Is it true that a group of journalists stole the Empire State Building for only one day? How did police catch the thief who stole one of Norway’s most famous paintings? Has anyone found a Stradivarius? Stradivarius was one of the most famous concert violinists of the 20th century.
Everyone knows that famous art and historical artifacts are some of the most valuable works, but what’s the real reason for stealing the most expensive items on earth? Below, you’ll learn about some of the world’s most expensive items and the dangerous operations involved in stealing them.
In 1995, well-known concert violinist Erica Morini, had a $3.5 million violin stolen from her apartment in New York City. The Stradivarius violin was made in 1727 by Antonio Stradivari and was bought by Morini’s father in Paris for $10,000 in the early 1900s.
Morini’s life-long friend, Erica Bradford, discovered that the violin was missing upon a visit to the Fifth Avenue apartment. Bradford had gone to the apartment to prepare for Morini’s upcoming stay at Mount Sanai Hospital and upon checking the violin, she noticed that it had been replaced with an empty case in the locked cabinet. Morini was at the age of 91 when the violin was stolen and she died shortly after the incident, though was never informed of the robbery. The violin has never been found and still remains on the FBI’s list for top 10 art crimes.
