A pool party billed as the “Lavish Effect Pool Party” dissolved into chaos at the New Milford Swim Club, drawing police from six Bergen County towns to break up a large fight that erupted among roughly 175 attendees. Officers were called to the club around 10 p.m. after organizers allegedly ran a twerk contest and a wet t-shirt contest for a crowd that had been bused in from Harlem for the night. No serious injuries were reported, and no arrests were made, but the fallout has triggered a borough investigation into the club's finances and its future on public land.
According to NJ.com, New Milford Mayor Michael Putrino said the party was unauthorized and held on borough property, calling the episode “an absolute embarrassment to club members, residents and New Milford.” Attendees paid between $40 and $65 for a combined bus ride and party ticket, per the same report, and neither New Milford police nor borough officials were made aware the event was happening before it spiraled into a brawl. Teaneck, River Edge, Oradell, Bergenfield and Dumont police departments, along with the Bergen County Sheriff's Department, all assisted New Milford police in controlling the scene.
Club President Says She Cut the Party Short
New Milford Swim Club President Marlen Lugones Bracho said the club had rented its facility to an independent event company under a signed rental agreement, but she shut the party down roughly 90 minutes in once attendee behavior turned disorderly, according to Daily Voice. That decision triggered a chaotic dispersal of the crowd that led directly to the altercations caught on camera. Social media videos recorded during a 15-minute window as the party was being shut down showed physical altercations, the twerking contest, and attendees running as fights broke out, the outlet reported.
Per the mayor's letter cited by NJ.com, party attendees engaged in disorderly, illegal and inappropriate conduct before the fight even started. Putrino stated that cooperation with the swim club cannot come at the expense of residents' safety, security and quality of life, or the integrity of the property-use agreement governing the site. Borough officials and police are continuing to investigate the incident.
Long-Standing Lease Now Under Review
The New Milford Swim Club is a private, non-profit organization that has leased borough-owned property since 1959, according to News 12 New Jersey. New Milford borough owns the land the club leases, and officials have said the borough made significant efforts over the years to work cooperatively with the club.
The lease had also been discussed before the brawl. Following the pool party, News 12 reports that the borough attorney, risk manager, police department and governing body are reviewing the circumstances and deciding what action to take.
Financial Strain Behind the Rental
The pool club has been financially troubled, and it has rented the facility to outside promoters. Federal tax disclosures show the club operates as a 501(c)(7) social and recreational organization with 459 bondholder members, reporting $232,283 in total revenues against $241,538 in expenses for its 2024 fiscal year, according to Cause IQ. Reported figures list the club's total assets at $698 and its 2024 net income at negative $9,255.
Insurance coverage is among the issues that could be considered in reviewing the event. Multiple Bergen County police departments assisted New Milford police in responding to the crowd-control emergency.
Despite the controversy, the club has long served as a civic fixture in New Milford and has a Marlins swim team. Whether that standing will factor into the borough's decision on the club's lease remains an open question as the review moves forward.
