The Daylight Cat Burglar: Pipino and the Madonna Col Bambino - PART II

0:00 Warning, Kind of Murdery contains adult themes, explicit language, and descriptions of violence. It is not suitable for anyone, and we recommend you stop listening now. True crime with a dash of the paranormal, the garish, the strange in the darkly comic. I'm zevn Odelberg, host of Kind of Murdery, a podcast that's about more than just murder. It's my very own pocket dimension, home to a curated collection of bizarre and compelling stories, the unsolved, the unsettling, and the unbelievable. I cover it all just so long as it's kind of Murdery.

0:43 Welcome everyone, Just like it says in the intro, I am zevn Odelberg, and this is kind of Murdery. You've found your way to Part two of The Daylight Cat Burglar, Peppino and the Madonnaco Bambino. So if you haven't heard part one yet, go back and listen to it. If you're all caught up, then we're ready to rock. If you remember from the last episode, we're just about to embark on the museum art heist that Peppino was forced into against his will by Venice's notorious Mafia the Mala del Brenta. If you're ready to find out just how that went down, then please do join me as we uncover what truths we can and solve what mysteries we may kind of murders.

1:27 The Daylight cat Burglar, Peppino and the Madonnacle Bambino, Part two starts now. On that fateful day of October ninth, nineteen ninety one, Vincenzo Peppino blended seamlessly with the throng of tourists at the Ducale Palace. The palace itself was a testament to Venice's storied past, an architectural marvel where gothicss mingled with Renaissance arches and Mannerist statues, each element contributing to its otherworldly charm. Now a museum, the palace stood as a proud reminder of the Venetian Republic's glory.

2:12 Peppino, with the practiced ease of a man well versed in the art of deception, followed the tour group through the grandeur of the palace, surrounded by the trappings of the once mighty Empire. He was acutely aware of the contrast between the opulence of the palace and the grim reality of the adjoining prison, famously connected by the poetically named bridge of size. Here he was no stranger, his previous visits having laid the groundwork for what he was about to undertake. As the tour progressed into the prison, the shift from marble to limestone marked a transition to a darker chapter of the palace's history.

2:49 Here Peppino saw his opportunity. He let the group move ahead, and in the shadowy corridors, he slipped into a cell, the heavy door closing behind him. There, in the pitch black of the cell, the fears of his childhood resurfaced, echoes of ghost stories and the haunting image of the Gamba de Oro lingering in his mind. Meanwhile, Alfredo, Peppino's younger brother, had carved out a different path for himself. Beyond being the legendary Peppino's brother, Alfredo had no connection to the Venetian underworld.

3:20 His new venture, the Magic Castle, was a realization of his lifelong dream, a place where magic and wonder transcended them mundane. Yet his association with Peppino cast a shadow over his endeavors. The police's suspicion of Alfredo's involvement in Peppino's crimes, despite Alfredo's innocence, was a source of contention and worry for the brothers. This latest heist, orchestrated under the looming threat of the Mala del Breno, was a far cry from Peppino's usual, more discreet operations. The stakes were higher, the risks greater.

3:52 Stealing from the Ducale Palace, especially under the influence of a ruthless mobster, was not just about executing a perfect theft. It was about protecting Alfredo from any fallout. Peppino's resolve was clear. The heist had to go flawlessly. Any misstep, any hint of a connection to Alfredo, could have dire consequences. In the darkness of the cell where he had voluntarily imprisoned himself, Peppino waited, his mind, undoubtedly racing through the plan, every detail meticulously arranged. The success of this operation hinged not just on his skills as a thief, but on his ability to navigate the treacherous waters of Venice's criminal underworld.

4:31 For Peppino, this was more than just another heist. It was a test of his ability to protect those he loved while walking the razor's edge of his dangerous profession. In the dead of night, within the historic walls of the Ducale Palace, Vincenzo Peppino orchestrated a heist that would forever mark his name in the annals of Venetian lore. The palace, a testament to Venice's opulent past, stood silent as Vincenzo timed the guard's rounds, preparing for his daring endeavor. At approximately two am.

5:01 Seizing the opportunity as a guard's footsteps receded into silence, Peppino ventured from his hiding place in the prison cell. He crossed the bridge of Size, a path tread by countless before him, but under far different circumstances. His target was the solid de Censore, a room that bore the solemn portraits of the Censore, the guardians of Venice's public institutions. Amidst these austere figures was the Madonna col Bambino, a painting of immense historical and symbolic significance, akin to a sacred relic of the Venetian state.

