JerseyMan Magazine V8N1

George Anastasia’s

Philly’s own Patrice Banks’

MOB SCENE

Girls Auto Clinic

$3.95

Honoring Our 2017 Men & Women of the Year

P.48 P. 36

A LOOK AT PHILLY’S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS Volume 8 • Number 1

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PUBLISHER

FROM JerseyMan Magazine THE VOLUME 8 • NUMBER 1 ____________________________________________________________________________________

BY KEN DUNEK

Ken Dunek Publisher

A Crew Cut, the Night Shift, and Lessons Learned

M

y father passed away recently.

He was a self-made man. A high school drop out who worked his way into owning his own company.

He was a gentle man. He loved his kids, his grandkids, great grandkids, nieces and nephews. Passionately.

He was a brilliant man. Harrah’s in Las Vegas once kicked him out of their casino after he beat them in blackjack for $20,000. He was counting cards, of course. We would also play a game as a kid. I would give him a math problem like 47 x 55. And he would figure it out in his head— within seconds.

By the way, I figured this math problem out with my calculator.

2,585. It took me a couple seconds longer.

ART DIRECTOR Steve Iannarelli CONTRIBUTING WRITERS George Anastasia, Jan L. Apple, Michael Bradley, George Brinkerhoff, Sam Carchidi, Harry Donahue, Alexandra Dunek, Jamie Dunek, Molly Golubcow, John Hopkins, Robert Kennedy, Sam Kraft, Dei Lynam, Anthony Mongeluzo, Daniel R. Morroni, Gervase Peterson, Andrew Ryan, Nick Santangelo, Kurt Smith, Rich Westcott, T. Jordan Wompierski Administrative Assistants Alexandra Dunek Allison Farcus Events Coordinator Ashley Dunek

Two quick stories on how he helped make me the man I am today.

Assistant Events Coordinator Jamie Dunek

It was the day to try out for the high school basketball team. When I heard the team had a haircut rule, I decided not to attend.

Editorial 856-813-1153

I had shoulder length hair, and it was VERY important to me.

Advertising 856-912-4007

When I told my Dad about my decision, he put down his newspaper and told me to get in his car. A green Cadillac Eldorado.

Printing 856-813-1153

Our next stop was a barbershop, where he instructed the middleaged haircutter of Italian decent to give me a crew cut. My tears fell mixed with the shorn locks that littered the checked floor.

James R. Dunek 1934-2017

When we got back to the car, his only statement was, “Now you have no reason not to try out.”

Ken Dunek with his Dad at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, 1958.

Of course, I went on to a successful high school career and received a full scholarship for basketball at Memphis State University.

A couple of years later, after my parents divorced, my Dad asked me to live with him for the summer of my 16th year and work for him at the printing company where he was employed. He ran the plate department in a nice air-conditioned part of the plant.

I showed up for work promptly at 8:30 a.m. He had already been there for 2 hours.

He asked me, “What are you doing here? You are working the second shift that starts at 4:30 p.m.”

Of course I was not happy because this was going to cut into my summer nightlife. I had just gotten my drivers license and was looking to cut loose a bit.

Returning at the correct time, he then informed me that I would be working the worst job in the place. I was running the shrink wrapper (a machine that melts plastic and makes it pliable as it covers an item that needs to be protected or shipped).

The contraption spewed ungodly heat. And the factory was hot as hell.

After spending a couple of weeks in misery, I went in and asked him why he was doing this to me, and why I couldn’t work for him in the more comfortable part of the facility.

His answer was clear. “Son, I want you to know what you don’t want to do for the rest of your life.”

Lessons learned Dad.

EDITOR George Brinkerhoff

Controller Rose M. Balcavage Sales Associates Ashley Dunek, Jamie Dunek, Terri Dunek, Allison Farcus, Chris Kazmarck, JP Lutz, JerseyMan Advisory Board Peter Cordua (Chairman). HBK CPAs & Consultants Nick DeRose. . . . . . . . . Legacy Treatment Services Joseph Devine (Emeritus). . . . . . . Kennedy Health Ted Flocco (Emeritus). . . . . . . . . . . Ernst & Young Bob Hoey. . . . . . . . . . . Janney Montgomery Scott Jeffrey Jaskol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Jaskol Group Robert Kennedy. . . . . . . . The Kennedy Companies Julie LaVan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LaVan Law Anthony Mongeluzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCS Mike Regina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Big Sky Enterprises Paul Tully . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eagle Wealth Strategies

“In every success story, you will find someone who has made a courageous decision.”

– Peter F. Drucker

Thank you.

JerseyMan Magazine/PhillyMan Magazine, products of the partnership of Joe LaGrossa, Ken Dunek, and Alex Kazmarck, are published

by New Opportunity Publishing, LLC, with offices at 7025 Central Highway, Pennsauken, NJ, 08109. Copyright 2018.

www.jerseymanmagazine.com

INSIDE 24

ROBERT COVINGTON

JerseyMan Magazine VOLUME 8 • NUMBER 1

ON THE COVER

by DEI LYNAM

48

26 HARRY’S TALES

by HARRY DONAHUE

36 THE COOLEST GUITARS

DiPinto’s Guitars in Philadelphia

Honoring Our 2017 Men & Women of the Year

40 ROCKING THE BOTTOM LINE

A look at some great local music venues

40 36 44 GIRLS AUTO CLINIC 52 IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

Excerpts from Lou Nolan’s new book with Sam Carchidi

56 PHILADELPHIA’S CHAMPIONS 62 TAKING FLIGHT

Trenton’s new arena football team set to launch

66 DRIVEN TO CARE FOR KIDS

Carz N’ Toyz renamed Joseph Lacroce Foundation

72 SINATRA’S “BOYS” COLUMNS

66

12 JOTTINGS • 20 FEEL GOOD PHILLY • 22 GEORGE ANASTASIA’S MOB SCENE

30 MAN YOUR HEALTH • 32 GET FIT • 34 THE ENTHUSIAST • 80 THE ENTREPRENEUR COACH • 82 TECH TIME 86 THE CIGAR GUY • 90 WHAT WE WEAR • 93 THE WINE MAN • 94 SAY GERV? BY GERVASE PETERSON

jerseymanmagazine.com

Cover photograph by Jeremy Messler Photography, LLC

JOTTINGS

“There are no working hours for leaders.”

______________________________________________________________________________ – James Cardinal Gibbons

BY GEORGE BRINKERHOFF

What we read Survive Like a Spy by Jason Hanson (On sale March 6, 2018)

A

MONG JASON HANSON’S CREDENTIALS are that he’s an ex CIA officer, a security specialist and a winner on ABC’s Shark Tank. As a follow-up to his New York Times Bestseller, Spy Secrets that Can Change Your Life, Jason’s new book, Survive Like A Spy, highlights real life espionage stories from his former CIA colleagues, and reveals everyday items like, oh, say, how to bust free when you’re duct taped to a chair or how to survive if taken hostage or how to improvise a weapon using ordinary everyday items you own. Well, okay, everyday if you’re 007. For the rest of us, these tips for conducting oneself in variety of hostile situations, bolstered with real life examples of clandestine activities, are more of a fascinating peak into the real world of spy craft. Even though you may never find yourself in some of these situations, it’s a fun and fascinating read, with lots of, well, unusually thoughtful tactics we might employ in our 21st century lives. For example, there is a chapter devoted to how CIA officers avoid being hacked, spied on or scammed. And the chapter entitled, “What you can do right now to lead a secure life and survive anything from blackouts to economic collapses to home invasions,” seems particularly pragmatic. Though there are lots of real and menacing threats today, for both the average Joe and the international spy, Jason Hanson’s compelling book is chock full of practical tips on how to either avoid them or respond to them rationally, forcefully and thoroughly.

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ADVERTISE WITH US

contact: ken@jerseymanmagazine.com

Bernie Parent’s Philadelphia Blazers Goalie Mask Turns out that artistic creativity does run in some families, and JerseyMan’s very own art director, Steve Iannarelli, has proof. When his father Don Iannarelli was then the administrative vice president for the desultory Philadelphia Blazers of the World Hockey Association, he designed and hand painted Bernie Parent’s iconic mask. “When dad had the mask at home, my brother and I snuck it out and wore it playing street hockey. I don’t think Bernie would’ve been happy knowing that,” said Iannarelli with a laugh. Wearing the new mask, Parent won for the first time as a Blazer, a 5-3 victory.

From the Philadelphia Daily News, December 2nd, 1972, “Parent Back, Blazers’ Cloud Lifts,” by Bill Fleischman:

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Crime and Punishment in Jersey in the 1600’s

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AYBE YOU’VE ASKED YOURSELF, “Hmmm, so just how did they handle crime and punishment in New Jersey back in the good old days?”

Well, between 1664 and 1702, New Jersey was a British colony and was subsequently divided into two distinct political areas, East Jersey and West Jersey with a fluid border that was nearly always in dispute running roughly from the banks of the Delaware River in the Northwestern part of Jersey to the Ocean at the southern end of what is now Ocean County. All of what is now South Jersey remained in the province of West Jersey. Maybe you’re thinking, “I’ll bet things were a little stricter back then.” If you lived in the province of East Jersey, you’d be right. Turns out East Jersey thinking was influenced by the more severe Puritan concepts of the New England colonies. Your choices, or actually the courts choices when it came to sentencing, were rather grim, being death, mutilation, branding, the stocks or whipping.

sodomy, abduction, rape, witchcraft, assault by children upon their parents (yes, you read that right), conspiracy, the third offense of burglary and robbery, and the fourth offense of thievery. Several offenses were dealt with a little differently: “Burglary or Robbery: Offender was compelled to make full restitution for the first offense and to be branded with a T on the hand, doubtless signifying ‘Thief.’ A second offense required restitution and the brand of an R on the forehead, signifying ‘Robber.’ Death was prescribed for the third offense.

Drunkenness: (Described as ‘that beastly vice.’)

Guilty party was fined one shilling for the first offense, two for the second, and three shillings six pence for all subsequent repetitions. On default of fine, corporal punishment was ordered and the stocks were decreed for unruly drunkards.

Swearing: Punished by a fine of one shilling, onehalf of which went to the public treasury and onehalf to the informant.

Curfew: Those who could not furnish a satisfactory explanation of their absence from home after nine o’clock in the evening were to be punished according to the discretion of the court.”

The notion of imprisonment was then being developed, and in contrast, the Quaker influence in West Jersey and Philadelphia, with their reluctance to support the death penalty, meant that workhouses employing hard labor together with imprisonment were considered a more humane form of punishment. In fact, this growing Quaker influence was further demonstrated when East Jersey revised their criminal and civil codes in 1682, making the punishments less severe and utilizing jails for imprisonment. Hmm, still not exactly the good old days.

Source: Emil Frankel, Crime Treatment in New Jersey–1668-1934, 28 Am. Inst. Crim. L. & Criminology 90 (1937-1938)

The East Jersey Criminal Code, originally enacted in 1668 and reenacted in 1675 called for a punishment of death for murder, perjury, buggery,

PENNSYLVANIA’S OLDEST COMPANY THE OLDEST CONTINUING COMPANY in Pennsylvania, and the third oldest in the United States is Philadelphia’s own Rowland Company, located at 4900 North 20th street. It was founded by Benjamin Rowland in 1732. Benjamin was a descendant of John Rowland who came over with William Penn in 1682.

Originally makers of shovels, and springs for wagons, today the Rowland Company is involved in the distribution and fabrication and assembly of industrial power transmission. From their website: “The Rowland Company identifies itself as “The Problem Solver” in any type of situation that involves the transmission of power from a driven force to a driving force.” This includes “brakes, clutches, couplings, drive shafts, friction materials and other related items.”

I can accept failure.

Everybody fails at something.

But I cannot accept not trying.”

– Michael Jordan 15

Where We Eat Follow along as we taste and sip our way through Philly’s well-known establishments and hidden gems.

Suga Suga How You Get So Fly? It might be your Happy Hour that runs 7 days a week (yes, even weekends). Or those Popcorn Pork Raviolis that we snagged for $5. Can’t forget to mention the infamous Dandan noodles.

Whatever the reason we’ve got a crush on you, Suga. And soon you all will too.

Describing their cuisine as “Modern Chinese”, mother and son duo, Susanna and Gabriel Foo, have successfully created a wonderful fusion of culture, tasty bites, and ambiance with SUGA. Located at 1720 Samson Street in Philadelphia, their new cocktail program and creative one-of-a-kind imaginative cuisine has sparked the Center City Happy Hour scene.

Everything directly marries Susanna’s interesting Northern Chinese and Taiwanese roots with her French training and Western twists. HH prices range from $3-$8.

What we recommend for Happy Hour: • Good-Natured Gabe $8 Rittenhouse rye, raw honey, fresh lemon juice • Popcorn Pork Ravioli $5 Mini pork dumplings pan fried to golden perfection • Tongpo Pork Bao $6 Duo of delicately steamed buns filled with tender pork belly • Edamame Hummus $5 Wonton Chips, Chili Oil

IBR TIP! Don’t miss Karaoke on Friday & Saturdays from 11 PM – 2 a.m.

Dandan Noodles

Suga 1720 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA Main Number: 215.717.8968 Take Out Number: 215.717.8969 www.sugabyfoo.com

@sugabyfoo

Suga

Scallion Pancakes IBR is a Social Media Marketing Agency partnering with restaurants and local businesses in Philadelphia to convert followers into customers.

Our philosophy is simple: Please your eyes, please your palate. www.inbetweenrivers.com • info@inbetweenrivers.com • Follow us @inbetweenrivers

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Wendy Hamilton to Receive 2018 Paradigm Award – Philadelphia, PA Plaza Grande at Garden State Park Racetrack Media Hard Hat Tour – Cherry Hill, NJ

The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia (the Chamber) is pleased to announce that Wendy Hamilton, general manager of SugarHouse Casino, will receive the 2018 Paradigm Award, the region’s most prestigious award for businesswomen.

“It’s an incredible honor to receive the Paradigm award,” said Ms. Hamilton. “Not only am I proud to join this exclusive club of Philadelphia business leaders, but this award reflects the hard work and dedication the SugarHouse Team Members put in each and every day.”

Israeli Krav Maga and Ninja For A Cure Fundraiser – Cherry Hill, NJ

Dozens attended the hard-hat tour of the Plaza Grande at Garden State Park, a 55-and-over luxury condominium community, to see the revitalization of what was once the Garden State Park Racetrack. L to R: Anthony S. “Tony” Black, Jockey, John Fasciano, Managing Partner, Tristate Ventures, L.P., Andy Kaplin, Project Manager, Tristate Ventures, L.P.

Men’s Night to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Camden at Cafe Madison – Riverside, NJ

Israeli Krav Maga owner and Ninja For A Cure and American Ninja Warrior contestant Henry Ferrarin teamed up to host a night full of krav maga lessons, ninja warrior obstacles, and prizes all to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Fund. The first-annual event was a huge success, as they raised over $5,600 for breast cancer research! From left; Don Melnick (owner Israeli Krav Maga Cherry Hill) Jedi Markowski, Lucio Battista, Maura Sherman (American Ninja Warrior contestants) Henry Ferrarin (founder of Ninja for a Cure) Marc Schneider (Israeli Krav Maga instructor) Noel Reyes (American Ninja Warrior Contestant)

L to R: Rocco Fiorentino, Howard Hassman, David Hassman, Tre Thomas, John Feast, Ken Dunek, Vince Papale, Shawn Ravitz.

Suede Salon and Spa 10-year Anniversary – Marlton, NJ

Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation’s Annual Gala – Berlin, NJ

P.J.W. Restaurant Group, presents their donation at this year’s Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation’s annual gala. The 15th annual birthday bash, ‘The Crystal Ball,’ was recently held in honor of Alicia’s Birthday. Pictured from left to right: Mike Perro, John Krohl, Dylan Maxwell, Jessica Breslow, Chris Webb, Jackie Platzer, Jake Karley, Jen McGonigle.

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Suede Salon and Spa celebrated its 10-year anniversary and the opening of an inhouse Medical Spa, known as Mend Aesthetics. Dr. Michael Shafran of Bucks County will bring ten years of experience as the Medical Director of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to the spa. L to R: Lisa Verdecchio, Nancy Rooney, Dr. Michael Shafran Kim Carusillo, Sue Harrison, Karen Rogge.

Feel Good PHILLY

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Local stories to live inspired…

Twist of Fate

by Jamie Dunek

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Photos Jamie Dunek

T

HE TRIP WAS A SHORT peaceful drive, roughly an hour outside of Philadelphia. Interstates gridlocked with heavy traffic turned into green, rolling hills.

Sounds shifted from loud horns to chirping birds, and the stress of my day seemed to drift off as I moved farther away from the city. I pulled my car into the driveway and headed towards the farm in the distance. It was nestled down a long dirt path hidden from view.

The fenced-in pastures sat delicately on-top of a scenic hill overlooking a small pond. The dust that had been kicked up from the road cleared enough for me to notice the faces of Aiyanna and Thor peering over the fence.

They were even more beautiful in person and exactly who I came here for.

When Ashley DiFelice saved two horses from being slaughtered in 2012, she had no idea that she was in the beginning stages of Twist of Fate Farm & Sanctuary. As with any new adventure, sometimes a first step leads to a bigger picture we have yet to see. In the five short years that followed, her act of kindness has changed her life. Ashley has adopted a completely vegan lifestyle and dedicates herself to her rescues, each with their own unique story. Thor, one of the farm’s 40 saved equines, had deformed legs and was slaughterhouse bound when Ashley found him. Veterinarians couldn’t do

anything to help but they gave Ashley hope by saying his condition might improve over time.

Four years later Thor is thriving and loving life on the farm. Ashley explains in detail on her Instagram, “His legs are not pretty to look at and most people’s initial reaction is to cringe.

