There's a good chance that someone in your family owned a Singer sewing machine in days gone by.

ELIZABETH -- Whether they used one that was powered by a treadle or a pedal, there's a really good chance that someone in your family owned a Singer sewing machine.

At one time, Singer sold more sewing machines than all of its competitors combined.Courtesy of the Library of Congress 

In 1873, the Singer Sewing Machine Manufacturing Co. purchased 32 acres of land in Elizabeth and established its first factory in the United States (the company also had a plant in Kilbowie, Clydebank, Scotland). The company isn't credited with inventing the sewing machine, but founder Isaac Singer made crucial improvements to machine designs, patenting 12 ideas in 1857 alone.

By the time the Elizabeth factory opened, Singer was selling more sewing machines than all of its competitors combined.

The 6,000-strong workforce at the plant in the 1870s was the largest in the world at the time for a single establishment. For the 109 years that the factory operated in Elizabeth, a large proportion of residents were employed there at some point or were directly related to someone who was.

The company had promotional ideas ahead of their time. It was the first company to spend $1 million a year on advertising, and offered giveaways such as free sewing machines for the wives of clergymen.

Singer sewing machines were manufactured in Elizabeth for 109 years.Courtesy of the Singer Sewing Company 

The iconic machine with the ornate cast iron framework was a staple in homes around the world. To this day, the simple, efficient design of the treadle-powered flywheel and drive belt on the late-19th century models operates flawlessly and quietly.

At the turn of the century, Singer employee Phillip Diehl developed an electric motor for use with the machine (later founding the Diehl Manufacturing Co. in Elizabeth) that modernized it further. Eventually, the more compact machines of the 1950s through 1970s evolved.

By the 1970s, however, the company was facing stiff competition from low-priced imports and a general decline in sewing machine sales. In 1982, the last 560 workers at the 1,400,000 square foot Elizabeth factory were laid off and the facility closed. The site at First and Trumbull streets is now home to an industrial park.

The modern consumer era brought a decline in sales of sewing machines but they appear to making a comeback. SVP Worldwide, the current manufacturer of Singer-brand machines, says sales topped three million in 2012, which was twice as many as were sold 10 years before.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Newark activist goes to school for Newark kids

In the wide halls of Essex County College, Samuel Nash's voice booms and reverberates off the tile floors and plaster walls.

It's hard not to hear him. And equally hard not to see him. His body is massive, encased in a suit size normally reserved for "World's Strongest Man" contestants or sumo wrestlers. At the peak of this human mountain is a curious little captain's hat Nash wears.

He may not look or sound like a scholar, but he is now a strong candidate for an alumni award given by the state's Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) and named for Gov. Tom Kean, who began the program during his administration in the 1980s.

"He is exactly what this program is about," said Joanna Romano,  director of the state's largest EOF program at Essex County College (ECC). "It gives extra tutoring, extra counseling and, yes, extra money to give people who need help a chance at an education."

Nash, 63, grabbed that chance. He graduated from ECC with honors and went off to New York University, where his academic performance earned him the honor of flag-bearer at NYU's School of Continuing Studies' convocation in 2014.

"He has an amazing story of academic success," Romano said.

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns  

Nash is now teaching and volunteering at ECC. Hanging off his shoulder when he walks the halls is a weathered satchel stuffed with articles about black history and social justice heroes, from Frederick Douglas to Martin Luther King. This collection includes his favorite subject, The Harlem Renaissance. People greet him as "professor."

Nash once went by the name Glorious King Sau. While it sounds like something out professional wrestling, it was his street name for a fight of another kind. The serious, life-or-death street fight for the souls of teenagers in Newark's toughest neighborhoods.

He is still at.

At ECC, Nash is a teacher in the Gateway to College program for Newark high school students who have fallen behind and want to catch up.

"He's a good black male role model for kids in the program," said Nikki Burnett, the Gateway to College director. "He speaks about his adversity not as a victim, but as opportunity he took to better himself and offer hope for others."

Nash agrees with that, but adds this dimension: Every day he does something positive and with every kid he helps get off the streets, he is extracting "revenge" on the conditions that claimed the life of one son and almost killed another.

"I could have been a better father," he said. "I admit that. I could have been stronger for my sons. But what I do now, that's my way of getting revenge without having to hurt anyone."

Nash's first activism was as a founding member of a youth-rescuing group called the Street Warriors, formed with Earl Best, the "Street Doctor" in 2003.

