John Cartafalsa, 91, was relieved to get home to the Upper West Side after spending five months of the pandemic stranded in Florida. But as he entered his apartment lobby, his eyes were drawn to a disturbing sight. Tucked at the feet of a neighbor waiting for the elevator was Cartafalsa’s precious Christopher Columbus statue, a gift from a Sicilian-born relative to honor his law school graduation in 1957. For 30 years the 15-inch bronze has held pride of place in an alcove in the lobby of Cartafalsa’s Riverside Drive co-op. There it remained, unmolested, until 5:55 pm June 29...