5:33 Peppino's first attempt to reach the painting, perged fourteen feet above the ground, was fraught with risk. The creaking of the fragile fregio under his weight was a stark reminder of the perilous nature of his task. A returning guard's footsteps hastened his retreat, forcing him to conceal himself once more on the bridge. In a moment of palpable tension, he narrowly evaded detection, the guard, unknowingly passing just inches away. After the guard's departure, Peppino returned to the cell to wait for another chance.

6:02 Time was of the essence, and by three in the morning he was back in the solid de sensory, this time equipped with a step ladder found in a custodial closet. His actions were swift and precise as he delicately separated the Madonnaco Bambino from the wall, the painting sorrowful gaze bearing witness to his deed. The symbolism of the theft was profound. As he exited the palace with the madonna undercover. The empty space on the wall stood as a testament to his audacity, a challenge to the authority of the state itself.

6:32 The sensory, once overseers of justice, could only gaze upon the void left in the wake of Peppino's daring. As dawn broke, the theft of the Madonnaco Bambino sent shockwaves through Venice. Chief Palmosi, arriving at the scene, immediately recognized the hallmarks of a master thief. The meticulous execution, the absence of forced injury, and the calculated selection of the madonna all pointed to an individual with a deep understanding of Venice's artistic heritage. However, in his careful planning, Peppino had overlooked one detail, a faint shoeprint in the dust at the base of the wall.

7:07 It was a rare mistake, a tangible clue, and a crime otherwise marked by its precision. Pilmosi, observing the outline of the shoe print, understood the significance of this oversight. For the first time, the elusive Peppino had left a trace, a potential lead in the ongoing game of cat and mouse between thief and law man. As photographs of the shoeprint were taken, the realization dawned that this might be the key to unraveling the mystery of the Madonna's disappearance in the world of art. Theft, where subtlety and anonymity are paramount, even the smallest error can have far reaching consequences.

7:40 For Peppino, this unintended clue was a reminder of the ever present danger in his line of work, a danger that now loomed closer and more dangerous than ever. In a tense race against time, Chief Palmosi, armed with the crucial clue of the shoe print a clerk's shoe, specifically despatched his officers to apprehend Peppino. The urgency of the situation was heightened by a leak to the press which detailed the discovery of the footprint at the crime scene. This information, now public, threatened to alert Peppino, giving him a chance to dispose of the incriminating evidence.

8:12 Meanwhile, Peppino, unaware of the developing situation, was planning a leisurely day in Venice, but his morning routine was interrupted by the front page news of his latest heist in ill Gazatino. The initial sense of accomplishment from reading about his successful theft turned to alarm when he learned about the footprint left behind. Realizing the imminent danger, he glanced at the clark's shoes that had unwittingly betrayed him. Peppino acted quickly. He knew that the winding alleys of Venice offered both concealment and risk of sudden police encounters.

8:43 He navigated the narrow lanes to park by the water, where he filled his shoes with rocks and cast them into the depths of the lagoon, erasing the physical evidence of his involvement in the heist. As the police arrived at his door mere minutes later, Peppino, now barefoot and feigning nonchalance, greeted them with a cheerful offer of coffee. The officers, conducting a swift search of his apartment, found no trace of the Clark's shoes. The absence of the key evidence left them with little choice but to invite Peppino to the station for a conversation with Palmosi.

9:13 Peppino, maintaining his composure, agreed to accompany them, his smile masking the relief of having just outmaneuvered the authorities as he prepared to leave. His request to put on a pair of shoes was a subtle reminder of the evidence he had just eradicated, a move that kept him one step ahead in the ongoing cat and mouse game with the law In the intricate dance of thief versus Detective, Peppino's quick thinking and knowledge of Venice's streets had once again given him the upper hand. His brother Alfredo, starting his day at the Magic Castle, was confronted with the alarming news in Il Gazatino that instantly set off a chain of thoughts.

9:49 The quote at taco a Palazzo Ducale unquote headline detailing the audacious theft of the Ducale palace was a story that to any Venetian would have been startling, but for Alfredo it carried an additional layer of deep concern. As he read through the details, he couldn't help but draw connection to his brother, the only person he believed capable of such a feat in Venice. Alfredo's worries were compounded when he stumbled upon another headline about a brazen robbery in Padua, the theft of Saint Anthony's Chin, a revered religious relic the literal chin of Saint Anthony, was an act of criminal defiance that screamed of organized crime's boldness.

