'Wizard of Oz' ruby slippers stolen by retired mobster to hit auction after recovery

The stolen "Wizard of Oz" ruby red slippers will be auctioned after their return to the rightful owner.

The red shoes were stolen in 2005 and returned to collector Michael Shaw at Judy Garland's home on Feb. 1.

"It’s like welcoming back an old friend I haven’t seen in years," Shaw said in a press release obtained by FOX Business. He was given the pair of shoes worn in the 1939 "Wizard of Oz" film by Hollywood costumer Kent Warner.

Heritage Auctions will take the ruby red slippers on an international tour with stops in Los Angeles, New York, London and Tokyo before the shoes hit the auction block in December.

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"It was incredibly rewarding and fitting to see Mr. Shaw reunited with the ruby slippers at Judy Garland’s home, accompanied by his friends on the museum staff," Special Agent Christopher Dudley said in a press release. "It is a privilege for the FBI and our Art Crime Team to work alongside law enforcement partners who truly value the importance of protecting our nation’s cultural heritage."

Retired mobster Terry Martin gave into the temptation of "one last score" and stole the slippers from the museum in 2005, his lawyer wrote in court documents previously obtained by Fox News Digital. He was allegedly approached by an "old mob associate" who asked Martin if he would steal the shoes worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film.

"At first, Terry declined the invitation to participate in the heist. But old habits die hard, and the thought of a ‘final score’ kept him up at night," Dane DeKrey wrote. "After much contemplation, Terry had a criminal relapse and decided to participate in the theft."

When Martin stole the slippers in 2005 from a museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, he did not realize the rubies affixed to the shoes were not real.

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"Unaware of the cultural significance and value of the slippers themselves, Terry angrily decided to simply cut his losses and move on," according to DeKrey. "He gave the slippers to the associate who had recruited him for the job and told the man that he never wanted to see them again."

At the time of the theft, the slippers were insured for $1 million, and the fair market appraisal value of the slippers in May 2023 was $3.5 million, the Department of Justice wrote in a press release.

"The ruby slippers, which were recovered by the FBI and Grand Rapids Police Department in July 2018, are one of the four remaining pairs and are widely viewed as among the most recognizable memorabilia in American film history," the press release stated.

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Martin had the slippers in his possession for less than 48 hours before handing them over to the unnamed associate, according to the memo.

The reformed mobster was given no jail time after prosecutors recommended time served due to his declining health. Martin is homebound after doctors estimated he has six months to live.

"Terry Martin never meant to be a criminal celebrity. He happened upon it when he broke two panes of glass in a museum and stole a pair of red sequined slippers," his lawyer said. "He deeply regrets this decision and is ready to accept his punishment. But he’s no monster. He’s a dying man ready to meet his maker. He asks the Court to accept the parties’ joint plea agreement and sentence him to time served."

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