New York couple find buried treasure in back yard

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 US (close to $70,000 AUD) worth of property — including precious stones, gold 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.

"And there are all these bags with hundreds and jewellery, diamonds, engagement rings, dozens of rings, gold with jade," Matthew told CBS New York.

"It was stunning."

According to the Staten Island Advance, the Emanuels saw a Brooklyn address in one of the bags that they were able to link to one of their neighbours.

Matthew knocked on their neighbour's door and asked if they'd ever been burgled.

Bingo. The police report dates to 2011.

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

She says simply: "It wasn't ours."

Social media users commenting on the Advance's take on the story noticed something odd about the situation: Why would a burglar bury their loot?

"Why would you rob the house steal the safe and bury it in the next door neighbors' yard," one user wrote. "Something doesn't add up."

Others chimed in to agree. But a woman purportedly close to the family shut down any doubts.

"I was told exactly what happened," she stated. "Question whatever you want, it’s what happened."

The Advance says the safe's owners linked the mysterious crime to notorious "Ninja Burglar" Robert Costanzo, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison last year after admitting to more than 150 break-ins over the previous decade. 

Local authorities aren't so sure, but more information may come to light.