Thor doesn’t know he is different though. Thor has never let his disability stop him. Not a day goes by that I don’t catch him running around in his paddock, playing with the other horses.

He has a wild spirit and his love for life is like no other.”

Ashley currently lives on 10 acres of land in West Grove, PA accompanied by the many different farm animals she cares for. Horses, pigs, goats, dogs, chickens, sheep, a cow and alpaca to name them all. Each was saved from starvation, neglect, abuse, and slaughter and now live with her (and 3 year-old son Deacon’s) promise: To live out the rest of their lives without ever falling into the wrong hands again.

Described as a small family run sanctuary, Ashley primarily takes care of these animals by herself. Here are some ways for you to get involved:

SPONSOR AN ANIMAL By sponsoring one of the residents, you will receive a certificate of sponsorship, a print of the animal with a short bio, and their rescue story along with monthly updates.

SIGN UP TO BE A MONTHLY DONOR For as little as $1 a month, gain access to exclusive photos, giveaways, and rescue missions before anyone else! Donating what you can allows current residents to be cared for as new residents move in. Sign up at: Patreon.com/ TwistofFateFarmSanctuary.

TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY GIFT CARDS With an expense like $4,000 a month solely spent on hay, these gift cards are ALWAYS appreciated and easy to find online!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES will be available in 2018. n Ashley shares adorable pictures and touching stories about her farm family on Insta! Want to know what’s going on at Twist of Fate? Follow along! @afelice16

Twist of Fate Farm & Sanctuary

Email: Twistoffatefarm@gmail.com

MOB SCENE

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BY GEORGE ANASTASIA

Not Even Ten Cents on the Dollar

T

HIS IS A STORY ABOUT HOT STUFF. Stolen property.

Things that fall off the back of a truck.

Mob guys have always traded in this kind of contraband, selling goods for about 10 cents on a dollar. This is possible because there’s no upfront cost. All the proceeds are profit. During the 1990s, the Joey Merlino crew made several scores built around tractor trailers stolen from storage facilities and shipping yards along Delaware Avenue.

There were ceiling fans and sweat suits and bicycles.

There was also a trailer load of baby formula. But the wiseguys couldn’t find a market and ended up abandoning the trailer at a rest stop along the Jersey Turnpike. The fear in law enforcement circles and in the art world is that something like that may have happened to the paintings stolen from the Gardner Museum up in Boston back in 1990.

The FBI claims that some of the art work— total value $500 million—made its way to Philadelphia.

“We’ve determined in the years after the theft that the art was transported to the Connecticut and Philadelphia regions,” said one of the Boston FBI agents spearheading the investigation. “But we haven’t determined where the art is right now.”

That was five years ago. It was part of a press release announcing “significant investigative progress.” At the time there was a $5 million reward for information leading to the return of the paintings.

By the end of last year, the reward was up to $10 million.

So much for significant progress.

T’S BEEN CALLED the largest art heist in American history and the fact that the FBI has come up empty after 27 years is embarrassing, but not totally unexpected. Dealing in stolen art work is a sophisticated business that often takes place on an international

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level in a very cosmopolitan and elite criminal underworld.

It’s hard to imagine members of the Merlino crew—or almost any other mob crew for that matter—traveling in those circles. It’s even harder to imagine that any wiseguy who had a shot at collecting a $10 million reward wouldn’t go for the bucks.

The statute of limitations has expired on the theft. The reward is a no- questions- asked kind of deal. If those paintings came through Philadelphia and the local mob family was involved, then somebody is leaving $10 million on the table.

Given the financial track record of this group, that doesn’t seem likely.

Yet the rumors and stories persist.

in a recent telephone conversation from his home outside of Nashville where, reborn as the Reverend Alonso Esposito, the former mobster is now a born-again preacher with his own television ministry (but that’s a story for another day). “I only hooked up with Joey to get made and to make my own crew.”

Luisi said he and George Borgesi, a top Merlino lieutenant, traveled to Boston in 1997 and formally initiated a half dozen of Luisi’s associates into the Philadelphia mob. One of those initiates was Robert “The Cook” Gentile.

Luisi’s plans to start his own family were short circuited by the FBI. He was caught up in a sting operation and indicted for drug dealing. Merlino and company faced racketeering charges in Philadelphia. The organization liter-

It’s hard to imagine that any wiseguy who had a shot at collecting a $10 million reward wouldn’t go for the bucks.

On March 18, 1990, two men posing as Boston police officers showed up at the door of the Gardner Museum shortly after 1 a.m. in the morning. Think about the timing. Much of Boston was still in Saint Paddy’s Day mode, partying in the extreme. The guard at the museum ignored protocol and let the “cops” in.

He and another guard were tied up, and in less than two hours, 13 pieces of art, including paintings by Vermeer, Manet, Rembrandt and Degas were cut from their frames, rolled up and whisked away.

The Philadelphia connection surfaced much later and was built around a group of Boston wiseguys and wannabes affiliated with Bobby Luisi who in the mid 1990s forged an alliance with Merlino and company in what Luisi said was an initial step toward forming his own crime family.

“We were in a war up there,” Luisi explained

ally came undone.

But Gentile remained on the streets and at various times has talked about some of the art work. He and another Luisi associate, Robert Guarente, have been identified as possible suspects in the heist. Guarente died in 2004, but his wife has said the he told her he had given two of the paintings to Gentile. Gentile, now in his 80s and serving time for drug and weapons offenses, has denied this, although in one interview he allowed as how he might have alluded to knowledge about the stolen art work, but only as part of a scam.

Luisi doesn’t know specifics, but he’s somewhat skeptical.

He said Guarente once told him he knew where some of the paintings were buried in Florida and asked Luisi if he knew anyone “who could move them?”

“I told him, ‘I’m not a fence,’” Luisi recalled.

“That’s a different world. He never mentioned it again.”

Luisi said that while Guarente knew, and sometimes did business with, a group of high end burglars and jewelry thieves, he wasn’t capable of dealing in valuable pieces of stolen art. Neither, he said, was Gentile.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Luisi said. “These were street guys. They could do a lot of things.

But art work? I don’t think so.”

HE IDEA that any of the paintings made their way to Philadelphia doesn’t seem to make sense.

Bob Wittman, a retired FBI agent out of the Philadelphia office who specialized in tracking stolen art (he co-authored the book “Priceless” with former Inquirer reporter John Shiffman) said he was on the job at the time of the heist and during the period when the paintings may have come through Philadelphia.

Given the stream of information coming the feds way from informants and electronic surveillance, Wittman figures he or one of his FBI colleagues would have heard something.

And given the reward that’s just sitting there, he also believes someone would have stepped forward by now to try to collect.

“I can’t say it didn’t happen, but it doesn’t make sense,” Wittman said in an interview a few years ago. “What would be the purpose of bringing the paintings to Philadelphia? You want to show them to somebody, they just hop on a plane and fly to Boston.”

And the reward that sits there?

“It’s free money for them,” he added. “You know those guys. What do you think?”

The Philadelphia mob dealing in priceless and valuable commodities is a troubling thought. Back in the mid-1990s, a wiseguy in Cleveland had stolen a Lamborghini valued at about $120,000. It was a 1988 fuel-injected 500S model anniversary edition.

But the car was so unique that he couldn’t find a buyer in the Cleveland area. Through a series of deals, the car ended up in Philadelphia and in the hands of one of Merlino’s top guys, Marty Angelina. The Lamborghini was stashed in a small garage in South Philadelphia.

Word got out that the FBI was poking around and, according to court testimony, Angelina decided to move the car. But the battery was dead. He rented a panel truck, but the truck didn’t have a ramp. So two wooden planks were set in place and Angelina and an associate tried to push the $120,000 vehicle into the truck.

The Lamborghini slipped off the planks. The front end and bumper were damaged.

The wiseguys eventually sold the car— unknowingly to an undercover FBI agent— for $5,300.

Not even ten cents on the dollar. n

T

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DEI LYNAM

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Robert Covington: Immersed in the Process

Photo Kurt Gies/Philadelphia 76ers

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HE PHRASE “TRUST THE PROCESS” went from a marketing idea for a losing team to a mantra for an entire fan base excited to see winning professional basketball in Philadelphia for the first time in six years. And while many think of Joel Embiid as the originator of The Process, Robert Covington has been immersed in this ragsto-riches story for every bit as long. And some would argue Covington has endured more of the painful parts of the process during the time Embiid was on the mend. Embiid was on the mend for not one year but two and a half.

Eighty-one different players have been on the 76ers roster since Brett Brown took over as the head coach before the start of the 2013-14 season. Robert Covington and Joel Embiid are the longest-tenured players on the current roster, though Covington has played in 225 games during that time; Embiid has performed in 49.

Covington was a four-year player at Tennessee State who went undrafted in the spring of 2013. He hooked on with the Houston Rockets in the fall of 2013 but appeared in just seven games. He spent most of his rookie season playing for Houston’s developmental affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. With the Vipers, Covington shined, averaging 23 points, nine rebounds, and two-plus steals per game. Those numbers earned him D-League Rookie of the Year honors.

The following season Covington was about to embark on a second stint in the minor leagues when then-Sixers general manager, Sam Hinkie, offered Covington a four-year contract worth four million dollars. It was a mas24

I like to be involved in the community.

To change people’s lives is a big deal.”

sive raise for Covington at the time, but the next three years, it proved a steal for the 76ers organization. Since his arrival, Covington has worked diligently on his craft, developing into a well- respected two-way player evidenced by his finishing fourth in last year’s voting for NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

HIS FALL, there was a shift in the level of talent on the Sixers roster. A healthy Joel Embiid paired with Ben Simmons, the current favorite to win Rookie of the Year for 2018, are the two faces of the franchise. It is a franchise staring at a bright future for many years to come. But on November 17, 2017, the 76ers made it clear that Covington was every bit as important to “The Process” as Embiid and Simmons. The organization extended Covington’s contract, paying him $16 million for this season and between $10-$12 million for the four seasons to follow. In all, the new contract guarantees Covington $61.5 million.

“I knew for a while,” Covington said after a recent home victory. “I talk to (Sixers GM) Brian (Colangelo) a lot. He sat down with me and said he had heard so many good things about me and then he got a chance to see for himself and

T

‘

overall he told me the whole break down of what he planned to do.

“He told me straight up that he loved that I am a player that came in and worked and developed and does everything the right way. He said those are the types of players he enjoys and I make it easy for him.”

Brett Brown would second the 76ers President’s sentiments.

“There’s an inner confidence that he has that’s born out of, ‘I belong.

This is my organization, and I’m going to do whatever I can to help move it forward,’” Brett Brown said. “And that he has. He’s just maturing before all of our eyes.”

That maturity is both on and off the court. On the court, Covington is on pace to make 254 three-pointers for the season. A year ago that number would have placed him fourth best for that NBA season. His sharp shooting has been a delight for his teammates to witness.

“Cov is on fire right now,” Embiid said after a recent practice. “When he shoots it, he is unconscious. A couple of the shots he takes I say ‘No, no!’, but he is the type of guy, you say ‘no,’ then he does it and you say, ‘Yes!’ Cov is a great shooter.”

Covington appreciates the praise. He also sees reasons, not only for his early season successes, but that of the team.

“The way we have it set up now with so many different pieces, it is hard for defenses to key in on any one guy,” Covington said, referring to the multiple scorers the 76ers now have. “Previous years, it was easy to key in on certain guys because you knew who was in certain positions, but now we have so many threats on the team that at any point you could be hit with a dagger.”

FF THE COURT, Covington is a man amongst the people. On an October morning, the day after a 29-point performance by him, Covington visited Chester A. Arthur elementary school. And in

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mid-November, Covington’s mom, Teresa Bryant, paid a visit to the same school. They both shared with students their time and advice about schoolwork being the top priority. That was the way things worked when Robert was growing up in Chicago.

“I like to be involved in the community,” Covington said. “I use my platform—you have to—to have an impact and be in touch with as many different people and touch their lives. To change people’s lives is a big deal and that is what I want to do. I want to do my part and give back.

“Back home there aren’t many people who get the opportunity to be in this position, and one small gesture can change someone’s life. Little things mean a lot to me.”

One of the little things Covington likes to do, after a game or on an off night, is participate in friendly shoot-outs on the basketball machines at Dave and Buster’s.

“I like Dave and Buster’s to wind down and have fun,” Covington said.

“I play video games, eat, watch other basketball games, and then I play pop-a-shot against people. Nobody has beaten me yet; well, one guy almost beat me, but I was playing around with him and his friends. He kept saying ‘I do this all the time; you can’t beat me. I ended up locking in on him. He was kind of hurt.”

It is one of the charming characteristics of many players on the current 76ers roster; they engage with the fans in a friendly, down-to-earth way.

If Covington’s Dave and Buster’s appearances become less frequent, forgive him. He has two Frenchie dogs, Ace and King, waiting for him at his new home in New Jersey.

The Process has served many quite well, including Covington, whose patience, perseverance, and hard work depict the meaning behind the mantra. n

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HARRY’S TALES

_______________________________________________________________________________

BY HARRY DONAHUE

I

’VE HAD THE PLEASURE of spending almost 50 years reporting on

news and sports in Philadelphia. My career began with a part-time job during college in the late 60’s at WPEN Radio. Many may recall my years as the “Morning Drive” anchor on KYW Newsradio 1060, the voice of Temple Football and Basketball and for the last seven years as the host of “Inside Golf” on NBC Sports Philadelphia. What you probably don’t know, and very few do, is what the legendary Paul Harvey described as “the rest of the story.” Enjoy!

A Ham Sandwich with a Saint In August of 1976 while working with the Communications Office of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia I helped coordinate media coverage for the 41st International Eucharistic Congress which Philadelphia hosted.

The event attracted thousands of visitors, including a virtual who’s who of International Catholicism. Among them, the future Pope John Paul II, Poland’s Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the leader of California’s migrant workers, Cesar Chavez, and Philadelphia native Princess Grace of Monaco. But the star of the week was the future Saint, Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

The tiny nun actually got the week-long event started by leading several thousand people in a candle light procession along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Within hours of that event, our office received a unique request from Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She and her husband, Sargent Shriver, wanted to arrange for a lunch meeting with Mother Teresa during the Congress. Someone would have to escort Mother and that’s where I came in.

A driver took Mother from a convent in Fairmount and brought her to the old Convention Hall in West Philadelphia. I accompanied her to the lunch held in a makeshift cafeteria in the basement of the Hall. When I say makeshift, I mean card tables with plastic tablecloths and paper plates.

I briefed Mother on who would be joining us, but it quickly became apparent she knew all about the Shrivers. Eunice was the sister to JFK. Sargent was the first Director of the Peace Corps. Together, they had started Special Olympics. It was like Mother Teresa had googled them before Google.

As we entered the cafeteria, the Shriver’s could not have been more welcoming.

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Almost immediately Eunice began to question Mother about her mission to improve the lives of the impoverished in India.

After almost every answer, Mother would end by repeating her mantra: “I’m doing this for the poorest of the poor.”

What a stark contrast: a prominent member of one of the country’s most prominent families hanging onto every word from the tiny Eastern European nun who had gained worldwide notoriety for her years of service in the slums of Calcutta.

After a few minutes, a waitress approached to take our order. The menu, fittingly, was plain and simple.

The Shrivers opted for a ham and mustard sandwich. I made it three. Mother Teresa, looked up and gently whispered to the waitress “I’ll have a ham and mustard sandwich also.”

n n n Posing as a priest at the Vatican A few days before Christmas in 1976, I accompanied Cardinal John Krol to Rome for the official announcement by Pope Paul VI that John Neumann, the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia, would be canonized a Saint on June 19, 1977.

Whenever the Cardinal went to Rome, he and his traveling party would stay at Villa Stritch, a hotel-like property the American Church owned just outside the Eternal city.

On the morning of the official Papal announcement which would be held in the Vatican’s Consistorial Hall, I joined the Cardinal for breakfast eager to learn more details about the day, realizing only clergy were allowed to be present to hear the Papal decree.

I asked the Cardinal some questions about the ceremony and then he had a simple question for me.

“Do you want to go?” he said.

“How can I since only clergy are allowed in?” I responded.

“Just answer the question,” said the Cardinal.

“Of course I want to go”, I said adding “But how do I get in”?

The Cardinal had it all figured out. He always kept a spare black cassock in his room at Villa Stritch. I would wear the spare cassock to the Consistory. That would be my ticket go where only clergy were allowed.

Within minutes, we were off for the thirtyminute drive to the Vatican. As we arrived, the Cardinal and his entourage were saluted by the Swiss Guard and ushered up marble steps and down a more marvelous hallway to the exquisite Consistorial Hall.

Here I was, a married father of two, dressed in a Cardinal’s spare cassock, and all the time acting like I’ve been there before. All I could think of while waiting for the Pope to enter was what happens if my cover is blown. What if someone realizes I’m an imposter? What would happen to Cardinal Krol? What about Bishop Neumann’s canonization?

“Don’t worry,” I told myself. “Everything is going to be OK.” As the Pope entered the Hall and was seated just twenty feet away, I joined dozens of Cardinals, Bishops and “fellow” priests in standing in prayer.

That’s when I noticed the possibility my cover would be revealed. How could I explain the gold wedding ring on my finger? It had to go or I would.

Gingerly I covered the ring with my right hand and ever so slowly slipped it off my finger.

No one noticed. The canonization was safe.

Cardinal Krol would not be at the center of an ecclesiastical scandal. And I would live to tell about my short “priestly” life inside the hallowed staircases and hallways of the Vatican.

n n n Me and Doug Down by Augusta’s Oak Tree If you’ve ever been to Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters, you know a popular meeting spot for friends is under the Oak tree between the Clubhouse and the first tee.