"We got tired of watching the kids die," he said. "It was up to us, black men, to stop it."

The group had a drop-in center downtown, and created programs at the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center. With grants, it began education and recreation programs in the neighborhoods. Best, too, is still at it.

In 2007, the epidemic of street violence hit home for Nash.

His son, Saud Goosby, 25, was killed when rival gang members opened fire on a parked car he was sitting in.

"He was in the game," Nash said, acknowledging his son had multiple convictions and was partnered with the leader of a Bloods sect that operated in Newark and Elizabeth.

Another son, Isa Rollins, was 18 when he was shot six times in Vailsburg in 2015 but survived. He, too, had been arrested on weapons charges prior to being targeted.

At the time Rollins was shot, Nash was forming a group called Men Against Murdering Our Children. He was also finishing up a degree at NYU.

In the Gateway program, Nash tries to reach boys and girls like his sons.

"He is always very positive, never negative Burnett said. He exudes warmth. These kids know he cares about them."

Israel Bobien, 17, is one of Nash's students. He was at University High but "kind of stopped going" before being referred to Gateway. Now he's engaged in school and plans to go to college.

"He (Nash) shows us the possibilities, good and bad," he said. "He shows what could happen to any of us, positive and negative.

"I've had four cousins shot. I don't want to go that route."

William Burgos, 17, was also a University student but found the environment "too stressful." At Gateway, he said, learning was easier and the one-on-one dealings with Nash helped him focus.

"I now know how to properly construct a college essay," he said.

Bobien, Burgos and Marcelles Curtis, 17, who was a Weequahic student, were all motivated to go to Gateway because they wanted to change direction.

"There was a lot of peer pressure at Weequahic," Curtis said. "There were a lot of fights. Everybody wants to prove something to somebody. This is a safer environment to learn."

Safer, for Nash, is the operative word.

"Without that, nothing good is going to happen," he said. "I give them what I have, the experience of losing a son, the experience of getting an education, to let them know their life doesn't have to end that way, that they are worth more than that.

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.

A Mars Wrigley Confectionary expansion, a possible Amazon headquarters and a positive credit outlook for the first time in eight years -- could Newark be turning a corner?

In a recent sketch, Chris Redd plays Sen. Cory Booker, who says the city has no chance at becoming the home of the company's second headquarters in North America Watch video

What are Newark's chances for landing the new Amazon headquarters after being confirmed as a finalist city?

According to "Saturday Night Live," pretty slim.

In a recent sketch on the show, emissaries from Boston, Miami, Atlanta and Newark make their pitches to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Representing Boston: A delegation including actor Casey Affleck, who mistakenly advocates for his new home, Los Angeles. Atlanta: A group including a wild-eyed Paula Deen. Miami: A trio fronted by Pitbull. 

Newark: None other than Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., played by Chris Redd. 

"I am so proud to be representing Newark, a city on the rise!" Redd says, punching his fists in the air and approximating Booker's signature brand of enthusiasm. "By the way, I know we're not getting this, at all! And that gives me tears of rage!"

No word yet on what Booker thinks of this assessment.

When the state submitted its bid to Amazon for the company's second headquarters in North America -- the first is in Seattle -- it offered $5 billion in tax breaks if Newark were to be chosen. Newark has offered an additional $2 billion in local tax breaks. Other positive aspects of Newark's candidacy are the city's tech landscape and its proximity to New York, Newark Liberty International Airport and interstate truck routes. 

Yet a NJ Advance Media analysis of data associated with each finalist city, including percentage of unemployed residents, job growth, corporate taxes and monthly housing costs, gave Newark an "F."

"SNL" also mentioned former Gov. Chris Christie -- a favorite character on the show, often played by former cast member Bobby Moynihan -- during the show's "Weekend Update" segment (see clip below). 

"This week marked Chris Christie's final days as governor of New Jersey," said host Colin Jost. "And to honor Christie, pants were worn at full mast."

The federal government shut down for the first time since October 2013 after Congress failed to agree on a plan to fund the government.

Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey await adoption at shelters and rescues.

It's not always easy to know what to do when adopting a rescue dog, but a new website shows what to do - and what not to do - when adopting.

Dog rescuer and trainer Julie Hart advocates for dog adopters with her new free website rescuedogsresponsibly.com. "I want to promote dog rescue by educating the dog adopter on how to select a compatible family pet," said Hart, "I want dog rescues to put the safety and needs of people first so dog adopters have a better dog adoption experience."

