Thomas “Tommy” Dono, a longtime Gambino crime family member once implicated in a notorious mob murder conspiracy, is back in legal trouble after prosecutors accused him of orchestrating a staggering $1.7 million burglary at Chanel’s flagship boutique in Manhattan. Authorities allege the one-armed gangster oversaw a crew of 10 thieves who pulled off one of the biggest retail heists in recent New York City history.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office told The New York Post that the break-in unfolded over three hours beginning late on July 13, 2024, at Chanel’s Fifth Avenue-area store on East 57th Street. Investigators say the crew entered through a stockroom ceiling hatch, with several members disguised as construction workers. Surveillance footage captured large bags stuffed with merchandise being lowered down a rear fire escape, then moved through a nearby under-construction building and loaded into a waiting van. Prosecutors estimate the thieves made off with roughly 300 luxury items valued at $1,776,700. None of the merchandise has been recovered.
Dono, 52, allegedly supervised the operation from a white minivan parked outside the store before driving away shortly after 1 a.m. Investigators identified him early in the case because of what court filings described as his “unique physical characteristics.” Dono lost his left arm at the shoulder in a car accident years ago, making him instantly recognizable on surveillance footage.
The Chanel boutique involved in the case is considered the fashion house’s largest and most significant location in the United States. Prosecutors believe additional arrests are likely.
But the alleged burglary is only the latest chapter in Dono’s decades-long association with the mafia. Federal records show he previously admitted participating in a conspiracy that led to the 1998 murder of FBI informant Frank Hydell outside Scarlett’s nightclub on Staten Island. In announcing Dono’s 2010 sentencing, then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said Dono and fellow Gambino associate Letterio DeCarlo were punished for “their participation in a conspiracy that resulted in the 1998 murder of Frank Hydell.”
According to court filings, Dono admitted he and others agreed to eliminate Hydell “in order to maintain and increase their standing” within the Gambino organization. Prosecutors alleged that his role in the plot eventually helped pave the way for his induction into the crime family.
Hydell, who had reportedly provided information to federal authorities months before his death, was shot outside the South Beach strip club in April 1998. Former FBI agent Matthew Tormey later testified that the victim had shared information involving “10 to 20” mob figures.
After serving a 15-year prison sentence tied to the murder conspiracy, Dono was released in 2021. He pleaded not guilty to grand larceny charges related to the Chanel case in May and was released on $300,000 bond. The investigation remains active.
