By Stephanie Loder
A second production of “Jersey Lawman: A Life on the Right Side of Crime,” a staged reading based on the memoir of former Cape May County Sheriff Jim Plousis, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at Cape May Presbyterian Church, Cape May.
The event is a one-night-only “pay-what-you-will” benefit performance that aims to raise money for the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund and the East Lynne Theater’s Capital Campaign.
Event sponsors are Avalon Coffee – Cape May and The Plousis Family Fund.
The cast includes Alisa Cooper, Nathan Garcia, Ken Hornbeck, Mat Labotka, Thomas Raniszewski, and Michael Sharp.
Jersey Lawman highlights the 40-year law enforcement career of Cape May County native Jim Plousis who worked as an Ocean City patrolman and as Cape May County sheriff, before being nominated to United States Marshal by former President George W. Bush.
Plousis trekked the Pine Barrens of South Jersey to arrest suspects. He even met with one of the nation’s most notorious mob bosses.
“I’ve known Jim for over 40 years,” said Alica Cooper, a New Jersey Casino Control Commission commissioner in Atlantic City.
It seemed a perfect fit for Cooper to take part in the production.
“He (Plousis) and my mother, Assemblywoman Dolores Cooper, were both involved in Atlantic and Cape May County politics,” she said.
Her mother Dolores Cooper was an Atlantic County Freeholder and a New Jersey State Assemblywoman; her father was Dr. David Cooper, a well-known dentist in Atlantic City for over 40 years.
Alisa Cooper reconnected with Plousis when he became the Chairman of the New Jersey Casinos Control Commission in 2017.
“We found out that we were both actively involved in helping and serving our community, particularly with charitable activities,” Cooper said.
In November 2023, Jim was chairman of an event called “Hand to Hand for Haiti” and Cooper provided the music for the event, which was held at the ICONA Hotel in Avalon.
At the Avalon event, Cooper said she met Tommy Raniszewski.
“We had a wonderful conversation and he explained that he was in the process of adapting Jim’s book into a ‘reading’ and that he was going to need a female voice,” Cooper said.
“I had read the book and immediately, I told Tommy to count me in – I definitely wanted to be a part of this project,” she said.
Cooper is the moderator for Jersey Lawman on stage.
“I was very honored to be included in this project and, also, to be the moderator and portray any of the female characters/voices in the reading/adaptation. The actual book is huge – over 500 pages and it was amazing how Tommy selected the best segments to be included in the reading – focusing on different phases of Jim’s long and distinguished career,” she said.
As the moderator, Cooper has the opportunity and responsibility to tie all of the segments together and “weave a wonderful and beautiful story.”
She said it was “particularly special” to be the voice of Jim’s wife, Kathleen, “who was very
supportive and very involved with Jim’s career.” Kathleen Plousis passed away in 2013.
Cooper said the event is important because they raise money for two causes.
“There is no charge to attend this event – you have the option to donate whatever you feel like donating at the door – whatever you feel is comfortable,” Cooper said.
“Most importantly, 100 percent of the money is donated directly to the Survivors Fund and the East Lynne Theatre – everyone who is a part of the reading donated their time and talents for this extraordinary event,” she said.
Cooper was born and raised in Atlantic City and is a graduate of Atlantic City High School and the University of Maryland. She owned and operated Alisa Cooper Orchestras, a music and entertainment agency.
Cooper served as an Atlantic County Freeholder and for the past 12 years has been a commissioner with the NJ Casino Control Commission, where she currently serves as Vice Chair.
Cooper played piano at the world-famous 500 Club and opened at the Resorts International Casino Hotel in May 1978 in The Rendezvous Lounge. She has entertained at high-roller parties for Tony Bennett, Jerry Seinfeld, Dom DeLuise, Neil Sedaka, Wayne Newton, and Smokey Robinson.
Cooper said the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund “is a very worthwhile organization.”
“ The U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund is an organization which helps to pay for funeral expenses of fallen officers. Sadly, money that was raised at our April performance was sent to North Carolina where less than two weeks after our performance, four officers were killed in the line of duty,” Cooper said.
“It was truly a blessing to know that our performance helped/assisted the families of the four law enforcement officers. Also, it was very special that Dan O’Donnell, the founder of the organization flew in from Alabama for our performance in April and spoke about the organization and gave us words of gratitude for our benefit performance that evening,” Cooper said.
