$100K Jewelry Thief Raids Luxury Park Ave. Building — Home to Many Jews
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A jewelry thief has reportedly struck four times this summer in a luxury Park Ave. building that is home to many prominent Jews, making off with more than $100,000 in baubles.
The New York Post reported that the thief or thieves has stolen rings, watches and other jewelry from apartments at tony 740 Park Ave., where Jacqueline Kennedy Onnasis once lived.
The victims of the thefts at the stately 1926 tower on E. 71st St. were not named by the police, but residents of the luxury building include Ronald Lauder, Israel Englander and money manager Ezra Merkin.
“Residents are paranoid,” a source told the paper. “Most of the victims didn’t realize when their items went missing. Many people have access, including service staff and workers. “
The string of thefts started around Memorial Day and have continued through the summer. Some of the losses were not immediately reported, possibly because the owners possess so many valuable items.
A watch was stolen from the sixth floor, where the paper says residents include investment manager Thomas Strauss and Merkin, who lost more than $2 billion with Bernie Madoff.
Between June 10 and June 16, a watch and earrings disappeared from the 14th floor where billionaire Englander lives.
In 2005, author Michael Gross published a detailed book on the building and its history, 740 Park: The Story of the World’s Richest Apartment Building.
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