Robert De Niro Testifies, Emotes In Art Theft Case

Courtroom stories can be a hard sell, unless they involve White House interns or Heisman Trophy winners, but the media once again packed into a Manhattan courtroom Friday, this time to watch Robert De Niro perform. He wasn't on trial, but New York papers were still abuzz with accounts of the actor's testimony in an art-theft case. His father, Robert De Niro Sr., had been one of the victims of gallery owner Lawrence B. Salander's "$120 million art Ponzi scheme" (WSJ), and the dominant actor of the 1970s answered questions about Salander's deputy, Leigh Morse.

Perhaps predictably, the coverage has been less about the case and more about De Niro's mannerisms, including a brief exchange with the judge that left the Raging Bull in impish silence. Read more about the courtroom drama at the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Comments

[HenryDavid]

06:06 AM on 03/21/2011

Amen.

[Mark Ebner]

03:27 AM on 03/21/2011

Another ridiculous write-around post belying Arianna's claim of providing real, "old school" journalism... Nobody get's paid here. There's nothing to see. Really. Just move along...

[tuckgraph]

07:28 PM on 03/20/2011

De Niro was on the stand, and it was something about his father and art, and there was an exchange between him and the judge and... go somewhere else to get the story.

This is not news. Colbert might call it "newsiness."

[msstrick40]

07:57 PM on 03/20/2011

Lol....true...

[Neneh]

08:05 PM on 03/20/2011

My thoughts exactly.

[sillyfrog]

07:12 PM on 03/20/2011

Who put this storey together?

[templeofdoom]

07:52 PM on 03/20/2011

good question.

[jokamachi]

07:12 PM on 03/20/2011

The judge was overheard to say: "Are you not talking to me? Are YOU not talking to me?"

[Absolute]

06:22 PM on 03/20/2011

"Impish silence" and Deniro? Those two things go not go together.

[Hobsonschoice]

06:42 PM on 03/20/2011

Not to mention "quickly cowered".... Yikes!

[Absolute]

06:46 PM on 03/20/2011

That's the truth!

[framante]

08:22 PM on 03/20/2011

Why can't these things go together? Impish silence may not be characteristic of the characters that DeNiro typically portrays, but don't forget that he is an actor -- and a good one -- and his real-life persona is probably nothing like his characters.

[Absolute]

05:10 PM on 03/21/2011

"Impish" is not a word that I associate with Denior, sue me.

[right time right now]

06:16 PM on 03/20/2011

Huffington regulars have no art to steal.. unless you count the coloring book pages hanging on the refrigerator... such is life.

God Bless

[ChristopherAtom]

06:38 PM on 03/20/2011

You sound cultured... like a fecal coliform.

[mpilkanis]

08:13 PM on 03/20/2011

Huh?? Pardon me, but did you just say something?

[JBoy]

05:46 PM on 03/20/2011

I can hear him now, responding to the judge: "You talkin' to ME?"

[Exexecution]

05:24 PM on 03/20/2011

Slow news day?

[p456]

03:44 PM on 03/20/2011

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

[telebob59]

03:39 PM on 03/20/2011

Aside from the numerous comments branding the presence of this story (or non-story, take your pick) as evidence of some pervasive influence being exterted on HP from AOL, I'd much rather focus on the facts concerning De Niro the man as well as the actor. Such as his abstract-expressionist artist father, as well as the personal convictions and integrity Mr. De Niro exhibits in his personal life.
It bothers me somewhat that often the only aspect of his celebrity stature many people choose to focus on is derived from the mystique that comes strictly from his gangster-style film roles. Not that there's anything wrong with those performances, mind you.
Even so, I can't help but be tempted to type, "...counselor?"

[JonDL]

02:08 PM on 03/20/2011

Wow. Crack reporting there HP!

[HBHB]

02:19 PM on 03/20/2011

They're on a roll today.

[kentmt]

02:51 PM on 03/20/2011

Their best are on strike, LOL

[MyrtleJune]

01:44 PM on 03/20/2011

This looks like an aol addition. Who wrote this garbage story about a story that's really not a story.

[firstep]

01:41 PM on 03/20/2011

Dominant actor of the 70s? Whats the matter? Does he not act liberal enough for you guys at HP?

[anelder]

01:54 PM on 03/20/2011

One has nothing to do with the other. But your comment does let us peak into how your brain works. Everythng that goes in comes out partisan.

He was the dominant actor at one time. No one stays at the top forever. However many stay in a group called the best forever.

[Republicrat1776]

02:52 PM on 03/20/2011

your argument is that he's currently the dominant actor?

[bsctgod]

12:56 PM on 03/20/2011

Judge: "Did your father lose a lot of money in this scheme?"

DeNiro: " A little bit, little bit."