Valentino Luchin, a celerbated chef from Lafayette, shocked his community in May 2018 when he was arrested for robbing a Citibank branch in Orinda, Northern California, NYT reported. Wearing a black hoodie, sunglasses, and latex gloves, Luchin walked into the bank carrying a duffel bag and pointed a gun at the staff.
Bank manager Kamyar Amintaheri instructed his team to hit the alarm as Luchin escaped with around $18,000 in cash. He was caught by police later that same day, leaving many stunned that a well-known local chef was behind the attempted heist.
By 2025, at 62 years old, he was again accused, this time of robbing three more banks in a single day, according to the NYT. Today, Luchin sits in a San Bruno correctional facility, held on $200,000 bail. He faces two counts of second-degree robbery and two of attempted robbery.
A chef who robbed banks
Luchin once worked as executive chef at San Francisco’s famous Rose Pistola, and later opened his own restaurant, Ottavio, which became famous for its soulful Italian food. When news broke that he had robbed a bank, the Bay Area’s food community was shocked. But even after pleading guilty to second-degree robbery and serving six months in county jail, where he worked in the kitchen, Luchin quietly returned to restaurant life.
Born near Venice, Italy, Luchin began working at 15. By the early 1990s, he moved to New York City, learned English while working at an Italian restaurant. He later worked in Seattle, Orlando, and Hawaii. Honolulu Magazine once praised him for “handcrafted black-ink lasagna” and other innovative dishes.
In 2007, he became the executive chef at Rose Pistola, a legendary San Francisco spot. Colleagues admired his knowledge of Italian food and his slow-cooked sauces, though some found him hard to work with and too focused on perfection. He was fired less than a year later.
Opening Ottavio — and the troubles that followed
Luchin met businessman Kenneth Maraccini, who wanted to open a restaurant. Maraccini funded the idea; Luchin designed the menu. They opened Ottavio in Walnut Creek in 2010. Soon, the restaurant faced lawsuits over unpaid wages, a supplier’s payment dispute, and debts piling up. By 2015, Luchin filed for bankruptcy, reporting over $111,000 in debt. By 2016, Ottavio closed.
Restaurant owner Jim Telford, a friend, recalled how they’d often talk about the stress of running small businesses. Yet Luchin would still cook and deliver big meals to friends’ homes just to make them happy. When his restaurant shut down, Telford offered him a sous-chef position, but Luchin declined. A few weeks later, he robbed his first bank. After jail, Luchin worked at another Italian restaurant in San Francisco.
In 2019, he filed for bankruptcy again, showing a yearly income of $75,000 but over $97,000 in debt. That included unpaid wages owed to former employees. He later took a job at The Old Clam House.
Robbed three banks in one day
On September 10, 2025, three banks within two blocks in downtown San Francisco were robbed just hours apart. Each robbery involved a man who passed a note saying, “This is a robbery.”
At the last bank, someone recognised him — it was Valentino Luchin. He was arrested later that day at a nearby hostel. Friends said he had been desperate for work and money. Michelle Salas, a restaurant manager who once employed him, told the NYT, “He was at his breaking point. He just needed to get by.”
Sitting in jail, Luchin told the NYT, his downfall began after a failed job in Maui, followed by two motorcycle accidents, money problems, and substance abuse. He went through rehab, was later charged with shoplifting liquor, and filed for divorce. He said that before the recent robberies, he had only $3,000, which he used to pay his rent. “When you have a breakdown, you don’t really reason very well,” he said.
