Buried treasure found in NYC; pirates nowhere in sight

NEW YORK (AP) — A couple of urban island-dwellers have found buried treasure in their backyard — but so far the pirates are nowhere in sight.

WCBS says a safe containing about $52,000 worth of property — including diamonds, gold, jade and soaking wet cash — has been uncovered on Staten Island.

Matthew and Maria Colonna Emanuel always thought the rusting hulk of metal jutting out beneath some trees was just a cable box.

They were having some trees replaced when the mystery unfolded. The safe also held a paper with an address.

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Matthew Emanuel knocked on their neighbor’s door and asked if they’d ever been burglarized.

Bingo. The police report dates to 2011.

Maria Colonna Emanuel says there was never a question about returning the loot.

She says simply: “It wasn’t ours.”

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Information from: WCBS-TV, http://www.cbs2ny.com