Among the notable items he has discovered are Adolf Hitler's desk set, on which the 1938 Munich Agreement was signed,[2] Benito Mussolini's hat, and Hitler-owned paintings of the dictator's parents.
[citation needed] In January 2014, Gottlieb discovered and purchased what he believes may be a false passport belonging to Auschwitz concentration camp physician Josef Mengele.
Mentioned as a "key coordinator" in leaked Department of Defense documents, Gottlieb is said to have operated several shell companies in order to penetrate terrorist funding cells worldwide using his fame as a dealer in high-end military artifacts as a cover for travel and other activities.
[17] Gottlieb appeared on episodes of Auction Hunters, a reality show on the SpikeTV cable network in the United States, as an expert in military antiques and collectible weapons.
[19][20] On March 25, 2014, National Geographic announced Nazi War Diggers, a documentary series set in Eastern Europe, featuring Gottlieb as one of four principal cast members.
[21] The show was pulled indefinitely on March 31, 2014, as a result of criticism by archaeologists, who stated objection to the practice of amateurs unearthing war graves on Europe's eastern front, which they viewed as disrespectful.