Dead ant, dead ant. Dead ant dead ant dead and dead ant dead aaaaaaaant.

October 27, 2014 1:07 PM

Pipino, the real-life gentleman thief. Pipino had a simple philosophy: Aristocrats liked to flaunt their wealth; thieves liked to take it. Sometimes the burglar took something important and aristocrats would pay to get the item back. Pipino had heard that some palazzo owners took it as a badge of honor that he had slipped through their windows because it confirmed their good taste.
posted by egypturnash (11 comments total)

I would believe almost anything about Venice.
posted by benito.strauss at 1:25 PM on October 27, 2014 [4 favorites]

That was a pretty incredible story, I read the pull quote and thought it was going to be something set in the 17th century or something.
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 1:49 PM on October 27, 2014

Hell of a read! Thanks for posting!
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:08 PM on October 27, 2014

Seriously could not stop reading once I started. And, like Another Fine Product, I was stunned to discover that the capers described happened in the 1990s, not the 1690s.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 6:10 PM on October 27, 2014 [2 favorites]

Epic Magazine has changed since my youth.
posted by mwhybark at 6:11 PM on October 27, 2014

also, what a delightful layout. if this is the longterm downstream effect of "Snowfall," can I say EFF YES.
posted by mwhybark at 6:18 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Fascinating, thanks for posting!
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:28 PM on October 27, 2014

Short, short story:
They always take the good stuff, they never bother with that crap you're saving.
posted by Mblue at 7:09 PM on October 27, 2014

Venice is actually hardcore weird.
posted by The Whelk at 7:59 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

"He often spent his days pouring over fragile manuscripts, learning about the lives of the Venetian aristocracy and the art they commissioned for their palazzos."

aw, dang. copyeditor THEN designer, please!
posted by mwhybark at 9:25 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

This sounds like it's out of a movie. Or the Italian version of "Catch Me If You Can." Though him finally going to jail for drugs is a bit sad. Also, what was with the bribery scandal?!
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:45 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]