Navigating the dog rescue world can be daunting. Hart's website takes a multi-pronged approach to help adopters, including information on how to choose a dog rescue to adopt from, understanding dog behavior, a flow chart to help choose a safe dog and dog rescue myths.

Hart includes tips and videos on subjects like a dog's affinity of people, touch tolerance, fear, and rude dog behavior. Each video rates behavior as a preferred, medium, and poor dog behavior example. Hart also welcomes inquiries from dog rescues and shelters on how to improve the placement and selection of their dogs.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Two people in their 60s from Essex County were killed

A head-on crash Sunday in Harrison Township left two people dead and a man seriously injured, police said.

The crash occurred just before 5 p.m. on the 300 block of Mullica Hill Road when a 71-year-old man driving a Camaro westbound veered into the oncoming lane and hit a Ford Fiesta head-on, police said. The impact caused the Fiesta to roll onto its side against a utility pole.

The driver of the Fiesta, a 61-year-old man from Essex Fells, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His passenger, a 64-year-old woman from Essex Fells, died while being taken to the hospital, police said. 

Their identities were not released pending family notifications. Both were wearing their seat belts, according to police in the Gloucester County town. 

The Camaro driver, a resident of Media, Pennsylvania, suffered serious head and leg injuries, police said. He was not wearing a seat belt, police said. He was taken to Cooper University Hospital.

Police are still investigating what caused the 71-year-old man to veer into oncoming traffic. Mullica Hill Road was closed for four hours during the investigation.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The bi-state agency created to fight corruption and crime on the waterfront is fighting back against efforts in New Jersey to kill it.

On his way out the door, former Gov. Chris Christie signed off on legislation he once vetoed as unconstitutional, moving to unilaterally kill the bi-state Waterfront Commission of New York and New Jersey.

The agency, created more than 60 years ago to battle the deep-rooted corruption by the mob on the docks of New York Harbor (later immortalized in the movie classic "On the Waterfront") wasted little time firing back.

They went to federal court last week seeking an injunction against the state and its new chief executive, Gov. Phil Murphy.

At issue is whether New Jersey can unilaterally walk away from an interstate compact that carries the force of federal law.

"New Jersey cannot simply decide for itself that it no longer wants to honor its obligations under a bilateral compact ratified by Congress," said lawyers for the commission in court filings. "Congress and the legislatures of New York and New Jersey established the commission to eliminate corruption and racketeering at the Port of New York and New Jersey. The threat of corruption persists."

The bill signed last week directs the governor, on behalf of New Jersey, to notify the Congress and the governor of New York of New Jersey's intention to withdraw from the compact creating the Waterfront Commission. It would turn over responsibilities for policing the port in New Jersey to the State Police.

A spokesman for Murphy did not respond to a request for comment.

The Waterfront Commission, which has its own police force to conduct investigations, has jurisdiction over all the region's piers and terminals--including the ports in Newark and Elizabeth. The political and legal fight over the future of the agency has been ongoing for years.

Nearly a decade ago, the New York Inspector General issued a scathing report that found the commission to be riddled with internal fraud and abuse-- from the hiring of unqualified cops with inside connections, to the turning of a blind eye to businesses with criminal ties, to the deployment of cops who sat in their cars to save parking spots for commissioners. It called the commission a "sanctuary of political favoritism, corruption and abuse."

The findings led to a major housecleaning at the commission.

Still, there has been ongoing political pressure in New Jersey to do away with the agency.

Some elected officials say the commission is living in the glory of its past, and that time has moved on from the days when organized crime was deeply entrenched in a shipping industry.

"It has become a typical governmental bureaucracy that overstayed its reason for existence," said former state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, the architect of the bill that was signed last week.

Cargo ships are loaded and unloaded at the Port Newark Container Terminal. (John Munson | Star-Ledger file photo)

The unions that represent the longshoremen have long chafed under the commission's tough licensing regulations and mandatory background checks that can mean the difference between working or being banned from the port.

The shipping industry has had its own fights with the agency to end its control of hiring. The New York Shipping Association went to court, accusing the Waterfront Commission of creating a labor shortage at the port by holdng up hiring. They ultimately lost.

But others suggest that while modern containerization and automated cranes have forever changed the nature of the work of loading and unloading ships, corruption and organized crime remains rife on the docks.

