SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549

                                      FORM 8-K

                            C U R R E N T   R E P O R T

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                          Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                                   June 27, 1994  
                 Date of Report (Date Of Earliest Event Reported)

                          NORTH FORK BANCORPORATION, INC.
               (Exact Name Of Registrant As Specified In Its Charter)

                                     Delaware                    
                   (State Or Other Jurisdiction Of Incorporation)

                  0-10280                        36-3154608             
          (Commission File Number)      (IRS Employer Identification No.)

                     9025 Route 25, Mattituck, New York  11952
                (Address Of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

                                 (516) 298-5000                     
                (Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)

                                 NOT APPLICABLE                         
           (Former Name Or Former Address, If Changed Since Last Report)



          ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

                    On June 27, 1994, North Fork Bancorporation,
          Inc. ("North Fork") and Metro Bancshares Inc. ("Metro")
          entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger
          Agreement") providing, among other things, for the merger
          (the "Merger") of Metro with and into North Fork, with
          North Fork surviving the Merger (the "Surviving
          Corporation").  Immediately after the Merger, Bayside
          Federal Savings Bank ("Bayside Federal"), Metro's
          federally chartered savings bank subsidiary, will merge
          (the "Subsidiary Merger") with and into North Fork Bank
          ("New York Bank"), North Fork's New York chartered bank
          subsidiary.

                    Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, each share of
          the common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Metro
          Common Stock"), of Metro outstanding on the date of the
          Merger (except for shares of Metro Common Stock held by
          Metro as treasury stock or shares held by North Fork or
          any of its subsidiaries, but including shares of Metro
          Common Stock (i) held directly or indirectly by North
          Fork or Metro or any of their respective subsidiaries in
          trust accounts, managed accounts and the like or
          otherwise held in a fiduciary capacity that are
          beneficially owned by third parties ("Trust Account
          Shares") and (ii) held by North Fork or Metro or any of
          their respective subsidiaries in respect of a debt
          previously contracted ("DPC Shares")) will be converted
          into a number of shares (the "Exchange Ratio") of the
          common stock, par value $2.50 per share, of North Fork
          ("North Fork Common Stock"), determined by dividing
          $25.50 by the "Average Closing Price," provided, however,
          that (I) if the Average Closing Price is equal to or
          greater than $15.50, the Exchange Ratio shall be 1.645
          and (II) except as described in the next sentence, if the
          Average Closing Price is equal to or less than $14.50,
          the Exchange Ratio shall be 1.759.  If the Average
          Closing Price is less than $12.50, Metro may terminate
          the Merger Agreement unless North Fork increases the
          Exchange Ratio such that the shares of North Fork Common
          Stock issued in exchange for each share of Metro Common
          Stock have a nominal value (valued at the Average Closing
          Price) of $21.99.  The Average Closing Price is defined
          as the average closing sales price of the North Fork
          Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange for the 20
          consecutive trading days ending on the 5th business day
          prior to the date on which the last required regulatory
          approval for the Merger, the Subsidiary Merger and the
          other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement
          is obtained, without regard to any requisite waiting
          periods in respect thereof.  

                    The shares of North Fork Common Stock Common
          Stock issued in the Merger will include the corresponding
          number of rights attached to such shares pursuant to
          North Fork's shareholder rights plan.  No fractional
          shares of North Fork Common Stock will be issued in the
          Merger, and Metro stockholders who otherwise would be
          entitled to receive a fractional share of North Fork
          Common Stock will receive a cash payment in lieu thereof.

                    Consummation of the Merger is subject to
          certain conditions, including, but not limited to,
          approval of the Merger Agreement by the stockholders of
          each of Metro and North Fork and the receipt of all
          required regulatory approvals.  In addition, Metro may
          terminate the Merger Agreement during the first 30 days
          following its execution if Metro reasonably determines in
          good faith that the business or financial condition of
          North Fork and its subsidiaries taken as a whole has
          materially and adversely changed from that described in
          North Fork's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
          year ended on December 31, 1993.  

