A pair of safe-smashing bandits disguised as construction workers ripped off a smorgasbord of upscale restaurants and bars in SoHo, Chelsea and the East Village, police and prosecutors say.
They said the two sometimes got into restaurants and gained the confidence of workers by saying they had to check on electrical or water problems.
“They come in dressed in reflective vests and hardhats and tell people they have to get out,” said one cop. “They always target the safe.”
Cops busted Kirk Ruffler, 47, and a cohort Tuesday and charged them with 10 counts of burglary after the duo stole cash from Café Amore, Song 7.2 and the Standings bar in the East Village, according to a complaint with the Manhattan DA’s Office.
Ruffler, 47, admitted his role in at least six burglaries, said Detective John McAuliffe of the Ninth Precinct, who arrested the pair.
Police told The Post that Ruffler’s sidekick was Danny Tarangelo, 49, a career criminal with a long rap sheet.
Cops believe the bandits also hit upscale eatery and bar Onieal’s, the Grand Street hot spot that doubled as Scout on the TV show “Sex and the City.”
Workers there heard a noise in the basement and spotted two thieves dash out at about 7 a.m. on Dec. 5. They said they watched in astonishment as two men in ski masks sprinted past them carrying crowbars.
The bandits had pried open a safe and stolen the contents – but made off with only $1,000, the employees said.
Since the arrest, detectives have been working to tie the pair to several other burglaries across town dating back to last summer, including thefts at the trendy Delicatessen and Jacques restaurants on Prince Street.
The alleged thieves hit just about any location that seemed promising, cops said.
They managed to steal $48,000 from a safe they pried open at a Buy-Rite pharmacy on Grand Street, just a few doors from Onieal’s, according to the DA’s complaint.
Court papers say the thieves also struck at the Bounce bar at 103 Second Ave. on June 12; Standings bar at 43 E. Seventh Street on June 17; and Café Amore at 147 Chambers St. on July 5.
The suspects are being held on $100,000 bail each.
The city Correction Department says Tarangelo has been arrested 17 times dating back to Jan. 11, 1991.
Additional reporting by Allison Joyce