Authorities are looking for the thief who stole a 170-year-old painting showing Paterson's iconic Great Falls from the New Jersey town's museum.
Museum officials said the $9,000 oil painting was on loan from a collector and was expected to be displayed as part of the city's 225th birthday. But it disappeared without a trace recently, and no security cameras were installed in the building to catch the thief.
"The painting was right here," said museum director Giacomo DeStefano. "Right here next to the other one donated by the same person."
DeStefano said he wasn't sure when the painting was removed, saying "It becomes like part of the furniture" but that they would have been able to find out if the city installed cameras at the museum that subsists off a $350,000 yearly budget. He said the painting was likely stolen during the day, when the building's security alarm and motion detectors were shut off.
"I really can't imagine someone walking out of a museum with a painting like that," said volunteer David Ferrari.
The last theft was 18 years ago, when someone stole a couple of Colt revolvers.
