‘Brighter days ahead’: NJ eatery has message for thief after stolen furniture recovered

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Joe Palumbo is a man of his word.

When a custom-ordered table, six chairs and an umbrella walked away June 29 from the Jersey Shore eatery he manages, Palumbo put out a public plea rather than file a police report.

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“No questions asked. No charges pressed. Here’s your furniture back, and we have a handshake and say, ‘We appreciate that,’” Palumbo told WPVI-TV at the time of the theft, promising a $1,500 reward and a free pizza from Tony’s Baltimore Grill in Atlantic City every week in return for the furniture’s return.

“Everything that we do is centered on making sure that the Baltimore Grill stays in business for another 100 years,” Julie and Nolan Aspell, the restaurant’s caretakers, told The Press of Atlantic City.

“We decided to do outdoor dining primarily to accomplish that goal of being a place that new memories will be created without disturbing the ones that already live here,” they added.

On Monday night, the 95-year-old eatery confirmed via Instagram: “The ATLANTIC AVENUE FURNITURE FIASCO update: we got it back!!!!!!”

According to WPVI, two people who did not steal the items returned the furniture to Tony’s, explaining that the family that purchased the ensemble knew that it was stolen and wanted to return it but feared repercussions.

The pair who came forward, however, will now split the reward, and Tony’s has offered them each a meal per week for the rest of their lives, the TV station reported.

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Tony’s management has also learned the identity of the thief, and Palumbo said in the Instagram post announcing the furniture’s return that if the individual drops by in person to apologize, not only will the apology be accepted, but he’ll spring for dinner, too.

“We can only imagine how hard life must be for you to be in a position where you have to do this for money. If you come by the joint and say sorry, we will accept your apology and buy you dinner. Until then, we will say our prayers that you have brighter days ahead,” the post read.

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