Mitch Rubman's Coffee Cup Club

Mitch Rubman's Coffee Cup Club
Night Coffee

Thursday, May 7, 2020

RIP, Arnold Taufield, gallery owner, May 15, 1989, Murdered 31 years ago.

Art Dealer Didn't Fear City Streets
By Don Terry
May 15, 1989

When he was not managing one of his three Manhattan art galleries, Arnold Taufield loved to spend time in the gym, his business partner said yesterday. Mr. Taufield was an amateur bodybuilder who did not worry about being mugged.
Allstate Art Inc., 91 Christopher Street, 1986, By Mitch Rubman

''He figured he could take care of himself,'' his partner, Irving Schneider, said. ''He was a macho type of guy.''

But on Friday evening, less than 100 yards from one of his galleries, Allstate Art Inc., in a busy section of Greenwich Village, Mr. Taufield was shot and killed. The police called the slaying a possible foiled robbery. Mr. Taufield was found clutching more than $8,000 in his hand and was carrying $5,000 more in his shirt pocket, the police said.

The 53-year-old art dealer from Tenafly, N.J., was found lying in a pool of blood in front of 110 Washington Place, west of the Avenue of the Americas. He had been shot once in the head. Paid Employees in Cash Mr. Schneider said Mr. Taufield was carrying so much money because he typically paid their 20 employees in cash on Saturdays.

Employees said, "was the best gallery owner."
The owner of three Manhattan art galleries was found shot to death in what the police believe was an attempted robbery near one of his galleries in Greenwich Village.

Arnold Taufield, 53 years old, of Tenafly, N.J., was found lying beside his Toyota car with a single gunshot wound in his head about 8:30 P.M. Friday in front of 110 Washington Place, around the corner from his Allstate Art store at 361 Sixth Avenue, said Sgt. Peter Berry, a police spokesman. Mr. Taufield was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Vincent's hospital.

He had $13,000 in his possession at the time, about $5,000 in his shirt pocket and $8,400 in his hand, Sergeant Berry said, leading the police to theorize the shooting occurred during a robbery attempt.

Mr. Taufield also owned galleries on Spring Street in SoHo and Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. And by the way, I worked there for six months.

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