All of us had dreamt of going on an adventure like treasure hunting so that we could grab our treasure chests. There was a man who resided in Staten Island that had never thought he would find one. However, as luck called it, the man stumbled upon a treasure in his backyard. The man had ignored it for countless years, and it was not even buried underground. The rusted box was just out in the open, and it was right in front of him. He did not think much of what was inside and merely assumed that it was an old electrical cabinet. His guess was wrong, and it was entirely different from what he expected.
Todt Hill, Staten Island
For four years, Matthew Emanuel lived with his wife, Maria, and son, in Todt Hill, Staten Island. And in all those times that they had spent in their house, the family of three was unaware that the place they had been staying in held a secret. The family had started to decorate and explore every inch of their yard. However, there was one corner that had been left for last, and it was at this place where they would soon discover and solve a series of mysteries.
Todt Hill, Staten Island
An Old Box
There was a rusted box just at the right side of their fence. The item was surely out of place, and it seemed to have sprouted out of nowhere. The rusted box seemed to be untouched and unmoved for an extended period. One of the pieces of evidence that proved it was that it had been covered in poison ivy. Because of this, no one wanted to check it out, and they were even hesitant in just touching it. And yet, fate had stored something valuable inside the old rusted box. It was then that things started to change.
An Old Box
Some Yard Work
There would be times when we would be forced to do the stuff we did not want to, like doing some yard work, because of the bad weather. The winter that happened at the beginning of 2018 was colder and harsher than usual, and it might be the reason why the trees around the fence fell over the old rusted box. The vegetation of their backyard had also been compromised that winter, and they decided to return it to normal as soon as springtime came.
Some Yard Work
Make The Yard Beautiful Again
There were countless hungry deer who visited their backyard. The animals that passed by ate the remaining plants, and because of this, the arborvitae trees and other vegetation in the yard were gone, and the backyard was now exposed. Everything could be seen from across the street. It was why Mr. Matthew Emanuel contacted a horticulturist to put some rare plants to make their yard beautiful again. And because the yard was now empty from its previous plants, the old rustic box stood out of place, and it did not match how they wanted their yard to look like.
Make The Yard Beautiful Again
The Old Rustic Box
The yard seemed that it had been unkempt and neglected because of the falling shrubbery, lack of plants and vegetation, and the old rustic box that was covered in poison ivy placed in one corner. And it also appeared that the owners had abandoned the backyard. However, when the landscaper they called had arrived at their residence, the family of three had figured out the story that was behind the ugly but mysterious box.
The Old Rustic Box
Bamboo Bob
Time flew, and it had already been four years since Matthew Emmanuel, his wife, and his son, lived at Todt Hill, Staten Island. The old rustic box had always been neglected at the corner of the backyard even though it had appeared out of the green trees and plants. The family could also see the box when they looked outside the window from inside their house. And the trio chose to ignore its existence until the harsh winter of 2018. The old rustic box had been more exposed, and it was not pleasant to look at. They knew that it was time to have the box extracted from the yard so that they could renovate the garden. Mr. Matthew Emmanuel called Bamboo Bob.
Bamboo Bob
Rebuilding The Garden
The winter storm has damaged everything, so Matthew had to rebuild the entire garden. He contacted a landscaper – called Bamboo Bob, whose actual name is Robert Foley. The man would put a small thicket of bamboo to work as a wall and to remain green for a very long while – the deer wouldn’t munch on it! But then, he saw the box!
Rebuilding The Garden
Mysterious Rustic Box
Mr. Foley, also known as Bamboo Bob, was interviewed by The New York Times, to which he said that “You never know what’s under the ground. Every job, I’ve got to know what’s going on.” It was Bamboo Bob’s task to investigate and find out more about the old mysterious rustic box because it had already been buried a few inches deep down into the ground.
Mysterious Rustic Box
Checking Out The Box
Bamboo Bob took a quick scan of their yard and paused for a moment when a strange, old, rustic box caught his attention. Bamboo Bob estimated that the metal box was 2 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep. He tried to nudge the mysterious box as he approached closer to it, but his effort was all in vain. This time, Bamboo Bob wanted to kick it, but it was stuck in place. He knew that he could not handle it alone, and it was then that Bamboo Bob decided to call his crew and checked out the metal box together as they came up with a plan.
Checking Out The Box
Deep Into The Soil
Even though Bamboo Bob already called for the help and assistance of his team members, the task was too challenging because the old mysterious box was buried deep into the soil, and the crew could not lift the heavy box. The frustrated landscaper had already seen and worked on countless yards, but he still could not resist the temptation of finding out the contents that lay hidden inside the mysterious rustic box. However, despite being curious, he was having difficulties in opening the strange old box. In the end, Bamboo Bob and his team brought in the big guns.
