New York Couple Find Safe Full Of Riches Buried In Their Backyard [PIC]

Matthew and Maria Emanuel were recently planting trees in their backyard in New York when they found something in the ground: a buried safe with $52,000 worth of valuables inside.

By austind03 on May 16, 2018
New York, Matthew Emanuel, Maria Emanuel, Ninja Burglar, Robert Costanzo
(Photo Illustration by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

A couple in New York recently found treasure buried in their backyard. While it wasn’t from an actual pirate, it’s still worth at least $52,000 in total!

According to the New York Post, Matthew and Maria Emanuel were having trees planted in their Staten Island backyard when they found something in the ground.

Unearthing a rusting, metal box, they quickly realized what it was: a buried safe. Inside, they found $52,000 worth of valuables, including wads of cash and baggies full of diamonds and gold.

Matthew Emmanuel described how he was feeling in the moment, saying:

“I thought, ‘We found buried treasure!’… It’s something you can’t make up.”

However, the valuables weren’t the only things hiding inside the safe. They also found an address for a Brooklyn home on a note inside one of the bags. In a weird twist, they linked the address with one of their neighbors. Matthew explained:

“We realized it must have been them, so Monday morning, I walked on over to their house and knocked on their door. I asked them if they’d ever been robbed.”

As it turns out, they had – almost seven years prior. Police further confirmed that someone stole the safe during a 2011 robbery at the neighbors’ place. The neighbors were understandably ecstatic to get their belongings back though.

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When asked why they decided to return the the treasure, Maria Emanuel gave a simple answer:

“A couple of people asked us, ‘Why did you return it?’ It wasn’t even a question. It wasn’t ours.”

In terms of the thief that actually did the crime, the safe’s owners have a pretty good idea of who it is. They blame Robert Costanzo, also known as the “Ninja Burglar,” who is in jail after committing 160 robberies on Staten Island. However, police could not confirm if he is the culprit.

Head right here to learn more.

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