Myles Connor Historical Reference Guide
Boston MFA Rembrandt Robbery 50th Anniversary April 14, 2025
Gardner Museum heist approaching 20th anniversary
Reward, return now focus of case Boston Globe March 14, 2010
For years convicted art thief Myles J. Connor Jr. boasted that he knew who committed the brazen art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 and could help recover the masterpieces.
Last summer, federal prosecutors decided to find out if he actually knew anything.
They gave Connor and a longtime friend, Edward J. Libby, letters of immunity that promised to shield them from criminal charges if they helped recover the 13 stolen paintings and artwork, according to Connor, Libby, and Robert A. George, a Boston criminal defense lawyer who engineered the agreement.
All three hoped to share a $5 million reward offered by the Gardner museum for information leading to the safe return of the artwork, which is valued at $500 million and includes three works by Rembrandt — including his only seascape — and a Vermeer.
Belmont Historical Society: Stealing Rembrandts Anthony Amore November 12, 2014
Anthony Amore at Weston Public Library -Stealing Rembrandts The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists Gardner Heist discussion starts at 58:00
Meet the suspects: Myles J. Connor Jr. May 11, 2008
US reportedly wants to talk to Connor on Gardner theft by Ric Kahn the Boston Globe August 21, 1997
Art thief [Myles Connor] released from prison
" As he left federal court in Boston after being freed by a judge, Connor, 62, of Blackstone, said that hypnosis has helped him reocer memories he lost after a 1998 heart attack and that he now remembers the name of a middleman who allegedly arragned the theft on behalf of a secret buyer. Connor wouldn't name the man, but said that he lives in Massachussetts and that he plans to contact him in an effort to retrieve the artwork.
Reward, return now focus of [Gardner Heist] case
by Shelley Murphy Jonathan Saltzman Boston Sunday Globe March 14, 2010
“Myles Connor is one of these guys who committed every type of crime you can imagine. Make a list. Brainstorm on crimes. He can check off every box. You name it. he's done it, a real bad guy." Anthony Amore 11/12/14 Time 45:00
"Every single person who said they could get the paintings back, one of them is Myles Connor,
who's come forward and said it, they're all charlatans...hucksters."" Anthony Amore Weston Library 10/29/13 1:24:00
Claims new data on Gardner probe
by Shelley Murphy and Stephen Kurkjian Boston Globe December 8, 2005
"Brockton lawyer Martin K. Leppo, who represents Connor said his client had provided accurate information about the theft, but was unable to offer much help after his memory loss."
Last summer, Myles Connor indicated he could broker the return of the Gardner paintings and obtained letters of immunity from the US attorney’s office for himself and Edward Libby, who described himself as a retired businessman in the fishing industry.
But Connor hasn’t come up with anything.
Art thief [Myles Connor] released from prison Claims new data on Gardner probe by Stephen Kurkjian and Shelley Murphy December 8, 2005 Connor "now remembers the name of a middleman who allegedly arranged the theft on behalf of a secret buyer. 'I think I can use my connections and powers of persuasion to make the case that has to be made,'said Connor, who added that he doesn't know who commissioned the theft, but believes it was an eccentric collector who probably still has the artwork.
The Great Art Caper by Steve Lopez Time Magazine November 17, 1997 Connor says Donati, who, he assumes, hired two mugs to actually carry out the theft, initially intended to use the loot as a bargaining chip, though he won’t say for what. “Then they got a tremendous offer for it,” he says. Not from the Irish Republican Army, a name that has surfaced over the years, and not “from, per se, a political organization. But something a little more powerful than just a wealthy, eccentric collector.” Whatever, it fell through, and the pieces were put into storage. Connor says Donati and Houghton later told him that if anything happened to them, they would leave him information about where the paintings are, but he needs to be out of jail to get that information. “And that’s essentially the meat and potatoes of what I have access to.”
Jailed art thief may testify Connor eyed in Gardner probe Boston Globe August 26, 1997
A Growing Concern Over Theft of Art Boston Globe September 19, 1976
The Boston Globe and the New Fabulism
Connor held as bail jumper at Charles St. Jail Boston Globe September 16, 1975
Unlikely Suspect Connor Crony [David Houghton] was no art expert, others say By Daniel Golden and Ric Kahn Boston Globe September 23, 1997 "Now that Houghton has been dead for five years, his former hero, Myles J. Connor Jr., appears to be casting him -- quite conveniently -- as the evil genius behind one of history's largest and most perplexing art thefts." "But few who knew Houghton believe that he played more than a bit part, if any, in the 1990 robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, in which 13 priceless masterpieces were taken. During the current furor over the possible return of the paintings, the bandying about of Houghton's name raises questions of whether Connor really knows who took the paintings and where they are -- or whether he's willing to tell."
Infamous area art thief [Myles Connor] far from scene of [Gardner heist] crime Boston Globe March 20, 1990
"[Myles] Connor says Donati and Houghton later told him that if anything happened to them, they would leave him information about where the paintings are, but he needs to be out of jail to get that information."
