Excellent Point
I know you're right. Mastro altered more than just the Wagner both before he opened his auction house and during its run.
If there is anything I've learned as I age is that you walk in the gray zone on issues like this.
For the record, I was focusing on his dealings with Copeland (between 1985-1990) when he was busy buying all kinds of collections for Copeland. As I understand it Copeland had an open checkbook. Did Mastro alter/trim items he knew he would be selling directly to Copeland? Only Mastro can answer that. How discerning was Copeland? He just wanted the best currently available.
You would think that if Mastro had altered items he sold to Copeland he would have needed the help of others on at least some items. And it is hard to keep secrets. People talk and SOMEONE would have told Copeland that Mastro is playing around with items he's buying. You would think. But then Copeland was isolated; he didn't attend shows. I could be totally wrong. I guess it comes down to a matter of degree. That is, how many items were altered? Only one man knows all the answers and he's not talking.
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