Like Gus Chiggins, Queens resident Raffi Stepanian is a modern day prospector with humble dreams: to avoid coyotes, and find his fortune in the sidewalks of midtown Manhattan. Stepanian made waves last summer when he was interviewed by the Post about panning for bits of gold, platinum and rare gems in the Diamond District. He has said that he makes up to $300 dollars a day: “The streets of 47th Street are literally paved with gold.” More recently, Stepanian has been featured on the new show Penn and Teller Tell a Lie. Below, you can see that segment on him, as well as another video of Stepanian doing his thing. Of course, if Stepanian really wanted to make some money, he’d go straight for the taxi medallion gold.
Man makes up to $300/day panning for gold/rare gems simply by walking streets of New York City