It was there during Masters week 2006 that I

met for the first time an iconic figure from one of the game’s by gone eras.

Let me give you a clue. He wore a violet shirt, a violet sweater, violet pants and, yes, matching violet shoes (I don’t know about his undies but I’m guessing.)

It was Doug Sanders. Once described as “The Peacock of the fairways”, Sanders won 20 PGA tour events and was runner-up in four Majors during a professional career that spanned four decades starting in 1956.

Doug was alone that day. A sad looking man despite his radiant attire. A solitary figure as he stood along the rope line that separated mere mortals from some of the game’s biggest names. The latter were enjoying lunch and drinks at tables spaced on the manicured lawn of Augusta’s stately and historic Clubhouse. We mortals enjoyed just watching from the other side.

Suddenly it dawned on me. Why was Doug Sanders standing a few feet from me on one side of the ropes, while his peers were on the other side?

“Excuse me, but aren’t you Doug Sanders?”

I asked.

“Yes I am,” he responded,” How did you know?”

Talk about a loaded question.

“Well for starters, your outfit is a dead giveaway,” I said. “Who could forget you?”

He smiled and wanted to know where I was from.

I could hardly say “Philadelphia” when he blurted, “What a great town and some great courses.”

Actually, the first time I had seen Sanders in person was at one of those great courses, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, which hosted an annual tour event for roughly 20 years from the 60’s into the 80’s.

And the reason Sanders shared a spot on the “other side of the ropes”, he explained, dates back to a short putt he missed on the 18th hole in the final round of the 1970 Open Championship at St. Andrew’s.

All he needed was to make that three footer and the Open Championship was his. But he pushed it right, and instead of hoisting the Claret Jug, Doug Sanders became a footnote in Open History.

It meant a next day 18-hole playoff which he lost to Jack Nicklaus by one stroke. And it also meant looking from the outside in on the rope line on Augusta’s back lawn.

You see, any winner of a Major is invited to play practice rounds during Masters week and have access to the Clubhouse and all of its amenities.

Three feet. That’s all that separated Doug Sanders from lunch and drinks on the lawn at Augusta National that day in April ‘06. And his name on the Claret Jug forever. n 28

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EN ARE HARDWIRED to work hard and provide for those around them. But, in doing so, sometimes it’s easy to ignore health issues. The simplest way to maintain your health is to see a primary care provider (family doctor or internist) regularly. With a few preventative measures, you’ll be running like a well-oiled machine.

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Yearly exams with your primary care doctor are one of the best ways to identify prostate cancer. Based on your medical and family history, your doctor can advise the best screening method for you. n

GET FIT

For more guidance follow Alexandra, NASM Certified

Personal Trainer on Instagram at @TipsfromAFitChick ______________________________________________________________________________________________

BY ALEXANDRA DUNEK

Powered by Pilates Photos Jamie Dunek

Get Out!

Alex Dunek at Framework Bodies

Jill Kemenosh instructs Alex

A

weightlifter attempting Pilates is like a football player trying ballet… not only is it the complete opposite of my daily routine, but it’s also extremely challenging, which I was up for.

Within a few moments of being inside the studio, I immediately felt relaxed. Framework Bodies: Pilates & Functional Movement located in Mount Laurel, NJ, truly has a calming vibe attached to it, making it an impressive place to go to if you’re looking for a way to de-stress.

Jill Kemenosh, certified Pilates instructor and former internationally ranked equestrian, runs the small studio and says that Pilates is not only her passion, but has really transformed her life. Diagnosed with scoliosis, which is a condition where your spine becomes curved or rotated, she says the method 32

has allowed her to straighten the muscular differences in her back and strengthen her core muscles giving her an advantage in her sport.

Since learning Pilates at age 14, she is also one of the only people in the area certified to teach ELDOA, which is a style that focuses on very specific stretches, form and technique.

“I like to think of myself as a realistic fitness coach. I’m a foodie, and I love to have fun, so you’ll never hear me telling clients to change their lifestyles. I believe it’s all about balance and all about working out to become the best and happiest version of yourself, not doing it

for someone or something else!”

Walking into any type of gym, I usually feel confident and excited to begin my workout.

This time, I was excited, but I wasn’t so confident.

If you take a tour, you will see they have an open studio with a huge mirror covering one entire wall. Then another room tucked in the back with unique equipment for their classes and my personal favorite, the infrared sauna room.

So what did I learn?

Stretching is absolutely vital to any sort of routine. I tend to get lazy with this, but stretching is a big part in warming up, preventing injuries and increasing flexibility.

With that being said, flexibility is a necessary part of Pilates! If you don’t improve on this, it’s quite tough to attempt anything in general.

Kemenosh shows Alex stretching exercises

Core strength is major in holding any movement. A strong core will allow you to perform better and complete many positions with ease.

Although Pilates was a bit difficult for me, I was reminded of things that I needed to improve on if I wanted to become a well-rounded athlete.

After the session, I tested out the infrared sauna. This is truly a unique way to end your workout. Did you know, the full-spectrum infrared rays offer benefits such as detoxification, weight loss, pain relief, and anti-aging to name a few?

Framework offers quite a variety, from Pilates to Tower, Pilates Mat, Mixed Tower, HITT-LATES and Sculpt. They also have semiprivate and private sessions with ELDOA,

Functional Movement and Pilates. A single class costs $25 and if you are a beginner, Jill recommends the introductory package, which is three private sessions at a discounted price, only available for first-time clients. With this package and private one-on-one time, you are able to absorb information, educate yourself on the method/form and ask your instructor any questions. n For more info, visit www.frameworkbodies.com.

For any questions, contact Jill at 856-761-2332 or contact@frameworkbodies.com.

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THE ENTHUSIAST ______________________________________________________________________________________________

BY ANDREW RYAN

I’m Worried About Gary Clark Jr.

I

f you’re at all familiar with my writing, you know that I spend an inordinate amount of time (for a grown man) complaining about the lack of great guitar players currently inhabiting the upper levels of the pop culture scene. More than ever before, I’m terrified for the future of the instrument. Cobain killed the guitar solo in the early nineties and things haven’t gotten any better since. Which is why I was surprised when, during this year’s Grammys, blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. made an appearance alongside Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran for a live tribute to Stevie Wonder.

Clark was introduced about halfway through, stealing the spotlight from the underwhelming and even more underdressed Ed Sheeran (and also making Sheeran look like the awkward, uninvited nerd sitting at the cool kid’s table for three minutes as Clark and Beyoncé tore through an electrified “Higher Ground”). But as exciting as it was to watch a master guitarist strut his stuff in front of one of the biggest television audiences of the year, it got me thinking: I’m worried about Gary Clark Jr. I’m worried because of his latest release—a cover of the most covered rock song of all time, “Come Together”—is basically nothing more than him vamping over what sounds like a cheesy action movie soundtrack for three min-

I’m worried that if Gary Clark Jr. begins caring more about becoming a celebrity than just playing some fantastic blues, we might lose one of the next greats.

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Illustration by Dan Dinsmore

utes. And trust me, I’m not being too harsh. It sounds that way because that’s exactly what he’s doing, since the music video is literally just an advertisement for the new Justice League movie. I’m worried this master blues guitarist will become more Jimmy Buffett than Jimi Hendrix, especially if his desire is more than just to write and perform some amazing blues records. I’m worried Gary Clark Jr. wants to become a celebrity, and I’m worried that may be the end of him.

’LL ADMIT RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE that Gary Clark Jr. has been one of my favorite guitar players ever since the release of his 2012 album Blak and Blu. He’s as close as this generation is ever going to get to producing another Jimi Hendrix—a true master of his instrument with a distinctive style and effortless cool. So I really don’t want to go too hard on him here. A part of me wants to just give him a pass—he probably got payed a private jet stuffed with money just to stand in front of a green screen, wear some kind of gothic-space-cowboy costume and pretendplay guitar for an afternoon. That music video alone more than likely just paid for a permanent vacation home in Paris. In other words, beats my job.

But Gary Clark Jr’s. raw blues style in defiance of an industry oversaturated with synths and auto-tune always made his records feel like a genuine breath of fresh air. He may not have reinvented the wheel, but he definitely slapped some Ray-Bans on it and made the wheel cool again. And why would you reinvent something that works so perfectly well?

Whereas bands like The White Stripes turned the blues on its head and almost spoofed the genre, Gary Clark Jr.’s no-frills approach always made him feel like a man without an agenda. He’s not playing the blues to be cool, he’s cool because he plays the blues. It’s just what he does. Which is what makes his potential plunge into the all-too-vapid pop culture inner-circle so terrifying. Nine minute guitar jam tracks just won’t fly anymore. Just ask John Mayer, perhaps the single most underrated blues guitarist in the world considering you’ve all heard his name but never heard him play a solo. Honestly, it must be impossible to

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stay fresh when you’re forced to stop thinking like a musician and begin thinking like Coca-Cola or General Electric (ugh, I sound so much like a hippie I want to take a shower).

H

IPPIE SENTIMENTALITY notwithstanding, there’s a big part of me that hates this notion that talented musicians can’t also be pop stars. Who says the two are mutually exclusive? Despite their often too-polished appearances, most pop stars actually are talented in their craft. In a lot of cases, that craft just happens to be entertainment—be it putting on an amazing show or expertly dominating social media—and not the actual music itself. But while that may be true for Taylor Swift, it certainly wasn’t the case for Prince, or Elton John, or David Bowie. But those legends were more the exception than the standard.

Gary Clark Jr. has something that many guitar players don’t: a voice.

Like a signature, his playing is instantly recognizable and almost impossible to accurately reproduce. This is the kind of trait possessed by all of the greats. When Simon and Garfunkel are singing on the radio, you immediately know it’s them. Same goes for Sting, U2, Van Halen, AC/DC, etc., there is simply no confusing them for anyone else. Slash could solo over a local auto repair shop ad jingle and you’d still know it was him (who knows, it feels like something he’d do at this point in his career). And while the notion of “selling-out” doesn’t have the same impact as it once did years ago—considering the state of the music industry as a whole it’s now considered almost necessary for one to make money in any way they can—I’m worried that if Gary Clark Jr. begins caring more about becoming a celebrity than just playing some fantastic blues, we might lose one of the next greats. The world already has enough paparazzi fodder. We don’t need another reality TV show. So stick to the studio, master your craft, forward that “guest solo during Katy Perry Super Bowl performance” email to Slash’s people and keep doing what you’re doing, Gary. n

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S

DiPinto’s Philly store is a guitar lovers paradise

SADIE ISN’T BOTHERED BY THE NOISE. Maybe her ears are just used to it. Walk in the door to DiPinto’s Guitars on Girard Avenue in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood and the friendly dog will come greet you before your own ears have even had a chance to fully process the guitar strumming Sadie seems to tune out in favor of the sound of the front door bell.

BY NICK SANTANGELO 36

In a cramped back office where the first guitar Chris DiPinto ever built back in the ‘80s still hangs on the wall, alongside framed advertisements his wife Sophy made for later iterations of DiPinto gits, Chris eventually gets Sadie to lay down and nap right through the guitar notes. He suggests closing the door to deaden the noise but admits it might not do much. (It doesn’t.) Longhaired and laid-back, Chris seems more seasoned rocker than seasoned instrument crafter. As it so happens, he’s both.

Photos Jamie Dunek

A guitar takes shape in DiPinto’s shop

THEY DON’T MAKE ‘EM LIKE THAT ANYMORE His band, Creem Circus, opens for both local acts and classic rockers as big as KISS and Dick Dale. They seem as likely to pop off the stage as DiPinto’s first made-from-scratch guitar—slapped together with odds and ends from Home Depot and Radio Shack along with oak floorboards leftover from a flooring project of his dad’s—is to pop off the wall.

“It’s like, I make wild-looking retro guitars, and this is a wild-looking retro band,” he says of Creem Circus. “It’s in the style of David Bowie or T-Rex. Big floppy shoes and bug-eyed glasses. It’s crazy.”

Indeed, in music videos, the band looks like ‘80s glam rockers fronted by a guy who frequents Elton John’s eyewear merchant of choice. But don’t let the novelty sunglasses, platform shoes or feather boas fool you; Creem Circus isn’t all about goofing off. It’s actually only partly about that.

“It rides the line of being not too serious but very serious music too,” explains DiPinto.

I went to Temple as a performance major. A lot of people who graduated from music college are very serious musicians, so I am a very serious musician, but it’s also a fun joke too.

I think that’s why people really like it. Too much of a joke can be stupid, but also too stiff is no good.”

Coming off as too silly used to be a problem for DiPinto, but not for his band. He confused potential customers when he first started selling guitars he wanted to look cartoonish, “like toys.” Most guitarists got one look at his early models and thought they were pieces of junk hobbled together on a lark.

Even before then, when DiPinto was still learning how to build a proper guitar in the ‘80s, he bewildered more seasoned independent makers around the city when he’d wander from shop to shop asking them to sell him fret wires. Suspecting him of wanting to bring them to their competitors they assumed he’d com-

Chris DiPinto plays one of his unique designs

missioned to build him a guitar, most turned him away at first. He eventually won them over when they realized this young kid was trying to learn the art of guitar making himself. Little did they know at the time that he’d end up becoming their competition and outlast most of them.

“Those shops are almost all gone,” DiPinto says of Philly’s independent guitar shops.

“People can’t believe there’s one here. I hope they’re excited to help keep [me] alive when they come in.”

LEFT HANGING But while the shops were more plentiful back in the ‘80s, the type of guitar DiPinto needed wasn’t. The blame for that appears shared between manufacturers, stores, DiPinto’s uncle and even human genetics. “I’m left-handed, and my uncle gave me my first guitar,” explains DiPinto, “and he flipped it.”

It’s estimated that only about 10 percent of the world’s population is born left-handed.

Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Tony Iommi are perhaps the rock world’s most famous southpaw guitarists. There’s another group of famous lefties who play guitar, however, but this group doesn’t play the guitar lefthanded. If that seems counterintuitive, go back to DiPinto’s statement about his uncle flipping a right-handed guitar for him. The overwhelming majority of guitars are made for righties, so left-handed rock stars like Billy Corgan, Duane Allman and Noel Gallagher went with what was available and played right-handed.

“Technically, if you’re left-handed you should play a guitar left-handed,” says DiPinto.

“But the guitar’s not made that way, so you just play it how it’s made until someone actually

flips it for you, they change the strings.

“So, that’s what somebody did for me. They flipped the strings. But that put me in a world of limited choices. Very few left-handed guitars out there. It’s like one percent or something. You walk into a guitar store, and there’s like nothing for you, maybe like one in the back. So I spent my whole life looking for lefthanded guitars, and I realized I’d have to start making things if I wanted what I wanted.”

I Want You to Want My Guitars “Do you know how many people call my friends and say, ‘This is Neil Young, I want to get a guitar?’” a frustrated Chris DiPinto said on the phone to the man purporting to be Rick Nielsen (right). The thing is, it actually was Nielsen, the lead guitarist of Cheap Trick, on the line. One of DiPinto’s guitar heroes was in town for a show, and he wanted to check out his wares.

Before DiPinto knew it, Nielsen and singer Tom Petersson were in his shop’s original location in Old City. DiPinto was “star struck,” but he learned quickly to treat rock stars like regular people. He had to. Over the years, Sonic Youth, Jack White of the White Stripes, David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick and more have come through his doors. He even made guitars, including one that looked like a Pez dispenser, for Conan O’Brien Show guitarist Jimmy Vivino and enjoyed “awesome” moments of O’Brien cracking wise about the guitars on TV. 37

WHERE DOES HE GET THOSE WONDERFUL TOYS?

DiPinto loves making guitars, but he’s not the only one. Fender and Gibson love doing that too. Or, at least, they love selling guitars. DiPinto describes even trying to sell the exponen38

But when the big manufacturers moved their production to cheaper Chinese and Vietnamese factories, the South Korean factory closed. Uncomfortable with making guitars in an undemocratic country where he couldn’t account for how workers were treated, DiPinto brought production back stateside.

Now he makes fewer guitars that cost more, but he has more control over customizing them. Plus, DiPinto says enough customers are “happy to wait and pay more” for American guitars that he has “a decent following.”

can’t be an internationally tially fewer guitars than touring rock star like those the big brands do to stay that inspired him to pick in business as “extremely up that flipped guitar in difficult.” But even that his youth. He sounds unmight be selling it short. sure himself if he regrets He goes so far as to call it that missed opportunity. “the hardest thing.”

“We have an invitation to Luckily, DiPinto Guiopen any show for KISS. tars got the breakout moDiPinto (white suit) with his band Creem Circus We just can’t get off work ment it needed in just its to do it, go to Japan and stuff. But sometimes first year. DiPinto went to a trade show for the we wonder if we should do it.”

National Association of Music Merchandisers, Despite that wistful thinking, DiPinto or NAMM, “just for the experience.” It turned doesn’t fully believe the life of a full-time rock into quite the experience, all right. star would have been better than that of a gui “Guitar Player Magazine takes a picture of tar maker. my guitar and puts it into the issue. They have “I get to work with the bands that are on five guitars that year in their NAMM show istour, and I get to see the flip side where they’re sue, and mine’s one of them. I’m like, ‘Whoa, not making money,” he says with a note of there are thousands of guitars there, a lot of sympathy. “Now they’re selling all their instruthem didn’t get in.’ Mine just made such a ments because they have to pay back the resplash because they were so different. It’s makcord label. That could be me. That’s a horrible ing guitars that look like they were made in spot to be in.”

