

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Theft

In the early hours of March 18, 1990, two men posing as police officers gained entry to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, subdued the guards, and spent an unprecedented 81 minutes inside. During that time, they executed the largest art heist in history, but their choices were perplexing; they stole 13 works, including priceless pieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer, while leaving behind even more valuable art. The thieves crudely cut some of the masterpieces from their frames before vanishing along with the security tapes. Despite a decades-long investigation and a standing multi-million dollar reward, none of the half-billion dollars worth of art has ever been recovered, and the empty frames remain hanging on the museum walls as a reminder of the unsolved crime.