'I had a call from Heir Hunters and found 27 family members and $1million'

A woman has described the phone call that changed her life when she was contacted by the team made famous by the BBC show Heir Hunters - and discovered she was one of 27 family members spread across the world who had inherited a share of $1million.

Pauliina Johnston, 60, had lived in the UK for almost three decades but her family traced its roots back to a Finnish island seized by Russia - and that family included a man who went on to become hugely wealthy in the USA.

When wealthy 89-year-old recluse, Charles Ventura died in New York he left behind a valuable estate - and no known next of kin. Charles had never married, and had no children.

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Finders International (FI), the UK’s largest firm of professional probate genealogists — which featured on BBC show Heir Hunters — was instructed to trace his rightful heirs. As well as having no children on his own, Charles was an only child. He lived alone, rarely interacting with the outside world, and despite his wealth it was his neighbours that ensured he had enough to eat.

FI research uncovered a story that stretched across continents and history: a vast Finnish family, displaced from their island homeland, scattered worldwide across the UK, France, Finland, the US, and beyond, with many unaware of each other’s existence.

One of the first relatives contacted by FI was Pauliina Johnston, Charles’ first cousin once removed, who had lived in the UK for almost three decades. Charles’ and Pauliina’s father were first cousins. Pauliina, 60 said: “It was extraordinary. I got a letter from Finders International and didn’t quite know what to think. `I had seen them on the BBC TV’s Heir Hunters, so I knew they dealt with unclaimed estates. I called them, and my first question was simply: Tell me who has died?

“When the researcher said Charles Ventura, I recognised the name — although I had never met him. I knew of his mother, Alma, through my aunt who lived in the US. Charles and my father were first cousins.

“Little did I know this was the start of a remarkable journey. I have now discovered an enormous extended family scattered across the world. Two weeks ago, I arranged a gathering of all ‘the found’ relatives in Helsinki. Meeting cousins I never knew was marvellous. The resemblance among us all is striking, and the stories and photographs we shared that day brought our family history alive.

“Some of the family are in their 90s now and had a lot of information to share, others are many decades younger. Of course, lots of family ‘secrets’ were also shared!”

Neighbours in New York described Charles as a reclusive man, while relatives that had visited Charles’ family many decades ago described the young Charles as a much-loved only child and the centre of his mother’s world - who believed no woman was ever good enough for him. Others said that Charles was easy going, happy and enjoyed life with his parents who gave him a lot of positive attention.

His father died in 1986 and when his mother Alma died two years later, Charles, then aged 56, buried her in a full pink cowboy outfit. Charles then lived alone and rarely interacted with the outside world.

He had worked for Consolidated Edison electricity company in New York and despite his wealth, he lived a solitary life. Neighbours described him as reclusive with few friends, though neighbours were said to have looked out for him and ensured he had food.

Charles was born in Brooklyn in 1932, the only child of Italian American father Charles Sr. and Finnish mother, Alma. His mother, the youngest of 11 children, was born in 1900 on the Finnish island of Seiskari, a thriving Finnish community until 1940 when it was ceded to the Soviet Union during World War II. Following this the entire Finnish population, including Charles’ extended family, was evacuated and permanently resettled elsewhere across Finland. Generations were scattered, and contact between branches of the family was lost.

In death, however, Charles achieved something he never did in life: bringing his large extended family together. 27 heirs were identified on his mother’s Finnish side, and each will receive a share of his estate.

Simonne Llewellyn, CEO of Finders International said: “Our international department is increasingly busy. It is not unusual for us to deal with estates across Europe, Canada, Australia, the US, as well as Hong Kong and other Asian countries. Each country has slightly different rules with regard to inheritance when it comes to someone dying intestate ( no Will). Even within the UK, Scotland has slightly different rules of inheritance to England and Wales. This is where the expertise of our International Team and our International Asset Services Team shine - boasting years of experience in dealing with the varying legal complexities of each country."

Katelyn Bennet, case researcher at Finders International said: “This case shows how families can become scattered through war, migration, and time. Many of Charles’ relatives had lost contact or didn’t get to know each other simply because of the upheaval of war and resettlement. Our work in tracing heirs doesn’t just resolve legal inheritance, it has reunited relatives across continents, turning Charles’ solitary life into a legacy of reconnection.”

Finders Internationa specialises in tracing missing heirs, beneficiaries, and next of kin. It has offices in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Yorkshire, as well as Dublin and Sydney, and works with lawyers, councils, healthcare trusts, and private individuals worldwide.

As featured on the BBC TV’s Heir Hunters, Finders International provides expertise in estate administration, asset reunification, and international probate research.