Docuseries to chronicle 1985 Marmottan Monet heist and mafia links
A new docuseries will explore the infamous 1985 heist at the Marmottan Museum in Paris, where five masked gunmen stole nine Impressionist masterpieces, including Claude Monet's iconic 'Impression, Sunrise.' Dubbed the "heist of the century," it took just five minutes. Philippe 'Fifi' Jamin, assisted by Shuinichi Fujikuma, orchestrated the theft, which followed a similar crime in 1984 at the Musée de Semur-en-Auxois. Investigator Mireille Ballestrazzi led the case, resulting in Fujikuma's 1987 arrest in Tokyo. The paintings were ultimately recovered in Corsica in 1990, though Jamin denied any involvement.
Key facts
- Five masked gunmen stole nine Impressionist paintings from the Marmottan Museum in Paris in 1985.
- The stolen works included Claude Monet's 'Impression, Sunrise' (1872).
- The heist took five minutes and was called the 'heist of the century.'
- Philippe 'Fifi' Jamin, a former car thief, masterminded the thefts with Shuinichi Fujikuma.
- Jamin's crew stole five Corot paintings from the Musée de Semur-en-Auxois in 1984.
- Investigator Mireille Ballestrazzi led the case; Fujikuma was arrested in Tokyo in 1987.
- Four of the five Corots were recovered; the gang was linked to a 1986 Mitsubishi Bank robbery.
- The Marmottan paintings were found in a Corsican apartment in 1990; Jamin denied involvement.
Entities
Artists
- Claude Monet
- Berthe Morisot
- Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Institutions
- Marmottan Museum
- Musée de Semur-en-Auxois
- Mitsubishi Bank
- Studiocanal
- Sunny Side of the Doc
- Artnet News
- National Gallery of Art
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Japan
- Corsica
- Tokyo
- Mexico
- Le Havre
- Semur-en-Auxois