Stolen $9,000 Mandolins Returned to Teaneck Store

“Sorry, I Been Drunk”: Stolen $9,000 Mandolins Returned to Teaneck Store with Apology Note

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Teanck NJ, In a Christmas miracle that feels straight out of a movie, the rare instruments stolen from Lark Street Music in Teaneck have been returned.After a week-long search that made national headlines, the man accused of swiping two high-end mandolins worth nearly $9,000 walked back into the store on Friday, December 26, 2025, to return the stolen goods—along with a handwritten apology.

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🎁 A Surprise Return in Shopping Bags

Store owner Bernard “Buzzy” Levine reported that the man who had previously been caught on surveillance footage “shopping” with a large winter coat returned to the Cedar Lane shop yesterday afternoon.

The man didn’t stick around to chat. He dropped off two shopping bags containing the instruments and a short note before running off.

The Note Read:

“Sorry, I been drunk. Merry Christmas. You are good man.”

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🎻 The Rare Instruments Are Safe

Collectors and local musicians are breathing a sigh of relief. The two instruments—a 1949 Gibson F-12 and a modern Weber Yellowstone—are specialty items that Levine feared would be difficult to recover if sold to an unsuspecting buyer.

Initially, the theft had sparked a massive social media campaign, with Levine sharing clear surveillance footage of the man concealing the instruments in his jacket on December 22.

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🚔 The Search Continues

While the mandolins have been safely returned, the legal case is far from over. The Teaneck Police Department is still actively searching for the individual.

“The instruments were returned, but a crime was still committed,” officials noted. The suspect’s identity remains unconfirmed, though police are reviewing the latest security footage from Friday’s “drop-off” to track his path after he fled the store.

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❤️ A Happy Ending for a Teaneck Institution

Lark Street Music has been a staple of the North Jersey music scene since 1981, serving legends like Sheryl Crow and Billy Gibbons. For Levine, the return of the instruments is the best Christmas gift he could have asked for.

Despite the stress of the week, the owner’s optimistic outlook—recalling how a stolen guitar once found its way back after 12 years—held true. This time, it only took four days and a heavy dose of “holiday spirit” (or regret) to bring the music back to Teaneck.

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Incident Timeline: The Mandolin Heist

Date	Event
Monday, Dec 22	Two mandolins stolen via “jacket concealment.”
Wednesday, Dec 24	Police and owner release surveillance video to the public.
Friday, Dec 26	Suspect returns instruments in shopping bags with apology note.
Current Status	Instruments recovered; suspect at large.

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