David Orlowski was knee-deep in Long Island Sound at Cedar Beach when his metal detector hit something extraordinary buried a foot and a half beneath the sand, and it was a personalized Fordham University class ring from 1969. What started as a routine treasure hunting hobby suddenly became a mission to reunite the 14K white gold ring with its rightful owner after more than five decades underwater. The ring belonged to Dr. Alfred DiStefano, who had lost it decades earlier when the slightly oversized band slipped off his finger while he was on a dock or pier, disappearing into the cold water that caused his hands to shrink. Orlowski could have easily sold the valuable ring for profit, but his wife’s simple question changed everything: “If you lost your ring, wouldn’t you want it returned?”
Through a Fordham class of 1969 reunion Facebook group, Orlowski’s message reached moderator Karen Manning, who was so moved by his integrity that she helped track down DiStefano in Texas. The emotional reunion happened 1,600 miles away when DiStefano, now a doctor, opened the package containing his long-lost treasure that he had been without far longer than he’d ever worn it. The ring had cost $110 in 1969 which was too expensive to replace on a student budget, and too embarrassing to tell his parents about losing before graduation. DiStefano called the reunion “a miracle,” while Manning said the experience “restored her faith in humanity,” proving that sometimes the most valuable treasures aren’t made of gold, but of human kindness.