1965, but they worked like a new guitar. No As it stands, DiPinto is unable to pick out one was doing that. It turned a lot of heads.” one aspect of his career that’s more rewarding In the years since, DiPinto has had to supthan any other. “It’s all great,” he says of playplement his income from making and selling ing on stage, making and selling guitars and his own guitars with doing repairs, selling seeing local kids and big rock stars alike using vintage instruments and even renting out the his instruments. So, maybe he made the right four apartments of his shop after relocating to decision. After all, there’s no telling if Sadie Fishtown from his original Old City location. would have made peace with non-stop touring Oh and then there’s Creem Circus gigs too. Gothe way she has with guitar demos. n ing all-in on making guitars means that DiPinto

Creem Circus photo Ben Wong

THE BIG BREAK

Chris DiPinto made his first guitars completely by hand himself. But when demand grew, he needed a faster option. He found it in a South Korean factory that produced guitars faster and cheaper but kept the quality so high that DiPinto himself uses them on stage instead of his handcrafted guitars.

Photo Jamie Dunek

Given that he’s now been selling guitars for about 22 years, DiPinto’s exaggerating a bit by describing his failed quest for the type of lefthanded guitars he wanted as having lasted a lifetime. Still, about a decade passed between his uncle’s fateful flip and when DiPinto started making guitars for people other than himself around 1992.

He was in a different band then, and people started asking him after shows where he got his distinctive guitars, and, upon learning he had made them himself, if he’d make more for them. Guitars were back in vogue in a big way in those days, and one of those famous lefties was the man most responsible for it.

While DiPinto credits Paul McCartney and the Beatles as creating the first big guitar boom in the ‘60s, it was Kurt Cobain’s Nirvana that created a renaissance for the instrument in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Ironically, the late Cobain once famously riffed on “Beatlemania” by describing his own band’s explosive popularity as “Nirvanamania.” Perhaps even more ironically, the band effectively banished the type of rock produced by guitar heroes of DiPinto’s youth like Eddie Van Halen with 1991’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” But just as the limitation of having his first guitar flipped unexpectedly set him up for guitar making, so, too, did grunge flipping rock itself set DiPinto up for guitar selling.

But that first guitar people saw him playing on stage wasn’t quite production quality.

DiPinto lacked the confidence to make a good neck, which he says is the most challenging part of the instrument to craft. Inspired by the idea of making a living selling guitars, however, he kept at it.

“If you can play it on stage and people like it, you’re pretty good, but it’d be tough to sell that to somebody,” he says of that first model hanging on his office wall, “because it’s not up to snuff. But that’s the thing, you have to make more than one. You have to make five guitars.

People make guitars and they think it has to be perfect the first time, and they take too long.

They wind up sitting there and it never happens. Make one. Make another one. Make another one. If you like making guitars, which I do, it’s no problem.”

R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.

ROCKING THE BOTTOM LINE

BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

Photo courtesy The Fillmore

D

DON’T EVER TELL William Reed and Paul Kimport that their decision to convert a onetime Fishtown taproom into a music venue was responsible for turning the section of Philadelphia into a hot spot for residents new and old. They aren’t into that gentrification thing, and their goal wasn’t to insert something that didn’t fit the area’s vibe.

So, in 2006—nearly 30 years after former boxer Johnny Imbrenda started a shot-and-abeer joint on North Frankford Avenue—Reed and Kimport debuted Johnny Brenda’s. It was 40

PHILLY’S LIVE MUSIC SCENE IS BOOMING

devoted to the burgeoning indie music scene and fit just perfectly with its surroundings.

Not that the neighborhood was exactly perfect itself. There was hardly anything nearby, and anyone brave enough to venture into the area to see a band was at risk. Bands would conclude their sets and head outside to find the windows of their vehicles smashed. And if a group was more suited to, say, the World Café Live in University City, it couldn’t guarantee that its fans would consider making the trek north to catch a set.

“It was so sketchy,” says Chris Mungan, Johnny Brenda’s venue manager, says. “It was not hospitable.”

That has changed, thanks to Stephen Starr’s Frankford Hall, the Garage North bar and The Fillmore, not to mention an influx of young adults who have pushed up rents and made Fishtown one of the coolest addresses in Philadelphia.

And Johnny Brenda’s, now 11 years old, is part of the vanguard of a music scene that has exploded with a collection of places to

ated an increasingly competitive market, as spots vie for acts and try to attract patrons who have more choices than ever before.

The bottom line is, well, the bottom line, and it’s not easy to balance the need to provide a unique experience by booking timely acts and offering amenities like specialty food and drink with ticket prices that are commensurate with an audience that has enough options to balk should costs get out of hand.

T

The Fillmore boasts a capacity of about 2,900, and has the ability to attract an impressive array of acts.

IT USED TO BE RIDICULOUS TO THINK 300 PEOPLE WOULD COME OUT ON A TUESDAY NIGHT TO SEE A PUNK BAND IN FISHTOWN. NOT SO NOW.

to school in the area, but I knew when to pick my battles. I was bringing an infusion of new talent, and I was initially met with scorn by the existing neighborhood.”

Herman reports that his first six years were stable, but things grew quickly in the next three, after he started handling all of his booking in house. KFN can hold up to 300 now,

Photo courtesy Johnny Brenda’s

see shows of every kind and for every budget.

Venues like Union Transfer, Kung Fu Necktie, Boot & Saddle and MilkBoy have joined World Café Live, The Fillmore, The Trocadero and Electric Factory—and many more—to give music lovers an endless stream of options and assure that Philadelphia’s cred as one of the country’s top concert cities endures and grows. And thanks to places like the Glenside’s Keswick Theater, Ardmore Music Hall, the Sellersville Theater and the Colonial Theater in Philadelphia, suburbanites have the opportunity to experience some fine live music, too. It’s quite a menu, and its hub is in Philadelphia proper.

“I think the city’s reputation was always there,” Mungan says. “I just think the population shift with younger people moving into the city has a lot to do with more venues. There are a lot more people to come to shows.”

It’s a great deal for the fans, but it has cre-

HE GOOD NEWS is that this is a boom time for live music in the city and its surroundings, and there may well be more places yet to debut in coming years. The continuing influx of millenials into Philadelphia has created a much larger market for the concert scene than in previous years. Sure, the middle-aged suburbanites will still flock to Fleetwood Mac, Kenny Chesney and Bruce Springsteen at the big spots in South Philly, but it used to be ridiculous to think 300 people would come out on a Tuesday night to see a punk band in Fishtown. Not so now. Just ask James Herman, owner of nine-year old Kung Fu Necktie on Front Street.

“2017 was our best year to date by at least

15 percent,” Herman says. “I’m looking at 2018 as being another stellar year.”

When Herman opened Kung Fu Necktie in 2008, he wanted to serve the punk/indie/ metal market that had been largely ignored by other venues and promoters. He laughs now as he calls himself “a visionary” but given the surroundings into which he came, it’s hard not to give him credit for at least some foresight.

“What existed was a drug den,” he says.

“The Penalty Box sports bar was a dump. I met with some resistance, because I didn’t go

Photo milkboyphilly.com

MilkBoy Philadelphia

Johnny Brenda’s has been one of Philly’s hottest spots for live music for over a decade.

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Photo courtesy Wprld Café Live

“SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY, IN CLUBS SMALL AND BIG, THE CITY’S THRIVING. THERE IS A SPECIFIC UNDERTONE AND SOUL TO THE CITY.” – Jason Bray, Market GM for Live Nation

Downstairs at World Café Live in University City

and Herman reports he is looking to expand so that he can accommodate more national acts.

And though his spot doesn’t serve food, he is trying to buy the property next door to rent it out for someone to run a food window, the better to offer patrons more options without having to endure the headaches of running a kitchen. “That is an absolute drag,” he says.

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Herman and Kung Fu Necktie’s story is different from that of The Fillmore, which is part of the Live Nation empire and is named for the legendary east and west coast halls once owned and operated by impresario Bill Graham, the man who said of the Grateful Dead, “They’re not the best at what they do; they’re the only ones who do what they do.”

The Fillmore boasts a capacity of about 2,900—standing room only on the main floor—and is able to attract a variety of acts, from Hall and Oates at its October 2015 grand opening gig, to LCD Soundsystem and Umphrey’s McGee. None will sell out the Wells Fargo Center, but they have the kind of cachet that puts them well above the bar bands that play smaller venues. That’s the Fillmore vibe, and since it is a Live Nation property, it has the ability to attract an impressive array of acts.

And thanks to the 300-400 person upstairs

W

HILE THE FILLMORE has its Live Nation connection, and AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) helps funnel talent to the Keswick and the Trocadero, World Café Live benefits from a relationship with WXPN-FM and the radio show of the same name that the station distributes to more than 200 outlets nationwide. It’s hard to define the venue’s musical personality, other than to say it has something for just about everyone, as one might expect from a spot that has “World” as the first word of its name. Its downstairs features more prominent names, while the upstairs space allows for more intimate performances by up-and-coming bands.

There is no direct connection that allows for booking ease between the radio station and the Café—“but we are friendly and share notes,” WCL founder and owner Hal Real says—but the disparate lineup of acts does replicate the World Café program’s varied approach. “We work to have a diverse group of artists perform,” Real says.

World Café Live also wants to be a destination for people hoping to have a complete night out. Its Upstairs Live combines a restaurant and performance space and enables those seeing more prominent acts downstairs the opportunity to enjoy a meal beforehand.

Real reports that when WCL debuted in 2004, it staged shows just on the weekends. Now, it offers entertainment every night, and is “selling more tickets than ever”.

“We are all about the experience for artists and guests,” Real says. “That’s the niche we are trying fill. We want to present a very positive experience with great sound and an environment where artists can play their best music.”

So, things look pretty good right now. Busi-

Photo kungfunecktie.com

Foundry space, The Fillmore has an opportunity to cultivate some lesser-known acts, too.

“Obviously, we’re looking for things that sell well to the masses, but we’re also investing in local bands and tribute bands,” says Jason Bray, Market GM for Live Nation.

Bray oversees several Live Nation properties, including the TLA, Tower and Queen Theater in Wilmington. He cites the decision to put The Fillmore in Fishtown as a key to its success. Thanks to the SugarHouse Casino and the restaurants and clubs in the area, there is an entertainment district that serves as a destination for a variety of demographics.

“People can hop into an Uber, start at the casino, eat at a spot on Girard Avenue and see a concert, all within an area that covers less than a mile,” Bray says. “The casino is an anchor.”

Kung Fu Necktie

ness is booming at venues large and small, and while some fear a tipping point, the continued influx of people to center city, Fishtown, Northern Liberties and other neighborhoods means the number of potential customers is swelling. Bands see that and flock to the area, eager to build a following in the hopes of getting that big break. And there is talk of expansion into underserved musical genres, such as jazz and blues. Presenting live music still

requires plenty of hustle, even as the tide rises, but there is reason for optimism.

“Seven days a week, everywhere in the city, in clubs small and big, the city’s thriving much more than it has been,” Bray says. “The growth in the last three years has doubled the opportunities for people to see music. Everybody wants to go out. We’re not New York, and we’re not San Francisco, but there is a specific undertone and soul to the city.” n

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Because She Can. Patrice Banks, owner of Girls Auto Clinic in Upper Darby, is smashing a conventional wisdom held for generations…that women can’t understand cars.

BY KURT SMITH

Patrice Banks, owner of Girls Auto Clinic and Clutch Beauty Salon

A

S GUYS KNOW, women can be astoundingly forgiving sorts. We see it an awful lot with our leaders’ wives. We screw up regularly, and they not only put up with it, they’ll even show support for us in public.

But take advantage of a Philly girl one too many times, and one day she’ll open up an industrial-sized can of whoop-ass on you.

For example, imagine an entire industry neglecting a demographic worth $200 billion a year. That’s how much the fairer sex spends buying automobiles and repairing them. And yet, in a 2013 RepairPal survey, two-thirds of them believed they were overcharged for repairs simply because they are women.

Patrice Banks, owner of the Girls Auto Clinic and Clutch Beauty Salon in Upper Darby, knows the feeling. As a former “auto airhead,” she spent 44

much of her adult life dreading—and sometimes dangerously postponing—trips to mechanics for oil changes and repairs. Like much of her gender, since the dawn of automobiles, her lack of car knowledge caused her to zone out whenever a mechanic explained a repair. And yes, she has stories about being ripped off.

One day a wormhole opened. Banks suddenly decided to answer a simple question that no one had answered in over a century: Why are females so intimidated by the workings of an automobile?

Answering the question turned into a lifetime mission…to finally answer to the needs of that $200 billion demographic.

At Girls Auto Clinic, women can get their car serviced…and have their nails done as they wait. Nearly all her employees, including the mechanics, are women. The store is popular enough to have a 4.9 rating in 188 Facebook reviews. Banks also hosts popular and free workshops, and

maintains a blog on auto repair and maintenance.

Banks also published a 300-page book breaking down and explaining cars, titled the Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide. The book openly states that it’s a necessary component of a well-stocked glove compartment.

Boastful? Maybe. But in the book, the blog and her workshops, with her simple explanations of why cars need oil changes and what crankshafts do, Banks makes the point throughout: this stuff isn’t that hard. If a former auto airhead can teach it, anyone can learn it.

If she only desired financial success, giving up a lucrative career and sinking one’s life savings into an untested business model would be an odd route. It’s female independence that drives Patrice Banks.

As the daughter of a single mother—who, as Banks puts it mildly, made poor life choices—she saw first hand the need for women to be self-sufficient.

“I didn’t have an empowered mother, which is crazy, because I was always an empowered girl. I always wanted to prove that women could do anything men could do,” she says. “I believed I was bigger than my surroundings. I didn’t want to become my mother. So I was always funneling my extra time into positive things, schoolwork, sports, having jobs.

“My mom didn’t know how to drive, she took the bus to work. I had to ask people for rides home, and I hated being dependent on others. And that has a lot to do with why I’m very self-reliant.”

In her desire for a better life, she toiled for a degree in Materials Engineering from Lehigh University. From there she spent 12 years as a failure analyst and manager at DuPont, where she was pulling down six figures.

In other words, she made enough money to buy new cars solely to minimize trips to a mechanic.

In her spare time, she started a blog called “Banks On It,” dedicated to teaching women to do things they generally paid or asked men to do… such as fixing toilets or investing money. As she mined for ideas, she asked every woman she knew what they needed help with the most.

The overwhelming response? Wait for it…“Cars.”

Banks searched for a female mechanic in the area to help her explain automobiles…and came up empty. It was, she says, her “light bulb moment.” The well-paid engineer decided to become a mechanic herself.

She spent evenings earning an Automotive Technology diploma from Delaware Technical Community College. During that time, she offered to work as a mechanic for free…and was turned down at several shops, for

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You Turned Down Who? Despite the fact that every day she has to ensure that customers keep coming to the shop, Patrice Banks has turned down opportunities for publicity that struggling entrepreneurs would die for. Imagine rejecting offers to appear with Rachael Ray or Ryan Seacrest, or even a chance to show America your business on “Shark Tank.” But she’s learned that national exposure isn’t always a good thing.

“Press isn’t always cracked up to what you think it is,” she explains. “And one of the reasons is that there’s too much content. Everyone’s looking for content. I would be excited at this network coverage, and they would do the story and I would be on TV, but all I have is my shop, I can’t reach someone in California. So it wasn’t translating into sales.

“We were having people come here and shoot all day, five or six hours, but some people would like my page and that was it. I couldn’t convert it into buyers. It started to become a distraction, because I had nothing to sell to a national audience. People would want me to franchise, and I just can’t yet. It wasn’t an advantage, because I wasn’t prepared for it.

“Rachael Ray and Ryan Seacrest, they all wanted to have me on before my book came out. The problem I have now is, now that I have a book to sell, the old press are saying, ‘Well, we’ve already done a story on you.’

And new press is saying, ‘Well they did a story on you.’

“But you don’t know these things starting out. You’re all like, it’s great, and you can talk about it, but you realize that’s not always the best way to go about it.

Nearly all of Banks’ employees, including the mechanics, are women.

reasons like “the boss’s wife won’t like it.” Once she became familiar with the not-so-complicated inner workings of automobiles, she opened her own shop.

Judging from the exposure she’s gotten since, including appearances on Fox & Friends, CBS This Morning, and O Magazine, it sounds like she’s onto something.

As Banks wrote in a Washington Post op-ed, 2% of the nation’s auto mechanics are women, and just 13% of car salespeople are women. She drove home the point: “It’s easy for us to feel misunderstood and mistreated by the auto business when we don’t see ourselves reflected in it.”

“We need to have more women in the industry that we can interface with, that we can talk to about our cars,” she says. “Women would rather deal with a woman because we know what they go through. We have women that come from miles away, they don’t even care about our certifications, they trust us to work on their cars because we’re women. That’s how bad it is.”

As an example, she cites unnecessary “upsells” like filters and flushes that shops peddle to less car-savvy customers. “They do need to be done, but they only need to be done at certain times. You don’t need an air filter every oil change, you need one maybe every other oil change.”

with toolboxes at each station and a sink constructed from a wheel. It’s a place where women can get “manis, pedis, and blowouts” as their oil is being changed.

The customers love it. As Lorie “Lulu” Tisdell gets her toenails painted, she gushes excitedly about GAC, pointing out the toolboxes and hanging extension cords in the salon and sharing her story about finding the place during a snowstorm. Lulu has been a loyal devotee since the beginning.

Even more so, Banks’s employees are appreciative. As Colleen McClure works the front desk taking calls and speaking with customers, she shares how she worked for years at a hydraulic shop and turned wrenches at other independent repair shops. She offers a simple explanation why she quit: “I was treated like s---.”

S

HE UNEQUIVOCALLY STATES that it’s ingrained. “It’s become this culture, because of the way that the business model is set up. I see people being told they need new brakes when they don’t.

I see that all the time. When I went back to school, I realized what’s really necessary. We’re not going to upsell, we’re going to offer you a fair price.”

