By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
A stuffed Icelandic ram that has been the mascot of a Nassau Street woolen shop for more than 30 years disappeared last week.
Lindi last was seen around 3 p.m. July 16 in its usual place in front of Landau of Princeton, a three-generation, family run business owned by brothers Robert and Henry Landau. Borough police are investigating the case as a theft, although no one has been arrested.
”He was part of our image, and he’s missing,” said Robert Landau in an interview Friday at the store.
Mr. Landau said neither he nor any other store employee store saw Lindi at closing time last week, but no one thought anything of it assuming that someone had put the ram away as usual.
Mr. Landau said he has no plans to put up a reward, and he said he would not negotiate with whoever stole Lindi. Able to find some humor in the situation, he said a “ransom note” was not left behind.
This is not the first time the ram was stolen, however.
Mr. Ladau recalled the other time this happened was in November 1997 when two students from the College of New Jersey absconded with Lindi. The ram was returned; Mr. Landau still has the apology letter the students signed.
”Every 15 years, he does this. He goes away for a week or so,” Mr. Landau said.
He suspects that whoever took Lindi needed help since the bulky ram weighs more than 100 pounds and is set on a mounted base with wheels on the bottom.
Lindi has been part of the community for a long time. News of his disappearance has upset some.
”I think that it stinks,” said Brian Harris, manager of the Princeton Running Company, an athletic apparel store also on Nassau Street. To him, he said the theft sounds like a fraternity prank.The Landaus used to do a lot of business in Iceland for many years. Interested in acquiring a store mascot, Mr. Landau worked through the Icelandic Board of Trade to get the ram in either 1976 or 1977.
Lindi, a prize-winning ram from a hamlet outside Reykjavik, did not come cheap. The overall cost, including shipping, was about $10,000, Mr. Landau said.The theft of Lindi has garnered considerable publicity, just like it did 15 years ago. Still, no one has come forward claming responsibility.
Borough police Lt. Sharon Papp said Friday authorities have no leads.
As for the Mr. Landau, he said if Lindi is not recovered, the store likely will get another mascot, perhaps a sheep.

