Mafia Informer Stole Caravaggio

Art lovers in Sicily are appealing to a mafia informer serving a life term in prison to reveal the hiding place of a stolen Caravaggio worth an estimated £20m. They believe Francesco Marino Mannoia knows the location of the Nativity with Saints Francis and Lawrence, which was cut from its frame in the San Lorenzo oratory, Palermo, in 1969. Mannoia, a heroin refiner whose mother, sister and aunt were murdered by the mafia after he turned state's evidence, has admitted taking part in the theft. He has revealed that the painting was damaged but has never given any clues to its location. More than 1,000 people in the city have signed a petition asking the underworld for information. For the full story - click the title Irish Art