(CNN) A New York subway rider might have earned himself a spot for life on Santa's "nice" list after he turned in a purse with $10,000 cash he found on a train platform.

Richard Taverna spotted the blue Chanel bag Thursday morning in the station at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, he told CNN affiliate WABC

"I picked it up just to see if there was, maybe, some kind of information, identification, inside that I might be able to get in touch with the person," he said.

Richard Taverna said he felt good doing "the right thing."

Taverna found a note written in Russian. He couldn't read it -- and couldn't find a subway agent -- so he took the bag home and later found something else inside.

"I opened the envelope, and there was a big stack of money," he said.

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