Cameo Twin Cinema XXX

Alto on August 20, 2010 at 10:07 am

I am amazed that I am the first to comment about what occurred here recently. A customer, well-known to Cameo Twin “regulars”, was brutally murdered inside this theatre. From what I’ve read online (NJ Star-Ledger news reports and blogs), this was nothing short of a bloodbath.

The incident occurred on Friday, 23 July 2010 around 6:45 PM, in the “TV viewing area” (the lobby). First-hand accounts of the situation tell of a freaked-out perpetrator, butcher knife in hand, standing over a near-lifeless body, ranting “The dude touched me…y’all don’t understand, the dude touched me.” No one was able to get near the victim to assist as he lay there bleeding to death. There were “…gallons of blood everywhere.”

If that wasn’t bad enough, “20-30 cops came rushing in, guns drawn”, taking shocked theatre customers “by paddy wagon” to City Hall police station, where they detained and “grilled” them long afterward (“until 11 PM” ) hoping to extract “the truth”, using aggressive questioning techniques (going so far as to implicate and accuse witnesses of involvement)!

Many witnesses knew the 40-y-o victim, Garrick Farmer (who went by the name “Tyreke”), and it was alleged that the victim was initially the aggressor, harassing and following the perp everywhere, demanding sexual favors â€" this caused the perp to “snap.”

One witness described the 29-y-o perp, Michael Handy (a.k.a. “Michael Antonio”), as “seriously beautiful” (!), where “…everyone would go after him”. It was also reported that the victim was much larger in stature (6’-4” vs. 5’- 4”) – amazingly, that didn’t seem to stop Handy from attacking him.

Handy was being held at Essex County Jail on various murder and weapons charges.

You would think that an indoor, “controlled" environment (such as a theatre) vs. an outdoor spot (Branch Brook Park anyone?) would be the safest place in Newark. Furthermore, one would expect that an incident of this magnitude would be enough to shut down this type of place permanently.

Unbelievably, after only a very brief closure, it has reopened for business!

sunnydaze on April 8, 2010 at 11:17 am

I would just like to thank Warren G.Harris for posting the photo of the Newspaper ad, at least I know they were open as of 2008.

idopay on April 7, 2008 at 1:28 pm

but isn’t a comment of what the theater has become important when discussing the history…some of what is said may be sexual but some is just a frank telling of the truth…the theater is there strictly for porn and whatever happens in the seats…

kencmcintyre on April 7, 2008 at 9:52 am

I agree with you, Warren. Almost every entry on this page concerns availability for some kind of sexual adventure. I’m not a prude, but this isn’t the site for that kind of thing. There about eight million other sites that would suffice.

AndyT on December 18, 2007 at 11:52 am

Old theaters that are in use as sexually-oriented businesses are like bookmarks. They keep these old single screen theaters operating and as long as they are alive there is a chance (however small) of a future rehab. Frankly, I could care less what consenting adults do in such facilities. I’m not interested in it so I stay away. I would make the same suggestion to those who appear deeply offended by the very existance of such activities.

toby0821 on November 14, 2007 at 2:22 pm

For one, the person who would close it down needs to get his jollies someplace. Second, why would you want to close it down? I find the people very friendly and the atmosphere very light. Besides, I always find someone to discuss the game being watched. Where can you beat sitting in an old worn out chair, turn to the left and watch the game, turn to the right and watch all the hot action.

Comon Scott, lighten up.

izzy272 on July 15, 2007 at 4:06 am

This is not the treat theatre per say. The ordinal treat was just around the corner where the ATT offices are now. The old place was torn down to make room for the ATT high-rise office buildings. I am pretty sure that the same owner open up this new place as I can remember the same old white woman working there taking tickets in the lat 80’s. I am not sure of the exact date I first whent to the old treat but I can say it was when I was still in high school so before 1977. That whole area was quite the place with many strip bars and other delights to keep any 16/17 year old boy busy. This was of course all pre AIDS.

I spoke to my friend who is a Newark cop and he informed me that this place is a crack house that caters mostly to homos

Scholes188 on April 15, 2006 at 6:29 am

Hey RobertR. You first enter through a door that is on street level and you climb a two short flights to the ‘ticket booth’.

Ken Roe on July 2, 2005 at 1:15 pm

Listed in the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook as the Robert Treat Theatre with a seating capacity given as 600.

Scholes188 on July 2, 2005 at 5:18 am

I have been in this theater. They are still showing porn movies. Too bad they won’t let anyone photograph the place ( I asked). You go up a flight of stairs and make a sharp right. There is a ticket booth with a turnstyle. You pay your $8.00 dollars and push the turnstyle and you are in the ‘lobby’. They have 3 television sets: One is tunned to regular television, the to other is showing gay porn (and for some reason it is hidden behind a candy machine), and the third is playing ‘straight’ porn. On the left hand is the door that leads to the ‘gay’ porn. It is very dark and it has less than 100 seats.

There is a lot of sexual activity going on in the theaters. The room showing ‘straight’ porn is much larger. All in all it is a very tacky place.
The Little Theater which is located a few blocks before the Cameo is in much better condition.