In an unusual turn of events, two mandolins valued at $4,000 each were returned to a New Jersey music store with a note simply stating, “Sorry, I been drunk.” These instruments had been stolen from the shop earlier.
Bernard “Buzzy” Levine, the owner of Lark Street Music, had shared security footage on social media showing a man sneaking a Gibson F-12 and a Weber Yellowstone into his coat before making a swift exit from the Teaneck store. Not long after, Levine posted that the instruments were back, accompanied by an apologetic message scribbled in red ink.
The note read, “Sorry, I been drunk. Merry Christmas. You good man.”
In an interview with CBS News, Levine mentioned that in the three decades of handling vintage instruments, he had only experienced one theft before this incident. He speculated that the thief might have returned the mandolins due to the viral spread of the security footage on social platforms, which also noted that the suspect had a Montenegrin accent.
Levine recounted how he tried to catch the thief when the mandolins were left at the shop’s entrance in shopping bags. Unfortunately, the chase didn’t end in success.
“I dashed to the door and saw him sprinting down the street, so I mustered all the speed I could and ran after him,” he posted on Facebook. “Not the smartest move, as I lost sight of him, but I called 911, and they are on the case.”
Levin said there was “a little nick or two” on the instruments, but they were otherwise returned in decent shape.
Police in New Jersey reportedly continue searching for the suspect.
Lark Street Music is located about 14 miles northwest of Penn Station.
