Wallet Stolen In 1982 Found In NYC Tree; $20 Gone

Money Doesn't Grow On Trees, But Wallet Stolen 27 Years Ago In NY Is Found In One; $20 Missing

(AP)  Money doesn't grow on trees, but a tree-care supervisor in New York City's Central Park found an old wallet inside a dead one.

The blue leather wallet had been stolen by a pickpocket 27 years ago. It was found in the hollow of a dying cherry tree. It was near where Ruth Bendik had hers swiped while she watched the New York City Marathon in 1982.

The 69-year-old Upper East Side resident says the only thing missing was $20 in cash. Her credit cards were still there. So were her student ID from Columbia University Teachers College and an employee ID from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The park worker says he found the wallet last week under five feet of compost. Police tracked down Bendik the next day.

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Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com