10 Year Old Ryan Leo Kamm asks ,How did coin thief get away?
Leo many in Ridgewood continue to wonder that same thing , the Village had for many year rejected modernizing its parking meters and even after a $40 million dollar renovation to the Ridgewood train station the old fashioned coin operated meters remained intact .Past mentions of upgrading parking meters were met with fallacious and hostile comments on this blog .
Ridgewood Parking Problems: oh those new fangled meters will never work here
https://theridgewoodblog.net/ridgewood-parking-problems-oh-those-new-fangled-meters-will-never-work-here/
Passion for Parking Meters
https://theridgewoodblog.net/passion-for-parking-meters/
Parking Economics 101 : Its called the Supply and Demand Curve
https://theridgewoodblog.net/parking-economics-101-its-called-the-supply-and-demand-curve/
I am only 10 years old, but I am wondering: If Rica stole 23,000 pounds in quarters, how could he walk out of a building carrying that amount with no pickup trucks available — even if he did it over several years — without being detected?
You go Ryan, none of us adults can figure it out either. The RPD is willing to arrest high school students for under-age drinking, but Rica walks free after stealing almost half a million dollars from the Village. What kind of lesson does this teach a kid like Ryan?
The coin collection and storage process has more holes in it than you can imagine. Ask Tommy Rica; that’s how he got away with it.
Well young Ryan, we live in a world that has parking meters, and those meters have to be guarded by men with keys. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Ryan? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Ridgewood, and you curse the Department of Inspections. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Ridgewood’s loss, while tragic, saved me lots of mortgage payments. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves money, at least for me. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me in that coin room, you need me in that coin room. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a 10 year old who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very larceny that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a quarter, and buy 2 hours of time on East Ridgewood Avenue. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
Hint: Rica was not the only one helping himself to the change bin. I’d bet many a village employee’s lunch over the past 10 years was paid for in quarters.
No ten-year-old could have written that. Sorry.
Think about the fact that there was “A $40 Million dollar renovation on the train station!!!!”” Is it any wonder the State of NJ is in such financial mess? They/we spent $40 million dollars and we have basically the same train station, in the same place, with the same trains coming and going. Whoever okayed that expenditure is the one that should be in jail.
I think your about 5 years to late to this party
That picture of Rica shows just how much of a thug he is. Looks like he’s been laying on a beach somewhere with a tan like that… probably spending our quarters !
Both a NY state and federal judge have taken away Pedro Espada’s pension to help collect the $118,981 Espada owes the IRS, plus a $368,088 criminal forfeiture judgement against the convicted crook. Espada was sentenced in 2013 to five years for plundering funds… why isn’t our coin boy in jail, too, and what does he owe the IRS and NJ in back taxes?
All but a few old-timers and insiders know what really goes on inside the Village Hall. For most people, Ridgewood is a place you live while your kids go through school, after which you sell up and move out. It’s quite a transient community. An affluent town. Lovely houses. We wave at our neighbors and have cocktails and BBQs. We are a pretty sophisticated bunch, mostly wrapped up in the lives of our kids and the long, stressful hours we put in at some big corporation. We have this natural impression that all our fellow Ridgewoodians are the same. Sophisticated.
That nice looking Village Hall is not staffed and managed by people like you. Just because Ridgewood has that Norman Rockwell image, does not mean it’s run by Norman Rockwell types. These people know all too well that the typical Ridgewood resident is blasting through life full speed and living a very comfortable life, to pay attention to the nepotism, insider perks and the feasting at the trough of what these residents pay in the form of taxes, fees, and yes, parking meter coins.
Hey, who has time to look? We’re too busy making money and driving our kids to soccer practice.
Seems like we’ve finally reached a tipping point. Outright theft and abuse by our public officials like Tommy “Coin Boy” Rica only draws further attention to the mismanagement at Village Hall. Taxpayers are finally questioning where are the internal controls, who is in charge, and where all of this money is going. The union pigs are squealing because someone is finally questioning all of the promises we’ve made via our elected officials promising them the moon in successive contracts over the years. You know you’ve struck a nerve when the hacks try to discredit you. Generally, when the unions want something for their members, it’s a bad thing for taxpayers, i.e. old fashioned coin meters, and extra duty pay for protecting Villagers from PSE&G trucks.
“Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a quarter, and buy 2 hours of time on East Ridgewood Avenue.”
Only in Westwood!
It was Bush’s fault.
how did no one see this. he is goood, I must say he has a set of ball,s to do that.
or did some one help him at night,
time will tell.
It was the guy on the grassy knoll.
All you guys making conspiracy jokes about this – maybe you were involved in the quarters scam, too ? The truth will come out, eventually, even if Rica won’t tell. Sounds like this was a mob gig, just look at the names involved in getting little Tommy off so lightly.
probably laundered millions in quarters through some Seaside Heights concession stand…
nice, you know who knows, right 2015,s lap dog.hummmmm,
Actually Leo…..he did have a pick up Truck. With HD springs of course !
Great lesson from the Village and the Bergen County judge… steal $860,000 or more, betray the public trust, and walk free without even paying it all back. “Hey kids, crime pays !” Where is the Council on this issue?
These people purporting to having their children make “their own” statements need to better consider the long term impact of having their children make public fools of themselves. Remember how awkward we all felt when that kid stood up at the council meeting and stammered and fumbled his way through his parents speech for him as he told the adults on the dais that they were on the take? Where were his parents?? That will require years of deep therapy to overcome for sure.
poop
this kid is retarded