Two weeks ago, three Oakland police officers responded, with police from Elmwood Park and Hawthorne, to an ongoing investigation that ended at the Ramapo Lodge motel. Arrested at the scene was a 22 year old in possession of 17 packets of heroin, 61 syringes, 2 guns, and a bag of suspected cocaine. The suspect was transported to the Bergen County Jail; bail was set at $250,000 bail. The young man was identified in local papers as an Oakland resident only due to his short stay at the Lodge.
Independent research indicates he had been staying at The Lodge for about two weeks, and his last residence was listed as Fair Lawn, NJ. The suspect’s behavior did not arouse any suspicions during his stay in Oakland, and it is believed that familial problems may have initiated his stay at the motel. It should be noted that heroin addicts do not display symptoms until they begin to suffer withdrawls, and may otherwise appear sober and lucid while under the influence.
New Jersey is a strategic gateway for drugs that can be distributed in this state and in the neighboring markets of New York and Philadelphia. Federal officials believe the heroin in New Jersey is some of the purest in the country with levels of 50% purity as compared to 30% or 40% nationwide. Federal Drug Enforcement Agency tests of heroin samples obtained from New Jersey streets showed 71% purity in 2002, nearly twice the national average. This purity is often associated with the rise in teenage addiction as it lends itself to being snorted initially, and only after a tolerance builds up do users need to resort to the needle. Officials also note that heroin use amongst young adults is rising, specifically in the Northeast.
Medical personnel and law enforcement also say that as more young people in the Northeast turn to heroin, more are ending up in jail and emergency rooms. Jesse Morella of Pompton Plains goes to local schools with his mother who explains the ramifications— Jesse choked on his own vomit in 2004 from an overdose and suffered severe brain damage. Before that, he was a regular sixteen year old kid teaching catechism classes to children and coaching basketball to younger kids. Not too long ago, a couple in a neighboring town were sentenced in connection with the drowning death of their child—they were high on heroin at the time.
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On a less somber note, The Ramapo Lodge, for residents that don’t know, is a small efficiency motel set back on Ramapo Valley Road. Built in the 1930s, the lodge aspect of it can be attributed to it being convenient to the outdoor recreational resources in the area which brought visitors from more urban areas out to “the country”. The decor of the rooms follow the lodge sensibility and have wood paneled walls.
If local readers ever want to venture to the state of Maine for a visit, they don’t even need to leave Oakland, NJ. Just go over to The Ramapo Lodge like Tony and Meadow Soprano did in episode 5 of season 1.
This episode, where Tony Soprano takes his daughter Meadow to go visit a college in Maine, was filmed right here in Oakland. The famous father and daughter stayed overnight at The Ramapo Lodge; and, although the name was hidden, you can’t fool anyone around here.
Originally airing in February of 1999, it is considered one of the best episodes of the series. The script was written by the series creator, David Chase , and was directed by Allen Coulter who also directed many episodes of Sex & The City. Coincidentally, the violence in this episode is limited to Tony , while up in Maine, “whacking” a guy who had turned informant years earlier– after being busted for peddling “H”.
