The G Manifesto

Paintings by Old Masters Heisted in Zurich

Four oil paintings worth more than $163.5 Million (£80m) by Monet, Degas, van Gogh and Cezanne were taken in the weekend robbery from the E.G. Buehrle museum.

The heisted pieces were Claude Monet’s “Poppy field at Vetheuil” (1880), Edgar Degas’ “Ludovic Lepic and his Daughter”(1871), Vincent van Gogh’s “Blooming Chestnut Branches” (1890), and Paul Cezanne’s “Boy in the Red Waistcoat” (1890).

Three G’s wearing ski masks and dark clothing ran up in the museum half-an-hour before closing on Sunday. This was largest art robbery in Switzerland’s history and one of the biggest ever in Europe.

While one of the men used a pistol to force museum personnel to the floor, the other two heistmen went into the exhibition hall and collected the four masterpieces. They were said to have spoken German with a Slavic accent (but of course they might have been disguising their voices).

The FBI estimates the market for stolen art at $6 billion(£3bn) annually (making it a very robust industry) and Interpol has about 30,000 pieces of stolen art in its database.

Three other versions of the stolen Cezanne painting — perhaps the most famous of those seized — exist in the National Gallery in Washington, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. Its value alone is thought to be $90 million.

Last week, two Pablo Picasso paintings were stolen from a Swiss exhibition near Zurich.

The two oil paintings, Tete de cheval (Head of horse) and Verre et pichet (Glass and pitcher), were on loan from the Sprengel Museum in Hannover, Germany.

Again, authorities are talking about “entirely new dimension in criminal culture” which I talked about in Criminality in The Luxury Sector.

Swiss Police called it a “spectacular art robbery.” This is one of the few times I agree with police.

The three G’s are at large and presumibly living large.

No one was hurt.

The Rest is Up to You………..

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com/

(Want to see something in The G Manifesto? Send suggestions to thegmanifesto@yahoo.com)

Intelligent Hoodlum- Grand Groove (Bonus Mix)

Joe Budden – Broken Wings

Wesley Snipes acquitted

Wesley Snipes, Bronx, was found guilty Friday on three misdemeanor charges of failing to file tax returns — but more importantly, jurors cleared him of more serious felony charges of tax fraud and conspiracy.

Snipes looked at a five year stretch in prison on both the conspiracy and fraud charges. He was found guilty of only half — three out of six — of the failure to file charges. He faces a maximum one-year sentence on each but most likely will get less.

Snipes, pretty dapper throughout the trial, was suited down in a black suit, smiled and thanked well-wishers outside the courthouse — walking with his hands held in a prayer position (good style). He did not make a statement or take questions from the media (good move).

Snipes, was an actor in two G Manifesto Certified Classics, “New Jack City” and “King of New York”.

The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA The Seventh Letter
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

(Want to see something in The G Manifesto? Send suggestions to thegmanifesto@yahoo.com)

TOM GIST – BRONX SONG

In Defense of Wesley Snipes

Word on the street is that Wesley Snipes, the star of “New Jack City” and an actor in “King of New York” is going on trial for being on the wrong side of The Internal Revenue Service. I really don’t have much of an opinion on the intricacies of the trial (although the venue of Ocala, Florida has got to hurt). But I do have an opinion on the man.

Here is a little story:

I had just got back to Los Angeles from a prolonged working vacation in the South of France. My good friend “Callahan” was throwing this dope gig in LA at the El Rey Theatre. Black Eyed Peas were performing. Think Black Eyed Peas before they added that girl with mad plastic surgery. You know, the one that all girls put on their ringtones nowadays. Behind the Front days. “That’s the joint, that’s the jam” days.

Anyways, it was a pretty celeb-heavy underground type-gig. That guy who was the main star of “Basketball Diaries” table was right next to our crew’s table. Mad fly LA Nightlife Princesses also.

My friend Callahan and I were chillin at the front bar talking French heists and strategy, slightly on Beans. Sipping cocktails.

