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Former Italian chef arrested in San Francisco, charged with three BANK robberies in one day!

2025-09-16 13:01:37Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Valentino Luchin

A scene that looks like it's straight out of a 1990s movie took place on the afternoon of September 10 in downtown San Francisco, when a man entered a bank, handed the employee a bill demanding money and left with a bag full of cash.

But what initially seemed like an isolated episode turned out to be just one of three robberies committed on the same day, all with a similar style and perpetrator.

Local police quickly identified the suspect: Valentino Luchin, a 62-year-old originally from Este, Italy, and a longtime resident of San Francisco.

He is a former famous chef, who once ran successful Italian restaurants, but had been in deep financial difficulties for years.

From the kitchen to crime

According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police Department, the first robbery occurred in the heart of the city, and thanks to the help of citizens, officers identified Luchin as the main perpetrator.

Within the same day, two other bank robberies occurred in the Central District of San Francisco, all with identical methods: no physical violence, but with silent threats and demands for money.

Luchin was arrested and booked into the San Francisco Jail, where he faces charges of multiple counts of robbery and attempted robbery. The exact amount of money taken during the robberies has not been released.

Who is Valentino Luchin?

Valentino Luchin has a long history in Italian gastronomy in the U.S. He moved to California in 1993 and later became executive chef at the renowned Rose Pistola restaurant in San Francisco's North Beach area.

He then opened his own restaurant, Osteria Ottavio, in Walnut Creek, which closed after six years, leaving him and his wife in deep debt.

In a 2018 interview, following a previous arrest for bank robbery, Luchin stated:

 "I thought it was a good plan, but it wasn't. I don't even know how to use a real gun."

He had used a fake gun and apologized to the bank employees, stressing that his action was driven by financial ruin.

An unexpected return to the pages of the chronicle

After the 2018 robbery and prison term, Luchin had continued to work as a culinary consultant and chef at various restaurants.

In his last Instagram post in February of this year, he promoted the menu of a restaurant in Hawaii, where he appeared to have relocated for work.

After that, he disappeared from social media until his new arrest in San Francisco.

The investigation into the latest events is still ongoing, and authorities have not said whether Luchin will face any federal penalties, due to the nature of his crimes and the repeated nature of the offenses.


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