Frank Frazetta Jr. was arrested December 9 by state police for stealing 90 of Frazetta Sr.’s paintings worth $20 million. A backhoe was used to break through the door of a family-owned museum where the paintings were kept.
Frazetta Jr., the backhoe operator and a third accomplice were arrested after the paintings were loaded on a trailer but before they could flee the scene reports the Pocono Record.
Frazetta Jr.’s bail has been set at $500,000. His wife, Lori Frazetta told a reporter that the incident resulted from family infighting that began after the death of Frank Sr.’s wife, Ellie.
A Publishers Weekly blogger points out:
While we are not privy to the family dynamics that created this sad episode, Ellie Frazetta, who managed the museum and most Frazetta Sr. business, passed away in the summer. It isn’t hard to draw a line between that event and evident sprawling family turmoil.
[Thanks to Moshe Feder and Taral for the story.]
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When I started reading I called to Mary Ellen to come and read it too. During IlluxCon II weekend, second weekend of November, as a day trip we drove from Altoona to East Stroudsberg to visit the Frazetta Museum.
The only other people in the museum were the very large and Viet Nam veteran security guard, Walter the ticket seller and greeter, and two men in conversation.
Walter was wonderful: a gossip columnist’s dream source. All we did was say Hello and he told us that The Berserker had left the building the previous Wednesday, sold to Metallica member Kirk Hammett for $1 million. Hammett also negotiated the right to put its image on his guitar. And Sandra Bullock wanted to buy a painting for her husband Jesse James.
The longer you stay, the more you learn. The two men in conversation were Brain Frazetta and a lawyer. According to Walter, Brian, executor of his late mother’s estate, was trying to get out of a contract his mother had signed, offering the lawyer a painting.
As we were leaving and about to get into our car, Brain was walking out of the adjacent house. He introduced himself and we talked for a minute. A normal guy, was Brian.
As described above, what was he thinking? What would he do with 90 original Frazettas? To whom could he sell them? How was he going to pay off his alleged accomplices?
From what Ted White hints, there are darker and more devious motives underlying the attepted theft of those paintings than just profit. Now that Mike knows there’s something to dig up, hopefully more will come to light.
Re.: my first comment, the son of Frank Frazetta Mary Ellen and I met is not the son arrested by the police.
My questions “As described above, what was he thinking? What would he do with 90 original Frazettas? To whom could he sell them? How was he going to pay off his alleged accomplices?” were rhetorically asked about the brother who we did not meet.
A sad year for Frank Frazetta; his wife dies, killed by cancer; his oldest son is charged with stealing from him.
According to Walter, Frazetta never has been interested in money. We saw a painting in the Museum painted by Frazetta since the stroke that cost him the use of his painting arm. He allegedly said ‘I’m as good as I ever was.” Very, very much not so.
I would like to start by setting some things straight….Fisrt there is no Brian Frazetta….Second Alfonso (Frank Jr) Frazetta was the mad man that bulldozed the museum doors down..Third it was not a contract he was trying to get out of it was a huge ass lawyer fee his mother left for him to clean up. Nobody knows this family and what they faced since the death of there mother…so unless you know the facts I would say…dont say anything!!!! and one more thing..maybe the art is being sold now because jr keeps the lawyers bill coming!!!!!