A man from Pennsylvania has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his role in a series of art thefts that spanned over two decades. Thomas Trotta, 49, from Dunmore, pleaded guilty to stealing major artworks, including pieces by famous artists Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock.
Trotta is the fourth individual to be sentenced in connection with an extensive investigation into these thefts, which affected 20 museums and institutions across several states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. Among the stolen items were World Series rings belonging to baseball legend Yogi Berra.
As part of his sentencing, Trotta was ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution. He had already been in jail prior to the sentencing. His attorney, Joe D’Andrea, described Trotta as the main burglar in the operation, stating that he was the one who physically entered the institutions to carry out the thefts.
The case has drawn attention not only for the high-profile artworks involved but also for the sheer number of burglaries Trotta admitted to committing. Gino Bartolai, the lawyer for another defendant, Nicholas Dombek, noted that eight years seems short given the scope of Trotta’s crimes. Dombek is awaiting sentencing after Trotta testified against him and two others.
Federal prosecutors have indicated that many of the stolen artworks remain missing. Trotta confessed to stealing Warhol’s "Le Grande Passion" and Pollock’s "Springs Winter" from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 2005. The Pollock painting alone was valued at nearly $12 million in 2023. During the theft, Trotta and his accomplices took advantage of a large tent set up for an event, allowing them to shatter a glass door undetected.
The stolen artworks have not been recovered, although Trotta believed he knew where they might be located in Newark, New Jersey. Unfortunately, when authorities searched the area he mentioned, they found nothing.
In addition to the artworks, Trotta was involved in stealing valuable memorabilia from the Yogi Berra Museum, including rings and MVP plaques worth around $500,000. Other stolen items included a Tiffany lamp and various sports memorabilia linked to famous athletes like Roger Maris and Ben Hogan. Some items, including gold nuggets from a mining museum, were reportedly melted down for quick cash.
One particularly tragic incident involved an 1871 painting by Jasper Cropsey, valued at over $100,000, which was burned in an attempt to hide the crime after being stolen from Ringwood Manor in New Jersey in 2011.
As the investigation continues, the fate of many stolen items remains uncertain, leaving museums and collectors hoping for their eventual recovery.