
Pipino: Gentleman Thief - pepys
https://medium.com/epic-magazine/pipino-gentleman-thief-ede9713dafb1
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legomylibrum
I cannot believe that things like this still happen in today's world, although
I'd be surprised if it wasn't a little bit embellished. This piece reminds me
a little bit of the documentary about the Russian mafia, Thieves By Law (I'm
pretty sure it's on youtube, go watch it). Aging master criminals who want
their stories to be told to a world that they know is eager to hear about
them. How fortunate that we have such an accessible medium to distribute their
tales.

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damian2000
Yeah it still happens, like this 10' x 6' painting for example from 2 months
ago

[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/11034...](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/11034178/Renaissance-
masterpiece-by-Guercino-worth-5m-stolen-from-Italian-church.html)

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shkkmo
That is an amazing story.

But... it kinda sounds like Pipino and Palmiso were running a two man
confidence racket. Pipino would steal, Palmiso wouldn't catch him but would
manage to recover something priceless that had been taken.

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iSnow
>Antonio Palmosi left the force after a bribery scandal in 2004

I guess, that is not exactly coincidence. Probably he got kickbacks from
Pipino for not arresting him.

~~~
oh_sigh
Or just recognition for a job well done, for recovering the work.

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robmccoll
Man this makes me want to go back to Venice. Amazing city - getting lost in
the back alleys and searching out the best cicchetti is a fantastic way to
spend a week or two.

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merraksh
_" Have you looked at them?" Pipino said, holding up a fork. The craftsmanship
was impeccable. "If you don’t take them, it’s a sin," he declared. "Plus,
they’re worth about a million lire." That was roughly $100,000. Claudio nodded
and moved on._

In 1991, one dollar was worth about 1,200 Italian liras, so a million liras
would be about $800.

~~~
AnimalMuppet
> "If you don’t take them, it’s a sin"

That's... an _interesting_ sense of morality that he has.

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msandford
Different groups have different moral codes. If you're a highly respected,
professional burglar then not taking something so good could be considered
professional misconduct.

The origin of the word "sin" as most people use it today is a word from
archery. It means hitting the target but missing the center. Pretty apt for a
renowned burglar to not take something which is highly valuable and very
portable on a robbery.

~~~
dghf
> The origin of the word "sin" as most people use it today is a word from
> archery. It means hitting the target but missing the center.

This page (which gives the OED as a source) says that's true of the Greek
_hamartia_ (often translated as "sin") but not of the English word itself:
[http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/comments/trespass_...](http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/comments/trespass_sin_debt/)

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AnimalMuppet
Impressive guy, I guess, but... a _gentleman_ wouldn't steal in the first
place. Not even from the wealthy. Though refusing violence is in fact a nice
thing in a criminal...

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pavel_lishin
I recall reading that in (medieval?) Europe, some nobles who ran out of money
would rather become highwaymen and rob travelers than actually work for a
living, as this was deemed beneath them.

I have absolutely no recollection where I read this, so it could easily be
false.

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joshvm
His book is titled "Rubare ai ricchi non è peccato", "Stealing from the rich
isn't a sin". Sadly there doesn't seem to be an English translation.

~~~
daniel-cussen
There's a similar, but not identical, saying in Spanish: "El que roba de un
ladrón tiene cien años de perdón", or, "He who steals from a thief is forgiven
for a hundred years."

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yuchi
As a Venetian, it’s incredible that I didn’t know about Pipino at all.
Probably something that we try to forget.

Maniero, on the other side is incredibly famous, and still considered
honorable nonetheless. Make your conclusions…

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tlack
How's the tech scene in Venice?

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Syssiphus
Found this on vimeo: [http://vimeo.com/69183293](http://vimeo.com/69183293)

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tdevane
amazing story!

