Manhattan District Attorney Recovers Rare Books Stolen from Ex-MoMA President's Home
The Manhattan District Attorney's Antiquities Trafficking Unit has successfully recovered 17 rare books, valued at over $2 million, that were stolen nearly 40 years ago from the home of John Hay Whitney, a former president of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). These books, which include a first edition of Aleister Crowley’s poetry and a signed copy of James Joyce’s 'Finnegan’s Wake', were part of a collection inherited by Whitney from his mother, Helen Hay Whitney. The books were reported missing in 1989 from the Whitney's Long Island estate, Greentree. Recently, an individual attempted to sell these books to rare book dealers in Manhattan, prompting the dealers to alert authorities. The investigation is ongoing to determine the identity of the original thief and the whereabouts of the remaining stolen volumes. 
