Crew of 'mobsters' arrested for brazen daylight $2 MILLION diamond heists in ... trends now
A crew of alleged mobsters with links to the Lucchese and Gambino crime families were arrested yesterday in connection with a $2 million daylight diamond heist of two elite Manhattan jewelers.
The robbers posed as construction workers before pulling guns on store workers at Bayco Jewels on Madison Avenue on January 3 and another unnamed store on Elizabeth Street on May 20 - before making off with an estimated $2 million worth of jewelry.
Among the accused is Luchese crime family associate Frank 'Skip' Dipietro, 65, who previously served 19 years in federal prison for the mob killing of 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 heist.
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' to staff at Bayco as his associate, Michael Sellick, told the worker to 'turn around and get in the closet'
Bayco jewels requires a credit check in order to book an appointment to its penthouse
The defendants were arrested on June 6 in New York and New Jersey and presented to Manhattan Federal Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.
They have been charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
They have also each been charged with one count of brandishing a firearm during and in connection with a crime of violence, 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 to the stars, with its gems worn by the likes of Beyoncé and Rhianna.
To book an appointment at their Madison Avenue penthouse showroom prospective shoppers 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 shopfront.
The footage then shows the men entering the store as its employees were setting up the store front, before
