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December 20, 2007 - Thieves broke into the Sao Paulo Museum of Art and made off with paintings by Pablo Picasso and Candido Portinari in a brazen heist Thursday morning that lasted just three minutes as recorded by security cameras.
They stole Picasso's "Portrait of Suzanne Bloch," which he painted in 1904 during his Blue Period and is among the most valuable pieces in the museum's collection, said museum spokesman Eduardo Cosomano.
They also took "O Lavrador de Cafe" by Portinari, a major Brazilian artist.
The thieves used a hydraulic car jack to pry their way past the pull-down metal gate that protects the museum's front entrance. Then, they smashed through two glass doors, probably using a crow bar, to get to the paintings on the second floor, police said.
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