WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES DECEMBER 26, 2019 9
The top stories from March 2019
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Here are the top stories from March
2019.
Ridgewood man praised by NYPD
for intervention in attempted
kidnapping
Ridgewood resident Alex Salas was
hailed a hero aft er intercepting an attempted
kidnapping of an 11-year-old
girl on Dec. 15, 2018, while she was walking
to school early in the morning.
While laying in bed with his wife, Salas
heard a faint scream out the window
and decided to see what was causing the
din, he said.
He shared his story at the 104th Precinct
Community Council meeting in
Maspeth of how he leaped into action
with a baseball bat in hand as he heard
the young girl crying for help as the
suspect, Relyn Estrada, 40, a registered
sex off ender, dragged her into his car on
Centre Street near Seneca Avenue.
Following the altercation, Estrada
was charged with second-degree kidnapping
and criminal possession of a
fi rearm, among other charges. He was
scheduled to return to court March 30
aft er several appearances which came
YEAR IN REVIEW
Deputy Inspector John Mastronardi, Offi cer Louis Marinacci, Alex Salas, Detective Anthony Wright and 104th
Precinct Community Council President Len Santoro. Photo: Mark Hallum/QNS
to a closure aft er he was remanded each
time with a psychiatric evaluation ordered
on Feb. 11.
Man covered in white powder found
dead in parked car on Glendale
street in possible ‘chemical suicide’
Offi cers from the 104th Precinct and
FDNY units had found a deceased 49-
year-old man covered in white powder
inside a parked car in Glendale.
The four-door Hyundai Sedan
was parked at the corner of Myrtle
Avenue and 75th Street at around 4
a.m. on March 23. Police discovered
the unidentified man, reported to
be a Lyft driver, unconscious and
unresponsive.
The incident appeared to be a chemical
suicide, prompting the FDNY Haz-
Mat Unit to be on-site making the area
safe for fi refi ghters to pull the man’s
body out of the car.
The body was then transported to the
Medical Examiner’s offi ce for an autopsy
to determine the cause of death.
The top stories from April 2019
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Here are the top stories from April 2019.
Brother of missing Ridgewood man describes
nightmare search of area hospitals
A Ridgewood man who went missing for four days
was reunited with his brother following a long tireless
search of area hospitals.
The search for James Ralph ended when he was found
at a nearby hospital in critical condition aft er taking a
fall outside P.S. 88. Two teachers on lunch break found
Ralph and called 911, but without identifi cation of any
kind, proper family identifi cation was not easily made.
Ralph had apparently stepped out to move his car and
never returned, according to his brother, Andy. He had
left his phone and wallet in his apartment. Andy had
visited multiple hospitals to fi nd James. He was listed as
an “Unknown Anchor” aft er a matching anchor tattoo
he and his brother share.
Ralph had reached out to the public for help with any
information on his brother’s whereabouts with fl iers.
It was this support that helped locate his brother when
a teacher from P.S. 88 reached out to him. The teacher
who called in about Ralph recognized the description
by Andy of Birkenstocks sandals, sweats and a jacket. He
was also recognized by the beard and long hair.
Ridgewood stands in for 1960s New Jersey in
‘Sopranos’ prequel
Filming for the Sopranos prequel, “The Many Saints
of Newark” detailing the early life of Fictional crime
boss Tony Soprano took place in Ridgewood.
Directed by Alan Taylor and written by David Chase
and Lawrence Konner, the fi lm delves into the life of Soprano,
originally played by the late James Gandolfi ni.
The southwest Queens neighborhood was used as a
stand-in for Newark. The project was referred to as “Central
Ward,” a reference to part of Newark, produced by
Rose City Pictures, the company behind the “Sopranos”
prequel project.
Filming took place at three locations in Ridgewood including
60-70 Putnam Ave., and 60-67 Palmetto St., which
would act as exterior shots for Junior’s neighborhood.
Junior was played by Tony Soprano’s uncle in the HBO
series that debuted over 20 years ago.
The cast includes Alessandro Nivola, Jon Bernthal,
Vera Farmiga, Corey Stoll, Ray Liotta and Leslie Odom Jr.
Nivola plays Dickie Moltisanti, the father of Christopher
Moltisanti, who was portrayed in “The Sopranos” by
Michael Imperioli. The role of young Tony Soprano is
being played by Gandolfi ni’s 19-year-old son, Michael.
“The Many Saints of Newark” has a release date of
Sept. 25, 2020.
No parking signs were posted on Ridgewood
streets for the production of “Central Ward,”
the project name for “The Many Saints of
Newark,” a prequel to “The Sopranos.”
Photo via Facebook/Ridgewood
Property Owners and Civic Association
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