I only steal what I need. (Image by Stougard.)

You think monkey-related theft is bad today? You should have been alive in 1895–that was the golden age of monkey robbers! I came across this article, which is subtitled “An Organ Grinder Accused of Teaching His Assistants Bad Habits,” in the April 19, 1895 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. An excerpt:

“Joseph Lavico, an Italian organ grinder, was sent to jail for twenty-five days by Justice Harriman in the Gates avenue police court this morning on a charge of exhibiting a monkey without a permit. This was the technical charge, but Officer Brockman who arrested Lavico expressed his belief that the monkey had been trained to steal by its owner. A number of people have complained to the police that after Lavico’s monkey had visited their apartments they have missed small articles of jewelry and never found them again. When sentence was pronounced Lavico wanted to compromise the case by giving the monkey to Justice Harriman, but without success.”