There's something fascinating about world-renowned chefs.

From Julia Child to Anthony Bourdain, they never fail to mystify and amaze.

Even if they have these little eccentricities, it's a blend of art and science and you have to be able to think

on your feet and know what you're doing. And it's not just the famous chefs that we idolize.

The person who runs the kitchen at your favorite local restaurant can have a huge influence

over your mood. A bad meal can put a damper on your whole day,

but one great meal can turn a bad day around completely. In the San Francisco Bay Area in the

2010s, Chef Valentino Lucan kept customers coming back for more. His mastery of authentic Italian cuisine

helped him cultivate a following.

But when legal and financial problems

started piling up at Valentino's restaurant,

he seemed to take some advice from Julia Child herself.

If everything doesn't happen quite the way you'd like,

it doesn't make too much difference because you can fix it.

Unfortunately, Valentino's way of fixing things wasn't as simple as improvising on a disastrous recipe, or adding a touch of salt or garlic.

Valentino came up with an idea to get out of the disaster he'd created for himself.

But unlike his five-star dishes, it involved less precise measuring and more mayhem.

He goes to a downtown bank with a fake gun and a note.

This is the opportunist, an original podcast from Podcast One.

I'm Sarah James McLaughlin.

Just a note before we get started, this episode contains discussion of abuse and violence. Today, we're diving into the bizarre tale of renowned chef Valentino Lucan.

Valentino was a star in the world of fine dining, but when his career went up in flames, he became desperate.

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