They were forensic genealogists, and the envelopes handed them a name and an address: P. Dunne, Newspaper & Magazine Distributor, 1545 Superior Ave.
Patrick Dunne had come to America from Ireland in 1900. He built a business distributing newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Racing Form, the paper horse-race bettors relied on.
He was also a silent partner in other ventures, including a taxi company and a racing news wire. From 1945 to 1953, he owned 10 percent of the Cleveland Browns.
In March 1934, Dunne moved into the house on Edgewater Drive with his wife and her sister. He died in 1968, at 87.
Why he hid the money, nobody knows for sure. After the Depression's bank failures, many people stashed cash behind walls. And by one account, some of it may have come from businesses close to the gambling world.