BOSTON, Mass. – There was a true act of kindness and honesty outside a Dunkin’ Donuts in Cambridge when a van driver found a purse, and went to find the owner. The purse was filled with credit cards, ID cards and thousands of dollars in cash.

The Good Samaritan, Mark Trocchio, admits he wasn’t always this way. He showed WBZ-TV where he spotted the pocketbook when he hopped from his shuttle bus in Kendall Square Monday morning to grab some coffee.

“I just started at the company so I was trying to keep a low profile, but that didn’t work out too well,” Trocchio said.

He figured it might belong to someone still in the crowded coffee shop and was rummaging around for a name when something got his attention.

“A ton of money in there, like a ton of money,” Trocchio said stunned.

The purse had more than IDs and credit cards inside. It belonged to a tourist from Georgia who was carrying $8000 cash.

“She was crying over in the corner,” he said.

The woman’s two teenage children were trying to console her at a corner table when Trocchio came in.

“I shouted out her name and she turned, and I knew it was her because I had her ID in my hand,” Trocchio said.

So, he gave it back amid profuse thanks, declined her reward offer and made his exit. But she saw the name on his shuttle bus and called the company.

“She just said this is why I love Boston so much,” said Cindy Frene, of Transaction Corporate Shuttles. “So it’s a great story.”

Made even greater, perhaps, by Mark’s backstory.

“There was a time in my life when I would have never tried to give that back,” Trocchio said. “But I’m just glad I’m over that hump.”

Once lost in the fog of drugs and alcohol, the former Marine is now 17 years clean.

“Just moving forward, doing the right thing,” Trocchio said.

At the very least, Mark hopes he saved a family’s vacation, because he’s lost his wallet before and can relate, sort of.

“Mine didn’t have $8000 in it though, mine had about $8 in it,” Trocchio said.