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Rating

4.5

from

276 reviews

Description

William Veres is in trouble. In 2018 he was arrested following the largest ever investigation by the Italian police’s art squad. They accuse him of running a pan-European art-smuggling ring with ties to the Sicilian mafia. He is alleged to have stolen $40 million worth of art and antiquities from Italy. Charged with 14 counts, including money laundering, forgery, wire fraud and conspiracy, he faces a jail term of up to 20 years. But he has a plan to get out of trouble. In this four-part podcast, host Simon Willis follows him as he puts that plan into action. It’s a story that takes listeners deep into the underworld, and into the dark heart of the most famous criminal organization of them all – Cosa Nostra. It is a story of drug dealers, hitmen, smugglers, spies – even a corrupt prime minister. And in the middle of it all is William Veres’s quest to save himself. How? By solving the coldest cold case in the history of art crime – the theft of Caravaggio’s Nativity. The Professor is a series for Hidden Worlds, the home of unbelievable true stories and gripping investigations into shadowy places. Stay subscribed to Hidden Worlds and get brand new series delivered to your favorite podcast app year-round. One podcast, endless stories. For more, visit brazen.fm/hidden-worlds.

Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from The Professor: Hunting for the Mafia's Missing Masterpiece podcast

Episode 1: The Nativity

2023/11/27

William Veres is arrested in a dawn raid – one of 50 simultaneous raids across Europe to bust his criminal gang. To get out of trouble he agrees a deal with Italian anti-mafia police: if he can help them solve the coldest cold case in the history of art theft, they will help him in his own case. In this episode, we follow Veres as he begins his quest to find Caravaggio’s Nativity, believed to be in the hands of Cosa Nostra. Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus to listen to the full series today, and get ad-free listening. For more fearless storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds.

Episode 2: The Go-Between

2023/12/04

Veres goes to Belgium to meet a contact who he believes can help him obtain vital information about the Caravaggio painting. The contact agrees to act as Veres’s go-between, connecting Veres with senior figures in the mafia hierarchy. Meanwhile, host Simon Willis delves into the past investigations of the case, and finds out why the official investigation went nowhere: it was closed down after it uncovered links between the Caravaggio theft and Mafiosi close to Italian politicians. Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus to listen to the full series today, and get ad-free listening. The Professor is a series for Hidden Worlds, the home of unbelievable true stories and gripping investigations into shadowy places. Subscribe to Hidden Worlds and get brand new series delivered to your favorite podcast app year-round. One podcast, endless stories. For more, visit brazen.fm/hidden-worlds. For more fearless storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds.

Episode 3: Money for Nothing

2023/12/11

Veres gets word that the mafia are willing to talk about returning stolen art. He meets a group of middlemen in Naples, who tell him there’s a canvas on offer. As Veres negotiates the return of the painting, we begin to doubt Veres and Brand’s account of how they recover stolen art. It looks like they risk breaking the law to get the painting back. In his quest to get himself out of trouble, is Veres getting himself deeper into it? Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus to listen to the full series today, and get ad-free listening. The Professor is a series for Hidden Worlds, the home of unbelievable true stories and gripping investigations into shadowy places. Subscribe to Hidden Worlds and get brand new series delivered to your favorite podcast app year-round. One podcast, endless stories. For more, visit brazen.fm/hidden-worlds. For more fearless storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds.

Episode 4: The Fugitive

2023/12/18

Veres receives some photographs of parts of the Caravaggio canvas. He follows the lead to a source in Belgium, who is close to the Sicilian mafia. The source provides crucial new information about what happened to the painting. And it points to one man: a mafioso who has been on the run for thirty years. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus to get ad-free listening. The Professor is a series for Hidden Worlds, the home of unbelievable true stories and gripping investigations into shadowy places. Subscribe to Hidden Worlds and get brand new series delivered to your favorite podcast app year-round. One podcast, endless stories. For more, visit brazen.fm/hidden-worlds. For more fearless storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds.

