Here's what happens to all those coins that get tossed into city fountains by wish-makers: If the homeless don't get to them first, they go into city coffers - courtesy of Joe McBain. McBain, 53, is an unsung hero of New York whose job is making sure city park fountains in Manhattan are kept clean of debris. It's a job that McBain, who hails from Grenada and lives in Brooklyn, has held for more than eight years. In addition to coins, he's found everything from MetroCards to cell phones to watches during his watery rounds. "It's New York City," McBain said with a wide smile. "Anything goes." The homeless, he said, usually snatch up quarters, dimes and nickels under the cover of darkness, when the fountains are off for the night. By day, McBain fishes out all the pennies - as well as leaves, discarded food and other trash. McBain, who has picked up hundreds of coins in a day, turns over the money to the city's general fund. Sometimes, though, he will use the cash to buy a small piece of replacement plumbing for the fountains. His daily route can take him from fountains at Bowling Green to City Hall and Foley Square up to Columbus Circle and Central Park, where he works for the Central Park Conservancy. Sometimes, when wish-makers see McBain pulling their coins out, they fear their dreams won't come true. He's quick to assuage their worries. "I tell them it's like a prayer," McBain said. "Once the money hits the water, their wish is answered." Reprinted from nydailynews.com