"They say the commission has outlived its usefulness. It's no longer the 1950's," remarked Barry Evenchick, a lawyer who served as the state's commissioner in the wake of the reforms that followed the New York Inspector General's report. "I am not aware anything has changed. To say it's not needed anymore is to ignore the facts."

Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan's "On the Waterfront," the 1954 film that portrayed the rampant corruption on the piers that led to the creation of the Waterfront Commission. (Columbia Pictures | Photofest)

At the same time, the legal underpinnings of the compact that established the commission would make it hard for New Jersey to pull up anchor. It is bound by the terms of the agreement, said Evenchick and other legal experts.

'When Congress authorizes states to enter into a cooperative agreement, the consent of Congress transforms the agreement into federal law. I don't think a state can withdraw unilaterally," Evenchick remarked, who said he was puzzled why Christie signed the bill.

Bernard W. Bell, a constitutional law expert and professor at Rutgers Law School noted that an interstate compact takes precedence over state law.

"One state cannot change the terms of a compact unless the provisions of the compact provides for it," he said.

New York officials have made no move to similarly withdraw from the compact.

In its court filings, the Waterfront Commission said Christie's signing on his last full day in office of a law to withdraw New Jersey from the compact and dissolve commission was "a blatant breach of federal law because the compact does not permit New Jersey to unilaterally withdraw and repudiate its obligations."

Attorneys for the commission noted that Christie himself in the past had admitted that it would be "illegal for New Jersey to withdraw from the compact," when he vetoed a bill nearly identical to the one he signed last week.

"The compact is supreme to New Jersey law, and by its terms the compact does not permit New Jersey to withdraw unilaterally," they wrote in seeking a federal restraining order.

At the same time, Walter Arsenault, the commission's executive director, said in court fillings that the industry continues to be plagued by organized crime and labor racketeering.

Arsenault cited investigations in 2015 that led to the conviction of union officials, shop stewards, and foremen charged in the shakedown of their own union members on behalf of the Genovese crime family, and an investigation that led to the prosecution of ten others who took in millions of dollars from loansharking, unlicensed check cashing, gambling, and money laundering.

A spokesman for the International Longshoreman's Association, which expressed gratitude in a statement last week to Christie for "supporting working men and women in New Jersey as well as the shipping community" in signing the bill to withdraw from the interstate compact, had no comment on the litigation.

Lesniak, who has pushed the legislation for the past eight years, said the Waterfront Commission has cast itself as a bulwark against the mob, but accused it of "strong arm tactics" that sought to extend its jurisdiction to warehouses well beyond the port. He added that the compact that created the commission had always been intended to be temporary.

"They point to busts and arrests, but it's no different from any other industry in New Jersey," he said.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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See which games you should keep an eye on this week.

Newark Public Schools unveils website for prospective teachers.

NEWARK -- Newark Public Schools has launched a recruitment campaign called "Teach Newark: Where Passion Meets Progress" to help meet the demand for qualified teachers.

The campaign offers a new website and online media tools that provides teachers with information on why they should consider teaching in Newark. The website includes videos featuring interviews with Mayor Ras Baraka, students, educators and school administrators.

"We are excited to launch this Teach Newark Campaign because we believe that the Newark Public School district is one of the most exciting places to work in America," said Christopher D. Cerf, Newark Public Schools superintendent. "As we move to transition the district back to local control, we think it is more important than ever to find great educators and leaders who want to be a part of that progress."

Interested teachers can visit TeachNewark.com.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

Where are the top hoops games this week?

A parent advocacy group is standing up for a principal they say already admitted she erred and paid for her mistakes when she insulted a student-teacher with dwarfism.

A parent advocacy group is defending the principal of an elementary school who allegedly mocked a student-teacher with dwarfism -- and was already suspended once over the incident.

The South Orange-Maplewood Black Parents Workshop said Marshall Elementary's principal, Bonita Samuels, was unfairly suspended again amid another investigation over the December matter. They equivocated it to "double jeopardy," saying the public outcry over the incident "far exceeds the alleged offense."

"It is unconscionable for Ms. Samuels to have to be subjected to the uncertainty of a never-ending investigative process that appears to not be very reliable," the group's statement said. "The district is treating Ms. Samuels like the FBI treated Hillary Clinton over her email server. The only difference is that Ms. Samuels has accepted responsibility for her part in the incident."

Samuels already served a two-day suspension in early January over her role in the incident, according to the Black Parents Workshop. The district has previously said it cannot discuss personnel matters or specific disciplinary issues against staffers. 

