Bookkeeper Charged With Stealing $2.5M From Rosanna Scotto's NYC Restaurant

Lori Jakubowski, the longtime bookkeeper for Fresco by Scotto - a Midtown East Italian restaurant co-owned by Fox 5 anchor Rosanna Scotto - has been charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records after allegedly stealing $2.5 million from the restaurant over a seven-year period. Jakubowski has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Her next court date is scheduled for February 28, 2026.

A Seven-Year Scheme

According to prosecutors, Jakubowski exploited her position of financial trust through multiple methods over seven years. She allegedly pocketed cash tips intended for staff, wrote unauthorized checks to herself, issued herself paychecks for fictitious vacation time, and used the restaurant’s bank account to pay personal bills including her husband’s internet service.

One of the most striking alleged transactions involved the purchase of a Pennsylvania home. To fund the $164,500 property, Jakubowski allegedly wrote 88 separate checks and money orders, cashing them over just four days - a pattern prosecutors say was designed to evade detection.

The Restaurant and Those Affected

Fresco by Scotto has been a Midtown East fixture since 1993, co-owned by Scotto alongside her children Jenn and LJ Ruggiero. The alleged embezzlement - spanning nearly a decade - went undetected until an internal review surfaced the discrepancies.

Jakubowski faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Althea Drysdale granted supervised release at arraignment, with mandatory court appearance compliance required given her out-of-state property.

References: Exclusive | Restaurant owned by famed NYC news anchor Rosanna Scotto robbed of $2.5M by brazen staffer who used siphoned cash to buy house | Bookkeeper Accused of Stealing $2.5M from News Anchor Rosanna Scotto’s Restaurant to Buy House