On October 25, 1981, an arson fire decimated the building at 1202 Washington Street known as El Dorado in Hoboken, New Jersey. Two entire families, The Mercado family from Puerto Rico, and The Rios family from Cuba, were killed in the fire. They were; Ana Mercado (33), Goduvin Mercado (35), Ruth Mercado (14), Denise Mercado (12), Walter Mercado (10), Kenneth Mercado (9), Reineda Rios (43), Francisco Rios (20), Maribel Rios (19), and Jesus Rios (13).

The fire was proven to be arson as investigators found bottles filled with accelerants on the first floor. Nearly a year and a half prior on June 9th, 1980, a formal written complaint detailing a verbal threat of arson made by building owner, Olga Ramos, was filed by a former tenant, Jenny Vega, at City Hall and was notarized by city clerk, Bernadine Van Carpels. Tenants had even contacted local press, The Jersey Journal, to help bring attention to the threat of arson in their building.  Up to 5 arson attempts, all extinguished by the tenants themselves, were made in the building in the months leading up to the final blaze. No one from the city, police, or fire, responded to their call resulting in the deaths of 11 people. No one was ever prosecuted and the building was sold 2 days after the fire and eventually converted to condominiums.