Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

UES Jewelry Thief Caught on Tape, Threw Away Fabergé Egg


By

Ben Muessig

Published Jan 29, 2010

Modified Jan 29, 2010


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

Ben Muessig

Published Jan 29, 2010

Modified Jan 29, 2010


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

The robber who killed a 71-year-old man in an Upper East Side jewelry heist stole so many valuables that investigators believe he threw away a Fabergé-style egg during his escape. According to law enforcement sources, the gunman who shot Henry Menahem in the R.S. Durant shop on Madison Avenue on Wednesday grabbed more than 700 items worth nearly $1 million, then dumped the decorative egg, valued at between $100 to $1,000, in a bag next to a trash can at the northwest corner of Lexington Avenue and 73rd Street.

After releasing a sketch of the masked man yesterday, police have also unveiled surveillance footage purportedly showing the suspect walking down Lexington Avenue:

Detectives are visiting pawnshops to see if the perp has tried to resell any of the valuables, which include a blue sapphire necklace and emerald earrings. Insiders say he'll have trouble unloading the stolen goods. "He's not going to be able to get rid of that jewelry," a source told the Daily News. "The guys who deal in this high-end stuff are not going to go near anything connected to a homicide."

The Times looks at the impact the robbery has had on the Upper East Side, describing the Madison Avenue hold-up and killing as the "rarest of New York City crimes." Meanwhile, friends and family of Menahem are mourning the death of a man remembered as a cancer survivor, a theater lover, and a father of three. On the day of the robbery, the Long Branch, New Jersey resident reportedly told a waiter at a diner next door to the jewelry store: "[L]ife is beautiful. Cheer up. The world is a good place."

Tagged

Fabergé

henry menahem

Jewelry

jewelry heist

killing

mask

murder

r.s. durant

robber

shooting

surveillance video

thief

ues

upper east side


Ben Muessig

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say

Police are investigating a related incident in which a 62-year-old woman was found injured beneath the Van Wyck Expressway.

By

Charles Lane

Published Oct 14, 2026 at 7:39 p.m. ET


Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves

The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.

By

Arya Sundaram

and

Samantha Max

News

Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves

The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.

By

Arya Sundaram

and

Samantha Max


Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid

By

Carol Chen

National Grid customers in NYC will see higher gas bills this winter

By

Rosemary Misdary

Bruce Blakeman joins Gov. Hochul in support for expanding NY rape law

By

Jon Campbell


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .