FOX NEWS ANCHOR/REPORTER
KELLY WRIGHT
WORST. PRESIDENT. EVER. by Robert Strauss
George Anastasia’s
MOB SCENE
Volume 6 • Number 5 – $3.95
IT’S
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Philly’s Talk Radio 1210 host
Dom Giordano
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PUBLISHER
FROM JerseyMan Magazine THE VOLUME 6 • NUMBER 5 ____________________________________________________________________________________ BY KEN DUNEK
Ken Dunek Publisher CONTRIBUTING EDITOR George Brinkerhoff
Charisma.
By definition, the word means a compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion. In my lifetime, names that jump off the page in the charisma department are John F. Kennedy, Muhammad Ali, and Dick Vermeil. But no one compares to the charisma exuded by Arnold Palmer. It oozed from every pore. A quick Arnold Palmer story: I was playing blackjack in the early 90’s at the Empress Casino in Joliet, Illinois. It was an allnighter, and I decided to cash in my chips about 4 am and head to the adjacent hotel room. The casino was virtually empty. As I sleepily trudged down a row of slots I saw a man at the very end of the aisle aggressively pulling a handle on a machine. He was intense, and seemed like he was getting frustrated at the lack of results. As I got closer to this individual, he seemed to bear a resemblance to Arnold Palmer.
ART DIRECTOR Steve Iannarelli CONTRIBUTING WRITERS George Anastasia, Jan L. Apple, Michael Bradley, George Brinkerhoff, Sam Carchidi, Alexandra Dunek, Molly Golubcow, John Hopkins, Robert Kennedy, Sam Kraft, Bill Lyon, Glen Macnow, Anthony Mongeluzo, Daniel R. Morroni, Tom Peric, Gervase Peterson, Nina Radcliff, MD, Andrew Ryan, Bob Sheppard, Kurt Smith, Robert Strauss, Dr. Rubina Tahir DC, Eleanor Togneri, T. Jordan Wompierski Administrative Assistants Alexandra Dunek Jamie Dunek Allison Farcus
“That’s silly,” I can remember saying to myself. What in the world would Arnie be doing playing slot machines in the middle of the night in Joliet, Illinois?
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Now only a couple of feet away, I could tell with complete certainty that it was indeed whom I thought it was.
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I stopped in disbelief, and he looked up for a moment and nodded. I extended my hand. He grasped it with a firm shake like he was trying to choke a five iron into doing his will. No words were spoken.
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It seems like there was a senior PGA tournament in the city that weekend, and Palmer was staying at the hotel. Apparently he was a bit of an insomniac as well. So my brush with royalty was a brief one. And I was fortunate to shake the hand of a King. Golf writer Dan Jenkins once said Arnie was “a handshake kind of guy in a fist bump kind of world.” Dan, you are so right. Thank God I didn’t offer him the bump. RIP Arnie. Thanks for a lifetime of memories.
Palmer (L) shaking hands with Jack Nicklaus
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“The price of greatness is responsibility.” – Winston Churchill 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 2016.
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INSIDE
JerseyMan Magazine VOLUME 6 • NUMBER 5
48 COVER STORY LIKEABLE, REFRESHING & OPINIONATED
DOM GIORDANO Photo Josh Chiu
22 JIM FURYK BY BILL LYON
THE WORST TEAM EVER 24 BY GLEN MACNOW THE FAMOUS 4TH STREET DELI 30 SERVING UP GREAT FOOD IN SOUTH PHILLY SINCE 1923
34 SMALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL BILL WERNDL 38 A LIFE IN PHILLY SPORTS
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KELLY WRIGHT 42 FOX NEWS ANCHOR/REPORTER LIVING HIS DREAM DAWN OF A NEW ERA 56 76ERS NEW TRAINING FACILITY IN CAMDEN
60 THE FIRST TEE OF PHILADELPHIA
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JOHN BALLANTYNE 62 NOT YOUR FATHER’S LABOR LEADER BOOK EXCERPT 70 WORST. PRESIDENT. EVER.
BY ROBERT STRAUSS
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COLUMNS 12 JOTTINGS • 20 GEORGE ANASTASIA’S MOB SCENE • 26 THE ENTHUSIAST • 28 GET FIT • 78 THE HEALTH REFEREE 80 DR. NINA • 84 THE ENTREPRENEUR COACH • 86 THE CIGAR GUY • 88 TECH TIME • 90 WHAT WE WEAR 93 THE WINE MAN • 94 SAY GERV? BY GERVASE PETERSON
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Cover photography by Josh Chiu • www.joshchiu.com
JOTTINGS
“ A man may die, _____________________________________________________________________________ nations may rise and fall, but an BY GEORGE BRINKERHOFF idea lives on.” – John F. Kennedy
Burying the hatchet
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Photos urbanaxes.com
es, indoor competitive axe throwing is a thing. It’s a thing mainly in Canada, however. But if the owners of Urban Axes Philadelphia have anything to say about it it’ll soon be a thing in the lower 48 as well. Sure, you can bring a bunch of friends and sign up for a session or join a competitive league, and drink beer or wine while doing it. But there’s also something primal, Viking-ish and a bit medieval about it, something that harkens back to the days when our ancestors might’ve had to wing an axe to ward off some vicious attacker. (Note to self, must watch Braveheart again.) Hurling a sharp axe at a target with two hands over your head is a visceral, exhilarating experience (and might set you on a new career path, possibly as a lumberjack). If you’re looking to try it, you can come as a walk-in for an hourlong session for only $20. You’ll be instructed in safety and have a one-on-one throwing practice,
Dissed? Let’s Duel!
