PICASSO THIEF!

By Alive On SouthBeach

“The Picasso of Thieves” is a documentary about “Picasso” Vega – a house painter hired to paint the homes owned by the very, very rich – so rich, they owned too many masterpieces to hang on their walls. And when not on display they were kept in storage. As it so happened, this house painter had a personal appreciation for the work of the masters, Pablo Picasso in particular. This art thief liberated the pieces he loved. More than once!

“The Picasso of Thieves” is a documentary about “Picasso” Vega – a house painter hired to paint the homes owned by the very, very rich – so rich, they owned too many masterpieces to hang on their walls. And when not on display they were kept in storage. As it so happened, this house painter had a personal appreciation for the work of the masters, Pablo Picasso in particular. So he liberated the pieces he loved. More than once!

A sting operation ensnared Vega after he was asked to paint a different portion of the estate. This time, when he repeated his sticky-fingered pattern, his act was caught on camera.

Vega was ordered held on $1 million bail for money laundering, larceny, and other charges. He faced a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

In exchange for a guilty plea, he received five one-year sentences that ran concurrently. By then, he’d already served eighteen months in jail. His prison term was over.

But this is a much more compelling story than the obvious. The question: What motivated Picasso Vega to steal valuable art? It wasn’t for the money.

The answer is discussed in the conversation Stewart Stewart had with this very charming man.

“The Picasso of Thieves” is a documentary film Directed by Anna Cespedes, and produced by Carlos Cespedes in collaboration with Adrienne Mazzone of TransMedia Group.