A detective and a state senator from Sussex County are among the witnesses expected to testify in federal court this month in the trial of an alleged gang of art and memorabilia thieves accused of hitting museums across North Jersey and beyond.
The federal trial for the four accused robbers got underway with jury selection in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Monday. Prosecutors say the gang conducted a sprawling, two-decade long string of heists that swiped paintings, gems, antiques and sports memorabilia, including World Series rings and MVP plaques of the late Yankees great Yogi Berra.
Parker Space, a New Jersey senator whose family owns the Space Farms Zoo & Museum in Wantage, took the stand Wednesday to testify about vintage firearms allegedly taken in two separate thefts nearly 20 years ago. A federal indictment filed in 2023 valued the missing weapons at more than $1 million.
Most of the stolen items were never recovered. Prosecutors allege the thieves melted down or dismantled much of their loot, selling the remains for the price of metal and other gems they contained. A Jasper Cropsey painting allegedly taken from historic Ringwood Manor in Passaic County was allegedly burned by gang members as they sensed police closing in.
“They cased the museum,” Space said in an interview, noting that investigators recovered video of the alleged thieves recorded on a previous visit to his property. The museum’s own surveillance videos also showed the “tourists” with a video camera examining the firearms, but nothing was made of the connection until years later, he said.
Space said the actual heist in 2006 was a typical “smash and grab,” in which someone broke through a set of glass entry doors, then went straight to the display cases. Three antique pistols were taken, along with a unique “revolving shotgun” in which multiple shells could be loaded, similar to a revolver-type handgun.
20 years of museum, memorabilia heists
That burglary was just one of many thefts the gang is accused of between 1999 and 2018, in a spree that mainly targeted small museums and historic sites with less security. The group is also accused of a 2014 break-in at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, where nine of Berra’s World Series rings, seven championship rings and two MVP trophies were taken. Also on the list were break-ins at the Franklin Mineral Museum and Sterling Hill Mining Museum, both in Sussex County. Those heists allegedly netted more than $400,000 worth of gold nuggets, gems and other items — though during the Mineral Museum robbery, a crucial piece of evidence was left behind, according to authorities.
On trial this month are Pennsylvania residents Nicholas Dombek of Thornhurst, Damien Boland of Moscow, Alfred Atsus of Covington and his brother Joseph Atsus of Roaring Brook. They face charges including conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage and interstate transportation of stolen property.
The trial is expected to last into February.
Four others have already pleaded guilty to their roles in the thefts, which also extended to sites in Rhode Island and North Dakota.
The thefts followed a similar pattern: a break-in through a window or door, often using a ladder, followed by smashing interior display cases and grabbing the contents or pulling artwork off a wall.
Among the items allegedly stolen in the two-decade spree were paintings by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Cropsey, whose work, “Upper Hudson,” was taken from Ringwood but allegedly burned by Dombek in a rush to destroy evidence, despite a price tag of $500,000.
Also allegedly stolen were a trophy and belt awarded to golfer Ben Hogan and on display at the U.S. Golf Association Museum & Library in Bernards Township; the 1903 Belmont Stakes trophy taken from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York; and a baseball jersey worn by legendary pitcher Christy Mathewson, grabbed at Keystone College in Pennsylvania.
A critical error at Sussex County museum
In the Franklin Mineral Museum heist, one thief smashed a rear window and climbed into the building, possibly opening a front door to allow entry to others. Having been in the museum before, the thieves knew what cases held the gems and minerals they wanted. In a matter of a few minutes, according to authorities, cases were smashed open, goods scooped up and the escape made.
But it was in upon breaking into the museum that someone was cut by the broken window and their blood left inside, police said. Investigators collected samples of the blood and submitted them to the New Jersey State Police laboratory, allowing the DNA patterns to be stored in national databases.
More:Man behind huge theft at Yogi Berra Museum shares his story on ’60 Minutes’
In some of the incidents, surveillance video also captured a vehicle of a particular color and make, authorities said.
The break in the case came when a vehicle matching the description was stopped in Pennsylvania for suspected drunk driving. As part of that investigation, police interviewed the driver − ringleader Thomas Trotta −who had a drink of water from a paper cup at the station.
DNA from that cup was put into a database and a match came back for the Franklin Museum robbery.
Franklin Police Chief Gregory Cugliari did not return messages seeking comment on his department’s role in the investigation.
Space said one of his pistols and the shotgun have been returned to Space Farms Zoo & Museum. He testified for about a half-hour on Wednesday, joining several other witnesses from Sussex County who spoke about the break-ins, museum layouts and the evidence gathered.
Asked why the thieves concentrated on small museums he said, “I think it was more the thrill of the heist, the thrill of stealing stuff.”
Email: bscruton@njherald.com Twitter/X: @brucescrutonNJH
