ic diving in Indiana. In all, he squeezed the victim out of $50,000.

His second victim, John Doe #2, co-owned a merchant cash advance business, and in April 2024, Cutaia showed up with a gun, threatening to  spray the place  and yelling that he was owed $100,000. He then demanded the victim and a second man give him the watches off their wrists, a Rolex Daytona with a gold face and black leather wristband and a Patek Philippe

Nautilus.

After his arrest in June 2024, he asked his wife to get rid of the Rolex, and to disable his cell phone for good measure, according to federal prosecutors.

He compared himself to Dillinger in a recorded call from the MDC Brooklyn jail.

 I do eight years and then I'm home. And then you know what I do then? And then, you know what I do then, ha, I gotta do another 10 years?  he bragged.  Then it's over, then I come out like John Dillinger. Ain't nothing stopping me. 

Cutaia's lawyer, Gary Cutler, pointed out in a court filing that he even though he admitted the extortion, he thought of John Doe #1 as a friend, and John Doe #2 was the brother of a good friend of his.

He also said Cutaia was commended by the warden at MDC Brooklyn for preventing his bunkmate from committing suicide by hanging.