A group of suspected gangsters with ties to the Lucchese and Gambino crime families were arrested yesterday in connection with a $2 million diamond heist at two elite Manhattan jewelry stores.
The robbers posed as construction workers before pointing guns at store workers at Bayco Jewels on Madison Avenue on January 3 and at another unnamed store on Elizabeth Street on May 20 – before they took out jewelry worth an estimated made $2 million off.
Among the accused is Frank “Skip” Dipietro, 65, a family member of the Lucchese criminal who previously served 19 years in federal prison for killing a witness by a mob.
The other men arrested were Vincent Cerchio, 69, Vincent Spagnuolo, 65, and Michael Sellick, 67, and were in connection with the Bayco Jewels robbery.
Samuel Sorce, 25, has been arrested in connection with the related robbery of the Elizabeth Street shop.
It is alleged that DiPietro shouted “Give it to me” to Bayco employees when his employee, Michael Sellick, told the worker to “turn around and go in the closet.”
Bayco Jewels requires a credit check to book an appointment for its penthouse
The defendants were arrested on June 6 in New York and New Jersey and brought before US Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan Federal Court.
They are charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, each with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
They have also been charged once each with using a firearm during and in connection with a violent crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison in addition to any other penalty.
Bayco Jewels is a celebrity jeweler whose gemstones are worn by the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna.
To book an appointment at the Madison Avenue Penthouse showroom, prospective buyers must first pass a credit check.
CCTV footage obtained by NYPD and FBI investigators shows the robbers changing into construction clothing nearby before making their way to Bayco Jewels and posing as workers outside the store.
Footage then shows the men entering the store as the staff set up the storefront before threatening them at gunpoint.
It is alleged that DiPietro yelled “Give it to me” as his co-worker Michael Sellick told the worker to “turn around and go in the closet.”
Cellphone records linked several of the suspects before, during and after the robbery, Major Case Squad investigators said.
CCTV footage obtained by NYPD and FBI investigators shows the robbers dressed in construction fatigues nearby
The robbers then make their way to Bayco Jewels and pose as workers in front of the storefront
The robbers fled the store with at least three pieces of high-quality diamond jewelry, including a necklace weighing approximately 73 carats
Among the $2 million worth of stolen goods was a ring weighing approximately six karat
Frank DiPietro and Vincent Cerchio are among those arrested in connection with the robbery
Vincent Spagnuolo and Michael Sellick were also charged with federal robbery
Bayco Jewels is a celebrity jeweler whose gems have been worn by the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna, including Bayco sapphires and diamonds
The robbers fled the store with at least three pieces of high-quality diamond jewelry, including an approximately 73-carat necklace, a six-carat ring and a pair of 17-carat earrings.
The same ploy was pulled on May 20 when a jewelry store on Elizabeth Street was robbed by men posing as construction workers.
Police believe Sellick pointed a gun at the store’s employees, sending them down while Dipietro collected jewelry.
The two men then fled the store in a getaway car said to be being driven by Sorce, who was also dressed like a construction worker, before changing to another vehicle said to be being driven by Spagnuolo.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, “These five defendants allegedly committed brazen and dangerous daytime robberies of jewelry stores in Manhattan, stealing approximately $2 million worth of jewelry at gunpoint.”
Disguised as construction workers, the defendants are accused of trying to blend in with the busy streets around them before turning their guns on jewelry store employees and snatching about $2 million worth of stolen diamonds and other valuable items .
“Thanks to the professional attorneys in my office and our associates at the NYPD and FBI, the suspects’ alleged armed robbery was brought to a halt.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said, “The defendants are said to have brazenly robbed at gunpoint a jewelry store in Manhattan with approximately $2 million worth of merchandise.”
“Violent robberies, particularly 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 prepared to engage in armed robbery – you will face the consequences must.”