CrimeFeb 06, 2023
Queens Jeweler Convicted of Laundering Stolen Luxury WatchesCrimeFeb 09, 2023
Melissa Joy Manning’s Brooklyn Boutique Robbed at Knifepoint
The robber obscured his identity with a hat, sunglasses, and surgical mask.
Security camera footage from two different New York City jewelry stores shows the man believed to have robbed the Melissa Joy Manning store in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, last week.
New York—There’s been another jewelry store robbery in Brooklyn, New York, this time in the Cobble Hill neighborhood by a man believed to have committed several jewelry store heists.
On Thursday, Feb. 2, a man entered the Melissa Joy Manning boutique at 196 Court St., according to designer and founder Melissa Joy Manning.
He was fully covered, wearing a surgical face mask, sunglasses, and a hat.
The man made conversation with the one employee on duty, explaining he was shopping for an eighth anniversary present for his girlfriend and that his budget was $8,000 to match the occasion.
“He asked to see where all the diamond rings were, where all the necklaces were, took some pictures and said he would wait to hear back from his girlfriend,” Manning told National Jeweler Wednesday.
The man left the store after surveying some options. Realizing he was likely casing the store, the employee immediately reached out to Manning.
Manning sent an employee working at the company’s nearby location in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood to the Cobble Hill store so the first employee wouldn’t be alone.
She also contacted the store’s assigned New York City Police Department neighborhood community officer (NCO).
“Our previous NCO had been really responsive,” she said. “Any time we had any kind of suspicious character or anything odd he would send a car or a beat patrolman to be on the street.”
That officer was promoted, leaving a new police officer in his place. According to Manning, the new NCO didn’t take the situation seriously and didn’t advise Manning to call 911.
“He blew me off like I was a hysterical female, despite me asking for help and being very specific about what happened. He took my phone number and said, ‘I’ll get back to you.’”
As soon as the second employee stepped out for a moment, the suspicious man re-entered the store under the guise of having chosen a piece to purchase.
“[My employee] turned to open the case. He put a knife at her back and said, ‘This is a robbery. Remain calm. Just do what I say. Take everything out of the case and put it in my hands.’”
Manning said the robber instructed the employee to empty out one entire showcase dedicated to fine jewelry, then another showcase measuring six feet long. He put the stolen goods in a backpack.
As they moved closer to the door, he had the employee lie down. When he left—fleeing on foot down into the subway—he took a showcase key he had touched with him.
“He was methodical and calm. He obviously had done it quite a few times,” Manning said.
Upon conferring with other local jewelers, Manning believes this same individual has hit several other New York City jewelry stores, including Macha in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, also at knifepoint a couple of weeks prior.
She believes he is also the man who attempted to enter Goldpoint Jewelry in the same neighborhood, though employees “turned him away and called the police because they recognized him.”
Manning said she thinks the robber was in Page Sargisson’s Brooklyn jewelry store on Feb. 2, the same day he robbed her store, and that he is the man who “assaulted two employees” at Manhattan store Jill Platner on the day prior when they became suspicious of him and threatened to call the police.
The NYPD agrees with Manning and her fellow jewelers. She said they have escalated the case to the high-profile crime unit, investing the man as a serial burglar.
Though the police are now taking the case seriously, Manning feels they were negligent when they didn’t act upon her initial call to her neighborhood community officer.
“He’s obviously targeting smaller, designer, women-owned stores,” Manning said.
The man is described as a tall Black male, likely between 6’2” and 6’4”. He’s been seen wearing jeans, black or white tennis shoes, and a black jacket.
He wears a surgical mask and red wraparound sunglasses. He also wears a hat, which has varied in different sightings, from a newsboy cap to a stocking cap. He has been seen with two backpacks at once—one that is blue and black and one that is red and black.
“He’s dangerous,” Manning said.
She advises anyone who sees him to immediately call 911. Anyone with information about the suspect should contact Detective Robert Manzi of the NYPD’s Brookly Robbery Squad at (718) 230-4432 or Robert.Manzi@nypd.org.
Manning also asked jewelers to be on alert for suspicious requests to sell a lot of jewelry. She said Greenwich St. Jewelers received such a call from a man wanting to sell jewelry owned by a recently deceased relative the day after the Melissa Joy Manning robbery.
Brooklyn has had a spate of jewelry store robberies recently, though the perpetrators of a January smash-and-grab and a violent robbery in December didn’t wear the same disguise as the man who robbed Melissa Joy Manning and were in groups.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Crime
The Latest
TrendsSep 23, 2026
Holiday Diamond Jewelry Trends: Layered Looks, PersonalizationThis holiday season, look to pieces that will help to fill out customers’ everyday diamond jewelry wardrobe, experts say.
SourcingSep 23, 2026
Organization That Promotes Natural Diamond Rebrands for Third Time The Natural Diamond Council is now The Diamond Collective and has announced a new strategy under CEO Amber Pepper.
