When we snoop around our surroundings, we often come across things that are out of the ordinary. We never actually know the history of where we live or the incidents that had taken place in the place we live in. For this family who had lived in their home for a few years, something truly unbelievable took place after they realized that their property had been holding onto a secret of epic proportions. This story would definitely make you curious about the history of your own place...
This family had lived in this house for four years. Never did they suspect that any secret or surprise would even be discovered in the place they called home. Matthew Emanuel and his family had moved in their home in Todt Hill, Staten Island, without any notion that the garden in their compound was hiding an untouched secret. What they discovered soon would turn their world upside down...
As most of us would relate to, there in the corner of their yard was something that they never expected to find. In fact, it was not even buried deep beneath the grass. This was truly a very unassuming prize. The Emanuel family was still in the dark about this incredible secret on their property that was going to link them to a chain of unresolved mysteries.
So right there in the Emanuel family’s backyard, laid nicely in the ground by the side of their fence, was a simple box. This random box had clearly remained untouched or had not been moved in a very long time. This box was also covered with coils of stinging poison ivy. There was about to be some drastic changes and happenings affecting this family.
Due to natural reasons, the Emanuel family then uncovered the mysterious box, obviously becoming intrigued to know more about it. The winter storms at the beginning of the year 2018 were quite strong and rough. Heavy snow was causing a lot of trees to fall. This lead to the mystery of the house to be put there on the spot, open and exposed. Spring was coming so, they needed to fix their garden...
The family had been living there with absolutely no clue about the mysterious box lying right there, barely hidden. We can all agree when we say that some secrets in life lire there right under our noses but we just do not even notice them. Just check your surroundings more properly next time you are looking for something because in most cases, they often hide in plain sight.
The box had always been located at just a glance away. The weird rusted box in the backyard was actually lying there in the yard, clearly visible from the family room. It was even visible from the front deck too. It had never crossed their minds to go and find out what it was. Since it did not draw too much attention, the family never paid too much heed to the box. But it was time to unravel its mystery now...
So, since the winter storms were so harsh and disruptive, Matthew and his family were going to have to completely redesign everything that was there in the garden. This basically meant that they were going to have to do the work, around the rusted box. The task was a huge one so it was difficult for him to do it on his own. Matthew Emanuel then took the help of an expert landscaper.
Since Matthew would not be able to fix his garden by himself, he quickly looked for a professional landscaper. After a brief search, he found a guy who would be able to give him his needs. So he fixed and appointment with the guy after ringing him up. Little did he know that he had set up a motion a chain of events that would have an amazing effect.
So the landscaper that he decided to take help from was a man named Robert Foley. He also went by the name of Bamboo Bob and had traveled to Staten Island in late April 2018. He had had years of work experience across New York and New Jersey, and he has had his fair share of strange experiences. But how would they compare to the one he was about to encounter?
For a man who had worked for decades, Bamboo Bob certainly had a lot to talk about when it came to the topic of weird experiences. But even after working for so many people’s gardens and even zoos, what he was about experience, working at Matthew Emanuel’s property was arguably the wildest discovery he had ever made. It was certainly one for the books for this expert landscaper.
Matthew wanted to rework on the garden by adding a small thicket of bamboo on the side of the backyard. The deer would not nibble on it and also it would potentially give the family some more privacy. As Bamboo Bob and his crew initiated the work, the rusted box would soon pop up naturally. But when the time came for him to question Matthew about the story behind it, his response was a huge surprise.
Bamboo Bob had worked in many backyards and so to dig up the box and learning about what its true purpose was, was something he could not resist. The workers had to continue but the box was in the way. Matthew informed the Bamboo Bob that he just assumed the box to be an electric cabinet attached to the fence in their property. He was definitely wrong. What they discovered soon flipped both their words...
Bamboo Bob and his crew excavated the box from the soil. Only then did they realize that this was not an electric box at all. Matthew had been wrong about this all along. Only now was he proven wrong about his assumption. The guys then turned the box over to see what it was really about and what it carried inside. They could have easily thrown it away but something indicated what it was actually for...
