To Detect & Serve - Mike Di Trani
In this inaugural episode of Beneath the Surface, host Ryan Marcus sits down with Mike DiTrani, a retired NYPD lieutenant, Coast Guard veteran, and founder of the Staten Island History Hunters Club—the only non-profit metal detecting club in New York City.
Mike shares how decades of law enforcement and Coast Guard service shaped his approach to metal detecting, from reading terrain like a crime scene to making split-second decisions on whether a signal is worth digging. He reveals the "zen" quality that drew him to detecting after a career of constant high-stakes decision-making, and explains why skill and research matter far more than expensive equipment.
You'll learn:
- How situational awareness from police work translates to finding targets others miss
- The research process behind successful hunts (LIDAR, Sanborn maps, historical aerials)
- Why mastering your detector matters more than buying the latest model
- The Scout ethos: leaving sites better than you found them
- Common mistakes new detectorists make (unrealistic expectations, not learning their machine)
- Mike's signal analysis process: the exact steps from beep to dig decision
This conversation goes beyond the finds to explore the mindset, method, and ethics that separate serious detectorists from casual treasure hunters. If you want to level up your detecting game, this episode is essential listening.