Renowned California chef, 62, arrested for robbing three banks in one day

A well-known California chef arrested for a 2018 bank robbery was back in custody this week after police said he robbed three banks in a single day.

Valentino Luchin, 62, who worked at two popular San Francisco restaurants, including one he owned, was arrested on Wednesday on multiple robbery charges.

San Francisco police responded to a robbery report, but the suspect had already fled. An employee said a man had passed a note “demanding money”, which they complied with.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, Luchin struck three different banks across the city on September 10, passing handwritten notes demanding cash. Officers first responded to a bank near Grant Avenue in Chinatown around noon.

After receiving a bag of cash, the suspect fled. Police have not disclosed the total amount stolen.

The city’s Robbery Unit, aided by SFPD ambassadors and community tips, quickly identified Luchin as the suspected robber. Authorities linked him to two more Central District bank heists that day based on similar descriptions and robbery methods.

Luchin was arrested later the same day at his home in the Central District and booked into the San Francisco County Jail. He faces two counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery and remains in custody awaiting formal charges.

According to KTLA, this isn’t Luchin’s first run-in with the law. In 2018, he was arrested for allegedly robbing a Citibank in Orinda, California, stealing $18,000 and reportedly using a fake gun during the incident.

Following that arrest, Luchin admitted in a jailhouse interview that the closure of his restaurant, Ottavio Osteria, in 2016 left him in financial trouble. “Desperation leads you to do things you never thought you were capable of,” he said, adding he never intended to hurt anyone.

Born in Italy’s Veneto region, Luchin immigrated to the US in 1993 and quickly became a rising star in the culinary world. He served as executive chef at Rose Pistola in San Francisco’s North Beach before opening Ottavio Osteria.

In 2022, he reportedly joined Old Clam House, one of San Francisco’s oldest restaurants, though it’s unclear if he still works there. 

Reflecting on his actions, Luchin admitted his plan was misguided. “My action wasn’t aggressive. It was a fake gun. I don’t even know how to load a real gun,” he said.

He also reportedly wrote an apology letter to one of the tellers and expressed regret for his actions.