Woman who took mother’s ashes to bingo for good luck pleads with thief to return stolen urn

A Rochester woman is hoping for the return of her mother's ashes after the urn containing them was stolen out of her van. Diane Bozzi said the urn was in a bingo bag that was stolen during a crime-spree targeting parked cars in Rochester on Tuesday morning. "And I looked in the back seat and saw my bingo bag was gone, and that's where all my paraphernalia was, and my mother was in that bag because I was planning on going to the senior bingo that day," Bozzi said.

Bozzi said she promised her mother before she died that she would still take her to bingo, so she carries a small urn inside her bag every time she goes. Bozzi's mother died in 2002. She said they loved playing bingo together.



"She said she wanted to be cremated, and I said, 'OK, I'm going to take some of your ashes with me to bingo.' She said, 'Good, I'll be there and I'll bring you luck,'" Bozzi said. Police said the urn was stolen while someone was targeting unlocked cars at West Wind Estates.

At least three vehicles had items stolen from them. Rochester Police Department Lt. Anthony Triano said the item isn't worth any money. "It really has no monetary value," he said. "However, to the family of the deceased, it holds quite some value." Bozzi said whoever has the urn can set it in her driveway, or return it to her any way they would like. "Just please return it. That's my mother," she said.

With news video.