ART HEIST WAS A 'FLAME'-UP

October 10, 2007 -- A crew of amateur art thieves stole roughly $600,000 worth of paintings from the Hamptons mansion of a former Revlon CEO and torched the home to cover up the heist, prosecutors said yesterday.

Officials said the group's ringleader, Patrick Padden, 50, began working as a caretaker at the $6 million Quiogue mansion of businessman Jerry W. Levin during a renovation project in late 2005.

Article:  http://www.nypost.com/seven/10102007/news/regionalnews/art_heist_was_a_flame_up.htm