Robert Volpe

Robert Volpe was an artist and New York City detective, specializing in art theft. His obituary notes he was the city's first and only art theft detective in 1971. He remained in the position until retirement in 1983.

Volpe was born in Brooklyn and studied art at Parson and the Art Students League. He had a passion for painting tug boats as a teenager and later became interested in the abstract movement. He lectured at the Smithsonian and was noted for being a bit eccentric, occasionally wearing a Groucho Marx outfit when attending auctions.