Mark Lugo, the sockless Picasso pilferer who is currently awaiting trial on $5 million dollar bail, had a real taste for the Spanish painter apparently. Back East, Cops raided Lugo's New Jersey apartment and found another 500 grand worth of missing artwork, including a Basquiat and a second Picasso etching lifted from a Manhattan gallery. Like the "Tête de Femme" Lugo took from the Weinstein Gallery here in town, the other works were simply lifted off the walls of what must be some overly trusting art galleries and hotel lobbies.

Lugo, who worked as a sommelier at high-end joint BLT Fish in New York City (described as a good place to have the wealthy guy you're dating take you to dinner), was also spotted on tape swiping a couple $2,000 bottles of 2006 Chateau Petrus Pomerol from a well-known New Jersey Wine shop back in April and again in May. Lugo was eventually busted, but skipped town before his June 9th hearing in Wayne, NJ. We assume that's when he headed out to Napa to expand his collection of fineries.

Still playing the role of an arbiter of taste: Lugo thinks the media exposure is overrated. He told the Examiner the theft of Tête de Femme was "blown out of proportion." His attorney also tried to spin the case by pointing out that "nobody died", and he's looking in to whether or not Lugo has any psychological problems. You know, like kleptomania.

Lugo is expected to plead has pled not guilty to the Union Square theft today, which is just silly.

Previous Picasso Thief Coverage
[Chron]
[InsideScoop]
[NJ.com]
[Appeal]
[BLT Fish on Yelp]
[SFExaminer]
[CBSLocal]