Deep Into The Soil
A Different Type Of Box
It was then that Bamboo Bob decided to ask Matthew Emmanuel about what the box contained inside. However, the owner of the mysterious item was just as puzzled as to the landscaper and had no clue what could be kept in the old rustic box. The landscaper remembered that he asked Matthew Emmanuel, “How long have you lived here?” Matthew Emmanuel answered that the old rough item was likely to be an electric cabinet. And yet, when Bamboo Bob and his team finally managed to lift the thing, they found out that it was an entirely different type of box.
A Different Type Of Box
What Could Be Inside?
Bamboo Bob and his team managed to turn it over and inspected it. It was just then that Matthew Emmanuel found out that even though he had always seen the object for four years since he lived there, he had been wrong about the item. The homeowner started to get curious as to what the box was used for. Upon closer look, it seemed like there was a dial, and it gave them the answer they needed. The only thing left to do now was to crack it open so they could check what was hidden inside the old rustic box.
What Could Be Inside
No Clue
All the men that were checking out the locked safe had been stunned. Matthew Emmanuel, the homeowner, Bamboo Bob, the landscaper, and the landscaping team were all speechless and could not stop themselves from wondering what could be inside the locked box. Matthew’s sudden curiosity about the mysterious secured item was the most notable because he had practically ignored the thing for four years. And as the landscaper team started with their tasks, Matthew Emmanuel went away to look for a pickaxe. Back then, he still had no clue that he would find valuable things inside the locked safe box.
No Clue
Finding Treasures
Matthew Emmanuel had been interviewed about the incident, and he was reminded of how excited he had been to discover the contents of the locked rustic metal safe. He said, “It is like a childhood dream that you find treasure.” Apart from what he said, Matthew also described that he felt chills down his spine when he saw what was inside the safe. His excitement was understandable because most of us had always dreamt of finding treasures, and it was like his dream came true. Soon enough, the homeowner would find out that it was just the start of his adventure.
Finding Treasures
All This Time
Mr. Matthew Emmanuel said, “I have seen it the whole time.” The homeowner even remembered that there were times when he had “been throwing mulch on it.” The locked metal safe weighed around 80 to 100 pounds, and they nudged it back and forth in hopes that something would jingle and could be heard inside. Matthew Emmanuel had returned with a pick, and once they opened it, he and Bamboo Bob could not believe what they were seeing. They had finally understood what was inside the safe box. And here were the things they discovered inside.
All This Time
They Were In Shock!
The men were staring at the safe with their mouths wide open, and it was because what they saw inside the locked box was too much of a shock for them. What they discovered was unbelievable, and they had to look at the items again just to make sure. Inside the safe were stacks of hundred-dollar bills, and each pile was around three inches thick. Aside from the bills, there were zipped plastic bags that hid the other stuff that waited to be opened and discovered. Matthew Emmanuel was already shocked, but what was inside the bags blew his mind even further.
They Were In Shock!
Some Are Completely Damaged
But not everything the homeowner received upon the opening of the locked safe was good news. Numerous bills had been damaged so severely because of the various elements, and we still had not considered the fact that it had already been soaked in water for so many years. The stacks of hundred-dollar bills were squeezed together and attempting to separate each of them hastily would cause more harm than good. It might also cause them to fall apart. The surprises from the mysterious safe did not end there because the story would now take a twisted and drastic turn.
Some Are Completely Damaged
He Got A Lot
He took every dollar bill inside his house, hoping he would make a way to save them. The first thing he did was separating every dollar bill from each other, and he tried to dry them up. The process took more than several days. At the end of his effort, some of the money was fine, but some had been damaged beyond repair. He counted the dollar bills he had discovered in the safe. It was about a total of sixteen thousand three hundred-dollar bills, but five thousand of those bills were damaged. In the end, he got a lot of money because of what he had discovered.
He Got A Lot
Trying To Stop Him
Matthew Emmanuel was interested in the history of the safe that he found in his backyard, and it was the moment he started to look at every information he could get about the item. However, he did not know what the consequence was he might get if he dug deeper about the origin of the vault. Some close relatives and friends told him to stop his investigation for his sake, but the homeowner did not agree to stop because of curiosity. He wanted to find out more about the mysterious box. At the time when he uncovered more about the box, his situation became complicated.
Trying To Stop Him
Why Is It Here?
At the time he was looking at the treasure he found in his location, he began thinking many things about the box. He could not imagine why the rusted box was in his backyard. If someone hid it in that place, that individual would not forget their item. If people found the safe, they would not even think about taking it back to the owner, but they would keep it for themselves. Matthew decided to find out everything about the box he had found and tried to know what was inside of the box and hoping he would find the origin of the object.
