FLORENCE, NJ — Visitors to the Florence Adult Books store will find it shuttered and locked, visibly closed for business. John Bordone, its 62-year-old owner, and John A. O’Brien, its 61-year-old manager, are likewise out of commission for the moment, both arrested by Mantua Township police on charges that they violated an assortment of code and criminal regulations.O’Brien was arrested last Thursday morning at the book store, while Bordone, who has owned the business for more than 20 years, was taken into custody when he arrived at the township’s police department that afternoon.
Both are accused of violating the state’s sexually oriented business code by failing to post signs on the property indicted that minors were not allowed, as well as operating sexually oriented business as a nuisance, and making illegal recording of copyrighted material. Weapons charges were additionally added to O’Brien’s list of offenses because he kept a machete — which is a prohibited weapon — behind the counter of the store for self-defense purposes.
The Route 130 store was found to have glory holes cut into the viewing booths which shielded customers who were presumably viewing pornography from view. The existence of the holes is a violation of the state’s sexually oriented business law.
Adding to the reasons for the store’s closer was the revelation O’Brien had been living in it, in spite of a lack of running water or bathroom facilities. Determined to be a health hazard, it was shut simultaneous to O’Brien’s arrest. Authorities say that the man was initially uncooperative and refused to come out from behind his counter when officers instructed him to do so, instead edging closer to the stored machete. The move earned him an additional charge of obstructing the law.
O’Brien is currently being held on $20,000 full bail and Bordone on $10,000 full bail.
