Don’t mess with Food Network’s all-star chef Guy Fieri. Not only has Fieri made a name for himself hosting numerous cooking competition shows as well as Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, but he also owns several restaurants around the country that are extremely popular among Americans and tourists alike. Fieri is famous for his spiky blond hair, gold hoop earrings, and ducktail beard, which has been his signature look since he rose to fame in the culinary world several years ago.
However, Fieri faced some trouble back in 2011 when his prized possession – a 2008 banana-yellow Lamborghini – was stolen. The sports car cost Fieri upwards of $200,000 and was being serviced at a dealership in Northern California when the thief took it right from under everyone’s nose.
The theft was nothing short of extraordinary. The thief was sixteen-year-old Max Wade, who managed to steal the Lamborghini in a very daring way. Using climbing gear, as if he was in a Mission Impossible movie, Wade broke into the dealership, smashed the car’s window, and turned off the alarm. Then, he simply drove away in the luxury sports car, turning an ordinary day into an adventure of a lifetime for himself.
The incident was captured on security cameras, but Max was not immediately apprehended. The flashy car had a license plate reading ‘GUYTORO,’ clearly signaling it belonged to Guy Fieri. The vehicle was seen on joyrides around San Francisco despite catching many eyes.
During this time, Guy Fieri was in Chicago filming an episode of Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives). Authorities spent a whole year trying to catch Wade. Finally, Wade was arrested for another crime, leading to his connection to the theft and his eventual capture.
By nineteen, Max Wade had accumulated a list of criminal activities substantial enough to earn him a life sentence in prison. Stealing the Lamborghini was just one item on his extensive rap sheet. At the trial, Fieri was straightforward, hoping for a speedy conclusion. He said, “I just wanted to keep it straight and to the point, let’s wrap this up,” he explained, “There are other facets to [this case] that are far more important than my car.”
