Cruise Ship Art Dealer Faces Class Action

Catholic University exhibits its mystery picture

(NEWSER) - When the president of Catholic University saw the signature "Rembrandt" on a tiny framed portrait he had found tucked into his bathroom cabinet, he showed it off to visitors, but it didn't seem plausible enough to consult an appraiser. Years later, the university finally had the picture appraised, and was startled when word came back that the etching really was a Rembrandt, the Washington Post reports. More»

Merkin unloads art, but buyer's identity a mystery

(NEWSER) - Ezra Merkin, the financier who pumped billions of his clients' money into Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, is selling more than 10 paintings by Mark Rothko and two sculptures by Alberto Giacometti for $310 million, reports the Wall Street Journal. Some of the proceeds may go to his defrauded investors, who include charities and nonprofits. More»

(NEWSER) - A New York art dealer was charged today with stealing $88 million in investments and artwork in what may be an art-world Ponzi scheme, the Times reports. Investors and collectors say they entrusted Lawrence Salander with funds or artwork after the dealer promised hefty returns. In many cases, they were paid a fraction of the funds invested, or never saw the artwork again. More»

Cruise-gone-wrong full of overflowing toilets, and very hot

(NEWSER) - The passengers of the Costa Allegra are back on dry land today, and while their voyage didn't end as tragically as the Costa Concordia, let's just say it wasn't the paradise they envisioned. "The toilets were running over, there was no electricity. It was very hot," one American passenger tells the Guardian . During their three days adrift at sea, she and her husband ate cold sandwiches and slept on the deck, since the ship had lost its air conditioning. But "it could have been worse than it was," her husband says. "It could have been disastrous … we're here, we're alive." More»

No one hurt after engine-room crisis

(NEWSER) - Another public relations nightmare for operators of the Costa Concordia —though this time, no one was hurt. Concordia sister ship the Costa Allegra suffered a fire in its engine room, prompting the engines to be shut off some 260 miles from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Now the Allegra is largely under a blackout, with emergency battery power in the cabin. A number of vessels and a plane have been sent to help tow the ship to the Seychelles. More»