The box was with a dial so it probably meant that it was safe. Bamboo Bob and his team then took this to Matthew Emanuel. He could not believe what had been found right there in his own backyard. His whole family had lived there not knowing this was there all along. They had not even bothered to check what this safe was all about before... Suddenly, Matthew wanted to know what it was actually for...
The safe was about two feet across and one and a half feet in height. It weighed about 100 pounds. Matthew still did not have any clue what this safe would be for. As Bamboo Bob and the work team watched from the background, Matthew tried lifting and dragging the box, to see if there were any coins inside it. He did all he could to hear any sound coming from inside the box...
Matthew did not get a single sound coming from inside of the safe, but it was clear that it was not at all empty. The men at work helped him take the safe to the front deck of the house to further inspect it. The landscapers went back to work but Mathew's attention was now focused on a whole other thing now. He got a pickaxe and smashed the safe. It cracked open and what he saw sent shivers down his spine.
Matthew Emanuel was awestruck by what he saw. The safe had in it, stacks of hundred dollar bills, each about three inches thick. Also, there were zipper bags that contained chunks of gold, jade, earrings, jewels, diamond rings. His mind was blown away. Matthew and Bamboo Bob were discoverers of literal treasure in this ordinary Staten Island backyard. However, these treasures were tainted...
Although Matthew Emanuel found the purpose of the box in his backyard, it was a little too late. The safe turned out not to be waterproof. Most of the dollar bills were wet and had succumbed to the natural elements. Since the dollar bills were stacked together, he knew they would fall apart if they tried separating. But the main surprise from the box was not even this...
Since there were literal treasures like we mentioned, Matthew was ready to get to work. He soon took the task of peeling the bills apart and leaving them to dry up. The project was going to take him a few days. Some of these money bills were savable, but then again how many could he actually save judging from the fact that they had stuck together like glue for who knows how long?
As Matthew soon found out, it was possible for him to be able to save these newly found treasures form the safe they had just dug up. Sadly, some of the money notes were far too spoilt to be considered as legal tender. The only thing left for him to do now was to wait for these notes to dry up. When they did dry up, he did not anticipate just how much they money would amount to...
Spoilt or not Matthew started counting the items that were present there in the rusted box. As he counted all the money, he realized that it all added to roughly $5,000 worth of dollar bills. However, most of the money bills were too soaked and could not be saved. Even though he would not be able to use most of these note, the rest that seemed okay were now his….
Even though the cash he had collected were faded, all in all, Matthew now had with him about $16,300 in cash! Now the treasure that he discovered could finally be quantified. However, the mystery that surrounded him was far from over. There were so many things to learn about the safe still. Matthew would soon discover something truly remarkable about the safe and what it was all about.
Although it would certainly be a rush to discover a real-life treasure, Matthew was somehow feeling suspicious about the rusted box being placed there in his backyard. He had an inkling that this was actually someone else's belonging. Most of us would just take whatever is kept inside the safe, but Matthew had a feeling that something was not quite right. He got an answer after looking inside the box...
He now wanted to take inventory of all the jewelry and riches, plus the dollar notes that had been kept inside of the safe. It was truly incredible to see that so much gold had been left there in the safe. Matthew even took his kitchen knife to measure all that there was. He found yet another surprise while he was measuring the contents of this box. There was a piece of paper inside that changed everything.
Since Matthew could not shake the thought of these treasure being someone's belongings, he decided to put the assorted jewels aside. When he finally opened the plastic bag, he spread the paper and discovered that there was an address written on it. He did not waste a second to try and figure out where this address was located online.
The address that was shown on the paper could have meant a number of things. However, according to Matthew, he believed that it must be the address of the people who were the owners of the jewelry that had been locked up in the safe. After all, what kind of a criminal would leave their treasure stash in somebody else's backyard? The results of his search would leave him speechless...
