My name is Lonnie Sobel and today is 8/12/20. My manager, Leo Platero, who has been with us since well before the reopening day on May 4 of 2012, suggested we do a GO FUND ME to pay rents and possibly expand, and also to renegotiate another 9 year lease. When we closed on March 10, 2020, due to COVID-19, our negotiations for our new lease renewal were basically cut off. I have been in this industry literally ALL of my life. After being closed for 1 1/2 years, with Leo’s help and others, we decided to bring CTF back to life in 2012. CTF has been in existence since 1943. Due to complications stemming from the COVID-19 shutdowns, CTF is in danger of having its doors closed permanently very soon. Our customers have  become close family over the years, and we have never realized this more since we have been closed. Since Leo suggested a few days ago we do a Go Fund Me to keep (CTF) alive and to get it reopened and hopefully expanded ASAP, he is leading the way for our cause.
 
The amount of lives we have touched is truly amazing, and this can be seen best in the CTF movie THE LOST ARCADE, which is currently on Amazon Prime. There have been a zillion stars at CTF, with such famous guests as Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro and Justin Wong and Meryl Streep and Casey Neistat and Sophie Beem and Ol Dirty Bastard, and the list goes on and on… CTF has been such a large part of so many people’s lives, so Leo and I and many others all hope and know we can save the last and ONLY real Arcade in Manhattan, and bring back the XOX chicken.
 
Currently we are behind almost 6 months rent, and our landlord has informed us that we are in danger of being evicted very soon. Each month’s rent is $9,500.77 now, totaling $57,000. This is one of our goals to reach here. As soon as that goal is reached, we will have a big party at CTF for all of you who have contributed. Thanks in advance for all of your help and stupendous support!