10:28 Though the articles didn't explicitly mention Mala del Brenta or Monaro, the notorious mob boss's hand inness seemed evident. To Alfredo, the simultaneous timing of these two high profile crimes was too coincidental to ignore. The implications were clear and deeply troubling. Alfredo understood that these thefts were not just isolated incidents of high stakes crime. They were provocative acts, challenging both the church and civil authorities, a declaration that criminal forces were overshed sattoing lawful order.

11:00 Maneiro's aggressive tactics in collecting such bargaining chips indicated a dangerous escalation in his conflict with the police, one that threatened to plunge the city into deeper turmoil. For Alfredo, the personal stakes were high. His brother's potential involvement in the Ducale heist, combined with the aggressive actions of the Mala del Brenta, signaled a volatile mix that could spiral out of control. The prospect of increased police scrutiny and the possibility of Vincenzo being caught in the crossfire between law enforcement and organized crime weighed heavily on Alfredo.

11:34 As he finished his espresso, Alfredo's mind was clouded with concern. He prayed that the situation would not escalate. Further aware that the intertwining of high profile crimes could lead to unpredictable and potentially disastrous consequences. In a city like Venice, where the line between illusion and reality is often blurred, the unfolding events seemed to be part of a larger, more dangerous narrative, one that could have far reaching impact on everyone involved, including Alfredo knew his family.

12:03 In the complex chess game of Venetian crime and law enforcement, Vincenzo Peppino found himself in a precarious position. Unaware of Monieiro's simultaneous heist, Peppino's own carefully orchestrated theft of the Ducale Palace now seemed overshadowed by the audacious robbery of Saint Anthony's chin in Padua. For Peppino, a man of Catholic faith and superstition, the sacrilegious nature of Manieiro's act was disturbing. Pope John Paul the Second's public condemnation of the relic's theft only heightened the sense of desecration.

12:37 Upon his arrival at the police station, Peppino was met with an uncharacteristically harsh reception from Chief Palmosi. The detective's blunt accusation and palpable anger marked a stark departure from their usual encounters, which were typically imbued with a certain level of mutual respect and indirectness. Palmosi declared that he knew Peppino had stolen the madonna. I don't know what you're talking about, Peppino responded, taken aback by Palmosi's directness. You're a liar, Palmosi retorted, his frustration evident.

13:07 Peppino was accustomed to a certain decorum in his interactions with Palmosi, but this time the detective's accusation felt personal and devoid of the usual subtlety. I want to help, Chief, Peppino offered, attempting to steer the conversation back to a more familiar territory. However, Palmosi was unmoved, indicating the gravity of the situation. His mention of special surveillance signified an escalation in the police's approach toward Peppino. This level of scrutiny, typically reserved for violent criminals and the mafia, would severely limit Peppino's movements and interactions, jeopardizing not only his illicit activities, but also his personal connections.

13:45 Peppino's concern extended beyond himself to his brother Alfredo. The possibility of Alfredo getting entangled in the fallout with the detrimental effects on his newly opened Magic Castle, added another layer of urgency to Peppino's predicament. I give you my word. I know it is a thief's word, but I give you my word that you'll recover the Madonna, Peppino said, aware that the situation was more complicated because Monieiro and the Mala del Brenda were in possession of the painting. How can I trust you, Palmosi questioned, skeptical of Peppino's promise.

14:16 I am your friend, Peppino replied, trying to invoke the underlying bond that had characterized their previous interactions. Palmosi, faced with the need to recover the stolen Madonna, contemplated Peppino's offer. Despite his doubts, he recognized that Peppino might be his best chance at retrieving the painting. If I said yes, Palmosi began considering the possibility. I'll need some room no cops following me. Peppino negotiated, seeking the freedom necessary to maneuver Palmosi, pressured by time and the complexity of the situation, didn't directly agree, but implied his consent.

14:51 Peppino was now tasked with a daunting mission to retrieve the Madonna col Bambino from the dangerous and heavily guarded clutches of the Mala del Brenta. You'll get the Madonna back in twenty days, Peppino promised, committing to a timeline that would test his abilities to their fullest. In this high stake scenario, Peppino had to navigate not only the perilous underworld of Monieiro's domain, but also maintain a delicate balance with the law embodied by Palmosi. The challenge was immense, and the risks were higher than ever before.

15:23 Vincenzo Peppino's tales about the aftermath of the Ducale heist are a masterclass in misdirection and narrative manipulation, much like the meticulously crafted illusions that were the hallmark of his magician brother Alfredo. In the world of deception and sleight of hand, what the audience perceives is only a fraction of the truth. Each perspective carefully tailored to suit different observers. Peppino, a seasoned thief and storyteller, played this game with a plum, spinning various narratives to keep his audience, the police, the press, and the mob perpetually off balance and intrigued.