When he finally located the address written on the paper, Matthew could not believe that it was not that far away at all. It was actually close enough that you would not need a car to get there. The address was there on Staten Island, right there in the same neighborhood too. It was actually an address where he would take his dog for a walk every day. Matthew was sure of what he had to do next...
Matthew Emanuel was not one to shut up about the findings that had taken place in his backyard. Moreover, after the note he’d found inside, there was no way he wanted to keep quiet about it. On April 30, 2018, two days after the mystery box had been discovered from his backyard, Matthew decided to go to the address that was written on the paper kept in the safe.
Even though Matthew did not have any way of knowing who would be answering the door, he did not hesitate to go. He was also unaware of what kind of conversation that they might be having too. The worst thing that could take place was that a heated argument develops and the police need to get involved. Weighing in on all these possibilities, he still went on with his mission...
Matthew was now ready to face the person on the other side of the door. When he knocked on the door, an elderly woman had come to open the door. Matthew made an introduction and quickly went on to inform of why he had come. Matthew then questioned the woman, “Have you ever been robbed before?” The elderly woman started shaking and it was a reaction that he was totally not prepared for...
The elderly woman could not believe her ears when the stranger standing in front of her had uttered those words. The look on her face was that of shock and disbelief. Her body was still shaking but she could finally affirm that indeed she had been robbed. The painful memory was now flooding to her once more and she was taken aback by this stranger's question...
So when Matthew asked the elderly woman whether she had been robbed or not, she proceeded on to tell him about the details of what had happened to her. It took place the night after Christmas 2011. There was a burglar who had broken into her house. When they realized they had been burglarized, the thief was long gone. He took with him $52,000 worth of money and jewelry had vanished...
Indeed, Todt Hill had a disturbing incident that took place in the recent past. During 2011, Staten Island saw a series of unseen crimes. He was named the 'Ninja Burglar' as he was very quick and silent with his successful raids. From 2005 to 2015, the Ninja Burglar robbed over 200 houses from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Could it be the same burglar that had done this crime?
Back in the year 2015, a man named Robert Costanzo was caught in Staten Island. This guy had committed a lot of crimes in the past and had been charged with robbery too. After 2 years he finally received a prison sentence. It was now a little safer than before in the neighborhood but the old lady had lost hope of ever getting her treasure back. Matthew's next move was something no one saw coming...
Matthew then wanted to take the old lady to his place to see if she could identify the items that had been kept inside her safe. He was stunned by everything that had taken place. That rusted box had been sitting there in his backyard, ignored and unattended fro about 4 long years. It was amazing as Matthew took just 2 days to unravel the mystery behind this box and so much more...
The old lady was overcome with emotion as soon as she laid her eyes on the stash of money and the jewelry that she had left in the box. She held Matthew and was still shaking. It became clear that they were both honest about their stories. She had spent about 6 years coping with the reality of never seeing her treasure again. Now she found them once again and then something wonderful happened...
Matthew Emanuel gave all the contents of the safe to the previous owner. An innocent discovery of a safe turned into such a revelation in a matter of a few days. This was all thanks to winter weather, invasive deer, and Bamboo Bob's curious nature. Matthew finally got to solve a mystery that the police were still under six years counting. So would Matthew ever get a reward for doing all this?
Matthew had no second guessing that the objects should go to the previous owner. His elderly neighbor was the rightful owner, so the money and the contents of the box was hers to keep. Matthew did not wish to get any reward. Informing the press was enough and all he wished for was good karma. In his opinion, Matthew was just doing the right thing during the course of this life-changing event.
“They were pretty stunned,” he told the news people. This is a story proving just how surprising life can get.“I knew whose it was,” he added, “When I did not 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.”
Their garden has been renovated and the safe had also been given to the rightful owner. Matthew and his family wanted to remember what had taken place. A ceramic elephant was placed near the bamboo that Bamboo Bob’s team had planted. They wanted to commemorate the interesting chain of events the safe had led them to experience. They have since been more alert and observe their surroundings better.