After tons of research, time, and money, Marty and Rick Lagginina finally hit what they like to call the jackpot.

Oak Island was rumored to hide treasure deep beneath its surface, drawing in researchers, historians, and all kinds of treasure hunters over the years, most left empty-handed. Some even lost everything trying.

But Rick and Marty Lagginina believe they may have finally cracked the mystery of Oak Island. The big question everyone wants answered is if there really was treasure buried there, did the island finally give it up?

Before we dive in, can we get this video to 1,000 likes? Go ahead and tap the like button and subscribe if you haven’t already.

The two brothers poured years of their lives into uncovering Oak Island secrets. And for a long time, it seemed like nothing was working. But their last attempt finally paid off.

A&E picked up their story for a documentary series called The Curse of Oak Island. Rick and Marty became so hooked on the mystery, they spent a small fortune digging and exploring.

Luckily, the show brought in outside investors, which helped cover the cost of their continued search. The first two seasons came and went without any major discoveries from the Lagginas.

But things took a turn in season three. While draining one of the shafts, they uncovered several artifacts, including what looked like a ceremonial Roman sword. That discovery raised eyebrows, hinting that Romans may have reached North America long before Columbus.

By the end of season 3, they had uncovered more pieces of the puzzle and started feeling like they were finally on the right path.

When season 4 kicked off, their focus turned to identifying one intriguing find, a handmade copy of an old French map. They brought in historian and ancient navigation expert Zena Halpern to help out. She dated the map to around 1647.

The map had words like valve, anchor, and hatch written on it, which made the team wonder if the treasure might have had African connections. They also found what looked like part of a book, specifically a binding that might have once held pages together.

That led Rick and Marty to believe that there could be hidden manuscripts waiting to tell a much bigger story. Along with the binding, they discovered a small piece of parchment made from animal skin.

Some thought it might connect back to William Chappelle and Frederick Blair, two men who had previously investigated the island. The parchment dated to the 15th century, a time when only the wealthy could afford to send or receive letters.

A few gold pieces were found on Oak Island in the 21st century. Back when the Truro Company was digging, they ran into serious trouble. The ocean flooded their excavation site. Eventually, they had to shut things down when the money dried up. That spot became known as the money pit.

And tragically, someone lost their life trying to drain it. Many groups searched the island during the 1900s, each hoping they’d be the ones to crack the mystery.

Even President Roosevelt got involved. He was fascinated by Oak Island and joined in on one of the early expeditions. But like the others, his group ran out of funding and had to give up.

Still, even after all those setbacks, the curiosity never died. The mystery kept pulling people in. One of them was Irwin Hamilton. He cleared out a shaft and found pieces of wood and stones that didn’t match anything from the island.

That confirmed for many that something man-made was definitely hidden underground. Rick and Marty weren’t alone. They were in the company of others who were just as driven.

Their team was made up of people with experience, passion, and strong instincts. They truly believed the island might still reveal its secrets. One of those team members was Craig Tester, Marty’s old college roommate.

Alongside him were Dan Blankenship and his son David. Dan was a well-known treasure hunter in Nova Scotia. Many even called him a living legend. He gave up his contracting career to focus entirely on Oak Island.

He poured everything he had into solving the mystery and his son followed right behind him. They both worked closely with the Lagginas to push the search forward.

In the past, it had been nearly impossible to keep water out of the money pit. So Craig came up with the idea to freeze it instead, and the whole team agreed it was the smartest approach. It made digging much easier.

Rick and Marty had always been treasure hunters at heart, so it was no surprise when a real mystery landed in their laps, and they went after it full force.

Rick especially had been chasing dreams like this since he was a kid. Back when he was 10 and living in Kingsford, he found a big granite boulder and started digging under it, thinking he might uncover something hidden. He didn’t find anything, but that moment stuck with him.

Eventually, the brothers decided to go all-in. In 2006, they bought about half of Oak Island Tours so they could chase their dream more seriously. Dan Blankenship still owned the other half and they all became part of the same team.

They knew from the start that working together was key. Marty stayed cautious, not wanting to jump to conclusions when they made early finds. But the deeper they dug, the more it looked like something important had happened on the island long ago.

And even though Marty kept his expectations grounded, he couldn’t help but feel hopeful. The first clue that there might be treasure on Oak Island came way back in the 1700s.

A young boy named Daniel McInness noticed some strange marks on an oak tree. It looked like someone had used a rope and pulley system there. Then he saw a 5-meter dip in the ground and figured something might be buried underneath.

He brought in a couple of friends and that kicked off a search that would span decades. A few years later, the Enslow company tried to pick up where the boys had left off. They didn’t find treasure, but they did come across a stone tablet with markings on it.

