Restaurant Owned by Famed NYC News Anchor Robbed of $2.5M by Worker

For years, customers packed Fresco by Scotto—the Midtown Manhattan Italian restaurant co-owned by Good Day New York anchor Rosanna Scotto and her family—for its pasta, charm, and celebrity clientele. But behind the scenes, prosecutors say one trusted employee was quietly draining the restaurant dry.

Lori Jakubowski, a former bookkeeper for the beloved eatery, has been accused of embezzling $2.5 million over a seven-year period. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office claims she used the siphoned money to buy a house in Pennsylvania, pay her husband’s Spectrum internet bill, and even cut herself extra checks for “vacation time” she never earned.

Assistant District Attorney Stephen MacArthur told the court Wednesday that Jakubowski “stole money in every way she could,” from pocketing cash tips to writing herself fraudulent checks straight from the restaurant’s bank account.

According to prosecutors, the scheme reached its peak when Jakubowski used restaurant funds to purchase a $164,500 home outside Scranton. She allegedly wrote 88 separate checks and money orders over just four days to make the down payment.

“She treated the restaurant’s account like her own personal piggy bank,” one law enforcement source told The Post.

Jakubowski, who appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to grand larceny and falsifying business records charges. She faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Judge Althea Drysdale released her under supervision but issued a sharp warning: “This is not a get-out-of-court-free card. You must appear every time this court tells you to appear.”

Jakubowski responded softly: “I understand.”

Neither Jakubowski nor her attorney, Michael Fineman, commented following the arraignment. She is due back in court on February 28, 2026.

Fresco by Scotto—run by Rosanna, her daughter Jenn, and son LJ Ruggiero—has long been a Midtown institution since opening in 1993. The restaurant’s clientele has included politicians, Broadway stars, and visiting celebrities. It recently renewed its lease at 485 Madison Avenue, marking more than three decades in business.

A spokesperson for Fresco by Scotto confirmed that the restaurant is “fully cooperating with investigators” and said the Scotto family remains “focused on serving guests and maintaining the integrity that’s defined the restaurant for over 30 years.”

Rosanna Scotto has not commented publicly on the case.

Scotto, one of New York’s most recognizable TV anchors, has been with Fox 5 since the 1980s. She co-hosts Good Day New York and is a fixture of the city’s cultural scene. Fresco by Scotto, often featured in media coverage of power-lunch spots, was founded as a family venture meant to reflect the warmth of their Italian heritage.

Now, the family’s trusted restaurant is at the center of a scandal that prosecutors say stretched nearly a decade—one that may have gone unnoticed if not for a recent internal review.

“This wasn’t a one-time lapse,” a source close to the case said. “It was a long con—quiet, methodical, and deeply personal.”