'Priceless' 18th-century painting returned after theft by mobsters 54 years ago
A historic English painting stolen by New Jersey mobsters more than 50 years ago has been returned to its owner after a two-year FBI investigation.
A historic English painting stolen by New Jersey mobsters more than 50 years ago has been returned to its owner after a two-year FBI investigation.
"The Schoolmistress," a painting by notable artist John Opie around 1784, was taken from the home of Francis Wood, 96, in Newark in 1969.
Earlier this month, a judge in Washington County, Utah, ruled that the painting was Wood's rightful property following an investigation by FBI agents in Salt Lake City and detectives from the Metropolitan Police in London, the FBI said Friday.
“It was an honor playing a role in recovering a significant piece of art and culture, and reuniting a family with its stolen heritage,” Special Agent Gary France said in a statement. “In a world where criminal investigations often leave scars, it was a rare joy to be a part of a win-win case: a triumph for history, justice, and the Wood family.”
Wood's son, David Wood, told The Associated Press: “It has one or two minor blemishes, but for a painting that’s 240 years old and has been on a roundabout journey, it’s in pretty good shape.”
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