New Jersey

British painting stolen by New Jersey mobsters returned to owner’s son

Published

2 years ago

January 27, 2024

British painting stolen by New Jersey mobsters returned to owner’s son

Dr. Francis Wood, 96, admires the John Opie painting, “The Schoolmistress”, that was stolen from his parents’ Newark, New Jersey home in 1969 and recently returned to him on Thursday, January 11, 2024. The 18th-Century John Opie painting stolen by mobsters in 1969 with help from a New Jersey state lawmaker has been returned more than 50 years later, the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office announced Friday, January 26. (FBI via AP) (FBI via AP)

An 18th-century British painting stolen by New Jersey mobsters in 1969 has been returned more than a half-century later to the family that bought it for $7,500 during the Great Depression, the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office announced Friday.

The 40-inch-by-50-inch (102-cm-by-127-cm) John Opie painting – titled “The Schoolmistress” – is the sister painting of a similar work housed in the Tate Britain art gallery in London.

Authorities believe the piece was stolen with the help of a former New Jersey lawmaker, and then passed among organized crime members for years before it ended up in the southern Utah city of St. George. A Utah man had purchased a house in Florida in 1989 from Joseph Covello Sr. – a convicted mobster linked to the Gambino family – and the painting was included in the sale, the FBI said.

When the buyer died in 2020, a Utah accounting firm that was seeking to liquidate his property sought an appraisal for the painting and it was discovered to likely be the stolen piece, the FBI said.

The painting, which dates to about 1784, was taken into custody by the agency pending resolution of who owned it and returned on January 11 to Dr. Francis Wood, 96, of Newark, the son of the painting’s original owner, Dr. Earl Wood, who bought it during the 1930s, the FBI said.

“This piece of art, what a history it’s had,” said FBI Special Agent Gary France, who worked on the case. “It traveled all through the UK when it was first painted, and owned by quite a few families in the UK. And then it travels overseas to the United States and is sold during the Great Depression and then stolen by the mob and recovered by the FBI decades later. It’s quite amazing.”

Opie, who came from the Cornwall region, was one of the most important British historical and portrait painters in his time, said Lucinda Lax, curator of paintings at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut. His paintings have sold at major auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, including one bought in 2007 for almost $1 million.

Opie often portrayed British royals and other members of the elite. But he also depicted scenes from ordinary life, such as in “The Schoolmistress,” which shows an older teacher sitting at a table with a book and surrounded by young students.

“It’s such a compelling painting,” Lax said. “It’s a subject drawn from everyday life and he paints it in a very direct, straightforward way. He’s not artificially elevating it.”

READ: Banksy stop sign artwork alleged thief arrested in London

According to the FBI, the painting was taken from Earl Wood’s house by three men working at the direction of former New Jersey state Sen. Anthony Imperiale, who died in 1999. Imperiale, a political firebrand who also served as a Newark city councilman, was in the national spotlight in the 1960s as a spokesman for cracking down on crime. He was also divisive, organizing citizen patrols to keep Black protesters out of Italian neighborhoods during riots in Newark in the summer of 1967.

Authorities said the thieves broke into the house in July 1969 in a bid to steal a coin collection, but were foiled by a burglar alarm. Local police and Imperiale responded to the attempted burglary, and the home’s caretaker told the lawmaker that the Opie painting in the home was “priceless,” the FBI said.

The men returned to the house later that month and stole the painting, the FBI said.

One of the thieves, Gerald Festa, later confessed to the burglary, in the 1975 trial of an accomplice, and said the trio been acting under Imperiale. Festa said the thieves had visited Imperiale prior to the theft and were told by the lawmaker where to find the painting in Wood’s home, the FBI said. Festa also testified that Imperiale had the painting.

The claims against the state lawmaker were not sufficiently corroborated and he was never charged, France said.

READ: Italian fugitive connected to stolen Van Gogh paintings arrested

No charges have been filed by the FBI since the painting’s recovery because all of those believed to have been involved are dead, France said. The three men who stole the painting were all convicted of other mob-related crimes before their deaths, he said.

Francis Wood’s son, Tom, recalled on Friday how “The Schoolmistress” hung for decades in his grandparent’s dining room, where it loomed over Sunday dinners and other family gatherings until its sudden disappearance. Francis Wood bought another, smaller Opie painting about 25 years ago as a placeholder for the lost piece and was “just thrilled” to get the stolen piece back, David Wood said.

It’s now being cleaned and appraised, but remains in good condition with only a few flecks of paint missing from the piece, according to France.

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“It has one or two minor blemishes, but for a painting that’s 240 years old and has been on a roundabout journey, it’s in pretty good shape,” David Wood said. “Whoever has had their hands on it, I’m thankful they took care of the painting.”

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New Jersey

Family grieving after deadly wrong-way crash in Totowa, New Jersey

Published

11 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Family grieving after deadly wrong-way crash in Totowa, New Jersey

Two people were killed and two others, including a toddler, were injured in a wrong-way crash in Totowa, New Jersey, earlier this week.