When reached Monday by a reporter, Samuels hung up the call. The district said it could not comment on personnel-related matters. 

It's the latest twist in a growing controversy over Samuel's alleged actions -- in which she reportedly took a picture of the student-teacher with dwarfism and texted it to a co-worker with the caption, "LOL," short for laughing out loud.

The South Orange-Maplewood School District has acknowledged the "unprofessional" photo and text sent in December but has not identified anyone involved. 

Earlier this month, the local blog The Village Green obtained a letter sent by a group of teachers to the superintendent citing concerns about the text message and it being "the latest in a pattern of bullying" that has allegedly plagued the school since Samuels took the helm.

Last week the district held staff and parent meetings and in a statement Friday, district officials said the investigation into the incident was expanded after "additional facts were brought to light."

The Black Parents Workshop said Samuels should remain at the head of the school and called for the district to immediately lift her second suspension. They said the district was violating her due process rights based on inaccurate facts.

Samuels, the group added, is an African-American principal in one of the district's predominantly white elementary schools and her detractors "may have ulterior motives."

"Any attempt to remove her as principal calls into question the district's intent and will compel us to expand our forthcoming legal inquiry into the district's practices to include its record of hiring, and the promotion and retention of African-American professionals," the parent group said.

Already the district has faced public lashing for its racial divide inside its diverse high school after a district report found predominantly white students in honors classes when compared to their black peers. 

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

A Newark high school uses lockable cellphone pouches to get students to be on time.

The grey pouches with a lime green trim have gotten the attention of students at West Side High School in Newark.

Particularly those who come to school late.

After tardy students pass through the metal detector, they must place their cellphones into the form-fitting pouch. A locking mechanism seals them, much like a security tag in a department store. The pouches are then given back to the students, who go about their day, unable to access their phones until they return to the vice principal's office, where the pouch is unlocked, at dismissal.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

Jayda Bryant, 16, didn't like the policy, but a day of phone deprivation two weeks ago seems to have cured her tardiness.

"I've been getting here on time,'' Bryant said.

The high school junior had showed up late for several days until Akbar Cook, vice principal of climate and culture, greeted her with the pouch and the rules that came with it.

"I thought you could open it, but you can't. I could feel my phone vibrating.''

She adjusted to the technology dragnet, then discovered she was more productive in class.

Raymond Jongbo, 17, said that after a day without being able to use his phone, he's not going to be late again. When Cook gave him the pouch, he worried how he would get by without his phone. But by the end of the day last Tuesday, Jongbo surprisingly realized he didn't need it.

"I think not having it (the cellphone) really helped me,'' said Jongbo, a senior. "I did all of my work much faster.  I could focus in class and listen to the teacher.''

Graham Dugoni, founder of Yondr, the San Francisco company that manufactures the lockable pouch, couldn't be more satisfied to hear that. Dugoni said the pouches are used primarily during live performances and in education to create free phone spaces and foster social interaction.

"They (students) are growing up into a world that is hyper connected all of the time,'' Dugoni said. 

Just look at the numbers. The typical cellphone user touches the phone 2,617 times every day, according to a study by research firm Dscout. For extreme cellphone users, the figure is nearly twice that with 5,400 touches daily.

"People lived another way before cellphones,'' Dugoni said. "It's possible to experience that, still.  This is not turning back the clock.  There is a way to live.''

And to enjoy life.

The Yondr pouches are popular among entertainers, who grew tired of their performances being shared on You Tube and social media. Performers such as David Chappelle, Chris Rock and Alicia Keys have used them so audiences would not be glued to their phones.

In classrooms, they're a hit with educators. Yondr pouches are used in approximately 600 schools, mostly in the United States and Canada. Germany, United Kingdom and the Netherlands have them, too. In other settings, Yondr pouches also have been used at weddings, courthouses, call tech centers and restaurants.

"People hear about them, schools in particular, and then they contact us,''Dugoni said.

Kipp Newark Collegiate Academy (NCA) purchased 450 pouches and began using them in September for all freshman and sophomore students. Chris Bonner, NCA's director of campus operations, said the cellphones became a classroom distraction last year and students were showing up late to class when they stopped to text in the hallway.

"We want to make sure the academic environment is as sterile as possible so the kids are focused on the reasons why we open the doors for them,'' Bonner said.

It's a rule that Tyranique Freeman, 15, could do without.

"It's unnecessary,'' the freshman said.  "There's got to be a better way.''

