At Eastern Economic Recycling you can turn your scrap metal into cash whether it’s steel, copper or aluminum.
But when owner Dan Cusano saw a beautiful brass statue come through the door, he went against his business sense.
“It just looks too important, you know what I mean? It looks like somebody would be missing it. It belongs somewhere, whether it be a church or a cemetery. It definitely don’t [sic] belong to be scrapped,” said Cusano.
If it were scrapped, at current brass prices, it could be worth up to $500, or more when considering its artistic value.
Cusano bought it from a customer for $200 a couple weeks ago, but soon after he began thinking of its true value to the original owner. He thought somebody, “probably paid, you know, maybe three or four thousand dollars for this thing, and then somebody scrapped it for 200.”
So he’s spreading the word, hoping for a reunion between the statue and its owner.
“If somebody does own it, and they show us the right proof, I’d like to get it back to them,” he said.
If he does find the right owner, Cusano says he won’t even ask for the $200 he paid, he’ll just donate it to them.
He’s placed an ad and has received some phone calls, but it remains unclaimed.
For now the statue, which Cusano thinks looks like Mary Magdalene, remains in the scrap office while the search for its owner continues.
“It’s a nice piece. Somebody’s obviously missing it so I’m just trying to get it back to the rightful person.”
If you recognize the statue, you can call Cusano at 203-756-3603 or email him at danielcusano@easterneconomics.com