The Missing Piece
A new documentary about the man who stole the Mona Lisa We’d like to welcome all of you who are interested in what promises to be a really exciting project: the first full-length American documentary film about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa. The working title is The Missing Piece: Vincenzo Peruggia and the Unthinkable Theft of the Mona Lisa. It’s the story of Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian workman who walked into the Louvre on Monday, August 21, 1911 and walked out of the museum with the famous painting. Vincenzo Peruggia The
Missing Piece Vincenzo Peruggia Or was all this a master plan of a brilliant And the Unthinkable conman and a master forger to sell copies Theft of the Mona Lisa of the stolen Mona Lisa?
The most thorough The purpose of our film is to learn the and accurate film truth about what happened. We’re doing The Mona Lisa missing from about it by interviewing living descendants and Vincenzo Peruggia its place in the Louvre. friends of people involved in the theft;
and the greatest examining the official French and Italian little-known art theft He kept it in his Paris room for nearly two documents; visiting the actual places in in history. and a half years. In December 1913, he Paris, London, Florence and Dumenza, brought it to Florence, Italy. Peruggia Italy; and hearing from some of the most claimed that all the Italian works in the respected art critics and art crime Louvre had been plundered from Italy by investigators in the world. Napoleon and that he was returning the Mona Lisa to its rightful place. Since we began production at the end of Unfortunately, Peruggia was wrong. King February 2008, we’ve already uncovered Francis I purchased the Mona Lisa from things about this story that have never Leonardo da Vinci. It was property of been seen or cited in any book or video. And our international team of researchers France so it was returned there in January 1914. and authorities are uncovering new details every week. Midair Rose Nevertheless, the Italians made Vincenzo Productions somewhat of a folk hero. This topic is something that we’ve been 4607 Lakeview Canyon Dr. There are so many missing pieces to this interested in for more than 30 years. And #310 puzzle: How did a simple workman outwit now with the 100th anniversary of the Westlake Village, CA 91361 theft approaching, the time has come the best police minds of the time? Did he Phone: 818 597-0142 work alone or did he have accomplices? Did once and for all to put the pieces of this E-Mail: he really keep it hidden in his room in for 27 crime, this puzzle, together. [email protected] months or was it somewhere in Italy? Was he really a patriot or was he looking to make Joe Medeiros Justine Medeiros Director Executive Producer money? The Missing Piece Page 2 of 12
Meet Vincenzo Peruggia’s Daughter Celestina
When we learned that Vincenzo’s daughter death, Celestina’s mother married his was still alive and still living in Italy, we youngest brother Ernesto (brothers knew we had to find her and get her story marrying their brothers widows was very on tape. common in those days.) Celestina was raised by Ernesto and never even knew Thanks to the tireless work of our Producer what Vincenzo had done until she was 20 Letizia Rubino, we located Celestina and years old. did two telephone interviews with her: one
on March 22 (her birthday) and one on To Celestina, Ernesto was her Papa. She April 16. Then on May 22, we flew to Milan doesn’t remember and never knew her and drove to Dumenza, Italy where we father Vincenzo because her mother never spent three days interviewing Celestina and spoke to her about it. She learned her family. everything she knows about him from her Celestina is 84-years-old and lives with her aunt. husband Amleto. She spoke to us for hours about her feelings for her father: the shame When Italian television did a dramatic series his family felt over his stealing the Mona on the theft in 1978, they got the facts Lisa and the courage she believed he had to wrong. They said her mother left her father keep the painting for so long and to, in the to live with his brother and that she was a end, return it to Italy. bigamist and that her father died broke and lonely. None of that was true. She was only a year and a half old when her father died of a heart attack in France at the Her mother was alive at the time and this is age of 44 on October 8, 1925. She says that how everyone in the town came to think of he spent more time with La Gioconda than her. Celestina’s goal in participating in our with her. film is to tell the truth about Vincenzo Peruggia and his family. In 1927, almost two years after Peruggia’s
(L to R): Celestina Peruggia; Letizia Rubino Producer; Joe Medeiros, Writer/Director; Silvio Peruggia, Celestina’s son; Justine Medeiros, Executive Producer; Amleto Peruggia, Celestina’s husband; Graziella Peruggia, Celestina’s daughter; Michini “Sergio” Bradamante, Graziella’s husband The Missing Piece Page 3 of 12
SHOOTING WITH MONA LISA
ON HER DAY OFF
Tuesday is the day that the Louvre is closed to the public for its weekly cleaning. That was the day we were allowed to film. We were pretty fortunate as you can see from the above photo of a non-Tuesday. The Missing Piece Page 4 of 12
LOUVRE HOSPITALITY Tuesday October 14, 2008 is a day that the project crew will never forget. Through the kind cooperation of Conservator of the Department of Paintings, M. Vincent Delieuvin and Mme. Isabelle Deborne of the Louvre staff, we were able to have a full day shooting at the Louvre including an hour alone with the Mona Lisa.
