Kathleen Ricigliano wants her bank, where she’s had an account for 40 years, to be honest with her about the extra $100,000 found in her safety deposit box and where it went after a manager walked away with it.
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Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News
Kathleen Ricigliano and Joe Valinoti were surprised to find what they
estimated to be $100,000 in their safety deposit box at Sovereign Bank. A
manage walked off with the cash and the pair never heard what became of
the money.
Something is not kosher in Borough Park.
An honest old lady found $100,000 and turned it in.
Now Kathleen Ricigliano, 81, would like her bank, where she’s had an account for 40 years, to be just as honest with her.
“In the second week of February, I went to Sovereign Bank at 4823 13th Ave. here in Borough Park with my boyfriend, Joe Valinoti,” says Ricigliano. “I’ve lived in the same house in Borough Park since I’m 13, and I’ve been banking at this location for 40 years. They keep changing the name of the bank. But I never had any problems.”
Until now.
That morning, Ricigliano and Valinoti filled out forms for a safe-deposit box to store valuables.
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“The box was in Joe’s name, but we both got keys to Box 770,” says the widow, who raised four kids in the neighborhood. “We didn’t bring our valuables with us that first day.”
Two weeks later, on March 1, the pair returned with their valuables and were escorted down to the vault by branch manager Paul Vigliotti, who used his key as Ricigliano simultaneously turned her key in the cover of Box 770. Vigliotti removed the 3-foot-long safe deposit box from the shelf.
“Paul showed us into a private transaction room,” she says. “No camera. He handed me the safe deposit box that felt bottom heavy.”
“Lopsided,” says laconic Joe Valinoti.
“So inside the private room, I stuck my hand inside the box and I felt all this paper,” she says. “I pulled out a roll of paper. It was fat, round, all $100 bills bound with rubber bands.”
“Then a whole bunch of rolls of cash tumbled down to this end of the box,” says Valinoti. “My eyes bulged. My heart raced.”
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“I thought I was gonna have a stroke,” says Ricigliano. “I never in my life saw that much money. Had to be $100,000.”
Kathleen Ricigliano did the honest thing.
“I got the manager, Paul Vigliotti, and told him this wasn’t my money,” she says. “Paul asked if I was sure it wasn’t mine. I said I get my Social Security direct deposited at Sovereign. I know what’s mine and what’s not. He thanked me over and over, praising my honesty. Then he took the safe deposit box into another room. Alone.”
“He went in alone with our box of cash,” says Joe Valinoti.
That sounds about as kosher as ham and cheese.
“I have no idea if there were cameras in that room,” says Ricigliano. “After that, Vigliotti wouldn’t tell me anything. I asked if he counted it. He wouldn’t say. I asked for a receipt, proving I turned in that money. He refused. I asked what would happen to the money. He said, ‘It goes to higher-ups.’ He was kinda rude after that, dismissed me.”
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Kathleen Ricigliano went home and heard in stereo from family and friends that a “Finders Keepers Law” in New York State says if the rightful owner of turned-in property isn’t located within a certain period of time, the property reverts to the honest finder.
A few days later, she went back to Vigliotti. “He wouldn’t tell me anything,” she says. “He was very abrupt with me. He says to me, ‘You sound like you want a reward or something.’ I says, ‘Matter fact, I do.’ ”
Kathleen Ricigliano sure deserves one.
I called Paul Vigliotti to ask about this sweet, old lady who turned in $100,000 at his bank.
“I can’t give you any information on anything bank-related,” Vigliotti said.
I asked if he could tell me how much was found. Or if he took the box of cash alone into a private room. He told me to contact the Sovereign legal department. I asked if he could give me the number.
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“We’re not allowed to give that number out,” he said.
And hung up. Not even a single kind word for an honest 81-year-old customer who turned in $100,000. A spokeswoman in the corporate office said she can’t comment on those matters.
As for finder’s keepers, the state personal property law says found property must be turned over to police. If unclaimed after a year, it reverts to the finder. But there’s an exception — of course — for banks. Especially property found in safe deposit boxes, which must be held by the bank for 15 years. If it’s still unclaimed, the state gets it.
Okay, that’s an awful law that won’t encourage many to be as honest as Kathleen Ricigliano. But it’s the law. It’s also a simple, honest answer that Paul Vigliotti could have told an honest old woman.
“I don’t have regrets about being honest,” says Kathleen Ricigliano.
“I do,” says Joe Valinoti.
“But I regret that I didn’t hold onto that money until they located the rightful owner,” says Ricigliano. “Because I got no receipt. I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but all the stonewalling makes you wonder if someone isn’t being as honest as I was.”
