Search for Missing Madison Man Focuses on Field Near Swamp

Stephen Marano's truck was found Saturday on Brittin Road in Chatham Township, not far from the Green Village Fire Department, where he is a volunteer firefighter.

Madison, Chatham Township and Harding police along with the Morris County Sheriff's Office on Monday afternoon were at a field off Brittin Road near where Marano's truck was found Saturday morning.

Officials apparently headed into the Great Swamp taking a path from the field.
Green Village Fire Department vehicles were at the field earlier in the day and police arrived later in the afternoon.

A sign says the field, R.G. Miele Field, is home of the Green Village Fire Department.

Marano was last seen on surveillance footage stopping by the department by himself at about 1 a.m. Saturday and then drove off, his mother, Mary Marano, said Monday. She does not know why he was there.

Mary Marano said authorities searched 75 percent of the area of the Great Swamp they were targeting by Sunday, with the remainder to be searched Monday. The Great Swamp is just one place where he could be, she said.

"I just hope and pray that he returns safely and they find him," she said.

Mary Marano initially noticed his truck wasn't back when she let their dog out at 5 a.m. Saturday. That was not necessarily unusual because her son responds to fire calls, she said.

Later Saturday morning, one of his three brothers, Michael, checked with a firefighter and learned there was not a fire call, but his truck, a Toyota 4Runner, was seen parked on Brittin Road.

Mary Marano called Chatham Township police, and then filed a missing persons reports with Madison police. A search effort quickly started by about noon Saturday, with helicopters, K-9 units and agencies searching the Great Swamp.

The search stopped at dark Saturday and continued Sunday morning. Efforts resumed again Monday morning.

On Sunday, one of her sons and a friend went to join the search on ATV, but were turned away by authorities because of their emotional attachment to the situation, she said.

Stephen Marano, a waiter at the Madison Hotel, is described as about 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He may have a shaved head or short hair cut, the prosecutor's office said. Marano was last seen wearing dark pants and a dark-colored sweatshirt.

The owners of Rod's Steak and Seafood Grille where Marano worked declined comment.

The Madison and Chatham Township police departments are working with the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Search and Rescue, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office and the Morris County Park Police.

Anyone with information on Marano's whereabouts should call 973-285-2900.