With us was Silvio Peruggia, the grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa who traced the route his grandfather took in and out of the museum on August 21, 1911.
(L to R) Writer/Director Joe Medeiros; Executive Producer Justine Medeiros; M. Vincent Delieuvin, Conservator of the Department of Paintings; and our amazing Paris-based producers Meredith Tolan and Stephane Dichamp. Our top- notch cameraman Fabio Pasini took the photo.
This is the view from M. Delieuvin’s office. The view from my office in Burbank is of a gas station, a Mexican restaurant and a liquor store.
The pleasures of indie film production: we lug our own gear.
Producer Stephane Dichamp talks with the Louvre’s Mme. Isabelle Deborne.
Silvio Peruggia holds a picture of his grandfather Silvio poses with Producer in front of the painting his grandfather kept for Meredith Tolan and our Italian two years, three months and nineteen days. interpreter Violetta Spadea.
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A Treasure Trove of New Information from France and Italy
M. Delieuvin graciously gave us access to the Louvre archives where we found and photographed never-before-seen documents, articles and photos regarding the theft.
(Below) We visited the State Archives in Florence and saw dozens of original letters written by Peruggia to his family, friends, and to the art dealer Alfredo Geri to whom he ultimately returned the painting.
Part of a letter that Peruggia wrote to his parents. Note his signature at the bottom
A postcard from Peruggia to his father The envelope to the first letter that Peruggia sent to art dealer Alfredo Geri offering him the Mona Lisa. Peruggia got Geri’s first name wrong, calling him Allessandro.
A postcard Peruggia sent from Florence to a friend back in his hometown of Dumenza the day before his arrest.
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3 of 4 In Search of Vincenzo Peruggia
5 Rue de L’Hopital Saint Louis where Peruggia lived at the time of the theft. Above is his room in 1913 and today.
(Above) Peruggia’s granddaughter Graziella has her photo taken by her husband Sergio.
Room 20 in the Hotel Gioconda. If you look closely at the nameplate The Florentine hotel where you can see that Peruggia’s last name is misspelled. Peruggia was arrested. Formerly the Hotel Tripoli-Italia, it was re- named the Hotel Gioconda in 1913 to capitalize on its newfound fame.
A September 1947 obituary for Vincenzo Peruggia. The only problem is, he died on October 8, 1925. We have his death certificate. This is the wrong guy. They spelled his name wrong again, too – Although his body was removed many years ago, this Ferrugia. is Vincenzo Peruggia’s gravesite. The body buried there today dates from 1980’s.
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Remembering Peruggia
In the town square of Dumenza, you can still see a quote on a wall from Mussolini. But there was nothing commemorating it as the birthplace of the man who stole the Mona Lisa.
With the agreement of the Peruggia family and Comune of Dumenza, we had a plaque made by Carol DeMello and Candace Simpson of Geiger Midlantic in Philadelphia. We placed it on the house where Vincenzo Peruggia was born in Dumenza.