Introducing Hidden Worlds

2023/11/13

Right now, around the world, there are real life stories unfolding that you wouldn’t believe. Stories that are stranger than fiction. In Hidden Worlds, we’ll take you inside these stories and into places usually concealed from view. Every few weeks, we’ll use this feed to share a new podcast series with you — everything from organised crime to espionage, political corruption to international conspiracies. Subscribe to Hidden Worlds, the home of gripping investigations and unbelievable true stories, and get a brand new series delivered to your favourite podcast app every month. Up first is The Professor, a story of a stolen masterpiece, the Italian mafia, and one man’s search for redemption. Listen here, in Hidden Worlds, very soon. For more information, visit brazen.fm/hidden-worlds

Introducing The Professor: Hunting for the Mafia's Missing Masterpiece

2023/11/22

William Veres is in trouble. In 2018 he was arrested following the largest ever investigation by the Italian police’s art squad. They accuse him of running an art-smuggling ring with ties to the Sicilian mafia. He is alleged to have stolen $40 million worth of art and antiquities from Italy – and faces a jail term of up to 20 years. But he has a plan to get out of trouble. In this four-part podcast, host Simon Willis follows him as he puts that plan into action. It’s a story that takes listeners deep into the underworld, and into the dark heart of the most famous criminal organization of them all – Cosa Nostra. It is a story of drug dealers, hitmen, smugglers, spies – even a corrupt prime minister. And in the middle of it all is William Veres’s quest to save himself. How? By solving the coldest cold case in the history of art crime – the theft of Caravaggio’s Nativity. Episode one of The Professor will be released on 27 November 2023, with new episodes out on Mondays. Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and binge all four episodes, uninterrupted, on release day.

Meeting Simon Willis: Unlocking the secrets of a stolen masterpiece

2023/11/20

Can an accused criminal solve the coldest cold case in the history of art crime? In this special pre-season bonus episode, Brazen co-founder Tom Wright speaks with Simon Willis about his upcoming podcast series, The Professor. Simon shares his experience following William Veres – an art merchant accused of stealing $40 million worth of antiquities – as he attempts to solve a legendary cold case and save himself from jail in the process. The Professor is a story of drug dealers, hitmen, smugglers, spies – even a corrupt prime minister. And in the middle of it all is William Veres’s quest to save himself. How? By solving the coldest cold case in the history of art crime – the theft of Caravaggio’s Nativity. Episode one of The Professor will be released on 27 November 2023, with new episodes out on Mondays. Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and binge all four episodes, uninterrupted, on release day.

Read The Professor: Hunting for the Mafia's Missing Masterpiece podcast reviews

4.5 out of 5

276 reviews

Niffler_UK 2024/01/08

The Professor: Brilliantly paced and well narrated look at the Mafia’s role in art theft!

Listened to this over the Christmas period and wow - what an excellent podcast this is. I only wished it was more than four episodes. The podcast jump...

friendxo 2022/05/06

Excellent reporting

I don’t know how I started following Laura on Instagram. My interest into insights on Hong Kong. I feel that she has been my prime source of on the gr...

deanandtweetwee 2022/04/23

Well Done

Fascinating story and hard to believe it’s basically been covered up. Well investigated and reported.

dentalO 2022/01/28

Hits close to home

Interesting interviews with Fat Leonard. I served on the USS George Washington, which was under Leonard’s spell back in 2011-2013. I’m sure many if...

military wife Kat 2022/03/25

Shameful

I’m the wife of a military man who served 20 + years in the service and he did very proudly. Our son currently is in the service and proud to do so. W...

1stTimeCaller-LongTimeListener 2022/01/28

Reeks of Bias — Liberal Anti-Military Trash

More facts about the case would improve the program. Such a clear bias in the anti-Navy, anti-military axe you are grinding here. Comical quotes rig...

Zhooly 66 2022/01/06

Wow

I remember reading in LATimes as this was first coming to light so long ago. It’s astonishing that it’s stiil not resolved, esp with all the doctored ...

captobie 2022/01/20

Axe to Grind

I really wanted to like the podcast because Fat Leonard is a story that deserves solid reporting. But by the second episode the narrator is drawing a ...

ivangonzo 2022/01/05

Excellent Podcast

Kudos to all involved in making this pod. I throughly enjoyed it.

MissGinger13 2021/12/29

🙄

Another podcast creation for the post truth world. Stop giving these people a platform to perform lies.

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