A state archivist was charged Monday with stealing hundreds of artifacts — documents representing “the heritage of all Americans,” according to the history buff who found some of them on eBay — to pay his household bills.
Daniel Lorello, 54, is accused of taking the rare items from the New York State Library, including Davy Crockett Almanacs, Currier and Ives lithographs and the 1865 railroad timetable for Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train. Authorities believe he hawked them for tens of thousands of dollars, using much of that to pay off his daughter’s credit card debt.
“This crime is especially repugnant, because it’s dealing with historic documents,” state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said. “It’s literally stealing the legacy of the state of New York page by page.”
Full story here.
Upward Departure blog
has a blog called Upward Departure. At the blog he comments on this current archive theft.
The author of The Book Thief: The True Crimes of Daniel Spiegelman
Need photo of the Perp!
Once again, here is an article about a library theif, that does not include a photo of the perpetrator. Each time one of these articles comes out, the photo should be included so other librarians and archivists will be aware of this person. After all, if he stole from his own collection, he might as well have stolen from other places. His photo will help other librarians recognize him as a patron, and potential thief.
R. Lee Hadden (These are my own opinions!)
photo in the NY Times article
Daniel D. Lorello.
Perp is Daniel D. Lorello, and his photo is in this article
Here’s his ugly mug: