After consulting with those in the know within the Underworld, Art Hostage has further news on the Gardner Art Heist investigation.
First a little history lesson.
In 2002 Anne Hawley, Director of the Gardner Museum, was in London and met with Mark Dalrymple, of Tyler and Co, Art Loss Adjusters.
At that meeting Mark Dalrymple offered to recover the stolen Gardner art on two conditions:
(1) All media reports about the Gardner Art Heist were to be stopped for a period of two years.
(2)Once recovered, the Gardner art reward of $5 million would be payable to Mark Dalrymple, owner of Tyler and Co the Art Loss Adjusters.
Anne Hawley, Director of the Gardner Museum could not offer any conditions, especially about payment of the reward. Mark Dalrymple came to the conclusion the reward offer was bogus.
Furthermore, Anne Hawley also met with Dick Ellis ex-head of Scotland Yards Art and Antiques Squad whilst in London 2002 and Dick Ellis also offered to help locate the stolen Gardner art if the $5 million reward could be made available post recovery.
Again Anne Hawley declined the offer and Dick Ellis came to the same conclusion as Mark Dalrymple, the reward offer was bogus.
It has to be remembered that both Mark Dalrymple and Dick Ellis are on the side of law enforcement thus payment of the $5 million reward would be lawful.
Moving on to the fall of 2006, Anthony Amore is the Gardner Museum Head of security and point man.
An Underworld informant gets information the stolen Vermeer/some Gardner art is being held in Galway Ireland. The FBI mount a sting operation and head for Galway. Those with the stolen Vermeer see right through this sting and it is only after a warning was given that the FBI called off the sting as there would have been a gun battle and the loss of the Undercover FBI Agent.
The FBI headed back to America with their tails between their legs having failed again to sting the people with the stolen Vermeer /some Gardner art.
However, not to be deterred, the FBI mounted another sting in 2007 when they learnt from ***** that the stolen Vermeer/ some Gardner art has been retrieved from the people who were holding it as collateral as that debt was paid in full.
Now, a deal was offered whereby the Vermeer and co would surface and a nominee would come forward to collect the reward.
That deal was rejected by Irish Police and the FBI so on the 18th June 2007 Irish Police raided two addresses in County Waterford (1) John O’Donoghue (aged 27) of Clonard Park, Ballybeg, Co Waterford (2) James Butler (aged 55) of Ardmore Park, Ballybeg, expecting to find the stolen Vermeer and co.
Apparently the Irish Police, with the FBI bringing up the rear, missed the Vermeer/ some Gardner art by hours, as it was again used as collateral for drug deals and moved just before the raid. However, a number of these drug deals have been intercepted with the help of a top informant so as to try and squeeze the Underworld into making a mistake allowing the stolen Vermeer/some Gardner art to be recovered.
Subsequently, there was another attempt to return the stolen Gardner art via a Catholic Church Confession box, with the Catholic Priest claiming the reward late 2007, early 2008.
Again the Irish Police and FBI rejected this out of hand, not offering anything in return, the stand off continues.
The latest spin being offered to those with the Gardner art is they better be careful as both Irish Police and the FBI are closing in and it would be better to just hand back the stolen art than get caught with it.
To sum up, Anthony Amore is a stand up guy, a real gentleman, who would dearly love to pay the reward, however, there is not a chance in Hell authorities will allow this to happen and if Anthony Amore did go out on his own and recover the stolen Gardner art and pay the reward he would find himself facing serious criminal charges.
"If you strike us, imprison, or kill us, out of our prisons or graves, we will evoke a spirit that will thwart you, and perhaps, raise a force that will destroy you!
We defy you! Do your worst!"
(James Connolly)
With quotes like the above, no wonder the Irish Police and FBI always seem one step behind in recovering the stolen Vermeer/some Gardner art. These guys are the real deal, true masters of disaster, kings of sting, whose belief in their Irish Republican aspirations far outweigh any poultry reward offered.
Art Hostage has tried to offer an avenue for the Gardner art to surface, Catholic Church confession box, it is the Irish Police and FBI who refuse to accept this middle way.
I will give further details of who, where, and when later.
Boy, is this to be continued..........