15.09.2025 17:20
Once one of the most renowned Italian chefs in the U.S., Valentino Luchin was quickly caught and arrested after attempting to rob three different bank branches in a single day.
Valentino Luchin, one of the renowned Italian cuisine chefs in the USA, was arrested on Wednesday, September 10, accused of robbing three bank branches in the city center on the same day.
FROM BANKRUPTCY TO CRIME: THE BEGINNING OF THE FALL
Having immigrated to the USA from Italy in 1993, Luchin quickly rose in his career, starting at Rose Pistola, one of San Francisco's established restaurants. He then opened his own restaurant, Ottavio, with his wife. However, the restaurant closed in 2016, and the couple filed for bankruptcy in 2015 due to financial issues. This period became a turning point in the chef's life.
HE COMMITTED HIS FIRST ROBBERY IN 2018
Luchin's criminal record was first established in 2018 due to a bank robbery in Orinda. Entering the bank with a fake gun, gloves, and sunglasses, he escaped with $18,000 but was caught shortly after. At that time, in an interview from prison, he admitted that his plan was wrong, emphasized that he did not use a real gun, and mentioned that he wrote an apology letter to the victimized bank employee.
HE ROBBED THREE BANKS ON THE SAME DAY
After 7 years, Luchin made headlines again with a much bolder crime. According to the San Francisco Police Department, on Wednesday, September 10, he attempted to rob three separate bank branches in the Central District one after another. In each, he handed handwritten notes to the employees demanding money. At least one bank employee perceived a threat and handed over the money.
HE WAS CAUGHT IN A SHORT TIME
The police quickly apprehended Luchin thanks to the statements of eyewitnesses living in the area. The chef, currently held in the San Francisco County Jail, is charged with multiple robberies and attempted robberies.
"UNHAPPINESS AND DESPERATION CAN LEAD A PERSON TO DO THINGS THEY SAID THEY'D NEVER DO"
In an interview after the 2018 robbery, Luchin stated, "Unhappiness and desperation can lead a person to do things they said they'd never do." His reoffending has led to comments that his past expressions of regret may have been in vain. It appears that the chef, who left a mark in prestigious kitchens of the past, has chosen a darker path this time amid years of debt and disappointments.