Thomas “Tommy” Dono, a 52-year-old Gambino crime family soldier known for his previous involvement in bank robberies, has been charged in connection with a $1.7 million burglary of the Chanel flagship boutique in Manhattan. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office alleges that Dono orchestrated the heist, which occurred nearly two years ago, on the night of Saturday, July 13, 2024.

According to court records, Dono supervised a crew of 10 during a carefully planned three-hour operation at Chanel’s store located at 15 East 57th Street. Beginning at 10:14 p.m., thieves gained entry to the store by breaking through a stockroom ceiling hatch. Surveillance footage reviewed by the NYPD shows several crew members dressed as construction workers carrying approximately 300 stolen Chanel items, valued at $1,776,700, through a rear fire escape exit into an alleyway behind the store. The merchandise was then moved to a nearby building under construction on East 58th Street before being loaded into a white Sprinter van. Dono reportedly remained at the scene, directing the operation from a white minivan parked outside until he drove away at 1:25 a.m. the following day, followed by the van carrying the stolen goods.

The haul from the burglary represents the largest theft ever recorded at the Chanel boutique in the United States. Despite extensive investigations, none of the stolen merchandise has been recovered to date.

Dono pleaded not guilty to grand larceny charges on May 19 and was released on $300,000 bond. Judge Felicia Mennin set the bond amount at half of what prosecutors sought. The investigation remains active, with authorities anticipating additional arrests.

Law enforcement officials quickly identified Dono as a key suspect due in part to his unique physical characteristic—his left arm is amputated at the shoulder, a condition sustained after a car accident several years ago. Surveillance imagery linked Dono and the two vans used in the burglary to a residential property on Bay 10th Street in the Bath Beach section of Brooklyn during the days surrounding the heist.

Dono has a documented history within the Gambino crime family. He is a nephew of the late Thomas “Huck” Carbonaro, a recognized Gambino soldier convicted of racketeering and the attempted murder of former underboss Salvatore “Sammy Bull” Gravano. Dono was reportedly inducted into the family approximately five years ago after his release from prison, where he served time for involvement in the 1998 murder of FBI informant Frank Hydell. Hydell was fatally shot outside a Staten Island strip club. Court documents from a 2008 racketeering indictment indicate that Dono was proposed for full membership in the Gambino family in 2001 as a reward for criminal acts, including his role in Hydell’s killing.

Authorities continue to pursue leads in the case as they work toward further arrests and the recovery of the stolen luxury goods.