#23: The Gardner Museum Heist
On March 18, 1990, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston experienced one of the most significant art thefts in modern history. Two men, disguised as policemen, tricked inexperienced security guards amidst St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, gaining access to the museum. They then restrained the guards and stole 13 artworks, including pieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer, valued at $500 million.
Despite a $10 million reward offered by the museum for information leading to the recovery of the artworks, the thieves remain at large, and the stolen pieces are still missing. Empty frames in the museum now mark the spots where these masterpieces once hung, serving as a reminder of this unsolved heist.