"It was very congenial. I think both sides were ready for a little bit of an argument, but it was settled amicably," said Alan Feit, Mount Holly's manager. Feit, who routinely reviews police reports, said the corner does not generate many police calls.
Teenagers have been attracted to the corner mainly by the game room and a public phone outside the delicatessen, Feit said.
Ireland began leasing the corner store in September. He runs the store with his wife, Diana, and their 18-year-old daughter, Wendy. They sell hoagies and other sandwiches and stock canned goods and staples for the customers in this primarily working-class neighborhood.
The game room was in the rear of the delicatessen - not visible from the front room.
The Irelands, who have lived in Edgewater Park for 19 years, are hoping to eventually buy a house in Mount Holly and are sensitive to local opinion.
"I do not want to divide the community. This is our business. The store is here for them," Alfred Ireland said.
"I closed the game room because I do not want problems. If you are hurting somebody, and you know it, stop it. It is that simple.
"I feel bad for the kids. We have some super nice kids here. Like other small communities, Mount Holly cannot afford to provide recreation. The kids need something to do, but unfortunately we cannot provide it for them because we cannot provide the supervision."
Ireland said the amount of revenue generated by the games was substantial for his small business, but he declined to say how much he expected to lose.
"In God we trust. He will take care of that," Ireland said. "That is the bottom line."
