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Dec 26, 2023

ICP fan reunited with gold Hatchetman ring lost at Hampton Beach

HAMPTON — A Michigan man said the kindness of strangers at Hampton Beach not

HAMPTON — A Michigan man said the kindness of strangers at Hampton Beach not only turned an unfortunate event around, but it also restored his faith in human nature.

A fan of Insane Clown Posse since his teens, 43-year-old Adam Mancuso bought his first CD of the Detroit-formed American hip hop duo in 1996. He would follow the group throughout the years, taking in concerts and becoming a serious collector of ICP's memorabilia. That included buying an expensive 14-karat gold ring with a "Hatchetman" symbol that has become emblematic of the group.

Fast forward to the summer of 2021 when Mancuso heard a member of ICP would be playing in New Hampshire. That July, he and his friend, PJ, headed out on a road trip to take in some live music in Manchester.

"Afterwards, it was July 17, my buddy and I decided to drive to the coast to Hampton Beach," Mancuso said. "We were seeing the ocean, so we thought we’d swim in it. I lost the ring as soon as I put my hand in the water. The undertow ripped it right off. It had always been a little big for my finger."

They spent hours chest deep in the Atlantic Ocean searching for the ring, Mancuso said, feeling around the sea floor with their feet trying to discover it, but they had no luck.

"We left," he said. "I was broken hearted."

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Mancuso said when he returned back to the metropolitan Detroit area where he lives, he couldn't stop thinking about the ring he lost.

He took to the Internet and reached out to metal detector groups in the Hampton area. He also posted on eBay and other websites, offering a $1,000 reward for anyone who returned the ring to him.

One post on the Hampton Beach Village District's Facebook page got the attention of Lisa Martineau, its digital marketing director. Martineau gave Mancuso a short primer on how the seas off Hampton Beach might give up their treasures.

"Lisa explained to me that my ring was probably several feet under the sand at this point," according to Mancuso, "I might have a better chance of it resurfacing in the winter after some storms or something."

Martineau began posting about Mancuso's lost ring on the district's Facebook page, urging anyone who found it to bring it to the police station or the beach information center's lost and found. And according to Mancuso, she assured him she would "keep on keeping on with her messaging boards and searches and what not."

"Lisa Martineau … was more than helpful," according to Mancuso.

"I’m a music lover, so I understood his passion for this ring," Martineau said. "I knew how much it meant to him and I was just hoping it would be found by someone who’d give it back to him."

Mancuso said months went by and he almost gave up on hope that it would be returned, even considering having another ring cast.

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Dan Nadeau, owner of Seacoast Coin and Jewelry, said he purchased some merchandise found by one of his regular metal detecting customers in August 2022. Among the wares, Nadeau spotted something special. And he knew not to send it out as scrap gold to be melted down.

"The ring stood out," Nadeau said. "It had a Hatchetman on it. I knew it had to belong to a Juggalo, that's the name of dedicated followers of Insane Clown Posse."

Nadeau researched similar rings, finding only sterling silver "Hatchetman" rings. He knew someone had to have had this ring specially made in gold.

"I posted it on eBay, and within hours I got a response," Nadeau said.

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A friend of Mancuso spotted the ring on eBay and immediately contacted Mancuso.

At first, Mancuso panicked when he realized the ring was for sale on eBay, fearing another ICP loyal fan would scoop it up before he could.

He reached out to Martineau and then got a call from Nadeau.

Nadeau explained how the ring came in his possession and that it had been sitting in a drawer for months, while he looked for information online before he posted it.

"Dan refused the $1,000 reward I offered, and he shipped it to me immediately for free," Mancuso said. "Dan told me, ‘I don't want to profit from your loss.’ I think he's just great. What an incredible end to my story."

The ring is now "back home," and Mancuso said it went straight back on his finger.

"It was something I thought I would never see again," said Mancuso.

"The hero in all of this is Dan Nadeau," Martineau said. "It's a wonderful story."

As a thank you gesture, Nadeau said Mancuso sent him some old coins he had collected through the years. Nadeau said he appreciated the gesture.

As for Mancuso, he sent out the story and a "Thank you to everyone involved" on his Facebook page. He also promised to get the ring "sucker sized so it fits a little bit tighter."