Robert Gentile
USA- Robert Gentile: The American Gangster
- A Struggle with Mental Health
- Continued Legal Battle
- The Biography of Robert Gentile
- The FBI's Report
- Denial and Polygraph Test
- A Persisting Denial
Robert Gentile: The American Gangster
Robert Gentile, an American gangster, has been accused of hiding information about the largest art theft in history, the robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The announcement of his sentencing for this latest charge has been postponed. His lawyer has questioned the competency of the Hartford gangster, while the prosecutor has accused Gentile of feigning dementia to avoid another lengthy prison sentence. The 81-year-old's mental state has been a source of concern for FBI agents trying to pressure him into revealing information about the $500 million heist in 1990 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
A Struggle with Mental Health
Gentile's lawyer, Ryan McGowan, claims that his client, who has spent most of the past five years behind bars, shows signs of mental impairment due to deteriorating physical health in prison. McGowan also mentioned that Gentile could not remember admitting guilt for weapons possession in April 2017 and became enraged when reminded of his previous statements. However, federal prosecutor John Durham argued that the elderly gangster, who has been in a state prison in Bridgeport since last spring, did not appear mentally impaired during a phone conversation with his wife. In the conversation, Gentile explained why he was back in court and asked his wife to transfer money. Durham further stated that Gentile told his wife that he "knows where one of the [stolen] paintings is."
Continued Legal Battle
The judge, Robert Chatigny, decided not to play the recorded phone conversation in court. As a result, the sentencing was postponed, and Gentile returned to prison. Outside the courtroom, McGowan mentioned another inmate who allegedly mentioned seeing one of the stolen paintings "somewhere in the northern part of New York" six years ago during a conversation with Gentile in August 2017. However, many, including the lawyer himself, are skeptical that the mentioned artwork is one of the 13 stolen masterpieces from the museum, even if it exists.
The Biography of Robert Gentile
Robert Gentile became involved in the case 20 years after the theft in February 2010 when investigators interviewed the widow of Robert Guarente, a Boston bank robber and drug dealer who turned out to be Gentile's long-time associate. Guarente was transferred to Maine when he was convicted of drug trafficking and died in 2004. Six years later, a team of investigators working on identifying the thieves concluded that Guarente had acquired two stolen paintings at some point. They searched the woods in Maine for clues. Guarente's widow, Helen, shocked the investigators when she spontaneously mentioned that her late husband once owned a pair of Gardner paintings and that she personally witnessed him handing over the artworks to his longtime partner from Connecticut, Gentile, at a hotel in Portland. Prior to this revelation, the police had been aware of Gentile's criminal activities but considered him a small-time player.
The FBI's Report
After Helen Guarente's admission, the FBI released a public report stating, "With a high degree of confidence, the FBI believes that, years after the theft, the paintings were transported to Connecticut and the Philadelphia area, with some being directly sold in Philadelphia by those responsible for the theft. With the same degree of confidence, we have identified the thieves as members of a criminal organization based in the Mid-Atlantic and New England."
Denial and Polygraph Test
Despite the mounting evidence against him, Gentile denied all the accusations. He acknowledged being friends with Robert Guarente but insisted that neither he nor Guarente ever had any Gardner paintings, and he knew nothing about the fate of the stolen artworks. Gentile underwent a polygraph test, which raised several questions. While he showed signs of agitation when shown images of the stolen paintings, he had no reaction to other artworks.
A Persisting Denial
Robert "The Cook" Gentile continues to deny his involvement in the high-profile case, despite his old age, deteriorating health, poor prison conditions, and increasing evidence linking him to the crime. In May 2017, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum announced a reward of $10 million for the return of the missing masterpieces. With the statute of limitations expired, it is time for the thieves to relax. However, there have been no new leads in the case.