It took almost 100 years before anyone translated it. One person who claimed to be an expert believed it said 40 ft below, 2 million pounds lie buried. Some people took that as solid proof that something valuable was hidden underground. But was it really?

Over time, Oak Island became the focus of all kinds of wild theories. Some believed the treasure belonged to Marie Antoinette. Others thought secret manuscripts by Francis Bacon or even Shakespeare were buried there.

While none of these ideas were ever proven, they definitely sparked people’s curiosity and kept the mystery alive.

As their search went on, the Lagginas brothers discovered what they believed to be the head and shaft, possibly built in 1805 by the original money pit explorers. Since starting their journey, they’ve uncovered around 600 historic artifacts.

One major discovery in the pit was a human bone. Tests suggested it belonged to someone of Middle Eastern origin. Another bone they found seemed to come from a person of European descent.

Marty began to wonder if these remains could be linked to the Knights Templar. Another key member of the team was Gary Drayton, who brought energy and skill to the group. He earned the nickname “metal detecting ninja” thanks to his sharp eye and years of experience.

On the show, he had plenty of chances to prove just how good he was. And he didn’t disappoint.

Just before The Curse of Oak Island wrapped up its fifth season, Gary and the brothers made one of their biggest finds. Together they uncovered something that could challenge what we know about history.

It was a small cross with a hole at the top dated somewhere between 1200 and 1600. They also found a stone inscribed with Greek letters which reminded Rick of what he’d seen in photos of a Templar prison.

The artifact seemed to support the theory that the Knights Templar had a presence on the island. The show even suggested that if it could be proven they came to North America centuries ago, it might change what the world knows about the past.

Historian Zena Halpern offered a different take on the origin of the cross. She suggested it might represent the Phoenician goddess Tannet. If that were true, it could mean the Templars worshiped a goddess tied to health and fertility, something that would really challenge what we thought we knew about them.

After that, even more theories started popping up, and some of them felt a bit far-fetched. Another idea about the cross was that it might have been used to smuggle gold. Sounds strange, right? But Jack Begley thought it was possible.

He said the cross looked like it had been covered in lead, but when they scraped some of it off, they found gold underneath. According to him, the rest of that gold could still be hidden in Smith’s Cove, or maybe it had been there and was moved somewhere else long ago.

One of the other big finds was a stone estimated to be 400 to 500 years old. It had a deep raspberry colored rotoly garnet in it. Some people pointed to that as more proof of a connection to Marie Antoinette.

Rick Laggina said the team deserved a pat on the back. They’d actually found treasure, but even with that, the stone’s origin is still debated. It could have come from several places. One theory ties it to French royalty, but others think it matches the kind of jewelry worn in Masonic ceremonies by a grand high priest.

At this point, the Laggina brothers weren’t too worried about whether the show would get another season. They were more interested in solving the puzzle and finding out what was really hidden on the island.

Mattie Blake, who hosts a follow-up show about their search, said the team looked ready to keep digging up major discoveries. And sure enough, more finds kept rolling in.

One of the most interesting was another stone. This one covered with unusual carvings. It didn’t look ordinary at all. Craig Tester, their drilling expert, thought the marks looked a lot like Roman numerals.

Now, the team was all in agreement. Anything found near the money pit needed a closer look. That decision paid off. When they brought the carved stone back to the lab for testing, they discovered something surprising.

The tests were thorough, and after all the analysis, they started to believe there might have been Vikings on the island at some point.

Then, just as things were picking up, another clue turned up. The team’s discoveries didn’t stop at parchment and stones. As they kept digging, they came across some tubular objects that clearly didn’t belong in the natural environment.

Once they showed them to archaeologist Leard Nven, he confirmed they were man-made. Actually, two plates. That wasn’t all. The team also uncovered a structure beneath the surface, and the angle of it made it pretty clear that people had built it.

It left everyone wondering, could this be the legendary chapel vault? The place some believe holds hidden treasure. So far, they still don’t know for sure.

Exploring Oak Island has been an incredible journey for the brothers, not just for the adventure, but also for what it brought them in return. The TV show that followed their search became a big success, and that helped them earn a good amount of money along the way.

The Lagginas even own part of the island now, and fans all over the world are still eager to see what they’ll uncover next.

It’s no shock that Rick and Marty Laggina have built some serious wealth over the years. Rick is estimated to be worth around $2 million, while Marty has about $50 million. So, yes, they’re doing just fine.

If you enjoyed the story and want to keep following along as the mystery of Oak Island unfolds, make sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with other Treasure Hunt fans. Thanks for watching.