Which would not be kosher in Borough Park.
dhamill@nydailynews.com
An honest old lady found $100,000 and turned it in.
Now Kathleen Ricigliano, 81, would like her bank, where she’s had an account for 40 years, to be just as honest with her.
“In the second week of February, I went to Sovereign Bank at 4823 13th Ave. here in Borough Park with my boyfriend, Joe Valinoti,” says Ricigliano. “I’ve lived in the same house in Borough Park since I’m 13, and I’ve been banking at this location for 40 years. They keep changing the name of the bank. But I never had any problems.”
Until now.
That morning, Ricigliano and Valinoti filled out forms for a safe-deposit box to store valuables.
RELATED: DUMPSTER DIVER TURNS IN $3,800 FOUND IN TRASH
“The box was in Joe’s name, but we both got keys to Box 770,” says the widow, who raised four kids in the neighborhood. “We didn’t bring our valuables with us that first day.”
Two weeks later, on March 1, the pair returned with their valuables and were escorted down to the vault by branch manager Paul Vigliotti, who used his key as Ricigliano simultaneously turned her key in the cover of Box 770. Vigliotti removed the 3-foot-long safe deposit box from the shelf.
“Paul showed us into a private transaction room,” she says. “No camera. He handed me the safe deposit box that felt bottom heavy.”
“Lopsided,” says laconic Joe Valinoti.
“So inside the private room, I stuck my hand inside the box and I felt all this paper,” she says. “I pulled out a roll of paper. It was fat, round, all $100 bills bound with rubber bands.”
“Then a whole bunch of rolls of cash tumbled down to this end of the box,” says Valinoti. “My eyes bulged. My heart raced.”
RELATED: AUSTRALIAN TEEN MODEL BUSTED IN $300G BANK THEFT
“I thought I was gonna have a stroke,” says Ricigliano. “I never in my life saw that much money. Had to be $100,000.”
Kathleen Ricigliano did the honest thing.
“I got the manager, Paul Vigliotti, and told him this wasn’t my money,” she says. “Paul asked if I was sure it wasn’t mine. I said I get my Social Security direct deposited at Sovereign. I know what’s mine and what’s not. He thanked me over and over, praising my honesty. Then he took the safe deposit box into another room. Alone.”
“He went in alone with our box of cash,” says Joe Valinoti.
Comstock; Graphic Illustration by New York Daily News
Ricigliano and Valinoti never received word from the bank as to what happened to the money.
“I have no idea if there were cameras in that room,” says Ricigliano. “After that, Vigliotti wouldn’t tell me anything. I asked if he counted it. He wouldn’t say. I asked for a receipt, proving I turned in that money. He refused. I asked what would happen to the money. He said, ‘It goes to higher-ups.’ He was kinda rude after that, dismissed me.”
RELATED: DIONNE WARWICK FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY
Kathleen Ricigliano went home and heard in stereo from family and friends that a “Finders Keepers Law” in New York State says if the rightful owner of turned-in property isn’t located within a certain period of time, the property reverts to the honest finder.
A few days later, she went back to Vigliotti. “He wouldn’t tell me anything,” she says. “He was very abrupt with me. He says to me, ‘You sound like you want a reward or something.’ I says, ‘Matter fact, I do.’ ”
Kathleen Ricigliano sure deserves one.
I called Paul Vigliotti to ask about this sweet, old lady who turned in $100,000 at his bank.
“I can’t give you any information on anything bank-related,” Vigliotti said.
I asked if he could tell me how much was found. Or if he took the box of cash alone into a private room. He told me to contact the Sovereign legal department. I asked if he could give me the number.
RELATED: OLD KEY OPENS BOX OF FAKE MONEY
“We’re not allowed to give that number out,” he said.
And hung up. Not even a single kind word for an honest 81-year-old customer who turned in $100,000. A spokeswoman in the corporate office said she can’t comment on those matters.
As for finder’s keepers, the state personal property law says found property must be turned over to police. If unclaimed after a year, it reverts to the finder. But there’s an exception — of course — for banks. Especially property found in safe deposit boxes, which must be held by the bank for 15 years. If it’s still unclaimed, the state gets it.
Okay, that’s an awful law that won’t encourage many to be as honest as Kathleen Ricigliano. But it’s the law. It’s also a simple, honest answer that Paul Vigliotti could have told an honest old woman.
“I don’t have regrets about being honest,” says Kathleen Ricigliano.
“I do,” says Joe Valinoti.
“But I regret that I didn’t hold onto that money until they located the rightful owner,” says Ricigliano. “Because I got no receipt. I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but all the stonewalling makes you wonder if someone isn’t being as honest as I was.”
Which would not be kosher in Borough Park.
dhamill@nydailynews.com
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