Feds: Mobsters Who Snatched $2M in Diamond Jewelry Heists Indicted

According to federal prosecutors, a gang of five jewelry thieves said to be connected to the Mafia were indicted on June 6th for two robberies: one in January at an upscale location on the Upper East Side, and another in May in Chinatown.

“These five defendants allegedly carried out brazen and dangerous daylight robberies of jewelry stores in Manhattan, stealing about $2 million in jewelry at gunpoint,” said Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

“Dressed as construction workers, the defendants allegedly sought to blend into the busy streets around them before pointing guns at the jewelry stores’ employees and carrying out about $2 million in stolen diamonds and other valuable pieces,” Williams added.

The indictments cap a six-month investigation that kicked off after the fateful morning of Jan. 3, 2023, when four men dressed in bulky neon hi-visibility construction vests converged on the high-end Bayco Jewelry shop on Madison Ave and E. 61st St., a location frequented by celebrities such as Beyoncé. It was roughly 10:20 a.m. They made their entrance to the by-appointment-only store by entering through a deli in the same building, so that their construction gear would not arouse suspicion.

According to surveillance footage, two of the suspects–Frank Dipietro and Vincent Cerchio–had already cased the joint the day before. While an employee was laying out glittering pieces of diamond jewelry on store shelves, two of the men–Dipietro and Michael Sellick–pointed a gun at the employee and reportedly barked the command “give it to me,” ostensibly referring to the diamond encrusted jewelry. Prosecutors claim that the employee was then locked into a closet before the gang fled with lots of bling, including an “approximately 73-carat necklace, an approximately six-carat ring, and an approximately 17-carat pair of earrings.”

The account given by prosecutors also details another alleged hit by the jewel thieves on May 20th, this time on Elizabeth St. in Chinatown. Reportedly dressed in the same construction garb from the first robbery, Dipietro and Sellick again took point on the stick-up. Shortly after the store opened at 10 a.m., Sellick whipped out a firearm and ordered everybody onto the floor, while Dipietro pilfered jewelry. Prosecutors claim that they then jumped into a getaway car driven by Samuel Sorce, who was also wearing construction garb. Sorce was purportedly a new addition to the thief squad, and had come onboard since the January robbery. At some point, the men transferred cars to one driven by Vincent Spagnuolo. Police gave chase after receiving a 911 call, leading to Spagnuolo crashing the car and the suspects fleeing on foot.

By the end of the two heists, the five men combined had stolen an estimated $2 million in jewels, according to charges unsealed by Williams. Each of the five men face robbery, conspiracy, and firearms charges. Sorce is 25, with the other four suspects all in their mid-60s. They all hail from either New York or New Jersey.

Williams added that “thanks to the career prosecutors from my Office and our partners at the NYPD and the FBI, the defendants’ alleged armed robbery spree has been shut down.” He also praised the “outstanding work” of the NYPD in assisting with the arrests of the men.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell chimed in to note that “the charges these defendants face reflect a callous disregard for life, and they will now be held accountable.”

NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig also claimed that the five men were associates of the Lucchese and Genovese crime families.

According to reports, Dipietro had previously been indicted in 1998 under the RICO Act for being a member of the notorious “Port Richmond Crew.” He also pleaded guilty shortly thereafter to murdering George (Booty) Van Name, who had been killed in 1990 for testifying to a grand jury about the criminal operations of the Lucchese family. He is also reportedly known in some quarters as “Frankie the Fish”.

Lawyers for two of the defendants insisted their clients were innocent and that it was a case of mistaken identity.

“Law enforcement was desperate to solve these cases so they are rounding up the usual suspects,” DiPietri’s lawyer Matthew Mari told the NY Post. “This will be a trial that ends with the government having egg on their face!”

Sellick’s lawyer Gerald McMahon said the case against his client was “a terrible case of mistaken identity.” He said Sellick was painting bridges and therefore “couldn’t have been on Madison Avenue pulling off a jewelry heist.”