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Iconic Red Ruby Shoes From Wizard Of Oz Finally Found; Find Out The Mob Connection
Dororthy’s iconic ruby red shoes that she wore in The Wizard of Oz have been found, with a surprising confession from a mobster.
The ruby slippers worn by Dorothy in the 1939 children’s classic The Wizard of Oz remain one of the iconic items of Hollywood. Judy Garland, who played the role of Dorothy in the film, wore multiple pairs during the filming. However, only four of these authentic pairs remain today, while the others have been lost.
Who stole the shoes and how did they come back?
Out of the four remaining pairs of the ruby shoes, one was kept in the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota, but they were stolen back in 2005. The shoes, which were insured for $1 million, were thought to be lost forever after the unfortunate smash and grab since despite a lot of lucrative prize offers, there were no signs of the shoes.
However, in 2018, the FBI finally recovered the stolen shoes when someone tried to claim an insurance reward on the pair. But they were unable to arrest anybody for the theft itself. Surprisingly enough, in 2023, a 76-year-old reformed mobster by the name of Terry Jon Martin came forward to plead guilty to charges of stealing those shoes. 
According to Martin, he climbed through the window of the museum and broke the glass display, and stole the shoes. He did it because he thought that the shoes had actual gemstones on them, hence the $1 million insurance. He also did it because he wanted to have “one last score” before he left the mob world altogether. But when he discovered that the stones on the shoes were not real and their shine was due to the numerous sequins sewn onto them, he got rid of the shoes quickly. Martin, who is suffering from a serious illness didn’t have to go to jail for the crime since he had a low life expectancy and was not a real threat to society anymore.
Why are Dorothy’s shoes so iconic?
There have been only a few props throughout Hollywood’s history that have become a symbol for the movies due to their popularity and meaning. Elle’s fuzzy pen from Legally Blonde, The Lightsabers from the Star Wars franchise, the Burn Book from Mean Girls, The Red Balloon from IT, The Ring from The Lord of the Rings series, etc. But few props throughout history carry as much meaning as the ruby red slippers that Dorothy wore in The Wizard of Oz.
Even though the magic shoes were silver in the book, the color was changed to a more attention-grabbing red in the film. Not only that, but the shoes were one of the most significant items throughout the movie. Moreover, The Wizard of Oz is considered the most iconic children’s classic film, and it is one of the first Hollywood movies to be made for children. Finally, not only it is one of the best musicals of all time, but the legend Judy Garland was the one who wore the shoes throughout the film, making them practically priceless.
Unfortunately, only four of the original pairs she wore survived the test of time. One of them belongs to a private collector, while the Smithsonian, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have the other two pairs. We are glad that the final pair found its way back home after all these years.
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