Thieves bag $19 million in jewels in movie-like heist

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Thieves bag $19 million in jewels in movie-like heist

February 26, 2008

Milan, Italy—Robbers made off with about $19.7 million in jewels from Damiani's Milan showroom Sunday morning in a heist fit for Hollywood, according to a story on the Web site of London newspaper The Times.

What happened at Damiani reads like the script for Ocean's Eleven or The Italian Job and, ironically, occurred while the store's owners were in Los Angeles hosting a party to celebrate the Academy Awards.

Police say the four thieves—led by a man with a "southern Italian" accent—spent more than a month digging a tunnel from the unused basement of an adjacent building.

People heard the drilling but had assumed it was part of the construction going on next door, police told The Times.

The thieves, dressed in ski masks, sunglasses and fake Italian military police uniforms, burst in while the showroom was open for private viewing by wealthy clients, and five employees were inside.

The thieves claimed they were there to check the accounts, then overpowered the staff, tied them up with electrical cable, taped their mouths shut and locked them in the bathroom, according to The Times.

They then stole jewelry from the safe-deposit boxes, including diamond-studded gold necklaces, earrings and bracelets, before making their exit.

No one was injured in the robbery, according to The Times, and some of Damiani's most valuable jewels were spared because they were on display at the Oscar party.

Damiani was founded in 1924 and is on its third generation of leadership, with Guido, Giorgio and Silvia at the helm.

Damiani has built a reputation as a jeweler to the stars, with customers including Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Tilda Swinton, winner of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Michael Clayton, wore a diamond-studded Damiani bracelet at the event on Sunday.

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