This browser does not support the Video element.
West Allis heirloom piano workshop owner charged with theft
The owner of an antique piano repair workshop in West Allis is charged with felony theft.
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - Customers trusted him to restore family heirlooms that were never returned. Now, the owner of a nearly 70-year-old piano repair shop is charged with felony theft.
The last straw
What we know:
In April, the neglected appearance of Neuhaus Piano Workshop hit Cassandra Kaminski like a bad note.
"It was closed. The lights were off. There was a pile of mail," recalled Kaminski.
Back in 2023, Kaminski entrusted the workshop with her 1930s Charles Frederick Stein piano. The workshop's owner then stopped responding to her questions about the repairs.
The criminal case
What we know:
After finding the shop locked, Kaminski went straight to the West Allis Police Department. A detective was assigned to her case.
The owner of Neuhaus Piano Workshop, Tom Neuhaus, was charged with felony theft in November.
Tom Neuhaus
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Kaminski appreciates the action, but says it's a consolation.
"I would rather have gotten my piano back," said Kaminski.
Cassandra Kaminski
The criminal complaint says two years ago, Neuhaus picked up Kaminski's piano. He also took $5,500 for repairs. Then, he didn't finish the work he promised and "cut off all communication."
Heart-breaking impact
Dig deeper:
When Contact 6 first met Kaminski back in the spring, she said the antique piano was her sole inheritance from her grandparents, who helped raise her.
"It was like losing my childhood," said Kaminski. "This is not how you run a business. This is not how you treat people."
Cassandra Kaminski
The backstory:
Kaminski's complaint wasn't Contact 6's first about Neuhaus. In 2017, the consumer segment met with a Milwaukee woman who'd waited years for her piano's repair. She's still waiting for her piano today.
"I don't like this," Neuhaus told Contact in 2017. "My father and I both prided ourselves on getting things done."
Contact 6's interview with Neuhaus was one year after the death of his dad, Arnold Neuhaus, who founded the piano workshop in 1957.
"I inherited all his work. I don't have anybody working for me full-time who can do this work," Neuhaus told Contact 6.
According to police records, Neuhaus kept taking on more work.
The criminal complaint says "no less than seven different victims have made complaints" to police. They included accusations "that he accepted pianos and payment for restoration before cutting off communication."
Another unhappy customer
What we know:
Don Lamb in Germany has been waiting four years for the return of his Milwaukee family's piano. Lamb was allowed inside Neuhaus Piano Workshop in August.
"Sort of, the carcasses of 30-some pianos in various places, and small little trails to get back to where my piano is," recalled Lamb. "It's a disaster. I don't know what else to do."
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
As far as Lamb knows, his piano is still in pieces today.
Looking ahead
What's next:
Kaminski says it's not just about missing heirloom pianos, but the sentimental value.
"Not being able to play it these last couple of years has been really difficult," said Kaminski. "I just hope everyone can get their pianos back."
As of Nov. 25, a warrant was still out for Neuhaus' arrest. Contact 6 reached out to him for comment on this story, but did not hear back.
The Source: Information for this report comes from Milwauke County Circuit Court records, interviews with Cassanda Kaminski and Don Lamb. Kaminski and Lamb provided receipts, contracts, emails and text messages.