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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 10 OctOber 2018

Stolen Stradivarius found after

decades comes to life again

By VERENA DOBNIK beautiful, brilliant and tacted the FBI.
Associated Press throaty voice of that long- The decadeslong theft
NEW YORK (AP) — The stilled violin will thrill au- saga ended when then-
Stradivarius stolen from diences in concert halls U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara
the late violinist Roman To- around the world," says in Manhattan returned the
tenberg and miraculously Nina Totenberg, who with instrument to the Toten-
found more than three de- her sisters joined Meltzer at berg family familiar with it
cades later has a new life Rare Violins in New York, a since they were children. In this photo provided by Chris Lee, Juilliard student Nathan
— under the chin of a bud- world-class dealer that re- "It was there when I was Meltzer, recipient of the "Ames, Totenberg" Stradivari of 1734,
ding 18-year-old virtuoso. stored Totenberg's violin af- born," Nina Totenberg said. plays the instrument in New York on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018.
On Tuesday in New York, his ter years of neglect. An anonymous benefac- Associated Press
three daughters presented The 18th century instrument tor then purchased it and
the multimillion-dollar instru- was snatched in 1980 from made sure the public Bruno Price, the co-founder around the United States
ment on long-term loan to Totenberg's dressing room would again hear its sound. of Rare Violins. "You need and abroad, from London
Juilliard student Nathan after a concert in Cam- The so-called "Ames" Strad- to have the strength to pull and Paris to Israel and Bra-
Meltzer. bridge, Massachusetts. It ivarius — named after a out the full sound, but you zil.
Jill Totenberg says she and was recovered in 2015, previous owner —"is one of can't crush it." The loan to Meltzer, a stu-
her sisters, Nina and Amy, after his death, among a the most fantastic exam- A strapping, 6-foot teen- dent of violinist Itzhak Perl-
"can now go to listen to former student's belong- ples of the late work of An- ager, Meltzer meets those man, is part of a program
our father" — as if the Pol- ings. The man's ex-wife dis- tonio Stradivari; it's a large criteria, said Price, adding, created by Rare Violins of
ish-born American violinist covered it and tried to sell instrument, so it needs "He says the violin is waking New York to match wealthy
were playing again. it, not knowing it had been somebody who is strong up as he's plays it." benefactors with promising
"And once again, the stolen until an expert con- yet gentle to play it," said Meltzer has performed young musicians.q

Investigators want to know who left gator in Lake Michigan

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) — Au- Motley said officials thought of Lake Michigan and that
thorities don't know who the animal was a caiman the one rescued Monday
dumped a 4-foot-long rep- for much of Monday, but could have been swim-
tile into Lake Michigan, but Rob Carmichael, curator ming around for weeks. He
they now know what kind it of the Wildlife Discovery said it could have done this
is. Center in nearby Lake For- with its mouth shut because
After initially believing the est, later told him it was a alligators can go months
animal spotted Monday female alligator. without food.
swimming near Waukegan, The two species look simi- Carmichael said that al-
Illinois, by a startled kayaker lar, but an alligator's snout though the rescued gator
was a caiman, officials now is more rounded and only is weak, she has a pretty
say it is actually an alligator. its upper teeth can be seen good chance to survive if
Either way, it had no busi- when its mouth is closed, she can get through the
ness paddling around the whereas a caiman's upper next few days.
suburban Chicago shore- and lower teeth can be This isn't the first time some-
line. Waukegan spokesman seen, said Andrew Biddle, one dropped off a wild
David Motley said Tuesday the head of reptiles at Wild animal on or in Lake Michi-
that animal control officers Florida Airboats & Gator This Monday, Oct. 8, 2018, photo provided by the City of gan, Motley said, pointing
are trying to determine Park in Kenansville, Florida. Waukegan, Ill., shows Nicole Garza, an animal control officer to a 2012 incident in which
who abandoned the crea- Carmichael said an alli- for Waukegan police, holding down a 4-foot alligator in a van someone abandoned
ture, which was found with gator would be more ca- outside city hall after animal control workers helped capture it a 14-foot python on the
its mouth kept shut by rub- pable than a caiman of from Lake Michigan. Associated Press lakefront.q
ber bands. handling the cold water