LAS VEGAS — Filipino-American cab driver Gerardo Gamboa returned $300,000 in hard cash left behind by a passenger. He was rewarded handsomely for his honesty.
Gamboa of Mabalacat, Pampanga, received $10,000 from the owner of the money, a professional poker player who did not want to be identified. “I’ll give this to my wife, and we can buy some stuff,” said the 34-year-old Gamboa, who created a worldwide sensation for returning the money left behind in his cab on Christmas D
“I’m happy we can show to the world that the Filipino is a good person, and cannot be easily dazzled by money.”
The honest cab driver also received $1,000 reward and steak dinner for two from the management of Yellow Checker Star, the cab company he has been working for the past 13 years.
He said the money was inside a brown paper bag.
Once the cash was secured at the taxi company office, it was traced to the owner through casino records. The man arrived at the office in a T-shirt to reclaim his money, but he didn’t have any identification. It took another few hours conferring with Bellagio casino and Metro Police to make sure.