By MADDY VITALE
Somewhere around the beginning of August, Sea Isle City’s famous Gucci the giraffe, a 6-foot-tall, 75-pound plastic mascot, went missing from the beach house porch where its owner lives.
The giraffe, which has become a conversation piece for the Pisani family and their friends, serves as a goofy memento on the beach. It was even adorned in a patriotic red, white and blue bikini in 2017 and paraded down the beach.
A Facebook post shared by the family on Aug. 13 detailed how Gucci disappeared.
“I live on 41st and Landis next to Rita’s on the second floor. This is my group of friends’ fourth summer in Sea Isle, the best place on earth. We have brought our 6-foot giraffe down every summer as we enjoy the laughs, conversations, and memories we’ve shared with friends and strangers alike. On Wednesday night (8/7) our giraffe was stolen from our porch we believe, roughly between 10:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. It is very expensive and has a lot of sentimental value to my friend who owns it.”
It is not clear how or who returned Gucci to the rightful owners – but according to a much more upbeat Facebook post dated Aug. 19, the giraffe is back home.
“We all care about this giraffe. We’ve been coming to Sea Isle for four years,” Gucci’s owner, Michelle Pisani, said in a phone interview Thursday. “Everyone knows him. He has been to the bar crawl. We take him to the beach. We are ecstatic he is back.”
Back in 2017 Pisani and her friends, with whom she co-owns a beach house on JFK Boulevard, shared photos on social media of their beloved, silly mascot, which became part of their hijinks over the summer.
But when Gucci went missing, it was no laughing matter, as detailed in the ending of the initial Facebook post:
“We have looked at the security footage of our building as well as several businesses nearby. We have also contacted the Sea Isle police at this time. We are asking if anyone has seen the giraffe or has heard anything related to this incident. Anything will help! Please help us in bringing our giraffe safely home so we can close out summer 19 in a positive way!”
A missing person — giraffe, that is — sign posted on the corner of JFK Boulevard and Landis Avenue reads, “HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRAFFE?”
The sign includes a photo of Pisani with a group of friends surrounding Gucci in the center wearing its bikini.
“LAST SEEN ON LANDIS AVENUE AND 41st Street next to Rita’s,” the sign says.
In the Aug. 19 Facebook post, Gucci’s return was celebrated: “We have some REALLY great news to share with everyone. Gucci, my daughter’s giraffe, has been returned! She is so grateful for all of the kind words everyone on here expressed.”
“I know it all may seem silly but there are so many stories of how much fun and joy he has brought to all of us,” the post continues. “So many people said it would make them smile to look up and see Gucci on their porch whether he was dressed in beachwear or for Christmas in July.”
And like so many other situations in a small community-minded town, Sea Isle’s Police Department even got involved to help, despite how small it may seem.
The post continued: “We would also like to thank the Sea Isle Police Department for taking the time to file a report and going through all the camera footage from security cameras in the area.”
To end the summer on what Pisani hopes will be a positive note, there will be a “Gucci Returns” party.
“We will throw a big party. My friends made up shirts last week saying, ‘Bring Gucci Back.’ We are changing the shirts to say, ‘Got Gucci Back,”‘ Pisani said.
