In 1969, Dr. Earl Leroy Wood’s Hoboken home was burglarized and a precious 18th-century artwork was stolen.
The paintingknown as theThe Schoolmistressis by the English painterJohn Opie.
It depicts a woman hunched over, helping children with their work.
Photo:FBI Salt Lake City
For decades, the painting was lost, somewhere in the hands of organized crime.
The FBI was able to reunite it with the descendants of its original owners.
It was acquired by Dr. Wood in the 1930s for $7,500.
Photo:FBI Salt Lake City
The painting seems to have resided with those involved in organized crime for decades.
In 1989, the death of mobster Joseph Covello, Sr. moved the painting once more.
It was purchased in Florida by a gentleman who was unaware of its sordid past.
Photo:FBI Salt Lake City
However, upon that man’s death in Utah in 2020, his estate was reviewed by trustees.
The firm in charge flagged the painting as the long-lost work and contacted the FBI.
It was recently reunited with Dr. Francis Wood, Earl’s son who is now 96.
