Three suspects have pleaded guilty in the case of a Pennsylvania Burglary Ring who stole millions of works of art and sports memorabilia over a period of more than 20 years, including a Jackson Pollock painting and Andy Warhol print Screen.
On Friday, Ralph Parry, 45, and Francesco “Frank” Tassiello, 50, 50, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of major works of art, concealment and disposal of works of art. art and the interstate transportation of stolen property. Daryl Rinker, also 50, pleaded guilty to the last two counts.
The three were among nine Lackawanna County suspects the United States Attorney’s Office for the Intermediate District of Pennsylvania charged last month with 18 burglaries targeting antique weapons, trophies and medals and other valuables.
Among the institutions affected were the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, Ogdensburg, New Jersey ($400,000 in gold nuggets in 2011); the USGA Golf Museum and Library, Liberty Corner, New Jersey (Ben Hogan’s US Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt in 2012); and the Franklin Mineral Museum in Franklin, New Jersey (various gems and minerals in 2017).
Jackson Pollock, Spring Winter, stolen from the Everhart Museum, Scranton. Photo courtesy of the FBI’s National Stolen Art File.
The crimes took place in six states between 1999 and 2019.
Defendants Thomas Trotta and Dawn Trotta are scheduled to plead in court on Wednesday. Damien Boland, Alfred Atsus and Joseph Atsus have already pleaded not guilty, with trials scheduled for later this year. The last accused, Nicolas Dombek is still at large.
Parry and Tassiello were the drivers of some of the robberies, while Rinker was not involved in the initial robberies but purchased some of the stolen firearms, including an 1860 rifle worth $250,000, according to court documents.
He’s “really sorry,” his attorney, Chris Caputo, told Scranton’s Times Tribune.
During investigations, the FBI seized the stolen weapons, which remain in agency custody.
Other elements have yet to be recovered, including works by Warhol and Pollock, respectively titled The Great Passion And Spring Winter (1949) – which thieves stole from the Everhart Museum in Scranton in 2005.
Jasper Cropsey’s painting Upper Hudsonthat criminals snatched from New Jersey’s Ringwood Manor in 2011 with hundreds of thousands of antique firearms, is believed to have been burned.
The thieves also likely melted down various gold trophies and championship rings, including the nine World Series rings and other plaques and rings, worth more than $1 million, which they have stolen from Yogi Berra Museum and Learning CenterLittle Falls, New Jersey, in 2014.
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