Black Eyed Peas – Joints & Jam

As a young G on the rise, I was suited down of course, in a custom Italian number by…I can’t really remember. But I probably had a Glock 17 in those days as they were pretty hot then. Shirt blown open. Pocket Square. My friend was wearing whatever was the height of fashion for those days in LA. I don’t have to tell you that I was dressed doper than him. But that’s neither Sugar Hill nor E-tab Pill.

Up walks Wesley Snipes to the bar, solo, no Entourage, suited down kind of Nino Brown Style. This was not “Blade II” era Snipes, it was more “Roemello Skuggs” era Snipes.

Wesley Snipes: “How are you guys doing?”

Callahan: “Real Good.”

Michael Mason: “Perfect.”

Wesley Snipes: “Good.”

Callahan (obviously feeling it): “Yo Wesley, I was Passenger 58!”

All three of us: Laughter. (I didn’t really get the joke at the time, but I was feeling good so I played along).

Introductions all around.

Then two mad fly girls, taller than Snipes and myself, if I remember correctly, came up to Snipes and gave him very enthusiastic hugs and kisses.

Then one of the two girls in a shitty LA attitude kind of way, says, “Who are these two guys?” meaning us. (You don’t really see this kind of attitude today as much as you saw in the good old days.) As if, I wasn’t just heisting on the Côte d’Azur and chilling with topless girls; named things like, Florence and Marie, on the beach two days prior.

Snipes then says after a slight pause for greater effect, “Callahan and Michael are my two best friends in the world” with an opened arms gesture. The two girl’s expressions changed from “over us” to “into us” immediately. After some more small talk, Snipes exited stage left and left us with the two girls, who by now, were down for whatever.

Not like we needed any help, but I have never forgotten Snipes’ gesture of Class. In my book, he has always been the coolest cat in Hollywood.

“I am not guilty, you’re the one that’s guilty. The lawmakers, the politicians, the Columbian drug lords, all you who lobby against making drugs legal. Just like you did with alcohol during the prohibition. You’re the one who’s guilty. I mean, c’mon, let’s kick the ballistics here: Ain’t no Uzi’s made in Harlem. Not one of us in here owns a poppy field. This thing is bigger than Nino Brown. This is big business. This is the American way.”- Nino Brown

I hope Snipes isn’t found guilty either.

Oh yeah, we ended up swooping the girls. Assist by Snipes.

The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA The Seventh Letter
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

(Want to see something in The G Manifesto? Send suggestions to thegmanifesto@yahoo.com)

Love is a Battle Field (Papoose / Pat Benatar) New Jack City

New Jack City

King of New York – Trailer

Ice-T, New Jack Hustler

Jewellery heist at St. Maarten airport now estimated at $850,000

Latest data reports put the value of recent big jewellery heist at Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten at around $850,000. Early reports had the heist at $350,000 in Swiss luxury watches.

The jewellery is now thought to be (formerly) belonging to at least 7 companies.

This heist is probably the largest ever theft of its type ever in the tropical island of (Philipsburg,Dutch side) St. Maarten.

The jewellery was shipped in to St. Maarten in anticipation of a big holiday sale season.

Perfect time for a heist. You really can’t beat winter in the tropics.

The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

(Want to see something in The G Manifesto? Send suggestions to thegmanifesto@yahoo.com)

Damien Marley – All Night

Best Heist of 2007

Best Heist of 2007: Back in August, The Four Masterpieces Stolen From Jules-Chéret Fine Arts Museum in Nice, France.

The paintings heisted were Monet’s 1897 “Cliffs Near Dieppe,” Alfred Sisley’s 1890“Lane of Poplars at Moret-sur-Loing” and Jan Brueghel the Elder’s “Allegory of Water” and “Allegory of Earth,” part of a 17th-century series in which Brueghel depicted human figures and fauna in lush, colorful landscapes.

No one was harmed, and the heistmen were in and out five minutes.

The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA Your favorite International Playboy on the Rise’s favorite International Playboy on the Rise
AKA I can’t leave the Streets alone, The Game needs Me
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

(Want to see something in The G Manifesto? Send suggestions to thegmanifesto@yahoo.com)

Special Ed – I’m The Magnificent