NEW ORLEANS -- A Harrah's waiter ended up with the $8,000 he found in a restaurant booth after all.

Al Castro found a lost wallet last week, with no identification inside.

Dr. Thomas McCauley, a Rhode Island eye surgeon in New Orleans for a convention, said he stashed some money he'd won in a spare wallet he carries in case his pocket is picked. He said he figured the cash had been stolen.

But Castro tracked down McCauley and returned the money, initially refusing to take a reward.

When asked why return a wallet with no identification, Castro said he put himself in McCauley's shoes. Also, he said, his wife believes in karma.

McCauley called Castro "the saint of New Orleans," and in recognition of his honesty, McCauley gave him all the money Monday.

Castro is also a student at a local university, in addition to working full time at the downtown hotel and casino to support his wife and 1-year-old child. McCauley said Castro was " getting the wallet back as a stipend for his college."

Police Superintendent Warren Riley, city officials, the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, Harrah's and the San Francisco-based American Academy of Ophthalmology also honored Castro on Monday.

Crime has been a concern in tourist-dependent New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, and tourism officials have sought to ease travelers' concerns by advising them to be aware of their surroundings, as they would in any major city.