FBI recovers stolen Chagall painting after 30 years

In 1988, the Upper East Side apartment of elderly couple Hellers was burglarized while they were vacationing in Aspen, Colorado. Thieves stole 22 paintings and 12 sculptures, including works by Renoir, Picasso, Hopper, and a Chagall titled 'Otello e Desdemona' purchased in the 1920s for $50. The total value was $600,000 (about $1.3 million today). No signs of forced entry suggested an inside job. After decades, the Chagall was recovered when a man contacted the FBI, claiming to have the painting. He had kept it in an attic box labeled 'school works' and tried to sell it to a Washington DC gallerist who demanded provenance papers. The gallerist eventually advised confessing to the FBI. The crime is now time-barred, so no charges will be filed. The heirs plan to sell the work and donate proceeds to insurance and nonprofits.