Some Stories Stay with You.

Marilyn Rodriguez grew up in Hudson County, New Jersey, where the Binghamton was a local icon and well known restaurant and entertainment venue. It was also a part of many of her own personal childhood memories, as her family often celebrated special occasions there.

Years later, what began as a simple curiosity about what had led to her decline and ultimate removal from the Hudson River send her on a complex journey that included examining court documents, hundreds of photographs, digging through over thirty years of newspaper clippings and articles, and conducting numerous personal interviews with people who worked at the Binghamton or were frequent patrons.

A Seton Hall alumni, Marilyn worked for seven years as a private investigator before building a successful career in branding, marketing, and graphic design that now spans nearly three decades. She is also the author of the 2025 business book Design Delusions & Marketing Myths, and the host of the podcast Actually…Forgotten Stories for Curious Minds, where she explores topics from history, to true crime, to popular culture, and beyond.

Marilyn now lives in the Tampa, Florida area, but she remains forever a Jersey Girl. The Secret History of the Binghamton brings together her investigative instincts, her personal memories of the boat and the North Jersey waterfront, and the believe that even the most familiar places have stories we haven't heard yet.

I remembered the Binghamton as a place for dinners and celebrations, with old-world decor and a view across the Hudson. When I began researching her history, I found a story that reached far beyond the restaurant I knew. The Secret History of the Binghamton follows the boat through her working life as a ferry, her transformation into an Edgewater landmark, the murder of owner Nelson Gross in 1997, and the difficult years that followed. I’m drawing on archival photographs, newspaper accounts, court records, public documents, and the memories of people who knew her to understand what happened—and preserve more than just the ending.