                    As a condition to the execution and delivery of
          the Merger Agreement, North Fork and Metro entered into a
          stock option agreement, dated as of June 27, 1994 (the
          "Stock Option Agreement"), pursuant to which Metro
          granted North Fork an option to purchase up to 557,795
          shares of Metro Common Stock at a purchase price of
          $21.00 per share, subject to adjustment.  The option is
          exercisable only upon the occurrence of certain events
          described therein, none of which has occurred.  In
          addition, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, upon the
          occurrence of any such event, Metro will pay North Fork a
          termination fee of $2,000,000.  

                    The Merger Agreement and the Stock Option
          Agreement are attached hereto as exhibits and
          incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.  The
          foregoing summaries of the Merger Agreement and the Stock
          Option Agreement do not purport to be complete and are
          qualified in their entirety by reference to such
          exhibits.


          ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND EXHIBITS.

               (c)  Exhibits

                    The following Exhibits are filed with this
          Current Report on Form 8-K:

          Exhibit
          Number                   Description

            2.1          Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
                         June 27, 1994, between North Fork
                         Bancorporation, Inc. and Metro Bancshares
                         Inc.

           99.1          Stock Option Agreement, dated as of June
                         27, 1994, between North Fork
                         Bancorporation, Inc. and Metro Bancshares
                         Inc.


                                  SIGNATURE

                    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
          Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this
          report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
          hereunder duly authorized.

          Dated:  July 6, 1994

                                   NORTH FORK BANCORPORATION, INC.

                                   By: /s/ Daniel M. Healy
                                   Name:   Daniel M. Healy
                                   Title:  Executive Vice President
                                           Chief Financial Officer



                                EXHIBIT INDEX

          Exhibit                                      Page
          Number              Description              Number

            2.1     Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated
                    as of June 27, 1994, between North
                    Fork Bancorporation, Inc. and Metro
                    Bancshares Inc.

           99.1     Stock Option Agreement, dated as
                    of June 27, 1994, between North Fork
                    Bancorporation, Inc. and Metro
                    Bancshares Inc.
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549

                                      FORM 8-K

                            C U R R E N T   R E P O R T

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                          Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                                   June 27, 1994  
                 Date of Report (Date Of Earliest Event Reported)

                          NORTH FORK BANCORPORATION, INC.
               (Exact Name Of Registrant As Specified In Its Charter)

                                     Delaware                    
                   (State Or Other Jurisdiction Of Incorporation)

                  0-10280                        36-3154608             
          (Commission File Number)      (IRS Employer Identification No.)

                     9025 Route 25, Mattituck, New York  11952
                (Address Of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

                                 (516) 298-5000                     
                (Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)

                                 NOT APPLICABLE                         
           (Former Name Or Former Address, If Changed Since Last Report)

          ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

                    On June 27, 1994, North Fork Bancorporation,
          Inc. ("North Fork") and Metro Bancshares Inc. ("Metro")
          entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger
          Agreement") providing, among other things, for the merger
          (the "Merger") of Metro with and into North Fork, with
          North Fork surviving the Merger (the "Surviving
          Corporation").  Immediately after the Merger, Bayside
          Federal Savings Bank ("Bayside Federal"), Metro's
          federally chartered savings bank subsidiary, will merge
          (the "Subsidiary Merger") with and into North Fork Bank
          ("New York Bank"), North Fork's New York chartered bank
          subsidiary.

