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New York City - Gem Bandits Use Chasidic Garb To Disguise [video]

Published on:   Jan 07, 2009 at 08:57 AM
News Source: NY Post
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The duo in fake beards
The duo in fake beards
New York City - In a heist straight out of Guy Ritchie's film "Snatch," a pair of armed robbers disguised themselves as Hasidic Jews to steal $4 million worth of jewels from a Diamond District wholesaler in broad daylight, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

Dressed in Orthodox garb of black coats and hats - and phony beards - the robbers showed fake IDs to a lobby security guard on New Year's Eve and took the elevator to the fifth floor of 2 W. 46th St., all while under video surveillance.

The brazen New Year's bandits then strolled past several additional banks of cameras, and were buzzed through two doors into Dialite Imports before drawing their weapons, police said.

Just before getting buzzed into the second door, the men spray-painted the lens of one surveillance camera, sources said.

The robbers then held up owner Atul Shah and another employee at gunpoint.

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Shah was forced to empty the safe of all diamonds and jewels. Then, the invaders tied the two men up with duct tape before slipping out the door unnoticed.

They were in and out in less than five minutes, sources said.

A week later, the crooks are still at large and their identity is unknown, police said.

Aside from the $4 million in diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rings, pendants and necklaces, the thieves also stole the opening scene from 2001's "Snatch," in which Benicio Del Toro and a slew of diamond thieves disguise themselves as Hasidic Jews.

There have been other imitators as well.

Earlier this year, Thomas Kenney, a bank robber dubbed the "Bad Hatter" for his various disguises, including that of a Hasidic Jew, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Long Island.

Dialite Imports was open for business yesterday, and neighbors said security had not been significantly changed since the New Year's heist.

The lobby guard scanned the driver's licenses of all visitors to the building, and the door to Dialite, decorated with an image of the Hindu god Ganesh, requires visitors to be buzzed in through the intercom system.

Shah, the store's owner, said Insurance-company investigators told him not to discuss the robbery.

"They told me I cannot say anything right now," he said.

An insurance adjuster with Lloyd's of London, who said he was investigating the robbery, told The Post that the take may have been well over $4 million.

In spite of the huge amount of security in the Diamond District, there is so much tangible wealth packed into such a small area that such robberies are not unheard of, merchants said.

"But this is a big one," the adjuster said. "There were some very big stones in there."

As to the Hasidic disguise, the investigator called it "comical."

"Was it Hal loween or was it New Year's Eve?" he asked.

Diamond mer chants were warned to be especially vigilant about security on New Year's Eve because of the huge crowds arriving in Midtown en route to Times Square, said Martin Hochbaum, director of the Diamond Dealers Club.

"We put up signs and made announcements to our members that there would be unusual street life on that day," he said. "Many dealers also closed early."

Other merchants at 2 W. 46th St. said there is an uneasy feeling in the building.

"I'm worried and I am concerned," said stone setter Marisol Alvarez, at MCR Gems.


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Read Comments (25)  —  Post Yours »

1

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:26 AM Anonymous Says:

Security in that building is apparently a joke - the picture above shows a man in a pretty poorly made disguise - which should have been easily noticed - except maybe by someone who doesn't look too closely.

There should be "heavy metal" detectors that will ring if some metal object as large as a weapon is encountered.

Other security measures could also be implemented.

2

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:22 AM Logic613 Says:

They sure didn't do a good job dressing up as Hasidim.

3

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:20 AM Anonymous Says:

if you look closer, the guy doesn't even have a beard, just a goattee.... they should give "heimish" classes so the guards would know the difference.

4

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:17 AM Anonymous Says:

maybe chassidis guards would be ideal. takes one to know one, they could spot a fake right away.

5

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:30 AM Anonymous Says:

The guy has a goatee! Doesn't look Chassidish to me!

6

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:40 AM Anonymous Says:

the guy has a very non-jewish looking face and the getup was very poorly done. Anyone should have been able to tell they were fake.

7

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:38 AM Anonymous Says:

the guy has a very non-jewish looking face and the getup was very poorly done. Anyone should have been able to tell they were fake.

8

 Jan 07, 2009 at 10:19 AM Anonymous Says:

since when is a goatee not frum looking?

