Back in July, a well-dressed man named Mark Lugo walked in the Weinstein Gallery in Union Square empty-handed and stole Picasso's Tête de Femme sketch. Shoot forward to present day and he's been rightfully sentenced to 16 months in jail. The upside to this story is that the gallery, which was originally selling the sketch for $275,000, now is getting offers to the tune of $375,000 in the wake of Lugo's heist. However, the gallery's owner Rowland Weinstein told the Examiner that he doesn't plan on selling it any time soon now that the heist has gained national attention. "It's hard to say what it's worth," Weinstein said. "Every single solitary day, at least 10 people come into the gallery asking where the Picasso is? It's become such an important part, not just of our story, but I think the story of artwork in San Francisco."
· Stolen Picasso Turns Tourist Attraction As Thief Turns Inmate [SFist]
· Picasso art theft gives San Francisco gallery a priceless boost [SF Examiner]
[Image via SF Appeal]
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