Trying To Stop Him
A Treasure Box
Mr. Emanuel could only remember the sensation in that situation like, “it was mind-boggling.” In addition to his statement, “There was so much gold I was using my kitchen scale. It probably weighed a pound or more.” It was the moment when he tried to scale every valuable item he had found like gold jewelry, diamonds, and jade. After weighing every stone, Matthew found a plastic bag inside the vault. The bag was full of dollars which he could not believe. Matthew felt like he found a treasure box. However, when he carefully observed the plastic bag, a piece of paper was found inside, which could lead him to another discovery.
A Treasure Box
Searching The Address
As he put away the jewels and expensive jewelry, he decided to look on the paper that was grouped with the valuable items. On the paper he had taken, there was an address written on it, he quickly searched the address online and hoped he could find something interesting. Could it be the home of the owner’s vault? He just hoped that it was not the address of the thief’s house. After his searching from the net, he was surprised at what he had seen. As he looked at the address, it was near his place.
Searching The Address
Asking The Owner
At the time when he looked at the address, Matthew was surprised when he read what was written on the paper. It was his neighbor’s address. He could not think of himself going to that location and would say “did you lose a safe a few years ago in my backyard?” He could always see the house in his daily life, especially when he would walk his dog in their area. At that moment, he realized that he needed to go there because of the item that he had found. However, he could not imagine how he would ask the owner about the situation.
Asking The Owner
He Knocked At The Door
On April 30, 2018, it was the day after he found the safe inside his home. Matthew tried to go onto his neighbor’s house. He knocked at the door and waiting for someone would greet him. At the moment when he was waiting, he was thinking about how he would tell the person about the odd safe inside his house. Later, the older woman had opened up the door, and Matthew quickly introduced himself. However, he was indecisive about what he was going to say. Matthew gathered up his courage and said, “I have a strange question for you. Have you ever been robbed before?”
He Knocked At The Door
The Night After Christmas
A terrified neighbor was trembling with fear when he questioned the older women, he did not know how he would approach the woman. He only knew that the older woman was terrified because of his question. He did not expect the reaction he saw from the woman. After a few seconds, the scared woman replied that she was robbed back in the year 2011. She explained further details that happened on the night after Christmas. However, she did not expect that the criminal would flee the location together with her safe, which contained all of her expensive jewelry and also fifty-two thousand dollars.
The Night After Christmas
The Ninja Burglar
The individual who committed the crime on that night could be the Ninja Burglar. The person was known for stealing 200 homes from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, and one of the victims was the older woman whom he was questioning. Through all those crimes the burglar committed, we could say that person was skilled enough as a burglar. He could only think that the Ninja Burglar might be the one who took the safe from the older woman, yet there could be a way to find out if he was the one who stole the safe back in that night.
The Ninja Burglar
The Infamous Burglar
In the year 2016, Robert Costanzo or the infamous burglar in that era. He was seen and arrested in Staten Island. The burglar was also guilty for more than 100 burglaries and took more than an amount of four million dollars. The officials had informed the people that the Ninja Burglar was caught after his ten years of stealing. However, some of his cases were expired, which made Robert get three counts of burglary. The judgment that was given to him was a 22 years sentence in jail, but most of the items that were stolen were still missing even in our current year.
The Infamous Burglar
Are They Yours?
Matthew tried to ask the terrified woman, “Why don’t you come over to my house and I will show it to you?” he figured out the secret and brought the woman into his home. Inside Matthew’s house, he showed the elderly lady about the vault and the items that were inside. The woman suddenly began to cry and instantly embraced Matthew. After a long six years, she tried to look for her missing vault which contained her family heirloom, yet it was found in Matthew’s kitchen. All were happy and content on that day.
Are They Yours
Something Symbolic
Matthew stated that “I knew whose it was,” He also said, “When I did now know Saturday night, I had all intentions of keeping it. But once Sunday came and I found out whose it was, I knew it was somebody else’s. I couldn’t walk past their house and live with myself knowing I had their stuff.” he was glad that he decided to take it back to the owner. He thought it was the most excellent decision he made in his life. Matthew’s reward for his great deed was something symbolic.
Something Symbolic
A Ceramic Elephant
What might be his reward for his good deed? What did the elderly lady give him after finding the missing vault? He did not need any compensation for what he had done, yet he only wanted to take back the missing safe to its owner. However, Matthew put on a ceramic elephant in the area where the safe was. It was to remember what he had done on that day which made him glad after seeing the older woman happy after she found the missing item with its content. It would also be a reminder of a valuable thing waiting for him to be discovered.
A Ceramic Elephant