9

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:57 AM Anonymous Says:

i don't think that the footage shown is the real security tape it looks as if its being reenacted

10

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:33 AM mordy Says:

Maddof Connection

This film of the armed robbery was surely a pretty scary event. The idea that someone can dress up like a similar culture and use that to their advantage to steal so much money. This once again makes people from similar groups once again be very suspicious of each other.
This is similar to what happened on 9/11 where no one was considered safe and everyone needed to be searched especially Muslims for US hating countries
This is slightly similar to the Maddoff scandal as well. As Madoff used his great trust among the Jewish community so swindle away 50 billion Dallors. The Fact is that most of what we do is trust of our fellow Jew. If that were to go down we would loose a major element if Achdus that bring us all together.

11

 Jan 07, 2009 at 11:04 AM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #10  
mordy Says:

Maddof Connection

This film of the armed robbery was surely a pretty scary event. The idea that someone can dress up like a similar culture and use that to their advantage to steal so much money. This once again makes people from similar groups once again be very suspicious of each other.
This is similar to what happened on 9/11 where no one was considered safe and everyone needed to be searched especially Muslims for US hating countries
This is slightly similar to the Maddoff scandal as well. As Madoff used his great trust among the Jewish community so swindle away 50 billion Dallors. The Fact is that most of what we do is trust of our fellow Jew. If that were to go down we would loose a major element if Achdus that bring us all together.

It is not unusual for criminals to exploit vulnerability that stems from trust, such as visually assuming that someone dressed as a priest or rebbe is automatically "OK" without going through the regular security protocols. Even the dumkoffs who screen at the airport will subject such an individual to all the usual screening and patdowns even if he looks like the Pope or the Lubavitcher rebbe. This is an unfortunate outcome of the world we live in.

12

 Jan 07, 2009 at 11:11 AM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #11  
Anonymous Says:

It is not unusual for criminals to exploit vulnerability that stems from trust, such as visually assuming that someone dressed as a priest or rebbe is automatically "OK" without going through the regular security protocols. Even the dumkoffs who screen at the airport will subject such an individual to all the usual screening and patdowns even if he looks like the Pope or the Lubavitcher rebbe. This is an unfortunate outcome of the world we live in.

very good response

13

 Jan 07, 2009 at 11:39 AM Anonymous Says:

he looks jewish. just wrong hat. he didn't take the time to learn about hats.

14

 Jan 07, 2009 at 12:26 PM Perhaps an Inside Job Says:

The fact that they didn't really look like Chassidim AT ALL, should raise the suspicion that this may have been an inside job that at least some of those who "buzzed them in" were in on it.

15

 Jan 07, 2009 at 12:31 PM No Metal Detectors? Says:

Security is a Joke if they let someone walk in with a huge suitcase and a Gun, without using a Metal Detector?

16

 Jan 07, 2009 at 12:30 PM Anonymous Says:

He shakes like some "boulvan" tough guy, not like a yid. Never saw a heimishe yid with those body motions

17

 Jan 07, 2009 at 12:28 PM thats how it is Says:

don't you see the whole think is a fraud including the alleged holdup happens every year after the season you will see i give them 3 months maximum till the lot are caught including the owners of the diamond business sad but that life

18

 Jan 07, 2009 at 12:02 PM Anonymous Says:

I work in the diamond business ill bet you the owners of this business will be arrested within 3 months fr fraud there was no hold up its an insurance scam happen every year after the season wait and you shall see

19

 Jan 07, 2009 at 12:55 PM hug a cactus Says:

terrible beards! anyone remotely connected to security in the building should be dismissed

20

 Jan 07, 2009 at 01:16 PM Anonymous Says:

This was an inside job and the "security" at the door was part of this.

21

 Jan 07, 2009 at 02:20 PM Anonymous Says:

sorry to say, but they do look chassidish, especially to someone who doesnt know chassids well...

22

 Jan 07, 2009 at 02:06 PM Anonymous Says:

not even close gimme a break

23

 Jan 07, 2009 at 02:02 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #1  
Anonymous Says:

Security in that building is apparently a joke - the picture above shows a man in a pretty poorly made disguise - which should have been easily noticed - except maybe by someone who doesn't look too closely.

There should be "heavy metal" detectors that will ring if some metal object as large as a weapon is encountered.

Other security measures could also be implemented.

Metal detectors wouldn't necessarily help as a lot of people working with diamonds legally carry weapons.

24

 Jan 07, 2009 at 02:56 PM Anonymous Says:

what kind of hat is he wearing?
I never saw a

25

 Jan 07, 2009 at 09:00 PM Anonymous Says:

I worked in that building until a month ago and I know security in that building is a joke

26

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