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By Colin Mixson
Brooklyn Daily
A local actor and singer who found an Emmy in a garbage can near his Bensonhurst home says he’s bringing the award to the premiere of a film in, hoping that the television award’s owner will show up to claim the prize.
“I want to return it,” said Ismael Cekic, “because I’m curious who this person is, who worked so hard to get that award.”
Cekic — “Smiley” to his friends — had just returned from and upstate studio in Woodstock where he was recording some tracks for his music website, GothamEmpireProductions.com, on Sept. 20 and was walking just a few houses down from his 28th Avenue home between Cropsey and Harway avenues, when he spotted a box full of trophies sticking out from a garbage can.
Feeling curious, Cekic rifled through the collection of mostly cheap, plastic baseball trophies, when he spotted a golden angel holding an atom and took a liking to it.
“It just caught my eye,” he said.
But it wasn’t until two days later, when he was watching the 2013 Emmy Awards, that the eureka moment occurred.
“I’ve always wanted to be an actor, so I watch the Emmys every year,” said Cekic. “So, I had the Emmy sitting on my coffee table, and then I saw the Emmy on the TV. I must have done three double takes, and then I yelled for my wife.”
Cekic, who makes an appearance in local film-maker Eric Rivas’s latest project, “Vamp Bikers,” says he now plans on bringing the wayward Emmy to a screening of the film at the Anthology Film Archives on Nov. 27, and would be happy to hand over the award to its rightful owner.
Rivas, who’s known Cekic for 35 years, says he wouldn’t expect anything less from his good friend Smiley.
“He’s a really good kid,” said Rivas. “It looks like he’s trying to do the right thing. He just wants to return it.”
Meanwhile, Cekic can use the remaining time left to him with the Emmy to fuel his life-long fantasy of actually winning the award.
“I close my eyes and picture myself up on stage. Simon Cowell presents it to me,” said Cekic. “He’s saying, ‘here you go Smiley, you made it.’ ”