 6 inch canvas. While working on this project, I spent a few years traveling around the globe trying to convince various art thieves, forgers, smugglers, art theft investigators, to name a few, to pose for me. The subjects in many of my portraits that I have done actually posed for me. Obviously, many others that I painted I had to resort to using photos for the likeness (obviously not everyone in the world is approachable and friendly and, in the case of the Gardner heist, many of the suspected parties are in prison or dead). I will explain the workings of this artistic project in another post (scroll down).
The highly respected veteran Investigative Reporter Brian Ross and his most trusted expert investigative reporter Jill Rackmill. The Brian Ross team, which was once with ABC Primetime, has done the most valuable and trustworthy reporting on the Isabella Stewart gardner robbery since its occurrence back in 1990. Brian Ross and his colleague Rhonda Schwartz are not on Dan Abram's Law and Crime network under the title "Brian Ross Investigates."
The highly respected investigative journalist Jill Rackmill speaking to the art loss adjuster Harold Smith. Before Harold's death, he took it upon himself to attempt a private investigation into the Gardner Robbery and was featured in the documentary Stolen.
The Boston Herald reporter Tom Mashberg and William Youngworth III. These two are enemies because of the unfair treatment that Youngworth received from Mashberg and his paper as well as the manner of reporting that Youngworth believes was unscrupulous and choreographed by the authorities to pressure Youngworth to agree to conditions he felt were undesirable. Indeed, Mashberg described his style of reporting on Youngworth as a form of "smoking out."
The notorious art thief Myles Connor.
Art loss adjuster Harold Smith.
William Youngworth III and Brian Ross.
Harold Smith (wearing hat and eye patch).
The art thief Myles Connor.
Isabella Stewart Gardner.
Gardner Museum Security Director Anthony Amore with John Walsh of America's Most wanted. John Walsh has dedicated many episodes of his America's most wanted to the Gardner caper.
The lawyer and Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz was quoted as saying: "Mueller is the guy who kept four innocent people in prison for many years in order to protect the cover of Whitey Bulger as an FBI informer. Those of us in Boston don't have such a high regard for Mueller because we remember this story. The government had to pay out tens of millions of dollars because Whitey Bulger, a notorious mass murderer, became a government informer against the mafia..." "And that's regarded in Boston as one of the greatest scandals of modern judicial history. And Mueller was right in the center of it. So, he is not without criticism by people who know him in Boston."
Harold Smith.
Former Gardner Museum Director Ann Hawley speaking with Boston Herald reporter Tom Mashberg.
John Walsh speaking with Boston Globe reporter Stephen Kurkjian. Like with Mashberg, William Youngworth and Kurkjian are bitter enemies because of the unfair treatment that Youngworth received from Kurkjian and the Globe. Also, Youngworth believes Kukjian's Gardner Museum robbery reporting was controlled by the watchful guidance of F.B.I. handlers. Recently Kurkjian and WBUR produced a podcast called Last Seen but all they found in the end was an old, smelly septic tank in a back yard in Florida.
Senator Ted Kennedy talking to Carmen Ortiz. Kennedy took a special and personal interest in the Gardner Museum robbery case and was very concerned about the artworks recoveries. Rumors were floating around Boston that Kennedy was negotiating with the Irish Republican Army in an attempt to convince them to intercede.
The Dutch antiquities smuggler Michel Van Rijn talking to the art theft investigator Charlie Hill. Van Rijn lived in New York in the 1990s and some believed he had some involvement somewhere along the line. Charlie Hill was an undercover cop for Scotland Yard's Met Police and helped recover the stolen Scream.
Thomas Murphy talking to Col Mummer Gaddafi. Thomas Murphy is an Irish Republican and it is believed that he was the Chief of Staff of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
Thomas Murphy is an Irish Republican and it is believed that he was the Chief of Staff of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. IRA involvement was always suspected in the Gardner heist due to the IRA's penchant for stealing Rembrandt and Vermeers to use as bargaining chips.
Mob soldier Bobby Donati talking to Irish mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger. Makes Connor was friends with Donati and he claims Donati was involved in the Gardner robbery. Bobby Donati was murdered in 1991 after the Gardner Museum robbery took place. His body was found in the trunk of a Cadillac on Savage Street in Revere, Mass. Donati's throat was slit, his head was busted and he was stabbed 20 times.
Martin Ferris is a highly respected Sinn Fein politician and a former IRA volunteer who was born in County Kerry. In 1984, Ferris was arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison for involvement in the Valhalla arms smuggling incident. In this incident Ferris attempted to import seven tons of explosives, firearms, ammunition, communications equipment and medications to Ireland for use in the Republican cause. Much of this shipment was funded my Irish gangsters from Massachusetts, namely James "Whitey" Bulger, Joseph Murray and Patrick Nee. As previously stated in the Thomas Murphy entry, IRA involvement was always suspected in the Gardner heist due to the IRA's penchant for stealing Rembrandt and Vermeers to use as bargaining chips.
Scotland Yard Metropolitan Police undercover detective Charlie Hill. Hill was instrumental in recovering the Scream from a gang of dangerous criminals.
Isabella Stewart Gardner and Rembrandt.
