Staten Island Woman On A Mission To Find Rightful Owners Of Mother's Mystery Photos
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A woman on Staten Island discovered hundreds of mystery photos and is using Craigslist to find the owners, as a way to honor her late mother.
"There are definitely frozen moments of significance," Debra Romano told CBS2's Brian Conybeare. "Beautiful young bridesmaids who are all grown up now."
The family wedding photos filed under the name Bracco struck a nerve -- especially a mustachioed man with the bride.
"If it's the Bracco family, maybe it's his daughter," she said.
Debra's mother worked at a photo development booth that went out of business in the 1980s, and saved more than 50 packages of pictures, always searching for the owners, after passing away this fall.
"Everybody said to her: 'Why are you holding these photos? They're not yours. They're taking up dust. Get rid of them,'" Romano said.
Now, Debra wants to honor her mother's dying wish.
"It was her obligation. She felt she had to get these back to the people," she said.
The mission started in a Staten Island shopping center, at the now closed Film-O-Mat photo developing booth. Some three decades later, she made a special delivery in honor of her late mother.
Frank and Joanne Bracco of Staten Island were completely surprised when Debra arrived unannounced on Monday night.
The memories came rushing back when they saw Joanne dressed up at her sister's wedding in November 1981.
Frank is the man with the mustache in the back of the limo with the bride.
"I think that photo is great!" Frank Bracco said.
The total strangers shared laughs and a heartfelt thank you.
"Their reaction to seeing the photos was more than I could have hoped for," she said, "I have to believe that my mom's consciousness knows that this just happened, because this is just the beginning and it's very overwhelming."
Her mother's dying wish, now coming true.
If you think that you or someone you know might be in those photos, you can contact Debra Romano at 1-800-984-0466.