Man leaves a million bucks at Italian restaurant

SYDNEY (AP) — Mamma mia! That's a lot of dough, even for an upscale pizzeria.

Police are looking for the owner of a suitcase "full of money" that was left at the Italian restaurant in Sydney by a mystery customer.

Ten Network television reported the suitcase left at Cafe Marco Tuesday morning contained about 1 million Australian dollars ($1 million) in 50 dollar notes.

But police will only describe the suitcase contents as "a significant amount of cash."

Detective Inspector Ian Pryde told reporters a man around 30-years-old wearing surfing shorts and a singlet carried the suitcase into the cafe. He then "seemed to get spooked" and left without the money.

A cafe staff member contacted by telephone told The Associated Press she was too busy with customers to comment.

Continue Reading... Labels: bucks, Italian, leaves, million, restaurant

Man leaves $1.28 million dollars at Sydney restaurant

sydney

Australian police are looking for a good explanation of why someone would walk into a Sydney eatery, exit in a seeming panic--and leave a suitcase containing more than a million dollars behind.

The seemingly inadvertent money drop occurred at an Italian bistro named Café Marco. On Tuesday morning a causally dressed man entered the establishment, and didn't really settle into the Café Marco experience before heading back out the door--minus the suitcase "full of money."

Investigating officers in Sydney report that the luggage in question contained "a significant amount of cash"--roughly $1.28 million in $50 bills. However, police have not yet arrived at a full estimate of the suitcase's cash content--for the simple reason that they're still counting it.

Detective Inspector Ian Pryde told reporters that witnesses described the man as Asian, and his age around 30. He was wearing surfing shorts and a wrestling singlet when he walked into the café. Witnesses reportedly told the cops that the man appeared "to get spooked" and left without the money.

At first, the two owners of the café thought the suitcase was a bomb and moved it out of the way of customers until the police arrived. Police say they now have in custody a 49-year-old man fitting the general description--and that they're preparing to question him about the case of the abandoned cash.

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Continue Reading... Labels: $1.28, dollars, leaves, million, restaurant, Sydney