Rick abath voiceover i was panicking. I didnt realize i was panicking, but i was completely panicking. I was afraid that they were going to set the place on fire after they were done. That was my fear. God, i hope they dont burn the place down. [suspenseful music] hello. And welcome to how it really happened. Im jesse l. Martin. Bostons Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is known for its vibrant Art Depicting Picturesque Dutch and renaissance scenes. But on One Dark Night in 1990, the Museum Became the scene of a horrifying crime. Robbers swept in, terrorizing the guards, and taking 13 works of art now worth half a billion dollars. The sinister smash and grab left the fbi with a mind boggling mystery on their hands. Where are the missing masterpieces and who were the masterminds behind this audacious heist . This is how it really happened. [suspenseful music] kelly horan voiceover march 17th, 1990, is st. Patricks day, which is practically a National Holiday in boston. Randi kaye voiceove
i m the guy that opened up the door. they re obviously going to look at me. who else are investigators looking at, and will the artworks ever be recovered? whoever has them, just is waiting for the right time. it s the $500 million question, who pulled off the greatest art heist in history? i m randi kaye outside the isabella stewart gardner museum in boston. this is where it all began, the night of march 18th, 1990. there was a house party at the building behind the museum. after midnight, some young men spotted a car with what looked like two boston police officers. they had no idea that these two men weren t really police officers and no clue that just a short time later these men would pull out the greatest art heist in history. i come in, clock in, there
on the walls. the memory of some of the world s greatest most priceless works of art stolen from the boston museum some 25 years ago. 13 works of art worth half a billion dollars. a new cnn special tonight looks at the hunt to find the thieves. inside these walls, priceless works of art. but also a mystery that has lasted for 25 years. i like to say it is boston s last best secret. on march 18th 1990 $500 million worth of art stolen from a boston museum. the biggest art heist in history. this is the creme de la creme of art recovery. how did the thieves get inside? how did they get away with 13 priceless pieces? and a quarter century later, where are the paintings? once they leave, they re never heard from again. in his only television interview, hear from the security guard who let the thieves in. was this an inside job?
memories for the isabella stewart garden museum in boston because on this date 25 years ago, thieves pulled off the biggest art heist in u.s. history. empty frames now occupy the places where 13 extraordinary works by recommembrandt and our masters were stolen. no one has come forward, nothing. our randi kaye has a preview of tonight s cnn special on this enduring mystery. reporter: inside these walls, priceless works of art. but also a mystery that has lasted for 25 years. on march 18th, 1990, $500 million worth of art stolen from a boston museum. the biggest art heist in history. this is the krcreme de la cre
museum. this is where it all began march 18th, 1990. it was st. patrick s weekend. some time after midnight, a group of young men left the party and spotted a car with what looked like two boston police officers inside. they had no idea these two men weren t really police officers. and no clue that just a short time later, these two men would pull off the greatest art heist in history. come in, clock in, there would be two guards. reporter: rick abbot was one of the night watchmen on duty the night of the crime. until now, he d never done a television interview about what happened that night. rick was 23 years old back in 1990. he had been working at the museum for about a year. the guard s shift began at 11:30 p.m. a shift that most nights was