By Steve Neavling
The FBI recovered an 18th century British painting stolen by New Jersey mobsters more than 50 years ago and returned the masterpiece to the family that purchased it for $7,500 during the Great Depression.
The large piece, painted by John Opie in 1784, went missing from a New Jersey home following a burglary in July 1969.
The FBI believes three men, with the help of a New Jersey lawmaker, stole the painting before it was passed off to organized crime members.
The painting eventually ended up in a Utah home owned by convicted mobster Joseph Covello Sr. In 1989, a Utah man purchased the house, and the painting came with the home, according to the FBI.
After the buyer died in 2020, the painting was handed off to an accounting firm in Utah that was tasked with liquidating the property. The stolen piece was discovered when the firm sought an appraisal for the painting.
“It was an honor playing a role in recovering a significant piece of art and culture, and reuniting a family with its stolen heritage,” FBI Special Agent Gary France said in a news release. “In a world where criminal investigations often leave scars, it was a rare joy to be part of a win-win case: a triumph for history, justice, and the Wood family.”