And if you’re marketing to women, it doesn’t hurt to have a beauty salon as a waiting area. The Clutch Beauty Bar is humorously auto-themed, 46

Women can get their car serviced…and have their nails done as they wait.

“ I T ’ S E ASY F O R U S TO F E E L M I S U N D E RSTO O D A N D M I S T R E AT E D B Y T H E A U T O BUSINESS WHEN WE D O N ’ T S E E O U R S E LV E S R E F L E C T E D I N I T.”

It’s an obvious business model. But an industry that spends millions coming up with car names like “Probe” and “Cruze” somehow missed it.

It’s actually difficult to imagine Patrice Banks having difficulty persuading a man to fix her car. She is easily personable, bubbly but never overbearingly so, and decidedly easy on the eyes.

Away from a camera or microphone, her humility stands out far more than her trademark spunk. She can even be seen decorating a Christmas tree in the shop. “I always look forward to decorating until I’m actually doing it, then I realize this is hard work,” she jokes. When talking with Patrice, one never gets the impression that she considers herself superior.

Which, when you think about it, makes her a perfect fit to appeal to a

demographic whose pet peeve is feeling condescended to by mechanics and salesmen.

Ask her what her proudest achievement is and it’s not being featured in Oprah’s magazine or on national TV. It’s her success in what she set out to do…help women in an arena where they have been neglected, and given the amount of money they spend, profoundly underappreciated. There have been difficulties, to be sure, but Patrice Banks has no doubt that this is what she was born to do.

“With any startups, you make a lot of mistakes that cost you a lot of money. Everyone will. I tell people, I fail every day, and I look forward to it, because it gets me closer to winning. Small businesses make dumb mistakes, big businesses make dumb mistakes and it costs them millions.

I’d rather make them now when I’m small.”

There is nothing small about the impact Patrice has had on her employees especially. “Since my shop opened, my mechanics have come to me and said this was the best paying job they’ve ever had. And that makes me feel good, to be paying women well, to help their families, particularly in a profession that they’ve struggled in and been kicked out of.

“That to me is my greatest accomplishment, and I’m grateful.” n

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3rd Annual

Presented by E&O Financial

T

HREE YEARS AGO, we decided to host an annual party, opening our doors to the public, celebrating the closing of another year and honoring ten special members of the community who not only excel professionally but also philanthropically.

This party was a way for us to reveal the hard work and dedication of our ten Men & Women of the Year Honorees and bring together diverse groups of likeminded professionals, in PhillyMan fashion! The name of the event also comes as a spin-off of our Legacy Club, our private business network of professionals who meet monthly to cultivate relationships. Bringing people together is what we’re all about.

We had a contest amongst our honorees and the top two individuals that had the most supporters in the building won a portion of the event proceeds for their chosen charity. We are proud to recognize Bill Brandt and Leukemia Lymphoma Society of NJ along with Peter Cordua and the Joseph Lacroce Foundation as this year’s winners.

Thank you all for celebrating with us!

If you know of anyone who would be a good candidate for our Man & Woman of the Year recognition, please email Ashley at adunek@jerseymanmagazine.com.

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Photo Jeremy Messler Photography, LLC

Pictured from left, Rose Marie Beauchemin supporting The Kidney Project; Dennis Flanagan supporting The Virtua Foundation; Peter Cordua supporting The Joseph Lacroce Foundation; Brandon Kamin supporting The Jewish Relief Agency; Sheila Hess supporting Variety - The Children’s Charity; Len Dolce supporting SpArc Philadelphia; Mary Ann Boccolini supporting Kawempe Home Care; Bill Brandt supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of New Jersey; Yasmine Mustafa supporting Coded by: Kids. Inset at right: Emily Tepe supporting Musicians on Call.

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We were joined by close to 600 guests at the beautiful Ballroom at the Ben in Philadelphia on November 2, 2017. Hosted by CBS3’s Meisha Johnson, the celebration event was a night full of connections, dancing, and fun. Special congrats to Bill Brandt, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Peter Cordua, and the Joseph Lacroce Foundation for their efforts. Because of these honorees, we were able to donate $6600 back to their charities.

Special thank you to our event photographer, Philly ChitChat’s HughE Dillon, for capturing the night.

Meisha Johnson of CBS3 hosted the event

The Dunek family, from left: Ken, Terri, Ashley, Taylor and Jamie. Alex, inset.

Bill Brandt (center)

Peter Cordua (holding check)

Photos this page HughE Dillon

HughE’s Best Mask Pick!

Congratulations to Linda Flanagan!

Nearly 600 guests at the Ballroom at the Ben in Philadelphia

Photos this page Briana Louise Sposato and Waverly Lane

SPORTS GUYS

Flyers P.A. Announcer

Lou Nolan Excerpts from “If These Walls Could Talk: Philadelphia Flyers” by Lou Nolan and Sam Carchidi

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T

HINK BACK TO PEOPLE who spent several decades around the Philadelphia sports scene and the names Connie Mack, Bill Campbell, Richie Ashburn, Harvey Pollack, and Sonny Hill may pop into your mind. Ditto Bobby Clarke, Larry Bowa, Dave Zinkoff and Dan Baker, who is still going strong as the Phillies’ public address announcer. Or Eagles broadcasting legend Merrill Reese.

Only one man, however, can say he was part of a Philadelphia sports franchise when it started and has stayed with the team continuously—and is still there 51 years later.

Say hello to Lou Nolan, the Flyers’ congenial and sharp-witted public-address announcer.

Nolan was there for the Flyers birth in 1967 and has been the P.A. announcer for the good (two Stanley Cup seasons, the epic win over the Russians), the bad (a goal allowed with four seconds left in their season, costing them a playoff spot) and the ugly (fans throwing give-away bracelets onto the ice during a playoff loss).

Lou and I recently co-authored his unofficial diary of his half century with the Flyers in “If These Walls Could Talk: Philadelphia Flyers,” a 236-page book that takes you behind the scenes at the Spectrum and the Wells Fargo Center, Nolan’s unofficial second and third homes over the years.

Below are some excerpts from the book, printed with the permission of Triumph Books. The book is available at local stores and at www.triumphbooks.com/WallsFlyers.

The following excerpts are Nolan’s words, as told to me. – Sam Carchidi

FOR A LOT OF YEARS, selling securities to banks has been my real job. But my most rewarding job has been the one that, for a half century, has taken me inside a noisy, percolating South Philadelphia hockey arena during the fall, winter, and spring months.

I have been fortunate enough to have been with the Flyers since their inception in 1967—first as a public-relations assistant to Joe Kadlec, and then, since 1972, as their public address announcer.

It’s a career that has been fulfilling, exhilarating, and unpredictable.

Witness my first game as public-address announcer. There I was, minding my own business and sitting between two players who went to the Spectrum penalty box during a preseason game.

They were yapping at each other as they sat down when, suddenly, the visiting player picked up a bucket of ice and heaved it at our guy, Bob Kelly, who was one of our feisty wingers.

The ice never reached the player they called Hound. Instead, it bounced off the side of my head and drenched my sport coat as the fans sitting behind us let out a collective roar.

In a way, it was my baptism into the NHL. Instead of holy water, I got christened with ice water. Hey, just part of the job. Part of what has been an incredible journey.

The Flyers finished with their first winning record in franchise history during my first year as the P.A. announcer, and that started an amazing stretch during which Philadelphia fell in love with the Orange and Black.

I HAVE WITNESSED some great moments along the way: eight trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, consecutive championships in 1974 and 1975, an epic win over the Soviet Red Army team, and key games in the remarkable 35game unbeaten streak in 1979–80. And who

Lou Nolan, right, in the Flyers locker room after winning the Stanley Cup

could ever forget our Cinderella run to get to the 2010 Finals?

But it hasn’t been all glitz and glamour.

When the Flyers franchise was awarded, Ed Snider and Jerry Wolman were taking a huge risk. You see, I was in the minority—a die-hard hockey fan who had followed the old Philadelphia Ramblers, who played at the Philadelphia Arena in the Eastern Hockey League.

At that time, however, most Philadelphians knew little about hockey.

Across the bridge at the Cherry Hill Arena, the Jersey Devils were playing in the Eastern Hockey League. They were the lone survivors of seven failed Philadelphia-area, minor-league teams over a 38-year period.

But in 1966 (a year before we started playing), Philly landed a franchise at a cost of $2 million, in part because of plans to build a new rink, the Spectrum. That helped offset the fact that

LOU NOLAN SHOOTS DOWN SHOOTOUTS In 1969-70, Bobby Clarke’s rookie season, the Flyers finished a dismal 17-35-24. Yes, 24 ties. I never had any ill feelings about ties.

Both teams came out with a point, usually well-deserved, and both felt like they had accomplished something. Flip the calendar to today and we have a freak show called a shootout. I never liked them. Never will. It just doesn’t seem right when a team that had the better territorial play in regulation and overtime loses in a fluky shootout. It feels gimmicky and dirty. Almost Roller Derby-ish.

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I KEPT HANDWRITTEN STATS DURING THE SEASON AND HANDED THEM OUT TO REPORTERS AFTER THE GAME. MY CATHOLIC SCHOOL PENMANSHIP, DRILLED INTO ME BY THE NUNS, WAS ACTUALLY PAYING OFF. Philadelphia was the only one of six new NHL franchises not to have a high minor-league affiliation.

The team was named “Flyers” by Ed Snider’s sister, Phyllis. That was the easy part. The tough part: attracting fans in a city with deep baseball, football, and basketball roots. In addition, several months of hockey’s schedule overlapped with the immensely popular Big Five basketball scene.

In 1967, a parade to welcome the team was held down Broad Street. About 25 people showed up. As defenseman Joe Watson is fond

54

of saying, there were more Flyers personnel in the parade than there were people watching it.

Today, virtually all home games are sellouts and the Flyers have become a huge part of Philadelphia’s sports landscape. But in 1967–68, there were growing pains. Lots and lots of growing pains. We lost our first exhibition game 6–1—to a minor-league team. Well, at least it was our minor-league team, the Quebec Aces.

The regular-season home opener drew 7,812 fans, and we eked out a less-than-artistic 1–0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins as Bill Sutherland scored the goal, Doug Favell recorded the shutout, and public-address announcer Gene Hart kept the spectators informed as he explained the icing and offside calls. I announced the goal scorers And penalties to those who sat in our scarcely filled press box. Today, in the Information Age, there may be 50 to 75 media types at our games. Back then, you could count the reporters on one hand.

I also kept handwritten stats during the season—remember, this was way before computers—and handed them out to reporters after the game. My Catholic school penmanship, drilled into me by the nuns, was actually paying off.

Nolan with hockey legend Gordie Howe

I GOT THE JOB, which was part-time, partly because of my friendship with Joe Kadlec. Joe had been working for the Daily News sports department and was hired as the Flyers’ first public-relations director.

I had met Joe the previous year down in Margate, NJ. We were young, single, and carefree, and we partied and chased women together.

To be honest, I found out about the Flyers because of a big billboard on Route 42 in South Jersey that read, “The Flyers Are Coming!”

I looked into it because I had a little bit of a background in hockey. The goal judge for the Ramblers—a team that was here from 1955

Ed Snider

I GOT BACK ON THE PHONE WITH ED [SNIDER]. HE SAID, “LOU, THERE’S SOMETHING YOU AND I HAVE TO GET STRAIGHT BETWEEN US. WHEN I CALL YOU, I WANT THE REFEREE PUT ON HOLD.” to 1964—was a guy named George Lennon.

George was the uncle of a classmate of mine in grade school, also named George Lennon.

We used to go to the games with his uncle on Friday nights at the arena on 45th and Market.

We’d watch the games and run around the rink. We’d get the broken sticks, take them home, and tape them up and play street hockey behind the school. We did that for years. We’d put on our shoe-skates—you put the skates on your shoes—and we’d play all the time.

As I mentioned, I was a rarity at that time. I was hooked on hockey even though we didn’t have our own NHL team. I lived in a Southwest Philadelphia row home at the time, and I’d take the 36 Trolley downtown to buy hockey books.

I’d watch the Original Six teams—Montreal, Boston, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, and the New York Rangers—on TV and I just loved the sport.

I got to know the league and read all the hockey books, which they only sold at 13th & Market.

And then one day when I was talking to Joe, he told me he just got the job with the Flyers as the PR director. I said, “Hey, if you need any help, I’d be glad to help you. I know a little bit about the sport.” Joe told me to come to this cocktail party where they were celebrating the team’s arrival. Joe was a North Catholic guy and I was a West Catholic guy, but we became buddies down Margate through some mutual friends.

know them and finding out about their families and their lives. Ed wasn’t just some corporate guy whom the players never saw. The franchise was his baby and he was totally immersed in it, and it showed in his deep respect and admiration for the players.

Back in our first year, I would see the guys from the group who ran the team—Ed, Joe Scott, and Bill Putnam. They were all excited about making the Flyers become a big part of Philadelphia.

I ALWAYS CALLED ED by his first name, but to some—like Bob Clarke—he was always

Mr. Snider. And when I got the P.A. job, Ed would call me on my phone in the box if things got really strange down on the ice. He never called me if he agreed with a call, but he’d call me if he wanted a clarification on something that happened. A lot. He might ask me why one of his players was getting a penalty or what it looked like from my level on the ice. I would say, “I don’t quite understand it, Ed. I know what you mean.” But I would never say that to the referee. I had to stay professional with the ref.

I remember one game when there was a huge brawl, and Bob Myers was the ref. He came over to me and started telling me all the penalties he was handing out so I could announce them. This went on for a while because there were a lot of penalties. Just then, the phone rang and it was Ed. I said, “Just a minute, Ed,” and I put the phone down because Myers wanted to finish up. When Myers finished, I got back on the phone with Ed. He said, “Lou, there’s something you and I have to get straight between us.” I said, “Sure, Ed, what’s that?” And he said, “When I call you, I want the referee put on hold.”

That was Ed. He just wanted to blow off some steam. Everybody used to kid me that I was on his speed dial from his suite. n

It’s strange how your life can take a turn by fate. I’m sure everybody can look back to an unscripted event that changed their lives in some way. For me, if it wasn’t for some friends bringing Joe and me together, I probably would never have been a part of the Flyers.

I WOULD SEE OUR OWNER, Ed Snider, in locker rooms after games in our first year. That was a tradition that started in 1967 and continued until he passed away in 2016. He always loved being around the players, loved getting to 55

PHILLY’S CHAMPS Athletics

Athletics

Athletics

Yellow Jackets

Athletics

Athletics

Warriors

Eagles

Eagles

1910 1911 1913 1926 1929 1930 1947 1948 1949 Warriors

Eagles

76ers

Flyers

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1956 1960 1967 1974 1975 1980 1983 2008

Frankford Yellow Jackets in action

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N THE LONG AND OFTEN BUMPY ROAD traveled by Philadelphia’s professional sports teams, occasionally there have been some great seasons that will never be forgotten. Those were the seasons when a team from one of Philly’s four major pro sports won a championship.

BY RICH WESTCOTT

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Dating back to the start of the 20th century, teams at the top level of Philadelphia’s professional sports have won 17 championships.

Each one has left an indelible mark on the city’s sports history.

True, Philadelphia ranks just sixth among American cities with teams in the top four pro sports that have won titles. New York is the leader with the remarkable total of 52 titles.

Boston is second with 35, followed by Chicago (24), Detroit (22), and Los Angeles (19).

Following Philadelphia is Pittsburgh (14), St. Louis (13), Green Bay (13), and Baltimore (9).

But at a time when Philly’s four top teams have or may be starting to emerge from long periods of ineptitude, it is worth remembering the city’s notable champions. These are the teams

“We’ve had some really great teams,” Pat Williams, a long-time pro basketball executive, the general manager of the 1983 76ers champs and a native of the area said about the city’s title winners. “You have to realize, it’s hard to win a title. The team has to be extremely motivated.

There can’t be any letdowns. And you can’t have any major injuries.”

hile last place teams in Philadelphia far outnumber the championship teams, the winners have had some great players, coaches, and managers in a city that is only one of eight in the nation with pro teams in each of the four top sports.

Players such as Eddie Collins, Lefty Grove, Jimmie Foxx, Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, and Ryan Howard in baseball, Steve Van Buren, Pete Pihos, Chuck Bednarik, and Tommy McDonald in football, Joe Fulks, Paul Arizin, Wilt Chamberlain, and Julius Erving in basketball, and Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Bill Barber, and Rick MacLeish in ice hockey are just a few of the spectacular players, most of whom are Hall of Famers, who have led their teams to championships.

Joining them have been great coaches and managers such as Connie Mack, Eddie Gottlieb, Greasy Neale, Buck Shaw, Fred Shero, Alex Hannum, Dallas Green, and Charlie Manuel.

Each one of the championship teams has a special story. One of the greatest Philadelphia sports stories of all-time was the Eagles’ first NFL championship in 1948 when they beat the Chicago Cardinals 7-0 in a blizzard at Shibe Park before a freezing crowd of 28,864. The snow was so deep that workers, helped by some of the players, had to shovel it off the field before the game.

Like many others, Steve Van Buren didn’t think the game would be played. He stayed at his home in Lansdowne until getting a phone call from Neale who wondered where the heck he was. Admonished accordingly, Van Buren ran to a nearby trolley stop, rode to 69th Street, got the EL down Market Street to City Hall where he boarded the subway up Broad Street.

He then walked through blinding snow seven blocks down Lehigh Avenue to the ballpark.

“I got there about a half hour before the start of the game, which had been delayed about one hour,” Van Buren told me many years later. When he got out on the field, “it was so bad you couldn’t even see the Cardinals safety man, and you couldn’t see when you were out of bounds because the lines on the field were covered,” he added.

So who scored the game’s only touchdown?