Officials confirm the wrong-way driver was off-duty Newark firefighter Albin Fermin, 30. According to Newark officials, Fermin had been with the Newark Fire Department since February 2024 and was assigned to Engine 10.

Wrong-way driver, mother of 2-year-old killed

The crash happened on I-80 just after 2 a.m. Monday.

New Jersey State Police said 60-year-old Joanne Furman was driving west on I-80 with her daughter Imani Furman, 24, and her 2-year-old grandson, when they were struck head-on by Fermin, who was driving the wrong way.

Fermin and Imani Furman were both killed in the crash.

Police said Joanne Furman was seriously injured and the 2-year-old suffered moderate injuries. Both were taken to a local hospital.

The crash remains under investigation.

Imani Furman and her 2-year-old son, Messiah

Photo provided

“It wasn’t my daughter’s fault”

Janice Furman, Joanne Furman’s mother and Imani Furman’s grandmother, said her family is devastated.

“It wasn’t my daughter’s fault. It was not her fault,” she said. “They’re showing pictures of [Fermin], his family and the whole team of his fire department. ‘We’re going to miss you.’ Almost like a heroic thing. This isn’t heroic. He killed someone.”

Janice Furman said after undergoing several surgeries, Joanne Furman regained consciousness Wednesday. That’s when the family had to break the news about Imani Furman.

“That’s all she said to me, is, ‘Mommy, she’s gone,’” Janice Furman said.

She said the family is overwhelmed with grief.

“Imani was a very spirit-filled young lady. She loved life. She loved to sing. She loved to dance,” Janice Furman said.

She said Imani Furman’s only son, Messiah, was her world.

“She won’t see him graduate. She won’t see anything,” Janice Furman said.

Joanne Furman will have to undergo weeks of physical therapy before she can walk again, her mother said. The family is asking for prayers as they navigate her recovery and plan a funeral.

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New Jersey

Sherrill Announces that Lisa Asare will Continue as President and CEO of the NJ Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Authority – Insider NJ

Published

23 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Sherrill Announces that Lisa Asare will Continue as President and CEO of the NJ Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Authority – Insider NJ

Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill today announced that Lisa Asare will continue as the President and CEO of the NJ Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Authority, and the position will remain in the Gov.-elect’s cabinet. Lisa Asare brings a depth of experience to the role, having held previous positions as Deputy Commissioner of Health Services within the New Jersey Department of Human Services and as Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Family Health Services at the New Jersey Department of Health.

“I have asked Lisa Asare to continue her strong leadership at NJ Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Authority as New Jersey continues to confront the Black Maternal Health crisis. She is known for her ability to bring state government together with practitioners, community partners, and local advocates to develop solutions that improve affordable access to care and health outcomes for women. Together, we’ll invest in programs that build the midwife and doula workforce, and leverage telehealth and remote monitoring services, both during and after pregnancy, to support postpartum moms and healthy infants,” said Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill.

“I am honored to continue to lead the NJ Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Authority. At MIHIA, we are focused not only on delivering physical care, but addressing the social determinants of health, expanding the perinatal workforce, supporting research and data collection, and acting as an incubator for innovation in maternal and infant health. I’m looking forward to continuing to advance this work as part of the Sherrill-Caldwell administration because I know the Governor-elect is committed to these same goals and has already demonstrated that community members have a seat at the table as we work to address healthcare disparities for communities of color across the state,” said Lisa Asare.

Governor-elect Sherrill highlighted the need to address maternal healthcare disparities throughout her campaign for governor and is committed to delivering on those promises. She sat down with moms, providers, community leaders, and advocates at roundtables across the state to pinpoint the key issues state government must address. Specifically, the Sherrill-Caldwell administration will work to build a culturally competent workforce, including doulas and nurse midwives, and ensure that students of color have access to these training programs. Additionally, the administration plans to invest in telehealth services, remote monitoring, and home visiting programs immediately after pregnancy to support postpartum outcomes and healthy infants.

Lisa Asare is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the NJ Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, a position she was appointed to in March 2024. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Asare served as Deputy Commissioner of Health Services within the New Jersey Department of Human Services. In this role, she oversaw the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services that administers NJ FamilyCare and the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. She also served as the Department lead on First Lady Murphy’s Nurture NJ maternal health initiative.

Ms. Asare previously worked as the Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Family Health Services at the New Jersey Department of Health, for more than 20 years. She redesigned the Division’s approach to addressing black infant mortality and maternal mortality, contributed to the NurtureNJ strategic plan, addressed the social determinants of health by collaborating with other state agencies and non-traditional partners, and leveraged additional state, federal, and philanthropic funding to address emerging issues and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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New Jersey

Keefe | POST-RAW 1.6.26 | New Jersey Devils

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Keefe | POST-RAW 1.6.26 | New Jersey Devils

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