The plaque reads: “Here was born on October 8, 1881 Vincenzo Peruggia, the man who stole the Mona Lisa of Leonardo da Vinci on August 21, 1911.” “Remembered by Joe and (L to R) Silvio’s wife Sara, Silvio Peruggia, Justine Medeiros, October 21, Celestina Peruggia, Graziella Peruggia, Graziella’s husband Sergio Bradamante. 2008”
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Interviewing the Experts
Author Jerome Coignard at the Café Marly in the Louvre Associate Producer Anne Clement with historian Pierre Daix
Professor Donald Sassoon in his London flat with Joe and Producer Stephane Dichamp
Joe and Producer Letizia Rubino with historian Pietro Macchione.
Former Scotland Yard art crimes detective Charles Hill at the Alexia Goethe Gallery in London. Stephane and Joe at the home of author/psychologist Darian Leader
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The Valfierno Theory as told by Robert Noah
Author of “The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa”
It’s been our good fortune to speak with Karl Decker was a “yellow journalist” award-winning author Robert Noah who who worked for William Randolph wrote “The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa.” Hearst during the Spanish American It’s a novel based on the Karl Decker War. Decker claimed that Valfierno “Valfierno” story. told him the story after the theft but Decker didn’t write it until Valfierno This story claims that an Argentinean died. It was published in the Saturday conman named Eduardo de Valfierno Evening Post June 25, 1932. masterminded a plot to sell forgeries of the Mona Lisa and that he fooled Vincenzo Many people believe the Decker story Peruggia into stealing the Mona Lisa so that to be true. Part of our film will be he (Valfierno) could pass off each forgery as dedicated to fact-checking Decker’s the real thing. article.
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FRIEND OF PICASSO
INTERVIEWED. Even the great artist Pablo Picasso became enmeshed in the investigation of the Mona Lisa’s theft.
Thanks to Milton Esterow, publisher of Louvre, simply by placing them under his overcoat and ARTNEWS, we received contact walking out. information for Pierre Daix, the famed novelist, essayist, art historian and close Both Picasso and Apollinaire bought objects from Pieret friend of Pablo Picasso. (1881-1973) and later denied knowing they were stolen. Picasso kept the objects in an inconspicuous place, fully of their illicit nature. Anne Clement, one of our team members
in Paris, called M. Daix who agreed to be After the theft of the Mona Lisa, Pieret sold his story, interviewed for the film. We’re very along with a full confession and a statuette from the excited by the possibility of learning more museum, to the Paris-Journal. This article further about Picasso’s involvement from M. humiliated the Louvre and incriminated Picasso and Daix. Apollinaire. Both Picasso and Apollinaire were overcome with fear (both were subject to deportation due to alien The following was excerpted from status) and contemplated throwing the artifacts into the yourbrushwiththelaw.com: Seine. Both Pablo Picasso, who resided in Montmarte, and his close friend (the poet) Apollinaire, were brought in Picasso was brought in for questioning, where he gave up by the French Surete as suspects in this crime. his Iberian heads, and was released. Apollinaire was arrested on September 7, 1911. He was not released until In 1907, a friend of Apollinaire's named Ge'ry Pieret September 12, 1911. He was extremely frightened and stole several valuable artifacts from a storeroom at the hated his stay in a cell, however, for years after the fact, he would boast of being the only man in France to be arrested for the famous crime.
My first reference source:
MILTON ESTEROW’S THE ART STEALERS
Thirty years ago when I stumbled upon the story of Vincenzo Peruggia and the theft of the Mona Lisa, I found a copy of The Art Stealers by Milton Esterow. In it, there were two chapters of highly informative, highly researched facts about Vincenzo and the theft. I photocopied the pages and they’ve been my bible for this crime ever since. Knowing that this film wouldn’t be complete without somehow interviewing Milton Esterow, I contacted him at the New York office of ARTNEWS where he is editor and publisher. He generously agreed to be interviewed and has given us many important contacts including Pierre Daix and Charley Hill, the famed former Scotland Yard Art Crime investigator.
