A team of alleged mobsters with ties to the Lucchese and Gambino crime families were arrested yesterday in connection with a $2 million one day diamond heist from two elite Manhattan jewelers.
The robbers posed as construction workers before drawing guns on store employees at Bayco Jewels on Madison Avenue on Jan. 3 and another unnamed store on Elizabeth Street on May 20 — before making off with an estimated $2 million worth of jewelry.
Among the suspects is Frank “Skip” Dipietro, a 65-year-old associate of the Lucchese crime family, who previously served 19 years in federal prison for mob-killing a witness.
The other men arrested were named as Vincent Cerchio, 69, Vincent Spagnuolo, 65, and Michael Sellick, 67, in connection with the Bayco Jewels robbery.
Samuel Sorce, 25, was arrested in connection with the related robbery of the Elizabeth Street store.
It is alleged that DiPietro yelled “give it to me” at Bayco staff while his co-worker, Michael Sellick, told the employee to “turn around and get in the closet”
Bayco Jewels requires a credit check to make an appointment for her penthouse
The defendants were arrested June 6 in New York and New Jersey and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Sarah Netburn in Manhattan Federal Court.
They are charged with one count of Hobbs Act theft and one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act theft, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
They have also each been charged with brandishing a firearm during and in connection with a violent crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison to be imposed in addition to any other sentence.
Bayco Jewels is a jeweler for the stars, with its gemstones worn by the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna.
To make an appointment at the Madison Avenue penthouse showroom, potential buyers must first pass a credit check.
CCTV footage obtained by NYPD and FBI investigators shows the robbers dressing in construction gear nearby before heading to Bayco Jewels and posing as workmen outside the storefront.
The footage then shows the men entering the store while employees were setting up the storefront before threatening them at gunpoint.
It is alleged that DiPietro yelled “give it to me” when his associate, Michael Sellick, told the worker to “turn around and get in the closet.”
Cell phone records linked several suspects before, during and after the robbery, Major Case Squad detectives said.
CCTV footage obtained by NYPD and FBI investigators shows the robbers dressed in construction gear nearby
The robbers then go to Bayco Jewels posing as workmen outside the storefront
The robbers fled the store with at least three high-quality diamond jewels, including a chain of about 73 carats
Among the $2 million stolen goods was a ring weighing approximately six carats
Frank DiPietro and Vincent Cerchio are among those arrested in connection with the robbery
Vincent Spagnuolo and Michael Sellick have also been charged with federal robbery
Bayco Jewels is a jeweler for the stars, with its gemstones worn by the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna, seen with Bayco sapphires and diamonds
The robbers fled the store with at least three high-quality diamond jewels, including an approximately 73-carat necklace, a six-carat ring and a pair of 17-carat earrings.
The same stunt was pulled on May 20 when a jewelery shop in Elizabeth Street was robbed by men posing as construction workers.
Police believe Sellick pointed a gun at the store’s employees and ordered them to the ground, while Dipietro collected jewelry.
The two men then fled the store in a getaway car reportedly driven by Sorce, who was also dressed as a construction worker – before switching to another vehicle allegedly driven by Spagnuolo.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said that “these five defendants allegedly committed brutal and dangerous daylight robberies of Manhattan jewelry stores, stealing approximately $2 million worth of jewelry at gunpoint.
Dressed as construction workers, the defendants are accused of trying to blend in with the bustling streets around them before pointing guns at the jewelers’ employees and carrying about $2 million in stolen diamonds and other valuables.
“Thanks to prosecutors in my office and our partners at the NYPD and FBI, the defendants’ alleged armed robbery has been stopped.”
Michael J. Driscoll, deputy director of the FBI, said: “The defendants allegedly brutally robbed Manhattan jewelry stores of approximately $2 million worth of merchandise at gunpoint.
“Violent robberies, especially those involving firearms, will not be tolerated by the FBI and our law enforcement partners. Today’s arrests should serve as a warning to anyone willing to engage in armed robbery – you will suffer the consequences.”