Treasure Hunter's Find of a Lifetime
Treasure hunter Richie Marcello travels the globe searching for valuables, but recently he came across the find of a lifetime, items belonging to singing great, Whitney Houston.
Richie Miller Marcello is both a musician and a treasure collector, so when a stunning acrylic grand piano arrived, he was beyond thrilled.
"When they brought it here and started taking the covers off, I got real excited," says Marcello.
Excited, not only because it's a rare Schimmel, but also because it once belonged to singer Whitney Houston.
"She had the voice of an angel," according to Marcello.
It was a Tiffany angel that led Marcello to the piano.
The collector of antiques and architectural treasures, has a massive warehouse in an unassuming industrial area of Van Nuys.
"You don't know where you are once you walk in," says Marcello. "You would never expect it to be here."
While searching for a Tiffany angel window to add to his collection in January, he met a fellow collector who'd purchased some of Houston's belongings in 2007, including the piano and some designer costumes.
"I said if you bring this stuff out to me maybe I can get Whitney to wear the dress, and get someone great to play the piano and do some sort if benefit," recalls Marcello.
A month later the singer died, but Marcello is determined to use her piano in a benefit concert.