Steve Van Buren, one of the greatest NFL run-

How the Championships Were Won 1910 1911 1913

Athletics 4, Chicago Cubs 1 Athletics 4, New York Giants 2 Athletics 4, New York Giants 1

W Wilt Chamberlain of the 76ers battling Bill Russell in 1967

whose successes the current teams would soon like to duplicate.

Some winners played long ago. The Philadelphia Athletics won the most titles in city history with five World Series winners. While winning nine American League pennants, they won the World Series in 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, and 1930.

The Frankford Yellow Jackets captured the city’s first National Football League crown in 1926. Later, the Philadelphia Eagles won NFL titles in 1948, 1949, and 1960 while going to six championship games, including two Super Bowls.

The Philadelphia Phillies earned World Series victories in 1980 and 2008 and appeared overall in seven Series. The Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975 while also playing in the finals seven times.

In basketball, the Philadelphia Warriors won championships in 1947 and 1956 and the 76ers claimed victories in 1967 and 1983 with the former making the finals three times and the latter going to the last round four times.

Steve Van Buren scoring in the snow in 1948.

Eddie Collins & Connie Mack of the Athletics

1926 1929 1930 1947 1948 1949 1956 1960 1967 1974 1975 1980 1983 2008

Yellow Jackets – no playoffs Athletics 4, Chicago Cubs 1 Athletics 4, St. Louis Cardinals 2 Warriors 4, Chicago Stags 1 Eagles 7, Chicago Cardinals 0 Eagles 14, Los Angeles Rams 0 Warriors 4, Ft. Wayne Pistons 1 Eagles 17, Green Bay Packers 7 76ers 4, San Francisco Warriors 2 Flyers 4, Boston Bruins 2 Flyers 4, Buffalo Sabres 2 Phillies 4, Kansas City Royals 2 76ers 4, Los Angeles Lakers 0 Phillies 4, Tampa Bay Bucs 1

ning backs of all-time, crashed from the fiveyard line through the snow into the end zone early in the fourth quarter.

The following year, the Eagles beat the host Los Angeles Rams, 14-0, in a game played through a driving rain storm that had turned the field into a swamp.

nother notable story came in 1980, when the Phillies defeated the Kansas City Royals in six games for their first World Series victory in the 97 years since they joined the National League in 1883.

The Phillies downed the Houston Astros in five games in a spectacular National League Championship Series, coming back from a 5-2 deficit against Nolan Ryan to win the deciding game, 8-7, in 10 innings.

The Phils, led by Mike Schmidt, on his way

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Tug McGraw and Paul Owens in 1980

to the first of three Most Valuable Player awards, then captured the World Series in six games, winning the clincher, 4-1, as Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson for the last out with the bases loaded. Afterward, McGraw was asked what pitch he had thrown Wilson for the final strike.

“A fastball,” McGraw said. “The slowest fastball in baseball history.” What made it the slowest?

Tug was quizzed. “Because it took 97 years to get there,” he said.

There have been many other memorable stories. For instance, the 1910 Athletics, playing in Shibe Park one year after it was opened, won their first championship, becoming the first American League team to win 100 or more games, capturing 102 victories while finishing

14½ games ahead of the second place New York Highlanders. That season, before an A’s game in Washington, President Howard Taft became the nation’s first chief executive to throw out the first ball on opening day, a tradition that lasted until 1971.

The Yellow Jackets, a sandlot team formed by a Frankford men’s organization in 1899 before joining the NFL in 1924, posted 10 shutouts among their 14 victories during their championship season in 1926. The team was led by fullback Houston Stockton, whose grandson, John, later became a great NBA player with the Utah Jazz. Among the Jackets’ victories was a 17-0 thrashing of the Canton Bulldogs, led by Jim Thorpe.

In 1929, the Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs in five games in the World Series.

One of the most memorable games in Series history occurred in Game Four. Trailing 8-0, the A’s exploded for a record 10 runs in the seventh inning, led by a three-run, inside-the-park home run by Mule Haas. Jimmy Dykes’ two-run double scored the last two runs in what became a 10-8 A’s victory.

The Philadelphia Warriors became the first champion in major league basketball when they won the crown in the newly formed Basketball Association of America in 1947. Eddie Gottlieb, one of the founders of the league (which

merged in 1949 with the National Basketball League to form the NBA), and one of the most prominent figures in Philadelphia sports history, was the coach. The star of the team was a former Marine named Joe Fulks, who was labeled “the father of the jump shot,” and who that season became big league basketball’s first scoring champion with 1,389 points (23.2 per game average). He scored a record 63 points in one game.

The Warriors won second title in 1956, and was led by both Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston, who combined for a total of five league scoring crowns (Johnston—a former Phillies minor league pitcher--won three). Amazingly, seven players on the roster and the coach—George Senesky—were either Philadelphia-area natives or who had played for Big Five teams. The list included Arizin, Tom Gola, Jack George, Ernie Beck, Jackie Moore, George Dempsey, and Larry Hennessy). “Homegrown talent will always attract local fans,” Gottlieb said.

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nother memorable team was the 1960 Eagles who, led by quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, beat the Green Bay Packers, 17-13, in one of the great Philly sports games of all-time. The game was made especially memorable when late in the fourth quarter, Bednarik, playing both offense and defense, slammed Packers fullback Jimmy Taylor to the ground on the Eagles nine-yard line and then sat on him as the clock ran out.

The 1960 Eagles (from left) Billy Ray Barnes, Timmy Brown, Norm Van Brocklin, Buck Shaw and Tommy McDonald.

With teams that featured all-time greats Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent, the Flyers’ backto-back championships in 1974 and 1975 produced numerous special moments, with Rick MacLeish’s game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory in the deciding game of the 1974 Stanley Cup being especially thrilling. Following that win, the city’s first major victory parade on Broad Street was held before a crowd estimated at twomillion people. The Flyers won their second straight title in 1975, finishing the regular season with a 13-1 record during the final month of the season.

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PHILADELPHIA’S OTHER PRO CHAMPIONS The 17 major league teams are not the only professional squads that have captured championships in Philadelphia. Since the start of the 20th century, numerous other teams have won titles, too.

Overall, there have been nearly 50 pro teams playing in the city. Some are well known. Some are not. But all have played a role in making Philadelphia one of the great sports cities in the country.

Among these teams, the winningest club was the SPHAS, which stood for South Philadelphia Hebrew Association. The SPHAS, playing basketball under Coach Eddie Gottlieb, and playing in three different leagues, appeared in 18 championship games and won 13 of them over a 22-year period that ran between the 1920s and 1940s. Among the team’s top players over that period were Red Klotz, Jerry Fleisman, Harry Litwack, Inky Lautman, and Hughie Black.

Flyers greats Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent with the Stanley Cup

The 76ers, led by Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, and Chet Walker, won the 1967 NBA title just four years after arriving in Philadelphia from Syracuse. They posted a 68-13 record during the regular season, at the time the best mark in NBA history. Sixteen years later, in 1983, having signed Julius Erving and Moses Malone to multi-million dollar contracts, the 76ers won another championship, sweeping a star-studded Los Angeles Lakers team led by Kareem AbdulJabbar and Magic Johnson.

The last crown to date was won when the Phillies grabbed a World Series victory in 2008, beating the Tampa Bay Rays in six games.

The final game took two days to play due to a relentless rain storm and super-saturated wet grounds. The title was clinched by one of Philadelphia’s most popular teams of all-time. During the season, Howard led the league in home runs (46) and RBIs (146) and Brad Lidge saved 41 games in 41 opportunities. Along with that, Manuel, on his way to leading the team to two straight World Series, continued on a pace that would eventually earn him the distinction of winning the most games (780) of any manager in Phillies history.

During a 50-year period in which Negro League baseball thrived in the Philadelphia area, three different teams over that time won championships. The Philadelphia Giants were champions of what was known as the World’s Colored Championship in 1904 and 1906. The Hilldale Daisies from Darby, PA, won the Colored World Series in 1926, and the Philadelphia Stars captured a title in 1934 in the Negro National League. Among players with those teams were future Hall of Famers, Pop Lloyd, Rube Foster, Louis Santop, Biz Mackey, Judy Johnson, and Oscar Charleston.

The Philadelphia Soul, members of the Arena Football League, won crowns in 2008, 2016, and 2017. Two outdoor football teams have won championships, including the Philadelphia Quakers in 1926 in the American Football League, and the Philadelphia Stars in 1984 in the United States Football League.

The Philadelphia Stars won the USFL Championship in 1984.

The Philadelphia Wings, led in their early years by three-time Most Valuable Player, Gary Gait, played in box lacrosse leagues for 28 years, and won championships in 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, and 2001.

Since the first team skated into a rink in 1927, Philadelphia has been the home of 11 pro ice hockey teams. The city’s first ice hockey championship arrived in 1936 when a team called the Philadelphia Ramblers, with former Flyers goaltender and present general manager Ron Hextall’s Grandfather Bryan Hextall in the lineup, won the Canadian-American League title.

The Philadelphia Firebirds won the North American Hockey League title in 1976, and the Philadelphia Phantoms won two Calder Cups in the American Hockey League with crowns in 1998 and 2005.

Ryan Howard of the 2008 World Series Champion Phillies

The Phillies victory climaxed what has been a memorable collection of Philadelphia pro championships. Additions to this list are more than welcome. n 60

In soccer, the Philadelphia Kixx won Major Indoor Soccer League titles in 2002 and 2007. The Philadelphia Atoms won the North American Soccer League flag in 1973.

Among the city’s other winners were the Philadelphia Barrage, which won Steinfeld Cup championships in 2004, 2006, and 2007 in the Major Lacrosse League. The tennis team called the Philadelphia Freedoms won titles in 2001 and 2006 in the World Team Tennis League.

TAKING FLIGHT

The Jersey Flight will begin play in March 2018, and they’re currently in the process of assembling a winning roster. Those introduced at the team’s introductory press conference in November included, from left, wide receiver Dashown Waller, tight end Shamar Graves, head coach Jake Grande, co-owners Kyna Felder-Ruiz and Samuel Davis Jr., Primepoint CEO Alex Bothwell, tailback Derrick Dyer, and quarterback Stephen Panasuk.

IT TOOK A FEW YEARS to get off the ground, but Samuel Davis Jr. and Kyna Felder-Ruiz are ready to take flight. The two New Jersey natives are co-owners of the state’s newest professional sports team, the Jersey Flight, an arena football team based in Trenton. The Flight will join the American Arena League for the 2018 season, kicking off play in March at Trenton’s CURE Insurance Arena.

BY T. JORDAN WOMPIERSKI

The Flight’s inaugural season is the culmination of years of brainstorming and hard work by Davis and Ruiz, who started dreaming about owning a team back in 2013. Davis, a former sports agent turned business owner, and Ruiz, a sports fan and former athlete who works as a manager at Davis’ accounting firm, often found themselves talking about sports at the office.

“It just became shop talk where I talked about the old days of being a sports agent,” Davis explained. “She asked me what about getting back involved, and the question came up, ‘What about being owners?’ It shot from there.”

URING HIS TENURE as a player agent, Davis represented around 30 National Football League and Arena Football League players. Despite having that industry experience, establishing an arena football team wasn’t easy. Davis and Ruiz originally named their team the Newark Flight with hopes of playing at the Prudential Center, but they couldn’t quite cut through all of the red tape that came with trying to position a fledgling team in one of the country’s busiest arenas.

“After about three years of chasing the owners of Prudential Center and the city of Newark to come together and create a partnership with us, we went out and we visited Trenton and they welcomed us with open arms,” Davis said. “We rebranded and changed the name to Jersey Flight and came home.”

Although the team found its true home and isn’t based in Newark like Ruiz and Davis had planned, the franchise is carrying a piece of Newark to Trenton, as the name “Flight” was originally a nod to Newark International Airport.

“It’s just our blessing that Trenton also has an airport,” Davis said with a laugh. “But the name also represents the type of organization that we want to be, that we’re always reaching higher heights, and we’re

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Blazing New Frontiers Samuel Davis and Kyna FelderRuiz are used to breaking boundaries and achieving success.

Davis is a retired New Jersey State Police sergeant who also served as a football agent in his spare time. After he retired from law enforcement and stopped representing athletes, he opened his own tax and accounting firm.

Ruiz is a manager at Davis’ accounting business, but she has a law enforcement background as well, having previously worked as a public safety telecommunicator for the New Jersey State Police. She is also the first and only female firefighter in the community of Plainfield, NJ. Together, with a wealth of personal and professional successes already adorning their résumés, the duo is now blazing new frontiers in the sports world. The Jersey Flight is the first African-American owned professional sports franchise in the state.

Davis is proud of that achievement, particularly for his business partner Ruiz.

“A woman in the sports arena, especially football, is unheard of,” Davis said. “Kyna is the first of her kind in arena football. There are no female owners, at all, and there have been no minority female owners, ever. She’s groundbreaking in that regard.”

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Signing Local Talent Led by former AFL standout Kyle Moore-Brown of Newark as general manager, the Flight have already begun preparing their roster for the 2018 season by holding open tryouts and signing a number of local talents.

Head coach Jake Grande is from Somers Point, NJ and was a 2003 graduate of Mainland Regional High School before embarking on a coaching career that saw him lead the AFL’s Jacksonville Sharks to an Arena Bowl Championship in 2011.

In 2013, Grande transitioned into college football, but now he’s back on the professional side of things.

“I couldn’t be more proud and excited about this opportunity that we have here in Jersey to bring something special to the area,” Grande said.

Among the players already signed are former Rutgers tight end Shamar Graves of Woodbridge, NJ; former Rowan wide receiver Dashown Waller of Somers Point, NJ; former East Stroudsburg University tailback Derrick Dyer of Pennsauken, NJ; and former La Salle University quarterback Stephen Panasuk of Howell, NJ. “My goal is to put a winning product on that field and bring a championship to Jersey, because that’s what Jersey expects,” Grande said. “As a football coach, I understand that.”

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always going to be going further and faster and higher.”

The initial plan was to reach those heights in the Arena Football League (AFL) or National Arena League (NAL), but after thoroughly researching their options, at press time Ruiz and Davis decided to sign a deal with the American Arena League (AAL), an upstart professional league that will begin play in 2018.

“It seemed like the AFL was getting away from fan-friendly and affordable fun,” Davis said. “They were pricing themselves out of the market and we didn’t like that. We felt this was something that should be attractive to families and we wanted to stay with a league that was more demonstrating that as a goal.”

AVIS AND RUIZ, who are 50/50 owners of the Flight, would love to build a championship-winning team as early as possible, but creating an atmosphere for affordable family fun and bringing a smile to the faces of children throughout New Jersey is equally important to them. While the level of play in arena football isn’t quite up to par with the NFL, it’s still just as exciting—if not more so—particularly through the eyes of a youngster. The smaller field results in a faster pace of play and higher scoring games.

“You’re up-close to the action,” Davis said, explaining that the game is played on a field with boards similar to those used around a hockey rink. “The players crash against them hard, they go over the top of them, balls go into the stands. You’re right there on top of the action.”

After the games, there will be fan-friendly events like meet-and-greets with the players and autograph signings.

“One of the most exciting aspects of arena football is that the players engage the community after the games,” Davis said. “You get to touch your stars. You get to meet the guys that you idolize. In the NFL, you would probably never get to actually engage with a guy. And if you do,

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While the level of play in arena football isn’t quite up to par with the NFL, it’s still just as exciting– if not more so–particularly through the eyes of a youngster. The smaller field results in a faster pace of play and higher scoring games. it’s gonna cost you a whole lot of money.”

A number of minor league sports teams have come and gone in Trenton, but Davis believes that establishing a strong connection with the local community will help the Flight become mainstays in Trenton for years to come. Those efforts have already started.

“Kyna and I work tirelessly. We’re all over the place doing appearances, it’s almost like we’re running for office,” Davis joked. “We’re creating relationships with the Pop Warners and the PALs and the Boys & Girls Clubs. We’re engaging the community wholeheartedly. We’re going to use a grassroots approach and we’re going to immerse the whole Mercer County and Burlington County area, even Bucks County.”

The team has also established a service-based spinoff organization, Jersey Flight Community Inc., to coordinate efforts in the community like football clinics, city cleanup and revitalization, volunteer time, school appearances, and more. Davis said the Flight will make it a point to host underprivileged children and children with intellectual or developmental disabilities at games to ensure everyone in the area is able to enjoy the excitement of arena football.

“We’re not going to be fly-by-night,” Davis said. “We’re going to fully engage the community and build a very good fan base.” n

Creating Corporate Relationships The Jersey Flight hasn’t played any football yet, but they’ve already experienced their first big score. In September, the team announced a partnership with Primepoint, a payroll and HR company based in Mt. Holly. Primepoint will be the team’s presenting sponsor with field naming rights for the 2018 season.

“We went to Primepoint and we did a full presentation,” Davis explained. “They liked our efforts, they like where we’re going, they like our approach. Primepoint is a family-run operation from top to bottom. It’s a very similar model there to what Kyna and I represent. The relationship has been grand. They have been very helpful.

They’ve offered to expose us to some of the things they’ve been doing for 30-plus years, and we are looking forward to continuing the relationship. We’ve been quite blessed to engage in a partnership with them and we’re looking forward to bigger and better things.”

Al Bothwell, Primepoint’s CEO, is equally pleased to be working with the Jersey Flight.

“Primepoint is excited to support the Flight for many reasons,” Bothwell said. “Besides being football fans, we are excited to be supporting the Trenton community. The Flight will bring affordable family entertainment to Trenton, and we foresee the team’s success having a direct and positive impact on the city.

At Primepoint, we have done what we can to support the city in the past, and we hope to continue that support into the future.”