Art Thief Myles Connor released from prison | Boston Globe December 8, 2005
Ex-Thief [Connor] says his "collecting" days are over Boston Globe February 12, 1989
False Facts in WBUR/Boston Globe's Last Seen Podcast, Season One Episode Seven (The Myles Connor Episode), October 29, 2018 The thief who removed the Rembrandt from the Boston MFA was described by witnesses as a white male, about 20 years of age, 5-foot-9, about 140 pounds, with long blond hair. Myles Connor, 5-foot-6, was 32 at the time of the theft, and claimed he was wearing a brown wig and leather chauffeur's cap to cover his red hair, during the MFA robbery, when he took credit for this violent crime decades later.
A prodigal art thief still rocks 'n' rolls Myles Connor Book Review Boston Globe June 5, 2009 "The book is clearly shaded by Connor's version of the truth."
A new documentary looks at Myles Connor, a rocker among thieves March 14, 2024 by Noah SchafferNote: There is no documentary. There is only a trailer. Anthony Amore makes a brief appearance in the trailer. "Trying to document Connor’s early music career 'was like trying to profile a ghost,' says Macomber. 'There’s a 20 second clip on him on stage, a few photos, and a few vinyl signs.'
Sunday, March 17 @ 2:00pm Rock n Roll Outlaw: The Ballad of Myles Connor Brief appearances by Anthony Amore Amore: "When I give lectures or talks or right books about art theft. I speak about 99.99 percent of art thieves. And then I always have to say, except for Myles Connor. And that's why he's the greatest art thief who ever lived, and I think who ever will live.
Myles Connor held without bail in Illinois The Boston Globe (UPI) April 12, 1989
Stolen Amherst art found after 15 years November 26, 1989
Reputation catches up to art thief dealt 20 years in prison The Pantagraph July 17, 1990
Myles Connor sentenced to 20 years Boston Globe July 17, 1990
Art, hay thief [Myles Connor] charged in R.I. robbery
Stealing Beauty March 1998 Vanity Fair by Tom Mashberg
Gunmen Flee Museum with stolen Rembrandt by Rober J. Anglin Boston Globe April 15, 1975
Portrait of an art ransom Terms for return of Rembrandt stolen in Hub dictated in jail cell
Boston Globe January 8, 1976 Page 1
Portrait of an art ransom Terms for return of Rembrandt stolen in Hub dictated in jail cell Page 8
Boston Globe January 8, 1976 Page 8
Hub police have art theft clues, descriptions The Boston Globe by Seymour Linscott April 15, 1975
Boston Police Expect Break in Rembrandt portrait heist Boston Globe April 16, 1975
Rembrandt Stolen in Boston Recovered New York Times Januray 4, 1976
Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists by Anthony Amore and Tom Mashberg 2011 Chapter Six Myles Connor's claim of having stolen a Rembrandt from the MFA Chapter Six Notes: "Connor has written a longer, slightly different account of the robbery in his memoirs, The Art of the Heist, Confessions of a Master Thief (New York: Collins, 2009). This Account Is Drawn from multiple one-on-one interviews with him conducted several years earlier. The small variations in the versions do not in any case alter the basic sequence of events.
"Deal for stolen Rembrandt made in jail cell." Boston Globe January 9, 1976
"76 art theft informer [Myles Connor] held on parole violation"" Boston Globe August 30, 1979
Storied Rembrandt to Be Shown at the Getty New York Times November 17, 2007 As the thieves fled to a waiting car, the armed man fired three shots, hitting no one but adding a movie-scene flourish to what was then thought to be the most expensive art heist in American history.
Some Stolen Wyeth Paintings Recovered Lewiston Daily Sun July 19, 1974
The Rembrandt Heist: The Story of Criminal Genius, a Stolen Masterpiece, and an Enigmatic Friendship
Anthony M. Amore
College Radio interview Anthony Amore discussing his enigmatic friendship with Myles Connor March 29, 2017
"The Wild One" "Empty Frames" Interview with Myles Connor's co-author Jenny Siler
Interviewer: In the book, Myles Connor associate David Houghton "told him they robbed the Gardner to help negotiate him out of jail.
How did you verify that?"
"Myles Connor is the world’s greatest art thief" disinformation links
The Gardner Museum Heist: Who’s Got the Art? Boston Magazine March 13, 2016
To Catch A Thief (Or A Klutz)— Anthony Amore On Art Security by Juliette Kayyem
How the Gardner Museum’s security head befriended ‘the greatest art thief that ever lived’ Boston Globe March 13, 2020
"Outlaw code or no, Amore and Connor share more than a fascination with stolen art. They go to concerts together — Bruce Springsteen, Kevin Hart — and they often share a meal. They speak by phone several times a week and leave each other jokey voice mails."
The Raymond Rembrandt - Guest MINDSETTER™ Anthony Amore June 2, 2016
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved kerry@gardnerheist.com
Amore: "We [Myles Connor and Anthony Amore]
are at the polar opposite ends of the art world.
He's the world's greatest art thief and I'm this art theft investigator, for the biggest heist ever, and we met and
from the handshake we just hit it off. It was weird. We just have this appreciation. I think we both
have this appreciation for art that I think is unique from the vast majority of people.
And somewhere in the middle between good and evil, you have that gray area where Myles and I meet.
It's hard to explain, but we just get along. He's just incredible."
Jenny Siler: "Well that was one of the things that only Myles, you know, says."