15:58 The first narrative Peppino presented was to Chief Palmosi, a claim of innocence, paired with an offer to assist in retrieving the stolen madonna. This story was a strategic move to maintain his delicate relationship with the law, positioning himself as a helpful intermediary rather than a suspect. The second story, the claim of a vacation in the Seychelles during the critical period following the heist, was classic misdirection. While Peppino asserted that he was abroad, effectively removing himself from the scene, journalist Giorgio Chichetti of La Nuova, Venezia expressed skepticism, humorously suggesting that the quote Seychelles unquote might have been a local bar rather than the actual islands.

16:39 The later revelation that Peppino's trip to the Seychelles occurred months after the heist further discredited his alibi, underscoring the illusionist nature of his storytelling. Nearly twenty years after the theft of the Madonna, in twenty ten, Peppino would publish a book entitled Stealing from the Rich Is Not a Sin, and in the book he introduced yet another version of events, a narrative seemingly crafted for the eyes of Monieiro and his associates. He claimed to have orchestrated the return of the painting even before its theft, implying a pre arranged agreement with Monieiro's lieutenant Roby.

17:17 This account, while serving Peppino's interests by shifting responsibility to Roby, raised questions about its plausibility given the limited time frame it allowed for Monieiro to utilize the painting as a bargaining chip, which of course, had been the purported reason for stealing it in the first place. Each of these narratives served a distinct purpose, tailored to the perspectives and interests of different groups involved in or following the case. To the police, Peppino was a potential ally.

17:44 To the press, he was an enigmatic figure whose actions were shrouded in mystery. To the mob, he was a cun and collaborator, playing his part in a larger scheme. Throughout these varying accounts, Peppino consistently maintained that he played a minimal role in the events following his with Palmosi. This stance allowed him to navigate the treacherous waters between the law and the criminal underworld, keeping both sides guessing while protecting his own interests. In the realm of high stakes thievery and artful deception, Peppino's tales exemplified the art of keeping the whole truth perpetually elusive, ensuring his audience, whether it be the police, the mob, or the public, remained both baffled and captivated.

18:24 In twenty fourteen, at age seventy one, Peppino's life of daredevil heists and artful deceptions had given away to a quieter but no less complex chapter. Reflecting on his legacy, he found himself in a situation far removed from the romanticized escapades of his youth. No longer scaling the historic buildings of Venice, he had been ensnared by a different, darker side of the criminal underworld, and was serving an eleven year sentence for trafficking cocaine. Finally confronted with the consequences of a life spent in the shadows of legality.

18:59 But in the twilight of his adventurous life, Peppino was drawn to tell another story, possibly his final act of narrative sculpture, this time the stories about those mysterious twenty days following the Ducale heist, a period shrouded in mystery and speculation. It's a story that he hopes will cast a new light on his past actions, perhaps offering a different perspective on his infamous career. The urge to share another version of events speaks to Peppino's concern about how he will be remembered.

19:30 After a lifetime of eluding capture and defying the odds, he found himself in the grips of a different type of captivity, prison, which offers ample time for introspection and reconsideration of past choices. His decision to engage in cocaine trafficking, a stark departure from his earlier exploits, suggests a yielding to the pressures of age and the diminishing prospects of his traditional methods of income. It's a turn that perhaps even he didn't foresee. A final twis in a life that had been anything but predictable.

20:03 As Peppino prepared to share his news story, those who followed his career may have wondered how much of it would be truth and how much would be yet another layer of intricate illusion. In criminal echoes of his brother Alfredo, the magician, Peppino had crafted so many misdirections over the years. You see in the world of Vincenzo Peppino, the lines between reality and fiction had always been artfully blurred, and his latest tale is likely to be no exception. But whether this final story the story of what really happened during the recovery time period that he'd promised to Chief Palmosi those twenty days after the theft of the Madonnaco Bambino, Whether this story will reshape his legacy or simply add another chapter to the myth of Peppino, Well, I'll leave that for you to decide when you rejoin me this coming Thursday for the thrilling conclusion of the Daylight cat Burglar Peppino and the Madonna Cole Bambino.

21:03 Until then, I'm Zevan Odelberg, and this has been kind of murdery. If you like the show, please subscribe, review and tell your friends. You can find us on social media at kinda Murdery or email at Kindamurdery at gmail dot com.