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When Solano Avenue Restaurateur Juan Romo saw the hired security guard napping while the party promoter pocketed fistfuls of bills from dozens of teenagers overflowing his 80-person capacity party room, he knew he’d made a mistake. 

“It was like a madhouse,” said Romo, owner of Montero’s restaurant in Albany, where a hip hop party Monday—organized by a local promoter responsible for a Berkeley party that turned violent last year—spun out of control.  

By the time peace was restored—more than an hour after Romo stopped the party—55 officers from six East Bay police departments and one California Highway Patrol helicopter had converged on the restaurant to break up fights and disperse roughly 200 partygoers. 

Police arrived outside the restaurant shortly after 10 p.m. in response to calls from neighbors who were reporting that nearly 100 people had spilled out onto lower Solano Avenue, said Albany Police Lt. Mike McQuiston.  

Romo said he confronted promoter Eugene Cockerham inside the restaurant, ordering him to close the doors after his restaurant had already been filled to capacity. 

“I said, ‘If you don’t stop letting people in, I’m going to have to shut it down.’” 

Romo said Cockerham agreed, but then continued to admit guests. When Romo asked the promoter again “Didn’t I tell you to stop letting people in?” Cockerham replied, “Didn’t you say you were going to shut it down?” 

“After that I told police, ‘I want to shut the party down so get ready.’” 

As the lights were turned up about 10:20 p.m., a fight erupted on the dance floor, and as the partygoers made their way to the street, more fights broke out, McQuiston said, prompting Albany to ask for backup from Berkeley, Kensington, Richmond, El Cerrito, UC Berkeley and the CHP. 

Police cleared the area by 11:30 p.m., McQuiston said, arresting one person for disturbing the peace. 

Romo said the fighters smashed Aztec pottery and paintings worth about $3,000, and left graffiti in the bathroom. 

Albany’s criminal investigations unit is reviewing the incident and could bring charges against Cockerham. 

Cockerham promoted a party last year at Berkeley’s former art complex, the Crucible, where police intervened after two people were shot. 

Earlier last year, a man was shot at a Cockerham party in Clayton following a concert at the Chronicle Pavilion in Concord, according to published reports. 

Romo, who had never previously hosted a Cockerham party and doesn’t expect to receive his promised fee, said he wasn’t aware of the promoter’s history. 

“I’m a trustworthy person,” he said. “I expect the same of other people.”