Sardi’s Iconic Broadway Portraits Vanish in Midnight Heist
Can we just add “artful burglary” to Broadway’s resume? Last month, Sardi’s—the legendary Theater District restaurant famous for its celebrity caricatures—became ground zero for a high-stakes portrait heist. According to NYPD case files and firsthand statements from Sardi’s management, thieves peeled away six framed likenesses of A-list stage stars in a slick, under-the-radar operation around 3 a.m. on a brisk January weeknight. Surveillance footage obtained by the New York Post shows two masked figures slipping in through an unlocked service door, brandishing box cutters and ghosting out with treasures once hanging above velvet banquettes.
Here’s the no-BS breakdown: these aren’t just doodles on paper. Sardi’s portraits are institutional souvenirs—hand-drawn by noted caricaturist Alex Taber and others—documenting Broadway’s glitterati since the ’30s. Sources close to the restaurant (a rep speaking to People Magazine and an NYPD detective via police logs) confirm the missing works included caricatures of Tony winners like Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The thieves apparently bypassed high-tech alarms in the back hallway, opting for old-school stealth and a set of master keys that remain unaccounted for. Police suspect an inside collaborator with intimate knowledge of the layout; after all, only employees knew the precise location of the service entrance and the neatly stacked frames awaiting mealtime patrons.
Sardi’s boss, in an emailed statement first shared with the Post, lamented the loss but insisted the joint isn’t throwing in the towel. Plans are underway to commission replacement sketches—and boost security cameras on every corner of West 44th Street. Meanwhile, the NYPD’s Art Theft Squad is canvassing local pawnshops and online black-market forums for any sign of the stolen drawings. Keep an eye on Instagram auctions claiming “vintage Broadway art” – they’re probably too good to be true.
If you’re craving more context, here’s a quickie: last year, two of Sardi’s original ceiling tiles literally fell on a patron’s head, drawing headlines from Variety. So yes, the place is due for a facelift—and apparently a guard dog or two. Critics argue that theatrical drama belongs onstage, not in greedy back-alley swipes. The consensus? This caper underscores the underappreciated value of cultural ephemera, especially when it comes to New York’s performing-arts heritage.
So there you have it—another night, another New York crime spree. Sardi’s will rebuild its portrait hall of fame, but let’s not pretend Broadway’s most iconic can’t be nicked if you know where to look. And that’s your daily dose of theatre-district reality. Don’t applaud just yet.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, People Magazine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
