***Mystery solved! UPDATE---> Reader Alisha B. was able to locate and connect with Jon's sister, and they are working with Sloan's to get the letters to the family!

When sorting through the mail at Sloan's New York Grill in Oneonta, general manager Caryn Balnis made an interesting discovery. Mixed in with the usual bills and junk mail was a letter from a young soldier based at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina.

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The letter did not list a recipient, only Sloan's physical address was present. Blanis said "We received the letter yesterday morning. We opened it, as it is addressed to us but with no name on it. I feel terrible because it’s clearly a young boy who’s trying to contact his mom. The letter just talks about what he’s doing in boot camp currently and how it’s going. He apologizes for not calling his mom, but no reference to her name."

Sloan's New York Grill
Sloan's New York Grill
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The return address has a name and where the soldier is stationed, and says "To Mom" right next to it. Balnis tried searching for any relatives in the area but came up empty. "It appears his name is either “Jon Bertucco” or “Jon Berfucco”. I did a little research and I found a Sharon Bertuccio at 61 Chestnut Street in Oneonta. I called her number with no response. It does say she’s 81 or 82, so I’m not thinking it would be her son, maybe a grandson. Upon further investigation of her name, I found her husband’s obituary and there was no mention of a grandson Jon or Jonathan so I think she may be a dead end!"

I was a skip tracer for a short time many years ago, and I engaged those skills and resources and came up absolutely empty. The army does not publicly publish rolls of soldiers.

If you have any useful information so the letter can get to its intended destination, please reach out to Townsquare Media Oneonta or Sloan's New York Grill.

Oneonta and Otsego County Barbecue Trail

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