Smug US seller Boasts of his Mum's Theft

Police in Naples want to speak to the person ("Zmdubois") from Lobelville, Tennessee, who is auctioning off on EBay a brick taken from Pompeii, starting price 99 dollars:

BRICK FROM POMPEII This Brick belonged to my mother, now deceased. She "acquired" it when they were in Naples, Italy in 1958. The city of Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania. My parents traveled a lot, and when they were in Pompeii, she couldn't leave there without a brick. She did a small write up for all the artifacts she acquired, it is in one of the photos. This brick is authentic, there's no doubt. I have no use for it, so now you can have it for your collection. You won't find to many of theses on eBay. Thanks for looking. Yes, this is the brick that is getting all the attention in Italy!

The listing, which includes four photographs, caught the attention of archeologists — who contacted the authorities. The sale has ended, there were no bids. That last smug comment really takes the biscuit.


Lee Moran, 'Italian cops hunt American behind eBay auction of ancient brick stolen from Pompeii', New York Daily News   January 14th 2014.