Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Thief Steals $635K In Fiberglass Tigers In Broad Daylight
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 12, 2012
Modified Dec 12, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 12, 2012
Modified Dec 12, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
All those pop-up ads you see when you exit Match.com and that self-help book your unmarried uncle gave you the first time he got you drunk on Old Milwaukee are right: confidence is everything. Whether you're working up the courage to talk to that special someone at the end of the bar, or brazenly loading someone else's 18 fiberglass tigers worth $635,000 from a Gramercy Park penthouse onto a rented flatbed truck, you have to act like you own it. "It's very sad that someone would steal art made for such a special cause as saving the tigers," the tigers' owner Paolo Zampolli told the Post, completely ignoring the HUGE personal victory it was for the thief to finally make that big score and get out from under the shadow of their father, Thomas Crown, Sr.
The tigers were stolen from Zampolli's $22 million Gramercy Park "palace" last Thursday, but luckily a "suspicious neighbor" took photos of the robbery (calling 911 to report a crime is so gauche).
Zampolli, being a wealthy real-estate mogul, knew that rich people would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for tigers painted by that airbrush t-shirt guy at the county fair who makes shirts of you and your girlfriend being kissed by some copyright violation of a Looney Tunes character "the biggest names in the art world," so he arranged for artists like Peter Tunney and Bob Marley's son to decorate the tigers to be sold off to benefit the Global Tiger Fund. “When [Zampolli] asked if I could paint two of the tigers for charity, I agreed—as long as every penny of the sale went to the charity. I put a lot of work into them," Tunney told the tabloid.
Former Giants player Jeremy Shockey has already paid $200K for two of the 75 tigers, some of which Zampolli hoped to auction off at a United Nations event. Zampolli was attending Art Basel in Miami while the tigers were stolen. The FBI and the "NYPD's art-theft unit" believe they have a person of interest who wanted to skirt the auction and buy the tigers outright. The NYPD's art-theft unit, who are usually made fun of for leaving their dogeared copies of Juxtapoz in the breakroom, will hopefully catch the thief before Denis Leary does.
Tagged
art
charity
gramercy park
rich people
who the fuck steals fiberglass tigers?
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
Because she's 18 years old now, here are your early links: The RHONY castmember mentioned in the Epstein Files, killing rats with carbon monoxide, Selena Gomez says don't vape and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 8:26 a.m. ET
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
Ulrich, a former city councilmember, is accused of trading access and favors for cash and bribes. He was the first aide to Mayor Adams charged with public corruption.
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
News
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
Ulrich, a former city councilmember, is accused of trading access and favors for cash and bribes. He was the first aide to Mayor Adams charged with public corruption.
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Need help with mental health or addiction services? NYC has a new tool.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYC sues personal injury law firm accused of bogus trip-and-fall claims
By
Walter Wuthmann
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .