Stolen Churchill Portrait Recovered in Italy After Two-Year Search

The iconic 'Roaring Lion' photo, taken by Yousuf Karsh, was stolen from an Ottawa hotel and sold to an unwitting buyer in Genoa.

The 1941 portrait of Winston Churchill was reported stolen from Ottawa's Fairmont Château Laurier hotel in August 2022.
Ottawa police arrested Jeffrey Wood, 43, in April 2024, charging him with theft, forgery, and trafficking in stolen property.
The photo was discovered in the possession of Nicola Cassinelli, a Genoa-based lawyer who bought it through a Sotheby's auction, unaware it was stolen.
Cassinelli has agreed to return the portrait to Canadian authorities at a ceremony in Rome later this month.
The portrait, valued at six figures, will be reinstated at the Château Laurier after its return to Ottawa.