Not until she becomes an upperclassman.

Bonner said juniors and seniors have earned the right to have their cellphones as long as they don't violate policy by using it in class. If they get caught, the students must surrender their phones to the pouch for one week.

Alonzo Eley, 19, a senior, slipped up once, but said it wasn't bad not having the phone.

"I coped with it,'' he said, understanding the rule. Kevin Gooden, 18, said the policy is needed because students use their phones on the sly. He's been one of them, but hasn't gotten caught.

"I think I'm going to chill out on it, because I don't want to get caught,'' the senior said.

At West Side, Cook said, the school used to confiscate phones, but that became a liability problem if a student claimed the phone was damaged after it was returned.

MORE CARTER: Newark social justice group hails decision to close juvenile facility | Carter

When he began to see certain kids repeatedly come to school late, Cook figured the 55 pouches the school has would be a good deterrent.

The students I talked to get the message, but Cook is not certain of the impact yet, because the school just started using them in December.

The tactic, which nabs about 15 to 20 students a day, has given Cook insight as to why some of the kids are chronically late. Some, he said, have challenging lives at home, where they haven't eaten; others have to take younger siblings to school first before they get to West Side.

"I'm finding out the real problems of my kids and what they need,'' Cook said.

Overall, the students see the academic benefit, even the ones who are not late.

Carlos Oliveira, a computer design teacher, said he had a lot more interaction when his class was used to test the pouches for a week. Students were apprehensive at first, but agreed to do it once they learned they would get their phones back. And they were definitely on board when Oliveira put his phone in a pouch.

"It was a plus,'' Oliveira said. "You get more questions being asked.''

With the pouch, there's hope in the movement that Dugoni began four years ago.

Students are engaged - and thankfully more of them are coming to school on time.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or 

nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

The men have been charged with creating a false public alarm -- an indictable offense.

Nine members of a CNBC crew arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport last week could each face more than five years in prison if convicted of trying to smuggle a fake bomb through airport security.

In a statement released Monday, the contracted production companies that employed the men -- Left Hook Media and Endemol Shine North America -- described the crew's arrest as a "misunderstanding," and suggested airport security personnel had misidentified vacuum compression luggage, an invention meant to provide travelers with more room for clothing, as a fake bomb. 

The men were filming the reality show "Staten Island Hustle," which is scheduled to debut in the spring. The new show follows a group of friends looking for  ideas for products and investments.

What the TSA says was a "fake bomb" discovered in a roller bag at the Newark airport. (TSA photo) 

One North Jersey criminal defense attorney told NJ Advance Media that in the view of prosecutors, it's likely not that simple.

"Keep in mind, the prosecutor's office could have decided not to file charges," the attorney, Remi Spencer, said in an interview Monday. "They chose to take the case, so they must believe they have evidence to support these charges."

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has accused the men of covertly filming what authorities said was an attempt to smuggle through security a fake improvised explosive device, which officials said included a motor, wires and PVC pipes.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office has charged all nine with second-degree counts of conspiracy and creating a false public alarm, both indictable offenses, and interfering with transportation -- a disorderly persons offense.

9 charged in TV crew's fake bomb stunt at Newark airport TSA checkpoint

Spencer, who worked as a Union County assistant prosecutor before starting her criminal defense practice, said she's represented numerous clients charged with bringing contraband through airport security -- ranging from guns they forgot were in their luggage to non-functional replica weapons on keychains.

She said such cases are usually the result of absentmindedness on the part of the traveler, but that this case appeared to be different.

"They were purposefully trying to incite widespread fear and hysteria and hoping to capture that on camera, assuming the state's allegations are true," she said.

Spencer pointed to one of her previous cases as a defense attorney, in which students at Wayne Valley High School were charged with planting smoke bombs in lockers on the campus, leading to its evacuation.

"They weren't actually capable of a blowing up a school - but school officials didn't know that at the time," she said of the 2007 case.

"When you create that kind of mass hysteria, all kinds of harm can result as a consequence," Spencer said, noting the cost of the emergency response to such events can run into the millions. 

Under New Jersey state law, defendants face five to 10 years in state prison if convicted of a second-degree indictable offense, she said.

As of Monday afternoon, none of the nine defendants had retained an attorney who might be able to comment on the charges, according to court records. 

All nine are scheduled to make initial appearances in state Superior Court in Newark on Feb. 2, according to the prosecutor's office.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Who shined in the past week on the basketball court?