The FBI major-crimes unit has joined the investigation of a fatal robbery at a Madison Avenue jewelry store in which the thief gunned down an employee and made off with more than $1.2 million in baubles, sources said yesterday.
As relatives of Henry Menahem laid the slain 71-year-old worker to rest, a squad of 40 NYPD detectives continued canvassing buildings, shops and restaurants around R.S. Durant Jewelers on the Upper East Side in the hope of finding someone who saw the masked gunman flee.
The NYPD task force blanketed the neighborhood around the jewelry store, with detectives going to every apartment with a view of the crime scene on Madison between East 75th and 76th streets.
SEE PICTURES OF THE STOLEN JEWELRY (PDF)
Probers are canvassing restaurants to see if any workers may have seen the getaway. They also are reviewing receipts in hopes that the crook may have bought a meal before or after the robbery.
The stunning, bloody, broad-daylight heist Wednesday left Menahem dead after he balked when the masked thief demanded he hand over jewels. The cold-blooded thug simply shot the elderly man and continued grabbing the loot.
The thief made off with some 700 gems, which had been placed at the store by their owner under consignment. The haul was so heavy that the crook had to toss away a box containing a Fabergé egg.
Police released a list of the items the bandit took, including a $105,000 diamond necklace, $75,000 ruby-and-diamond necklace and a $65,000 diamond necklace.
Many of the other items are encrusted with rubies, diamonds and sapphires, and range in price from $15,000 to $35,000.
To aid the NYPD, the FBI has dispatched its specialized, Queens-based major-case squad, which has expertise in handling high-end jewelry thefts.
Sources said the federal agents have strong contacts in the jewelry business and also know many of the fences who deal in hot items.
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