The “Wizard of Oz” heist by an elderly mobster is sparked by an extreme misunderstanding.
Terry Jon Martin, 76, snagged arguably the most coveted prop in movie history when he stole the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” — but he mistakenly thought the shoes were covered in real gemstones, CBS reported.
Martin was allegedly coaxed out of retirement for “one last score” by a former associate in 2005, his attorney wrote in a court memo ahead of his Jan. 29 sentencing in Duluth, Minnesota.
The thief had planned to remove their famous ruby shoes and sell them through the fence, people who trade in stolen goods, but he soon discovers that the stone is actually made of glass.
Martin was not charged with the theft until 2023.
Retired gangster Terry Jon Martin, 76, is on trial for the 2005 theft of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the 1939 musical “The Wizard of Oz.” AP
In October 2023, Martin pleaded guilty and said he used a hammer to break down the door of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota before smashing display cases and releasing Hollywood artifacts. The slippers were insured for $1 million.
Martin said after learning the score was a bust he got rid of the slippers, which had been in his possession for less than 48 hours. The FBI recovered them in a 2018 sting operation in Minneapolis after a man approached an insurance company claiming he could get them back, but demanded $200,000 more than the reward offered, according to CBS.
Martin’s attorney said he was convinced by a former associate to steal the slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn. AP
The slippers are still in the possession of the bureau, which has never revealed how they managed to track them down.
Dane DeKrey, an attorney for Martin, wrote in the memo that it was the former mobster’s first run-in with the law in nearly a decade, claiming he had abandoned a life of crime after his latest prison term.
“At first, Terry declined the invitation to join the robbery. But old habits die hard, and thinking about the ‘final score’ keeps him awake at night,” DeKrey wrote. “After much reflection, Terry has relapsed and decides to take part in the heist.”
DeKrey claims his client was unaware of the slipper’s cultural significance and had never seen the groundbreaking 1939 musical.
Both DeKrey and Duluth prosecutors recommended that Martin be sentenced to prison because of his deteriorating health.
The ailing thief is said to be in hospice care with less than six months to live, requiring oxygen at all times due to his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was in a wheelchair at his most recent court appearance.
The slipper is one of the most famous and recognizable props in cinema history, with an estimated value of $3.5 million. Everett Collection
The slippers Martin stole were one of four pairs worn by Garland during the production of the beloved film, and are widely considered the holy grail of Hollywood memorabilia.
Toward the end of the film, Garland’s character Dorothy transports herself back to Kansas by clicking her heels three times while repeating “There’s no place like home.”
One pair of ruby slippers is housed in the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, another is held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a third set is owned by a private collector.
Federal prosecutors pegged the current market value of the slippers at around $3.5 million.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
