July 1, 2003


Board of Directors
North Fork Bancorporation, Inc.
275 Broadhollow Road
Melville, New York  11747

      Re:   Registration Statement on Form S-8
            2003 Stock Compensation Plan

Gentlemen:

      We have served as counsel to North Fork Bancorporation, Inc., Melville,
New York (the "Company"), in connection with the preparation of a Registration
Statement on Form S-8 which is being filed by the Company with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on the date hereof (the "Registration
Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and
the Rules and Regulations promulgated thereunder, relating to the registration
and issuance by the Company of an aggregate of up to five million (5,000,000)
shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share (the "Shares"),
pursuant to the North Fork Bancorporation, Inc. 2003 Stock Compensation Plan
(the "Plan").

      This opinion is delivered in accordance with the requirements of Item
601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the 1933 Act.

      In rendering the opinions contained herein, we have examined such
corporate records of the Company, such laws and such other information as we
have deemed relevant, including the Registration Statement, the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, the Company's Bylaws, as amended,
certain resolutions adopted by the Compensation and Stock Committee of the Board
of Directors of the Company and the Board of Directors of the Company relating
to the Plan and certificates received from state officials and from officers of
the Company. In delivering this opinion, we have assumed the genuineness of all
signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the
conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as certified,
photostatic or conformed copies, and the correctness of all statements submitted
to us by officers of the Company.



Board of Directors
July 1, 2003
Page 2


      Our opinion is limited to the matters set forth herein and we express no
opinion other than as expressly set forth herein. In rendering the opinion set
forth below, we do not express any opinion concerning law other than the federal
law of the United States and the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware. Our opinion is expressed as of the date hereof and is based on laws
currently in effect. Accordingly, the conclusions set forth in this opinion
letter are subject to change in the event that any laws should change or be
enacted in the future. We are under no obligation to update this opinion letter
or to otherwise communicate with you in the event of any such change.

      Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that, upon
effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Shares issued by the Company
under the Plan, if issued in accordance with the Plan, will be validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable.

      We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to
the Registration Statement. In giving such consent we do not thereby admit that
we are experts or otherwise within the category of persons whose consent is
required under Section 7 of the 1933 Act or the rules or regulations of the
Commission thereunder.

                                            Very truly yours,


                                            /s/  STINSON MORRISON HECKER LLP