How to Steal the Mona Lisa

Tavernier strangled two of the monk guards and grabbed the diamond. Tavernier soon made it out of India, only to be mauled to death and eaten by a streak of tigers.
 
The history of the diamond doesn t end there. It s changed hands numerous times on its way from India to France to Britain and, finally, to the United States, where it lives today. The diamond has a long history of bringing misfortune and tragedy to its owners and so carries a reputed curse. However, there are strong indications that the diamond s various owners fabricated these stories to enhance the stone s mystery and appeal since, historically, increased publicity has only raised the gem s newsworthiness and value.
 
OVERVIEW

Stealing the Hope Diamond is a surprisingly straightforward operation, assuming you have the right information and tools. While the National Museum of Natural History is one of the most trafficked and secure museums in the world, it still must operate completely off of federal funding and private donations. This means its vault of treasures is about as secure as your local bank. Keep in mind, while budgets for museums can be in the millions, the sheer square footage means security budgets must be spread very thin. So thin in fact that entering the Smithsonian in the dead of night will be as simple as understanding just a little about its geothermal heating system and the software that controls the museum s security systems.
 
PROCURING A SAFE HOUSE

Getting in and out of the museum itself is surprisingly the easiest aspect of this particular job. It s navigating the streets of Washington, DC, itself, during what will inevitably be a citywide manhunt, that will undoubtedly be the most challenging