IndependentsSep 23, 2026
This Milwaukee-Area Jeweler Is Serving the 7CsPaul’s Jewelers sells coffee, chocolate, and cookies from a custom gold-wrapped trailer parked outside the store starting at 7 a.m.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
MajorsSep 23, 2026
Kay Jewelers’ New Campaign Goes ‘All In’ on LovePart of its brand relaunch, the marketing around the campaign includes a contest involving a jacket set with 550 diamonds.
Weekly QuizSep 17, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsSep 23, 2026
Tiffany & Co. Exhibition Opening at Arkansas Museum The curation, opening soon at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, honors the jeweler’s heritage through a distinctly American lens.
CollectionsSep 23, 2026
Pucker Up for Pandora’s New Pat McGrath Jewelry CollabThe jewelry giant has partnered with the famed makeup artist to create a colorful new collection of charms and rings.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
IndependentsSep 23, 2026
Texas Jewelers Association to Celebrate 120th AnniversaryThe association will mark the milestone at its convention next month.
IndependentsSep 23, 2026
Sissy’s Log Cabin’s ‘Back to School and Bling’ Event ReturnsThe jeweler donated school supplies to Memphis, Tennessee, students during the event combining basketball and mentorship.
MajorsSep 22, 2026
Foundrae’s Lawsuit Against Pandora Can Continue, Court RulesA federal judge denied Pandora’s motion to dismiss Foundrae’s claim for copyright infringement of its medallions.
ColumnistsSep 22, 2026
Peter Smith: Our Struggle With Emotional SellingPeople aren’t thinking rationally when they are buying luxury products, and we shouldn’t be selling them that way, Peter Smith writes.
IndependentsSep 22, 2026
Constance Polamalu Named to '40 Under 40' ListThe Baltimore Business Journal recognized the entrepreneur for her leadership in business and the jewelry industry.
GradingSep 22, 2026
GCAL by Sarine Opens New Lab in MumbaiThe facility is located within SEEPZ and is GCAL by Sarine’s second location in India, joining its existing grading lab in Surat.
Events & AwardsSep 22, 2026
NYCJAOS Returns for Autumn EditionThe four-day show is slated for Nov. 19-22 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood.
AuctionsSep 21, 2026
Ultra-Rare Cartier Cheich Watch Sells for $3.4M Offered at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, the one-of-a-kind white gold watch now holds the title of most valuable Cartier wristwatch sold at auction.
MajorsSep 21, 2026
Longtime Industry Executive Pamela Bernstein-Gulla to RetireBernstein-Gulla has been working in the jewelry industry for 40 years, most recently as chief engagement officer for Hill & Co.
IndependentsSep 21, 2026
Bhindi Jewelers Moves Into New, Larger California StoreThe relocated Glendale store, now at The Americana at Brand, was designed to be a contemporary “timepiece haven” inspired by luxury resorts.
AuctionsSep 18, 2026
7.52-Carat Unheated Paraíba Tourmaline Sells for $1.3M at Sotheby’s The top lot of the auction house’s Hong Kong jewelry sale was an Art Deco Mauboussin necklace with ruby beads, which sold for $2 million.
Policies & IssuesSep 18, 2026
Tariffs, Retail Crime Top of Mind at JA’s Annual Fly-In Retailers and manufacturers headed to the Capitol this week to discuss tariff exemptions for diamonds and gemstones, among other issues.
CollectionsSep 18, 2026
Nanis Transforms Its ‘Boule’ Into a Mirror Our Piece of the Week is a pair of drop earrings from the “Sway” collection featuring Nanis’ first use of mirror-polished gold.
GradingSep 18, 2026
De Beers Introduces Faster Version of Diamond Screening Machine SynthDetect 2 can scan a full tray in less than five minutes, De Beers said, making it six times faster than its predecessors.
AuctionsSep 18, 2026
Noonans To Auction Medieval Gold Seal Ring Recovered By 2 FriendsTwo metal detectorists discovered the ring, which may have belonged to English noblewoman Matilda of Lancaster, in Suffolk.
Policies & IssuesSep 17, 2026
Tariffs on India Could Increase as Russian Sanctions Bill Heads to Trump’s DeskThe bill has a provision that allows the president to raise tariffs on countries that import Russian oil and gas to as much as 100 percent.
Events & AwardsSep 17, 2026
This Is the Winner of the 2026 Robert M. Shipley AwardThe American Gem Society presented the annual award to a former president of its board.
CollectionsSep 17, 2026
Cynthia Erivo, Zoë Chicco’s Jewelry Collab Is an Ode to TransformationThe “Chrysalis” capsule centers butterfly motifs representing growth, transformation, and the unfolding of who you are.
Events & AwardsSep 17, 2026
Louisiana Retailer Kevin Patton Wins Lifetime Achievement AwardJewelers of Louisiana presented Patton, the third-generation president of Pattons Fine Jewelry, with the award at its annual convention.
