Serial Bank Robber Famous for Different Hats Arrested on Upper West Side

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The reign of the headwear robber has come to an end. A suspect in multiple Manhattan bank robberies was arrested Tuesday after a foiled robbery attempt on the Upper West Side, according to a federal indictment.

Joseph DiBenedetto is being charged with 11 federal counts of bank robbery by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, according to the indictment.

He was arrested Tuesday after trying to rob a bank on Columbus Avenue and West 96th Street. When DiBenedetto entered the bank around 10:55 a.m., an employee called the NYPD, according to the indictment. As DiBenedetto fled the bank the employee followed him, still on the phone with the police. DiBenedetto was caught trying to get on a bus at Central Park West and West 96th Street, according to the indictment.

When he was arrested DiBenedetto had a note on him typical to the ones he would hand tellers during his bank robberies.

"Do as I say. Don't be the reason someone gets hurt. Don't hit the alarm. No dye packs, no alarms, no tracers. Act normal. Put all the loose 100's and 50's in the window — now. No games — all the 100's [and] 50's. Don't try me or someone gets hurt. Now. Gun," read the note, officials said in the indictment.

In 11 bank robbery attempts DiBenedetto collected $22,336, read the indictment.

DiBenedetto's robbery spree began on March 9 at a Santander Bank at 250 Lexington Avenue in Murray Hill, police said. Over the next four months DiBenedetto robbed banks in Midtown, the Upper East Side, Lenox Hill, the Upper West Side, the West Village and Gramercy.

DiBenedetto developed a reputation for wearing different types of hats while robbing banks. Surveillance footage caught him donning a beanie, bike helmet, fedora and different types of ball caps.

Photo: NYPD