But two weeks ago, the complex was rocked over the shooting death of resident John "Butch" DiTursi, the former North Bergen fire captain who was killed by police when he allegedly pointed a hunting rifle at them after a five-hour standoff.
A week later, the residents were stunned to learn of the apparent suicide of resident Maureen Priess, a 47-year-old estranged wife of a North Bergen police lieutenant, who apparently took her own life because she was distraught over the death of DiTursi, with whom she apparently had a romantic relationship.
Last Monday at 3:15 a.m., Priess was found dead in her eighth-floor apartment, just four floors above from where the 58-year-old DiTursi met his demise a week earlier. She was found by her estranged husband, North Bergen Police Lt. George Priess, after neighbors called Lt. Priess and told him that they were unable to contact his wife.
According to reports from the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, which is overseeing the incident, Lt. Priess arrived Monday morning and found his wife face down in the kitchen doorway.
Inside the apartment, a local newspaper was open on a coffee table to an article concerning the shooting death of DiTursi.
Sources said there were also yellow "Post-It" notes stuck around the apartment, which appeared to be suicide notes, expressing how upset Priess was about the death of her alleged boyfriend DiTursi, who also was still married.
Lt. George Priess was not living with his wife at the time of her death. He had moved to another residence in the township.
According to reports, Hudson County Prosecutor's Office investigators found empty bottles of prescription medication as well as open liquor bottles inside the apartment. While the Regional Medical Examiners Office in Newark had still not revealed the findings of its investigation by press time Thursday, it was believed that the toxicology reports would prove that Priess took her own life with a combination of the pills and alcohol. It was not determined what kind of medication was used in Priess' death.
According to press reports, Priess' death is not considered suspicious and was officially ruled as a suicide.
While the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office declined to reveal details in the case, including the contents of the suicide messages, sources close to the case said that the notes did clearly state that she was upset over the death of DiTursi.
One source said that a note allegedly read, "I can't live without Butchie...I can't go on without him...He was everything to me."
According to a published report, another note read, "I'm going to meet Butchie on Sunday."
Friends and residents both revealed that they knew about a relationship between Maureen Priess and John DiTursi, but they didn't know exactly how long it had been going on.
"She really wanted to be with him," said one female resident who requested anonymity. "She wanted him to leave his wife permanently and be with her. I really believe she thought that they would be together forever."
Argument
However, on Jan. 31, a drunken DiTursi went to his apartment and got into a fight with his wife, Joan. He began to throw things out of the couple's fourth floor apartment balcony, then held police at bay with three weapons, one of which was a high-powered hunting rifle, for five hours.
The standoff then ended when DiTursi apparently went into the hallway of the apartment complex and allegedly pointed the rifle at police outside. He was subsequently shot three times, and died 30 minutes later at Palisades Medical Center.
DiTursi was a member of the old North Bergen Fire Department for more than 20 years and was elevated to the rank of captain in 1991. He retired in February, 1996. He had sustained injuries to his back and legs after falling from a second-story window while fighting a fire on Tonnelle Avenue the previous year.
Several calls to Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio went unreturned by press time. Township officials declined any official comment, referring all inquiries to the Prosecutor's Office.
However, the news of the two tragic deaths in one secluded apartment complex has certainly sent shockwaves through the residents - and through the town. A retired married fire captain was apparently having an affair with the wife of a police lieutenant. Now, in the span of eight days, both are dead.
"I don't know how we're going to recover from this one," said the unidentified male resident. "No one knows what to say, how to react. Everyone is staying quiet, mum. It's definitely tragic. You never want to see anyone die, especially not your neighbors. And certainly, you don't want to see them die this way, in this manner. It's beyond sad. What else can you say?"
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