                    Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, each share of
          the common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Metro
          Common Stock"), of Metro outstanding on the date of the
          Merger (except for shares of Metro Common Stock held by
          Metro as treasury stock or shares held by North Fork or
          any of its subsidiaries, but including shares of Metro
          Common Stock (i) held directly or indirectly by North
          Fork or Metro or any of their respective subsidiaries in
          trust accounts, managed accounts and the like or
          otherwise held in a fiduciary capacity that are
          beneficially owned by third parties ("Trust Account
          Shares") and (ii) held by North Fork or Metro or any of
          their respective subsidiaries in respect of a debt
          previously contracted ("DPC Shares")) will be converted
          into a number of shares (the "Exchange Ratio") of the
          common stock, par value $2.50 per share, of North Fork
          ("North Fork Common Stock"), determined by dividing
          $25.50 by the "Average Closing Price," provided, however,
          that (I) if the Average Closing Price is equal to or
          greater than $15.50, the Exchange Ratio shall be 1.645
          and (II) except as described in the next sentence, if the
          Average Closing Price is equal to or less than $14.50,
          the Exchange Ratio shall be 1.759.  If the Average
          Closing Price is less than $12.50, Metro may terminate
          the Merger Agreement unless North Fork increases the
          Exchange Ratio such that the shares of North Fork Common
          Stock issued in exchange for each share of Metro Common
          Stock have a nominal value (valued at the Average Closing
          Price) of $21.99.  The Average Closing Price is defined
          as the average closing sales price of the North Fork
          Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange for the 20
          consecutive trading days ending on the 5th business day
          prior to the date on which the last required regulatory
          approval for the Merger, the Subsidiary Merger and the
          other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement
          is obtained, without regard to any requisite waiting
          periods in respect thereof.  

                    The shares of North Fork Common Stock Common
          Stock issued in the Merger will include the corresponding
          number of rights attached to such shares pursuant to
          North Fork's shareholder rights plan.  No fractional
          shares of North Fork Common Stock will be issued in the
          Merger, and Metro stockholders who otherwise would be
          entitled to receive a fractional share of North Fork
          Common Stock will receive a cash payment in lieu thereof.

                    Consummation of the Merger is subject to
          certain conditions, including, but not limited to,
          approval of the Merger Agreement by the stockholders of
          each of Metro and North Fork and the receipt of all
          required regulatory approvals.  In addition, Metro may
          terminate the Merger Agreement during the first 30 days
          following its execution if Metro reasonably determines in
          good faith that the business or financial condition of
          North Fork and its subsidiaries taken as a whole has
          materially and adversely changed from that described in
          North Fork's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
          year ended on December 31, 1993.  

                    As a condition to the execution and delivery of
          the Merger Agreement, North Fork and Metro entered into a
          stock option agreement, dated as of June 27, 1994 (the
          "Stock Option Agreement"), pursuant to which Metro
          granted North Fork an option to purchase up to 557,795
          shares of Metro Common Stock at a purchase price of
          $21.00 per share, subject to adjustment.  The option is
          exercisable only upon the occurrence of certain events
          described therein, none of which has occurred.  In
          addition, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, upon the
          occurrence of any such event, Metro will pay North Fork a
          termination fee of $2,000,000.  

                    The Merger Agreement and the Stock Option
          Agreement are attached hereto as exhibits and
          incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.  The
          foregoing summaries of the Merger Agreement and the Stock
          Option Agreement do not purport to be complete and are
          qualified in their entirety by reference to such
          exhibits.

          ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND EXHIBITS.

               (c)  Exhibits

                    The following Exhibits are filed with this
          Current Report on Form 8-K:

          Exhibit
          Number                   Description

            2.1          Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
                         June 27, 1994, between North Fork
                         Bancorporation, Inc. and Metro Bancshares
                         Inc.

           99.1          Stock Option Agreement, dated as of June
                         27, 1994, between North Fork
                         Bancorporation, Inc. and Metro Bancshares
                         Inc.

                                  SIGNATURE

                    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
          Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this
          report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
          hereunder duly authorized.

          Dated:  July 6, 1994

                                   NORTH FORK BANCORPORATION, INC.

                                   By: /s/ Daniel M. Healy
                                   Name:   Daniel M. Healy
                                   Title:  Executive Vice President
                                           Chief Financial Officer

                                EXHIBIT INDEX

          Exhibit                                      Page
          Number              Description              Number

            2.1     Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated
                    as of June 27, 1994, between North
                    Fork Bancorporation, Inc. and Metro
                    Bancshares Inc.

           99.1     Stock Option Agreement, dated as
                    of June 27, 1994, between North Fork
                    Bancorporation, Inc. and Metro
                    Bancshares Inc.