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PROFILE

Carz N’ Toyz Renamed Joseph Lacroce Foundation Giving to Children throughout South Jersey

BY JAN L. APPLE

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PERSONAL TRAGEDY that began for Saverio “Sam” Lacroce and his family more than four decades ago has evolved into a charitable organization that each year brightens the lives of thousands of hospitalized children throughout South Jersey.

Carz N’ Toyz: Driven to Care for Kids, was founded in 2011 by Lacroce, board president, and three fellow car enthusiasts: Bob Paglione, Ray Giannantonio and Dominic D’Auria.

All donations and philanthropic endeavors, explains Lacroce, are in memory of his late son, Saverio Joseph Lacroce, who lost his battle with leukemia at age 12 in August 1975.

On October 20, at the group’s 6th annual Charity Dinner and Auction at Tavistock Country Club in Haddonfield, NJ—that drew 200 supporters and raised over $85,000—the nonprofit’s name was officially changed to the Joseph Lacroce Foundation.

Lacroce, 76, of Haddonfield, recalls the organization’s early days. In the summer of 2011, Bob Paglione, board vice president and former treasurer, called Lacroce and shared his idea to combine their passion for cars with some type of community service. “’As long as we do it in memory of my son,’” replied Lacroce, who had thought about such an effort for quite some time. Yet, taking care of a large family and building successful businesses had long been a major priority.

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But the time seemed right and Lacroce and his friends took on the challenge full throttle.

Describing himself as a doer, Lacroce says that when he sets his mind to something, it will be achieved. Paglione, 73, of Moorestown, NJ, who has known Lacroce for 30 years, is not surprised that the foundation has grown immensely since its inception.

In December 2011, the group’s goal was to collect 200 toys to be delivered to children at Virtua Hospital in Voorhees for the holidays.

“I didn’t know how we would collect that many toys,” recalled Lacroce. Yet the dedicated team of four surpassed their aim and collected 800. Today, the foundation delivers about 1,500 to 2,000 toys each year during a December Toy Run. The car enthusiasts meet in the morning at Caffe Aldo Lamberti on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, NJ. This year, the event took place December 9. Toys are loaded onto a truck and together with a caravan of classic cars—escorted by Cherry Hill police—they travel to Virtua Hospital in Voorhees, NJ. “There are usually about 50 cars in the caravan,” explained Lacroce, adding that toys collected throughout the year are also given to children at Weisman’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Marlton, NJ and the Osborn Family Health Center of Our Lady of Lourdes in Camden, NJ. The latter locations are not part of the Toy Run. The staff at Virtua tells the board in advance which toys the children have requested. “What we don’t collect, we purchase,” said Lacroce,

a grandfather of 10. “We usually spend about $7,000 a year on toys.”

ACROCE IS COMMITTED to bringing comfort to children. He wasn’t always in a position to do so. Born in 1941 during World War II, in the small town of Isca in the Calabria region of Italy, Lacroce and his family lived on a self-sustaining farm. “The only thing we had to buy was salt,” he recalled. Times were difficult, remembers Lacroce. “My father was a prisoner of war in Africa.” Lacroce’s uncle lost his life during the war. There was little room for luxuries, he explains, not even for a bicycle – something the young Lacroce dreamed of owning.

He never did get that bicycle, but understands

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Sam Lacroce with a truck load of toys to be delivered to local children in hospitals.

what a simple toy can mean to a child who is suffering with an illness.

In 1958, when Lacroce was 17, he, his parents and three siblings immigrated to the United States and settled in South Philadelphia. With a two-year cabinetmaker apprenticeship already under his belt when arriving, Lacroce focused on honing the craft and expanded upon his carpentry skills. He also went to school three nights a week to learn English. It wasn’t easy grasping an entirely new language, but he persevered. He enrolled in continuing education classes and even took accordion lessons.

Lacroce became a hands-on (literally) businessman. In 1971, he launched Delaware Valley Designers and Manufacturers. With his

own hands and a team of co-workers, he built the interiors of banks, mostly in Center City Philadelphia. “I was the pioneer (founder) of bullet resistant glass in banks,” Lacroce explained, an accomplishment in which he is particularly proud.

As his business grew, he invested some of the profits in commercial real estate. And today, although he is semi-retired, he still heads Ladmaj Realty Inc., a commercial real estate company. He also maintains a woodworking shop in Pennsauken where he custom makes cabinets for family and friends. It’s a hobby that keeps him fueled.

In 1976, Lacroce founded three subsidiary companies: United Woodworking, United Carpet and United Office Furniture. By owning the

three businesses—where he secured contracts in Philadelphia, New York and Atlantic City— he and his team could efficiently work to build an entire bank interior over a weekend. He was able to start the job on a Friday night and have it ready in time for the bank’s opening Monday morning.

Lacroce worked long hours for decades.

He ultimately financed the college education (Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees) for all six of his children. “I’m a big believer in education,” said Lacroce.

Sadly, his second born, Anne Marie, died of breast cancer in 2013. And one of his grandchildren, Audrey, was born in 2005 with severe developmental disabilities. Yet still, Lacroce aspires to warm the hearts of children.

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Lacroce gives a gift to a youngster in the hospital.

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LTHOUGH HE NEVER DID GET that bicycle of his boyhood dreams, in 1990, he purchased a bright red Ferrari. He still owns it today along with such classics as a 1975 El Dorado convertible and 1987 560 Mercedes SL. Cars are clearly a passion—something he shares with many fellow board members.

Named as “top non-profit” by SNJ Business People publication, the charity is run by an active, dedicated 12-member Board of Directors.

Lacroce’s son, Anthony, is one of the newest members, serving as treasurer. Richard Miller, longtime president and CEO of Virtua, who retired at the end of 2017 and Jack DeAngelis of Morton & Rudolph, have also joined the board.

The group recently pledged $1 million to the Virtua Foundation to fund a pediatric mobile services program, which will serve children in need in neighborhoods primarily in the city of Camden and Gloucester County. They’ve also donated money for Virtua to build a cancer center in Moorestown.

Funds have been earmarked for concussion testing for young adults and wherever there is a need, whether for a wheelchair or medical equipment such as a defibrillator, monitor or an Eye in the Sky high tech camera.

“We don’t give money,” said Lacroce. The foundation donates an array of items: infant car seats, books, bookcases and electronic games

for hospital activity rooms. They recently gave $25,000 to fund a PlayZone in Moorestown.

“It’s a developmental skill set of equipment,” said Paglione.

Besides Virtua, the foundation donates to Weisman’s Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital and the Osborn Family Health Center at Our Lady of Lourdes. “Our next goal is to reach St. Christopher’s Hospital in Philadelphia,” said Lacroce. “They are in dire need of help.”

And although 42 years have passed since Lacroce lost his firstborn child, the memories of that heartbreaking diagnosis and the events of that fateful day remain vivid. Through his work with the foundation, his son’s memory will live on.

Lacroce and his former wife, Joann, were the parents of Joseph, Lisa and Ann Marie.

The year was 1970. “Joseph had two egg sized tumors in his groin,” remembered Lacroce.

The local pediatrician put him on antibiotics, but there was no improvement. Lacroce and his wife decided to take their 7-year-old son to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “At the time, it was located at 17th & Bainbridge,” recalled Lacroce. “Joseph packed his own overnight bag, including pajamas and a stuffed dog.

It was his favorite toy.”

A series of tests revealed that Joseph had leukemia. “It was devastating news,” said Lacroce who returned to his car to get his son’s overnight bag. Not only were they dealing with the staggering news of a life-threatening illness, but the bag was gone. “It had been stolen,” said Lacroce, stunned at the discovery.

The staff at the hospital were incredibly kind and opened up the gift shop at night. “They told Joseph he could choose any toy he wanted,” said Lacroce. “He didn’t pick anything from the gift shop; he didn’t go into the gift shop. He only wanted his favorite stuffed animal.”

Joseph underwent several years of treatments including chemotherapy. The stress of the treatments and coping with the illness ultimately took a toll on Lacroce’s marriage. He and Joann divorced in 1973.

In 1978, Lacroce married Maria Papandrea.

They had four children: Donna, Michael, Anthony and Julianne.

Lacroce understands that even the smallest gesture of a fluffy stuffed animal or a shiny new toy can truly lift a child’s spirit. At the end of the day, it is such simple pleasures that make it all worthwhile.

“The work that we do is very rewarding,” said Lacroce. “When we see special children, it pushes us to do even more.

“I have a wonderful board. I couldn’t do it without them.” n For more information or to donate, visit www.carzntoyz.org.

70

Kelem, Don Rickles, Palamaro Frank Sinatra and his “boys” Merrill Kelem and Bob Palamaro

Burt Lancaster, Palamaro, Sinatra and Kelem

Kelem (back) with Tom LaSorda, Sinatra and Dean Martin

They did it his way “ I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, fine family - and I don’t think I could ask for anything more than that, actually.”

– Frank Sinatra

BY MOLLY GOLUBCOW 72

Sinatra.

An iconic surname synonymous with legend. Through his distinctly smooth voice and his larger than life persona—Francis Albert Sinatra continues to intrigue and entertain us even though he has been gone for almost 20 years. From tell-all books to TV interviews, people eagerly share their real or embellished experiences about Sinatra.

Some do so to make a quick buck, and some who loved him dearly, want to preserve the Sinatra mystique. Others, like Bob Palamaro and Merrill Kelem have 18 years of intimate stories about Sinatra’s life, work, loves, friends, and habits that have not been told—and, most of those will never be told. Who are they and how did they get these stories? Well, that is

a story in and of itself. So, ask Alexa to play Sinatra tunes as a backdrop, sit back and relax, maybe with a Jack Daniels (his favorite), and hear the tale of two men who had Sinatra’s back—night and day for almost two decades.

Strangers in the Night Atlantic City, born and raised, Bob Palamaro had been an ACPD motorcycle cop for 14 years before landing the Sinatra detail. As the son-in-law of Skinny D’Amato, renowned 500 Club owner and close friend of the Rat Pack— Sinatra, Bishop, Martin, Davis, and others, Palamaro had met Sinatra several times. Once gambling became a reality for Atlantic City,

Palamaro and Kelem soon realized that this job allowed them to see sides of Sinatra that most people never would or could. They also discovered that Francis Albert had a heart of gold.

Palamaro and Kelem reminiscing

those in spades! Sinatra loved to eat. Palamaro and Kelem learned what the “Old Man” liked and would prepare a spread for him—like Italian twist bread from Rando’s Bakery in Atlantic City and cold cuts from Maglio’s in Philly—he loved those cold cuts. On occasions, Mrs. Sinatra would make a batch of her lentil soup or chili— it was family style eating and camaraderie. Other times, Kelem’s mother, who ran a kosher catering service in Philly, would send her matzo ball soup. Old Blue Eyes never passed up a bowl of good—really good—matzo ball soup!

Through a bond forged from trust and loyalty, and food, of course, the families grew closer. On one occasion, Nancy Sinatra observed Kelem carving a piece of fruit. She told him he ought to be a mohel (the man who performs circumcisions on Jewish baby boys). Thus, his nickname was born—Mohel! Kelem also fondly recalls seeing Sinatra and Kelem senior sitting backstage one night shaking their heads about their respective perpetually-on-the-prowl bachelor sons lamenting, “What are we gonna do with these two?”

Someone to Watch Over Me Sinatra requested a security detail from Atlantic City since he would be performing regularly at casino showrooms. D’Amato and Sinatra asked Palamaro if he was interested. He was, and once cleared with his police chief, it was a go. Palamaro recalls “…being thrilled for being asked to work with a legend.”

Kelem, a hybrid South Philly/Overbrook Park boy who transplanted himself to Atlantic City in the early 1970s, served on the AC police force for 32 years until retiring in 2005.

He recalls the life-changing phone call from a Sinatra staffer, Kelem’s childhood friend, asking if he wanted to work that detail. “I was on cloud nine. Only 26 years old and hand-picked

by Frank Sinatra. What an honor. I remember when I got the call—it was the night the gambling referendum passed in NJ in 1977. That started my times working with the Sinatra family—hundreds of memories and stories to tell—

and some to keep to myself.”

At first, it was a typical VIP detail tending to security-related tasks ranging from escorting Sinatra to and from the stage and restaurants, dealing with State Police, logistics getting to/from airports, and even carrying Mrs. S’s jewelry—a task that only Palamaro was entrusted to do.

Initially, Palamaro and Kelem and were told

by D’Amato not to approach Sinatra—“let him come to you….” After a bit of time, Sinatra became comfortable with “his boys” and started asking for more personal requests like walking with him on the Boardwalk, “shooting the s--t,” and even fetching him a Pepper & Egg sub from White House Subs—one of his favorites in Atlantic City.

Somewhere along the line, the security detail transformed into being more like a family gathering. And what do families do? Eat and kibitz, and for 18 years Palamaro and Kelem did both of

Sinatra knew “his boys” had his back. Yes, they were paid to do so, but Palamaro and Kelem soon realized that this job allowed them to see sides of Sinatra that most people never would or could. They also discovered that Francis Albert had a heart of gold.

Palamaro recalls that Sinatra would read the paper front to back, e very day—no exceptions. One Mother’s Day, he read about a woman who was robbed and beaten in Atlantic City. Palamaro remembers what Sinatra told him to do, “He gave me a large amount of cash and told us to drop it off to the woman at the hospital, but to make sure it was anonymous. The story hit the news anyway because local ABC news woman, Cathy Gandolfo saw us, and put two and two together. But that’s just how the ‘Old Man’ was—always looking out for others.”

In addition to helping strangers, Sinatra 73

fiercely took care of his pack, his clan, his “family.” When Kelem developed cardiac-related issues in the 1980s, Sinatra immediately picked up the phone and called his friend, Dr. Debakey of Baylor University, to get Kelem an appointment. Then he arranged to fly him to Texas on his private jet. When Kelem remarked about being sent to the then expert in the field Sinatra retorted, “What the f—k, you think I’m gonna send my boy to a butcher?”

That’s Life Boys will be boys, and in Sinatra’s case he and his boys were always in mischief mode.

The boys included comics like George Burns, Don Rickles, and Jerry Lewis to other performers like Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, and Gregory Peck. Sinatra also rubbed elbows with sports figures like Tommy LaSorda and politicians including the Reagans—Palamaro and/or Kelem usually at Sinatra’s side.

So, what do you get when you have a bunch of “boys’ who never grew up and connections like Sinatra? One can only imagine the shenanigans that Palamaro and Kelem observed (or orchestrated) during their time with Sinatra.

For example, one day Sinatra issued a “request” to Palamaro and Kelem to “Get Bullet Head [AKA Don Rickles] and bring him to me on stage tonight.” The boys started scrambling and called Rickles who was flattered, but ex-

74

plained that he was performing on stage at another casino. Kelem told Rickles that the Old Man will kill him if he doesn’t fetch him. The comic eventually relented, deciding to cut his act a little shorter so he could be police-escorted across town to see Sinatra and to quote Rickles, “…so that two Jews don’t end up dead tonight.”

Sinatra, onstage and in the middle of “LA is My Lady,” caught a glimpse of Rickles backstage, stopped singing, and yelled, “Push that son of a bitch out here.” His boys did! They thrilled the audience and kibitzed on stage, finished the show, and then pulled an allnighter in Elaine’s Lounge (Golden Nugget) “ball breaking” with pals like Red Buttons, Morty Storm, and more “boys” until their 7:00 am breakfast.

It Was a Very Good Year Today, Palamaro and Kelem remain good friends and appreciate the Sinatra bond that they share. Palamaro brings an attaché case full of photos of themselves with Lou Rawls, Rat Pack members, and Sinatra. They sit and reminisce, photo by photo, and laugh about their 1970s sideburns and full heads of hair.

Palamaro, still dapper and handsome, looks back at his time with the legend and realizes now more than ever how lucky he was

to be part of that world. Kelem, who never lost that dash of mischief in his eyes, looks at the now yellowing photos noting that sadly he and Palamaro are in many cases the only ones still living.

They banter back and forth as to what year the photo was taken or in which casino, but the memories and experiences are priceless— funny ones like when they put a bushel of crab shells in the room of one of the other “boys” working for Sinatra and turned up the heat.

Palamaro and Kelem laugh heartily - even 38 years later.

Then they recall the night Sinatra “lost” the keys to his room—twice—so he could interrupt Kelem and a lady friend. She apparently was mortified when the legend, in slippers and a bathrobe, barged into Kelem’s room, waved, and taunted, “Yoo-hoo, how are ya darling!”

And, sad memories like the last time they saw the ailing Sinatra’s ice-blue eyes light up when he said, “My boys are here…”

There are so many Sinatra stories, but don’t look for the book. Palamaro and Kelem will share a story or two if they like you; maybe three if they really trust you. But most of the memories will stay with them—and only with them.

Kelem leans back on the couch, smiles, and sums it up, “We had a front row seat—no regrets.” n

JerseyMan • PhillyMan

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“At my very first meeting, one very nice member, who must have noticed that I am not a natural networker, introduced herself and essentially spent the entire evening making sure I was meeting a lot of people. Every event since then has been just as pleasant. A group like the Legacy Club is only as good as its members, and the group has great members. It has been my great pleasure to get to know many of you, do business with some of you, and help some of you get business. The talent and passion so many of you have in helping othhers is truly contagious, and I appreciate all of you!”

– Douglas MacGray of Compassion Advisors, LLC My experience with the JerseyMan|PhillyMan Legacy Club has been a monumental career opportunity. This extraordinary group of competent professionals, has not only had an impact my business, but I have created some lasting relationships with a wonderful group of people on a personal level as well. At my very first event I met a person who needed a refinance which resulted in a deal. It seems like every event I attend I meet another power player in Philly & South Jersey to network and build relationships with. I have brought many guests and used it as a way of impressing and entertaining my referral partners. I am honored to be part of this exclusive club and appreciate all the Dunek’s do to help my business and network grow!”

