In the Spring of 1969, I was finishing my last year of college. I was hanging around with some friends at the pier in Port Jefferson Station, on the Long Island Sound, leaning over the railing, staring out into the water, when my new College ring slipped off my left ring finger into 40 feet of water. It was gone forever.
Every so often, I would think about it and had even considered buying another. However, at that time in my life, I couldn’t afford it. Life went on.
On July 26th, 2025, my wife and I were at a favorite restaurant in Niagara Falls, New York, with her brother Scott. I got a Facebook message from a high school classmate that shocked me. I saw that Karen Manning posted on FB: “Is anyone in touch with Alfred DiStefano? I just got a message from someone who said that they found his class ring on a beach. You may want to message her. Hopefully it’s not a scam.”
I contacted Karen Manning. She put me in touch with David, and here I was talking to the man who found my ring 56 years after it left my finger. In the middle of dinner, I was talking to the person who found the ring, half a mile away from the pier, with a metal detector. I was amazed. A week later, the mailman brought it to my door, and I had him video me opening the box.
After more than half my life, the ring was back where it belonged, on my finger. It’s now on my finger for good. Many thanks to Ray, Karen and David, who all had a role in finding it, finding me, and putting us both together.
A miracle.
