Wild goose chase over: missing cement goose returned to home in Staten Island

WEST BRIGHTON (WABC) -- A Staten Island community has its prized goose back.

The goose, which disappeared last month, was returned Sunday morning to its owners in West Brighton.

The owner opened the front door and found it sitting on the front steps.

Ronnie Gambon's 80-pound cement statue was stolen from her front West Brighton porch. It sat in this spot for more than a decade.

The unnamed guy originally belonged to Gambon's mom, Josephine, who proudly dressed up the statue for holidays and special occasions.

But when Josephine died in 2000, Ronnie inherited the long-necked looker.

"We were the torch bearers of her memory and carrying this goose, and we are inspired when we see the children go by to the playground two blocks away and stop by," said Gambon.

Then suddenly, on Thursday, Ronnie noticed the goose was gone.

"The sad part is it's just another piece of my mother taken away," she said. "That's not cool."

Gambon isn't against the idea of getting a new goose, but points out, some things just can't be replaced. "I would think as surreptitiously as it disappeared, it can reappear on the front porch."