The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it now knows the identity of the thieves behind the 1990 break-in and robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, one of the world's costliest art heists, though the agency is not releasing details and is looking to the public for assistance.

On March 18, 1990, two men dressed as police officers entered the museum, tied up the security guards, and walked away with 13 paintings—including rare works by Rembrandt, Degas, Manet, and Vermeer—valued at some $500 million. The heist remains the largest property crime in U.S. history.

Federal agents believe the art was taken to the Philadelphia region and Connecticut shortly after the theft, and offered for sale about a decade ago. In a statement, FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers said the suspects belonged to a criminal organization based in New England and the Mid-Atlantic States. The FBI has a website aimed at getting help to crack the case at www.FBI.gov/gardner.

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