For thirty years, I relied on Milt Esterow’s work to help me track down information on the theft. I am thrilled and honored to have Milt and his associates involved in our project. (Oh, and after using my photocopied pages all these years, I finally bought an entire copy of The Art Stealers on Amazon.com.) The Missing Piece Page 11 of 12
We wouldn’t have done any of this without the kindness and cooperation of Celestina Peruggia and the Peruggia family.
When we interviewed her in May, she said that all she wanted was for us to present the truth about her father. I asked “What if we find out some things about your father that aren’t so good?” She said that she didn’t care. She wanted the truth.
We think that we’ve found the truth and before we left from this most recent trip, we showed her what we found – and not all of it was good. She told us that “THE CHAPTER IS CLOSED.” She is satisfied that because of our research, she knows what there is to know and she has no need to be interviewed by anyone else.
What began for me 30 years ago with a sentence about the theft that I read in a book ended last month in Dumenza with us earning the trust and gratitude of this remarkable woman and her family.
All that remains is for me to put the pieces of the puzzle together to make a film about this unlikely theft and the little-known Italian immigrant who stunned the world.
The Missing Piece Vincenzo Peruggia and the Unthinkable Theft of the Mona Lisa
A Midair Rose Production
Writer/Director Deborah Denno Arthur A. Givney Associate Professor of Law at Fordham Joe Medeiros University Executive Producer Michelangelo Fraggieri Justine Medeiros Historian of the Varese Produced by Charles Hill Letizia Rubino Scotland Yard’s Art Theft Squad (ret) Meredith Tolan Darian Leader Stephane Dichamp Psychoanalyst, author “Stealing the Mona Lisa: What Art Stops Us from Seeing”
Featuring Interviews with Jack Levin, Ph.D Professor of Sociology and Criminology Celestina Peruggia Daughter of Vincenzo Peruggia Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts Joshua Littlefield Silvio Peruggia Son of Celestina Paul Littlefield Grandsons of Walter Littlefield, editor New York Times Graziella Peruggia Daughter of Celestina Marco Grassi Restorer Valerio Peruggia Vice Mayor of Dumenza, Owner Grassi Studio, NYC Grandsons of Walter Littlefield, New York Times editor Nephew of Celestina Amaleto Peruggia Gianfranco Luzzetti Antique dealer, Florence Husband of Celestina Michini (Sergio) Bradamante Pietro Macchione Editor, author “La Gioconda Rapita” Husband of Graziella Graziano Ballinari Gianni Mazzoni Author, Art forgery expert Historian, Author Federico Berti Rick Nevin Economist Historian Author W. Joseph Campbell, Ph.D. Robert Noah Author “The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa” Associate Professor, School of Communication American University, Washington, D.C. Edmee Reit Widow of Seymour Reit – author “The Day They Stole the Mona Jerome Coignard Author, “On a vol la Joconde” Lisa” Pierre Daix Donald Sassoon, PhD Novelist, essayist, art historian, friend of Pablo Picasso Professor, Queen Mary University of London Edward D olnick Author “Becoming Mona Lisa” and “Leonardo and the Mona Author, “The Rescue Artist” Lisa Story” Page 14 of 14 The Missing Piece Paolo Sorbi Milton Esterow Editor Publisher, ARTNEWS Magazine Grandson of Paolo Amaldi, the psychiatrist who examined Peruggia in prison Author “The Art Stealers” Aaron Freundschuh Lecturer, Princeton University Alexia Goethe Filmed on Location in London gallery owner Paris, Florence, Milan, Dumenza, Italy, Margaret Leslie Davis London, New York, Washington, DC Author, “Mona Lisa in Camelot” Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia