Don't Stop the Thieving Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Mona Lisa

Vincenzo Peruggia, a former Louvre employee, walked into the museum one day after being fired. In broad daylight he took the painting out of the frame and hid it under his clothing. He walked out the front door unnoticed and was not caught until he attempted to sell the painting two years later. He only received 6 months in jail and was considered a hero in his native Italy.

Answer: Belgium

This diamond heist took place in the gem district of Antwerp, Belgium. At the time it occurred it was the largest diamond heist in history. This crime was elaborately planned over a space of four years. Over $100 million dollars in gems were stolen and never recovered. Only the main perpetrator was caught and he served only 10 years in prison. Ironically, after all of his meticulous planning he left his DNA on a sandwich at the location.

Answer: Palestine Liberation Organization

On Jan.20, 1976, a small group associated with Yassar Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization broke into the British Bank of the Middle East in Beirut. Their brazen plot was carried out in the middle of the country's civil war. They did not use skill and cunning as is so often seen in large heists.

Instead, they blasted through a wall the bank shared with a Catholic Church. The value of what was taken has increased dramatically and was not recovered.

Answer: False

This is completely false. The Hope Diamond was not given that name until well after this date. The Smithsonian Institution had yet to be built. And last but not least, field trips for children at that time usually meant going to the fields to work.

Answer: The bank guards

In one of the biggest bank heists in history, on July 12, 2007, the bank guards at the Dar Es Salaam Bank took part in a classic inside job. The guards made off with over US$282 million. Most of the loot was later recovered.

Answer: Rembrandt

The value of the dozen paintings taken was estimated at over 300 million dollars at the time of the theft. It took the thieves a little over an hour to complete their dastardly deed. Artwork taken included this painting by Rembrandt as well as artwork by Manet, Degas, and Vermeer.

The museum offered a reward of up to five million dollars for the return of the artwork which was still unclaimed at the turn of the century. Twenty years after the crime the artwork had still not been recovered. The frames of the painting remain on the walls of the museum as a poignant reminder of what has been lost.

Answer: A street mugging at knifepoint

In May of 1990 a messenger was carrying bearer bonds when he was mugged at knifepoint in the street. Since bearer bonds are as good as cash, the mugger was quite lucky. The main suspect was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and his cohort in crime was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. 299 of the 301 bearer bonds were recovered.

Answer: It had not worked in over three years

On Christmas Eve 1985, while guards were not paying attention, seven showcases of priceless antiquities were taken. It did not help matters that the alarm system had not worked in over three years. Some of the pieces were valued at over $20m each. Most of these pieces were tiny and everything that was taken could have easily fitted into a pair of suitcases. Only a few pieces were recovered.

Answer: Paris

The criminals in this case entered the high-end jewelry store in Paris near closing time dressed as women. In only 15 minutes they stole over 100 million dollars in jewels. After cleaning out the display cases they forced the staff to help clean out the storage area as well. 25 people were arrested for the robbery and some of the jewelry was recovered from a variety of locations around the city including the sewer system.

It is doubtful that everything will ever be recovered.

Answer: Manchester

Three paintings by Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Picasso were stolen from the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester England during the night of April 26, 2003. Somehow the thieves managed to avoid all the alarms, security cameras and the night guards. The paintings were recovered the next day stuffed behind a toilet in a subway station.

A note was left stating that the theft had taken place just to demonstrate how bad the security at the gallery actually was.