Three young Braintree boys went to school this morning with special bragging rights: The day had been officially named in their honor, at least in Braintree.
In recognition of their honesty in returning a lost wallet stuffed with cash last month, Mayor Joseph Sullivan proclaimed Wednesday “Maccarone-Fahey Day” in honor of Michael Fahey, Justin Maccarone and his brother, Brian. The boys were presented with certificates of appreciation at South Middle School on Tuesday morning and appeared at a town hall press conference in the afternoon.
“If you lose a wallet, you want these three guys to find it, because they’ve demonstrated exemplary behavior.” Sullivan said in front of a row of television cameras and reporters. “They’ve really been tremendous role models for their classmates, and for the entire town of Braintree.”
The three friends found the cash – totaling $1,600 – in a makeshift wallet made of cloth and elastic that they spotted on the ground as they walked to school on Oct. 2. After kicking the object around, Justin Maccarone, 12, said the boys picked it up and found it was stuffed with “a bunch of money” and an MBTA Charlie Card.
Brian Maccarone, 11, said the friends talked about giving the money to a woman they sometimes see picking through garbage, but quickly decided to turn it in. Fahey, 12, called his mom, Braintree police officer Lisa Fahey, and she met them at the school, counted the money and took it to the police station.
“They’re all good kids. They’ve been friends for a long time,” Fahey said. “I’m very pleased with what they did, but I’m not surprised.”
Fahey said police tried to use the Charlie Card to identify the owner, but had no luck. After about two weeks, an elderly Chinese woman who lives in Boston came to the police station to ask about the lost Charlie Card.
For the boys, Tuesday began with a surprise announcement at South Middle School that they were being recognized for their honesty. In the afternoon, they appeared at a town hall press conference with the mayor and gave interviews to reporters.
“To have something like this in this cynical age – the idea of doing the right thing, is an event to be celebrated,” South Middle School principal Edward McDonough said.
Brian Maccarone said he’d already told his classmates about their find, but had mostly been met with disbelief before the announcement.
“Most of the kids didn’t believe me,” he said. “So I said, ‘Just you wait.’”
Police Chief Russell Jenkins said the woman who owned the wallet sent the boys notes thanking them for their honesty and integrity. The chief also rewarded them with gift cards to the video game arcade at the Dave & Buster’s restaurant at the South Shore Plaza.
“They're an example for young and old alike,” Jenkins said.
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