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Even criminal masterminds are going remote.
That’s what prosecutors claim in the case of the violent robbery of Italian sports superstar—Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Arguably, the best goalkeeper in soccer, Donnarumma, 27, and his partner, Alessia Elefante, were the victims of masked intruders in their luxury apartment on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
Gold watches, rings, and an assortment of jewelry, estimated to be worth over $1 million, were taken from Donnarumma.
What remains unique was that the robbery was planned and managed by a criminal mastermind—known in the underworld as “Ganito”—from the comforts of his jail cell with use of a smartphone.
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Soccer star Gianluigi Donnarumma was robbed in Paris, as was Italian chef Simone Zanoni
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From The Roof
On the night of July 20–21, 2023, four masked men descended from the rooftop of an apartment building in the center of Paris to enter Donnarumma’s residence. They attacked the Italians soccer star with repeated hits to his head and tied the hands of Elefante with wire cables.
The robbers quickly ransacked the apartment to leave with Elefante’s purse, her valuables, and Donnarumma’s luxury watches. Subsequent to the assault, the couple, both injured, made their way to a nearby hotel to contact authorities.
Using a roof as an entrance point was done in a similar robbery, police say, a year earlier when the Italian chef—Simone Zanoni—was victimized in Paris.
Picture of Ilyas Kerbouch, a.k.a. "Ganito"
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Ganito's Gang
From the confines of the Villepinte prison, outside Paris, the crime was planned and managed by Ilyas Kerbouch, a 21-year-old Moroccan national, nicknamed “Ganito.”
French police claim that Kerbouch relied on a smartphone inside prison to orchestrate different aspects of the crime and its aftermath. He recruited a gang to steal from Donnarumma. He mapped out the location with directions for the assault.
After the robbery, fearing the carelessness of a one of the robbers could gain the attention of police, Kerbouch gave orders for the man to be tortured and killed. He viewed the ordeal—from beginning to end—on his smartphone, inside prison, say prosecutors.
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Get Ganito
Ilyas Kerbouch is, no doubt, a formidable adversary for French police.
Not only did he steal a million dollars worth of items from Gianluigi Donnarumma, but, Kerbouch succeeded in making a daring escape from Villepinte prison this year. With help from accomplices dressed as policemen, Kerbouch was able to break out of the jail complex.
French press described the escape as unusually bold and embarrassing for the prison system. Kerbouch was later arrested again after nearly two weeks as a fugitive.
Kerbouch remains a shadowy figure known only as “Ganito”—a name without a clear meaning, but one that, to French authorities, has become synonymous with precision, coordination, and control.
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Italy's national soccer team pictured with President Sergio Mattarella
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Celebrities Targeted
The robbery of Donnarumma suggests an unsettling reality: that organized criminal networks can continue to plan high-end home invasions even from prison, with use of the latest technology.
For Italy, the episode struck a deeper nerve.
Donnarumma, a symbol of national pride, was the hero of UEFA Euro 2020, whose penalty shootout brilliance delivered glory to the Azzurri. That such a figure could be targeted—violently, brazenly, and in one of Europe’s most guarded capitals—raises troubling questions about security, celebrity, and the evolving sophistication of criminal networks.
Editor’s Note: Gianluigi Donnarumma plays goalkeeper for Manchester City. Their web site is: https://www.mancity.com/players/gianluigi-donnarumma
The photograph of the team holding the Italian flag with President Sergio Matterella, https://www.quirinale.it/elementi/59074
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