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79

THE ENTREPRENEUR COACH _______________________________________________________________________________

BY JOHN HOPKINS

Looking for Sustainable, Profitable Business Growth?

Well then, get S.M.A.R.T about it! “ Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” – Frank Outlaw, Founder of the Texas based Bi-Lo Supermarket Chain

A

S WE BEGIN A NEW YEAR in our lives and in our businesses, this is a great time of reflection on where we have been, where we are and where we want to go. This reflection drives some of us to set goals for better habits. On the personal level, the Statistic Brain Research Institute tells us only 40% of Americans set New Year’s resolutions and only 9% were successful in goal achievement. In business, various sources provide statistics indicating that 60% to 90% of business strategies do not execute well.

Many closely held companies do not have documented business strategies. What most of us agree on, whether it is a personal or business execution of our goals, only a minority of us are good at it. There are a number of leadership, behavior, and efficiency reasons for this, but the principle driver is whether we do or don’t know how to set “achievable goals.”

WHAT IS AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL?

An achievable goal is a goal that has a high likelihood of being accomplished the way it was intended. The best way to increase the likelihood of an achievable goal is to ensure it is S.M.A.R.T. The S.M.A.R.T. Goal framework was created in 1981 by George Doran. It is applied worldwide, yet it seems few know of it or use it well. It’s quite good. Unfortunately, the likelihood of achieving an intended goal that is not S.M.A.R.T. is low. That is not to say a goal cannot be achieved. But for sure the more focused the goal, the greater the impact it will have on sustainable business results.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal setting has 5 elements:

S.M.A.R.T Goal Components 1. Specifically – What specifically do you plan to accomplish? Specificity ensures your goal is not vague and meaningless.

2. Measurable – How will you measure success? Be quantifiable.

3. Attainable – How realistic is the initiative based on other constraints? Attainability ensures it matters to you and the team to begin executing given other ongoing initiatives and resource utilization.

4. Relevant – Where is this compatible with other goals? Relevancy ensures your initiative stays “on strategy” and is meaningful to the organization as a whole.

5. Timely – When should this be in place and working? Being timely comes in two ways: a. Getting the project properly planned, and b. Getting it up and running

“What gets attention gets done.”

WHO BENEFITS FROM PRACTICING S.M.A.R.T. GOAL SETTING AND EXECUTION?

WHY IS S.M.A.R.T. ESSENTIAL AND VALUABLE TO GOAL ACHIEVEMENT? The S.M.A.R.T. framework of goal setting minimizes risk of failure and maximizes goal success. Defining S.M.A.R.T. Goals right and well is at the core of very good execution. A commonly shared execution system is the primary path to sustainable, profitable business growth.

Look at what we have accomplished without S.M.A.R.T. Goals and imagine how much more could have been accomplished HOW DO WE DEFINE A S.M.A.R.T. GOAL? Frank Outlaw was right…with thoughts and words…and words matter more today than 80

ever. We live in the “tyranny of the urgent.” We speak in sound bites because we are rushed.

We don’t write things down as often. As a result, we don’t discuss and clarify what we need to make the best decisions (or make a decision at all). Without clear decisions, execution struggles. Business results suffer. Most people have never been formally taught goal setting. Setting goals is a skill and needs to be practiced. It starts with thoroughly thinking through what the goal is, then defining in few, clear, succinct words what the intended actions will be to create the right habits for the best results by answering the S.M.A.R.T framework questions as follows:

Each team member who has responsibility for taking initiative on things as well as the team that depends on this clarity and direction to execute.

WHEN SHOULD S.M.A.R.T. GOAL SETTING BE USED? At the beginning of each quarter so progress can be measured in subsequent quarters throughout the year.

Thoughts, become words, become actions, become habits, and these drive sustainable, profitable business growth…so be S.M.A.R.T about it! n Want to learn more about “S.M.A.R.T Goal Setting” please contact john@inspiritgrowth.com.

@PCS_AnthonyM

TECH TIME

_______________________________________________________________________________

BY ANTHONY MONGELUZO

2018 Tech Trend Predictions 2017 HAS COME AND GONE, and we are now at the beginning of a new year. One of the questions that everyone asks me is, “What’s next?” or “What is going to be hot this year?” in technology. I’m going to share a few trends that I know are going to be HOT in 2018.

The Year of “On-Demand” Everything is on demand now. You want to watch your favorite movie? You click a button on your phone, your tablet or your “SmartTV.” Need a ride? There is Uber or Lyft for that.

Need some food? Try GrubHub. This year, you will see more and more services using apps to deliver what you need. There is even an app out there now that will find rebates and coupon codes online and input them for you when you check out from an online shopping experience.

Augmented Reality Augmented Reality is basically using a device (such as your phone) to view the “real world” but have some computer interaction augment

82

or supplement the experience. Microsoft Windows is supporting augmented realty headsets in their latest release and Apple’s new series of phones will be utilizing this technology. And since it is a phone it will become part of our daily lives.

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency will continue to grow in value I am embarrassed to say I missed the boat. I should have invested more in cryptocurrency.

Maybe though, the boat did not leave the dock yet. Based on some reports that I have seen, some analysists predict that a Bitcoin will sell for $32,000 by the end of 2018. Other forms of cryptocurrency are always showing a big rate

of return. Do your research and judge for yourself. As for me, I am buying in!

Smart Watches – Even Smarter Smart watches have been cool and trendy but not groundbreaking. Many folks who wear the Apple watch (like myself) have one because we love tech. It is semi-useful, but not great. New smart watches are coming out such as the HELO, which has all of the regular functions, but can test for blood pressure and blood alcohol content and even help keep away mosquitoes. This year, expect some continued big breakthroughs in the smart watch world. n Like my predictions? Have any of your own?

Reach out to me on Twitter @PCS_AnthonyM or via email Anthony@helpmepcs.com.

THE CIGAR GUY _____________________________________________

BY SAM KRAFT

The T

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Sponsored by The

Size: Lancero • Origin: Nicaragua By: Caldwell, Booth and Fernandez

he T, formally known as The Truth, is the latest collaboration between A.J. Fernandez, Matt Booth and Robert Caldwell. Earlier this year, Booth and Caldwell partnered up to construct the Hit and Run. It was Booth’s first new blend since he bowed out of the cigar world earlier this year.

Matt Booth was previously known for his Room 101 cigars, which is now owned and run entirely by Davidoff Cigars. Booth parted ways with Davidoff and announced his retirement early in 2017. As surprising as the news of his departure was, even more surprising is his speedy return to the industry. His plan was to team up with Caldwell, and later A.J. Fernandez, to introduce two new blends to the market. The T, is the second of those blends. While Hit and Run is blended and produced out of the William Ventura factory in the Dominican Republic, The T is a Nicaraguan puro, manufactured by A.J. Fernandez. Fernandez is an expert and a long

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Smoking Dog

time veteran in the cigar world. His attention to detail in his factory and farm has been praised by both Booth and Caldwell. Caldwell is known for his stylized boxing and alternative marketing. With Booth heading the march, this trio certainly garners attention.

Before it is lit, the T begins with a rich and musky aroma. It has a beautiful dark wrapper, thick and toothy. On the dry puff, there is a hint of cherry, dark flavors and spice. Once lit, the cigar evokes rich earth. It tastes like soil, and it plants a grainy feeling on the tongue.

The first third of the cigar starts out spicy, but soon transitions into a much smoother smoke.

The cigar becomes butter. This is where all the richness comes out. An average smoker could retrohale an entire puff with no issue. As the cigar burns past it’s center mark, the spice peaks it’s head again. The bite is more similar to jalapeno, while the earthiness still has center stage. It’s bold and velvety, but also grassy

and sweet. Towards the end, the initial cherry flavors finally emerge. The final puffs contain notes of mineral and dark chocolate.

One way to describe The T is complex. It is a buffet of flavor. When working through it, several classic cigar blends come to mind. It’s unusual to find a cigar which at one point tastes strongly of sweet tobacco from Jalapa valley, then later is reminiscent of a grassy Cameroon. It’s the Everlasting Gobstopper of cigars.

As soon as you think you have a grasp on it, it switches gears. The T is an impressive smoke.

Compared to the Hit and Run, The T is a completely different animal. It seems that A.J.’s presence influenced this blend heavily, and in a very good way.

Be safe, have fun, and enjoy your smoke. n

WHAT WE WEAR

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BY DANIEL R. MORRONI

The Problem with Shopping Sales

I

T CAN BE TEMPTING to go to a clothing store and see what’s on the sale racks. Saving money can be a satisfying experience-but what’s the hidden cost of buying sale items?

Store-bought clothing items that are on sale are often fad-inspired pieces that have faded in popularity or were produced in odd colors that the store had trouble selling. Generally, the store’s sale items are not the classic pieces that will give you good service for years (if not decades). Consider the cost per wear, rather than the purchase price. An item that costs $500 that you wear twice a month for 5 years costs just over $4 for each time it’s worn. Something that costs $100 saves you $400 in purchase price, but if you only wear it five times before relegating it to gather dust in the back of your closet, it costs you $20 each time it’s worn.

You’ll get more mileage out of your clothing purchases if you invest in classic, timeless pieces that are custom tailored to fit your body and signature style. When you realize the lifetime value of having a good, multi-use piece in your wardrobe, finding a sale price is not as important. If you’re looking for good deals, stock your wardrobe with custom pieces.

“If you’re wearing suits and you want to create your own sense of style, get to the tailor.”

– Matt Bomer

QUEUE UP FOR COOL BLUES Blue is one of the most dependable colors for your custom clothing. Navy blazers and suit coats make your favorite white shirts look fantastically crisp. They’re also great paired with shirts in pastels of any shade, or a soft gray. If you’re looking to make a coat or full suit in a lighter shade of blue, consider a blue-gray tone for an elegant change of pace.

Dress shirts made in a rich shade of blue are a perfect partner for tan or gray trousers or crisp jeans. Make sure the jeans and shirt are not so close in color that they compete visually. When dressing in blues, add in an accent piece for a splash of color, whether it’s a tie, a pocket square, a tie clip, or cuff links.

Let your blues work for your wardrobe! n 90

THE WINE

MAN

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BY ROBERT KENNEDY

I

F YOU’RE LIKE MANY OF US, we bring home a wide variety of wines to cover all bases, including those from the wine country we all know and love so well, the Napa and Sonoma Valleys of California. However, with the recent wind-blown wildfires that consumed both of these counties, our concern first turns to the human toll and the property destruction, and then, much later, the economic impact that this devastation will have on the choices we may make. Let’s take a closer look at what affect these fires could have on the wine industry, and thus pricing expectations on store shelves now.

What we know is that approximately 3,500 homes and businesses in Northern California, including the wine country, were ravaged by these fires that began on October 8th. Sadly, many people lost their lives in this catastrophic event, which is the most devastating of any loss we could ever imagine. (The loss of vineyards and buildings pales in comparison.)

That said, some 8,400 structures were destroyed or partially burned, and over 220,000 acres were scorched. Specific to wine country, some 27 or so wineries were also impacted to some degree, including Gundlach-Bundschu, Domaine Carneros, Stags Leap Vineyards and Frey Vineyards. The Signorello Estate winery, which planted vines in 1980 and only produces 6,000 cases of wine per year, also felt the fire’s affects. So, how does this impact pricing, and can we expect to pay more for California wines during our shopping spree this season?

The answer lies in what specific way these wildfires affected the current crop and the immediate future crops moving forward.

HE NAPA VALLEY wine industry represents approximately $50 billion in revenue—pretty significant. And, there are almost 2,000 licensed wineries and cellars in Napa and Sonoma alone. Now that’s very significant, particularly when you compare this with the 27 plus wineries impacted by the wildfires. What about the 220,000 acres that were scorched, you ask? More interestingly, a very high percentage of vineyards never

T

Wildfires in Wine Country

A very high percentage of vineyards never burned. Why? Because the vineyards are in open spaces, mostly away from oak forests and buildings. These vineyards actually form a natural firebreak from which firefighters can contain the blaze. burned. Why? Because the vineyards are in open spaces, mostly away from oak forests and buildings. These vineyards actually form a natural firebreak from which firefighters can contain the blaze. Moreover, the moisture that was present in the vines and soil also provided some relief for trunks, stems and leaves from igniting and burning.

Another challenge includes “smoke taint”, where grapes absorb some of the smoke from the fire. All true; however, due to the hotter and drier than average weather over the summer months, 85 to 90 percent of the harvest had already taken place. These grapes were also taken off the premises and stored, effectively mitigating any significant loss of production during 2017.

So, the real and sobering impact was the

devastating loss of lives during this period, known to be the deadliest in California history, and although some tasting rooms and outcrop buildings were burned and decimated, not many vineyards were affected for the reasons stated above. There will be many great choices in wine stores while we shop— no worries about that. Although the pricing of higher end wines might see an uptick, this is minor compared to what could have been.

Among all of the horror and inexplicable devastation that took place during the wildfires of 2017, Mother Nature could have reared her ugly head further by wreaking more havoc than was done. Rather, in the end, she found a way of doing her job so that we might continue to enjoy these delightful libations at a price point that is reasonable. n 93

Got a question for Gerv?

SAY GERV?

Send your questions to:

saygerv@jerseymanmagazine.com

_______________________________________________________________________________ and look for his answers in the next issue!

BY GERVASE PETERSON

S

ay Gerv? I met this girl from Kentucky on Facebook and we’ve been talking for over a year now. I love her, so am I crazy for wanting to make this a serious relationship?

– Bill, Sicklerville, NJ Bill, yes, you’re crazy for wanting to make this a serious relationship, but love makes you do crazy things like that. First, are you sure she is the person you think she is? Have you done some thorough investigating to make sure “Lisa” is really “Lisa” and not “Larry”? In other words, are you sure you’re not being catfished? Former basketball player Ray Allen is going through a crazy situation with this guy who pretended to be a woman. People do crazy things for attention. Make sure you know what you’re getting into before you start making major changes to your life. Second, in the reality TV world, we call this a “showmance.” Think about it, you’re in an exotic location with free food, alcohol, romantic trips, no job and no responsibilities. Just you and this beautiful girl living a dream life.

Then you get off the show, come back home and have all those responsibilities and bills waiting for you. Now you can’t spend all day together looking into each other’s eyes and whispering sweet nothings. Reality has set in and you realize you really don’t love this person. In that bubble you did, but in the real world not so much.

That’s what it’s like talking to someone on social media. They say all the right things, and seem so sweet when you don’t have to deal with them

and their baggage every day. But when you meet her in person and find out she snores, snorts and chews with her mouth open, will she still be that dream catch you thought she was? Probably not.

Look Bill, I’m not one to knock love, but just be careful and take it slow. Meet up with her and talk to her face-to-face. Make sure she’s physically and mentally the same girl you’ve been talking to the past year. And if all goes well, you’ll have yourself a new girlfriend. Ain’t love grand! _________________________________________ Say Gerv? I’ve recently moved into a new place and started dating this girl. The last time she was over my place I found an empty purse under my bed. I swear it’s hers, but she says it’s not. What do I do?

– Tyler, Lawnside, NJ Tyler, you need to look at the big picture before making a decision. Ok, your girl was over and she leaves. You’ve had no other women over.

So it makes sense that the purse might be hers.

Except for the small detail of her saying it’s not her purse. She could be lying, but why would she be trying to set you up by leaving a purse under your bed? That’s really something crazy to do, but crazier things have happened to people. Relationships should be built on trust.

So the question is how much do you trust your girl? If you’ve both been honest with each other up to this point, shouldn’t you continue to do so? Tyler, what if the purse isn’t hers.

I know that’s not looking like a possibility to

Breaking up by voicemail is a coward’s way.

In person is the way to do it.

Man up and handle your business.

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Gervase Peterson was a cast member on the reality series “Survivor” and is an actor and entrepreneur. He keeps busy fulfilling personal appearance requests and speaking engagements across the country.

you, but what if she is telling the truth? If the situation was reversed and you were telling the truth, wouldn’t you want your girl to believe you? How much does this relationship mean to you Tyler? If you call your girl a liar, that could be the end of it. Are you willing to throw it away? I know I’m asking more questions than giving you answers, but the answers are in the questions. If you’ve exhausted all possibilities about the purse and still don’t have a definitive answer on who owns it, then you might want to rely on that good old fashioned problem solver, your gut. I trust mine explicitly. Good luck Tyler, you’re going to need it. _________________________________________ Say Gerv? What’s the best way to end a relationship?

– Peter, Philadelphia, PA Peter, I don’t know if there’s a best way to break up with someone. I think it all depends on the relationship, the person you’re breaking up with and your mental state at the time of the break up. I do know that just disappearing and never talking to the person again is a crappy way to do it. There’s no closure that way, and relationships need closure. Sending a text or email is cold and impersonal. Leaving a voicemail is a coward’s way. In person is the way to do it. Man up and handle your business. Now that you have your big boy pants on, there’s a few things you need to do to make this break up as painless as possible. Don’t be vague. Let her know why you’re breaking up with her.

Don’t give her false hope that you’ll be getting back together or this is temporary. Be honest.

Don’t have her thinking this is her fault when it’s not. Your honesty can help her work on those issues so she doesn’t repeat them in her next relationship. Get to the point. Say what it is you came here to say. Don’t start reminiscing or getting off topic. Don’t sleep with her. Sex just confuses things and makes things seem like they’re alright when they’re not. Keep it in your pants. You came here to break up not make up. And lastly, you’re the a-hole. Breaking up automatically gives you this title with her, her friends and family. In time, people may look at it differently, but for now, that’s who you’ll be to them. It comes with the territory.

Neil Sedaka said “Breaking up is hard to do,” and truer words were never spoken. n