Books Were Stolen From Long Island Home of Philanthropists John Hay and Betsey Whitney in the 1980’s; Family Will Auction Books and Donate Proceeds

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the return of 17 rare books to the heirs of John Hay Whitney and Betsey Whitney. The books, which include works from John Keats, Oscar Wilde, and James Joyce, were stolen from the Whitney’s Long Island home in the 1980’s. The books resurfaced in Manhattan in January 2025, when an individual attempted to sell them to two separate rare book dealers. The books were then seized pursuant to search warrants, and in 2026 a New York Supreme court judge authorized the books to be turned over to the Whitney family. The heirs will auction the books, which are collectively valued at nearly $3 million, and donate the proceeds. 

“Manhattan is the cultural capital of the world, home to museums, galleries, and dealers displaying incredible artworks and antiquities. Yet the integrity of this marketplace is undermined when stolen items are on display. We will not allow our borough to be a center for trafficked art and antiquities, and I thank our team of prosecutors and investigators for their work on this case,” said District Attorney Bragg. 

John Whitney was a highly decorated veteran from World War II, rising to the rank of colonel. He was the publisher of the New York Herald Tribune, the president of the Museum of Modern Art, and Ambassador to the United Kingdom. His wife, Betsey Whitney, was a philanthropist who established the Greentree Foundation in 1983, which is housed on donated land from the family. 

John Whitney was also an avid art collector and inherited hundreds of rare books from his mother, the poet Helen Hay. Between 1982 and 1989, at least 28 of the books were stolen from the Whitney estate. The family first noticed them missing in 1989 and contacted the Nassau County Police Department. In 2025, an individual attempted to sell 17 of these books to B&B Rare Books and Adam Weinberger Rare Books in Manhattan. The individual stated he inherited the books from his grandfather. 

Both dealers proactively contacted law enforcement after discovering the books were listed on the Art Loss Register. The Office subsequently executed six search warrants in 2025 and 2026. 

The investigation into how the books were stolen from the Whitney estate and the status of the 11 other missing books is ongoing. 

Among the 17 books being returned is a bound collection of 37 love letters written by the British Romantic poet John Keats to his fiancée Fanny Brawne. This edition of the collection features eight of the original handwritten letters bound into the portfolio, including the first letter he ever wrote to her. At her death, Fanny bequeathed the letters to her children, who sold them at auction in 1885. Their sale inspired Oscar Wilde to write a sonnet, On the Sale By Auction of Keats’ Love Letters. They are currently valued at more than $2,000,000. 

The case is being handled by Chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Matthew Bogdanos and Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Studley; Analyst Hilary Chasse; and DA Investigators Sergeant Louis Capolupo, Ethan Ellsworth, and John Paul Labbat. The ATU has now recovered more than 6,200 cultural treasures, including rare books, works of art, and antiquities, valued at more than $485 million, and returned more than 5,900 of those to their owners and owner-countries. 

The Office would like to thank the Whitney family, the staff of the Greentree Foundation, Jerome J. Caulfield, Sunday Steinkirchner, Joshua Mann, Adam Weinberger, Constance Lowenthal, and Sharon Flescher for their assistance and cooperation with our investigation. 

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