Stolen de Kooning painting worth $165M found behind a bedroom door

Ron Roseman was almost finished liquidating his late aunt's estate last summer when the phone rang. It was the FBI. An agent wanted to know where his aunt, Rita Alter, got a painting that hung behind her bedroom door.

[LAjudge]

They were professional thieves... posing as teachers. Not hard to figure out.

[andrewrodriguez]

The real crime is that he sold all their antiques for $2, 000.

[raymondgastelum]

Had a nice pool which was a rarity for their geographic. 1 million in savings and traveled the world looking like dorky tourists. That is the definition of what professional con artists should sound like.

[MrQbenDanny]

Well educated smart crooks who don't look like crooks know how to steal right in front of you. Case closed.

[judyjetson]

Amazing story!!! Auntie and uncle were international thieves. Who gets the script first?!

[dampaul]

Travelled to 140 countries, $1 million in savings, still had the painting. Where did their money come from then? Other stolen paintings?

[eddiemalvin]

Never dontate, sell or give away "junk" until you value it. We recently bought a furnished house and almost threw out a vintage lamp. A quick Google search revealed it was worth $1, 000 - 1, 500.

[monicaaasen]

Pretty damn good art thieves. get caught till after they died😂wonder how much art has been stolen by them to support their lavish lifestyle?

[tinalouiseking]

Lmao... people need to stop thinking that they know their family members. Family members and people usually show their true selves to strangers. They stole that painting. And it's probably not the first thing they stole.

[ELCEV]

The mystery to me is who could value that painting for so much money?

[garvinkelly]

$2000 for the entire estate of world traveling art collectors?!!!! who is that stupid!?

[goldenglazed]

Fun fact: I used to work at the museum it was stolen from, they still had the frame and outline of canvas where they cut it out up. Also, the painting was actually located on the first floor just past the front desk, not up the stairs.

[justdoingitjim]

When he said some guy was down on his knees trying to scratch the painting and stopped him, it brought back memories of a vintage camera I bought at an auction. All the goods were lined up on the ground in small piles or by themselves. This Graflex Press Camera was inside it's steel case which also had 2 dozen film holders, unused film with a date from the early 50's, light meter and a lot of other things a professional journalist would need. All of the film holders had film in them and 12 of them had been exposed, but never taken out and developed. I had been a freelance photographer before the digital age, so imagine my horror when I saw some guy on his knees opening EVERY film holder! I stopped him and asked what he thought he was doing. He said he was looking for money that someone might've hidden! He had already opened and exposed to daylight, every exposed film and these would've been taken in the 50's. There might've been some historic photos on that film, but some idiot, who didn't even know what he was handling, LOOKING FOR TREASURE, might've destroyed a real treasure in his hands and didn't even realize he was doing it!

[patrickryan]

Fair play to the thrift shop owner who called the college to say he had their painting in his possession.

[danor]

When I looked through the comments. I noticed something. It seems everyone missed the part where the nephew says. He was told the painting was stolen by his aunt years ago. Well before you sell it and everything else for 2000 dollars. Wouldn't one wonder about a stolen painting? People don't steal art work that they could buy for a few dollars. So just the mention it was stolen, should have him thinking it was worth a lot more than a share of 2000 dollars. I have a hunch he just wanted to get rid of it. Not wanting to be involved with the painting.

[DursunX]

true partners in crime take their secrets to the grave

[rogerelder]

The painting was probably the first thing stolen by them. Being so unique and stolen so close to where they were living they couldn't sell it. So they traveled from then on to steal other items once they knew they could get away with it.

[DigitalicaEG]

sounds like they were a fun couple to have around, may they RIP

[franceslovato]

Wow, that painting is worth 165 million dollars?
Amazing because you can't even tell what it
It's that hideous!
😱

[demoman]

5:06 I would be looking for the 120 carat stone they have hiding in the wall like he says in his short stories.... hmmmm