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s the political season heats up and sharp objects are in keeping with our theme, well, there’s nothing sharper than words. Political discourse, especially Presidential politics, involves the use of witheringly sharp attacks against competitors, leading to political bloodletting. In the old days, once one’s “honor” was offended by words or deeds, the practice of dueling used to be the next obvious recourse. It had rules, and seemed to be an “honorable” way for “gentlemen” to settle their differences. One of the most infamous duels in history occurred in our own backyard in Weehawken, NJ on July 11, 1804 between the then sitting VicePresident, Aaron Burr, and beloved Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton. In 1806, Andrew Jackson killed a rival in a duel, before he was elected our 7th President in 1829. Abraham Lincoln accepted a duel with broad swords (which apparently was settled when his opponent saw just how far the reach of the long limbed Lincoln was, sword in hand.)
led by their fully trained coaches. You must be at least 21 years of age and wear closed toed shoes. Walk-in sessions are available from 6-to-9 pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and Saturday and Sunday from 4-to-7 pm. Urban Axes Philadelphia is located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia at 2019 East Boston St. Check out their website at urbanaxes.com. Don’t be a hack, go ahead and take a whack at it, chop, chop! Speaking of axes, did you know that the house where Lizzie Borden likely committed one of the most famous axe murders in history, killing her stepmother and her father, is now a quaint bed and breakfast located in Fall River, MA? The owners stamping their imprimatur on the effort with their pleasantly discomforting motto, “Where everyone is treated like family.” Awww. Sweet dreams! 12
Lesser known duels have even occurred within the limits of our fair City of Brotherly Love. In 1858, the New York Times reported that a “sham duel” occurred on the west side of the Schuylkill. The “balls” were removed “by the seconds from the pistols before they were handed to the combatants,” a fact which only one of the antagonists was aware. When the shots were fired, the man feigned being hit, and the other fled to “parts unknown.” As late as 1906, again according to the Times, a duel between “French students” attending the University of Pennsylvania Dental School was decided on Franklin Field, with a “contest of swords…It was decided that the man inflicting the first three wounds should be declared the winner.”
Travel Back In Time
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n Philadelphia there’s a museum where you really can go back in time, whose collections have been displayed and preserved exactly the same as in the 1800s. Queen Victoria of England, who lent her name to the Victorian era, was still on the throne. The Wagner Free Institute of Science was built in 1865 to house William Wagner’s natural history collections and includes a lecture hall where Wagner continued to give the free lectures he had previously given at his home. (These became so popular that it necessitated the move to this larger venue.) The collections include birds and mammals, fossils, rocks and minerals, insects, shells, dinosaur bones and the first American saber-toothed tiger, discovered on a museum sponsored expedition to Florida in 1886. The exhibits are in the same cherry wood and glass cabinets, they are in the same taxonomic order according to Darwin’s theories (where the exhibits move from simpler to more complex organisms) and they even bear the same handwritten display tags. Following Wagner’s death in 1885, the paleontologist Joseph Leidy, (who first described the Hadrosaurus foulkii, the first nearly-complete fossilized specimen of a dinosaur ever recovered and found in Haddonfield, NJ in 1858) was brought in to oversee the collections and it was he who rearranged them according to Darwin’s principles. Following his death in 1891, the building and its displays have remained virtually untouched. So go back in time and check out a bit of the Victorian era in Philadelphia. The museum is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 to 4 for self-guided tours, with some free programs for families on the weekends. For more information go to www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org.
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Halloween Scream
TROPICANA ATLANTIC CITY’S ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN
Hey buddy, wanna do something so different it’s scary? On Saturday, Oct. 29, celebrate Halloween at Tropicana Atlantic City’s Ultimate Halloween. • 7pm: Festivities begin with a live DJ spinning Halloween favorites at The Quarter. • 7:30pm - As the moon rises, Tropicana’s Halloween-themed light and sound show lights up the Atlantic City Boardwalk. • 8pm - When darkness falls, join a reenactment of Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance on the Boardwalk and win prizes that will leave you howling. • 9pm - Zombies, superheros, witches and more will try their luck at costume contests held throughout the resort. • Before the stroke of midnight, imbibe in Halloween-themed cocktails and brews like A Dam Good Sports Bar’s Zombie drinks, Firewaters’ Pumpkin flavored beers on draft and Hooters’ bone chilling Morgue-a-ritas! You can also celebrate Halloween for 3 nights in a row Ivan Kane’s Kiss Kiss A GO-GO Nightclub at the Trop:
Friday, Oct. 28: Shocking Freaks of nature at the Kiss Kiss Freak Show Circus
TAKE A TRIP DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE TO THEIR ALTERNATE REALITY
Saturday, Oct. 29: Enter the world of the unknown, the disoriented and the mentally deranged at Kiss Kiss’s Adventures in Wonderland
Thursday, Oct. 27: Colorful graphics, vibrant characters and fantastical themes come to life with Kiss Kiss Anime
Best & Unique costumes prizes all three nights! Midnight to 1AM
Halloween at Tropicana Atlantic City isn’t a single-day event—the resort celebrates all month. Feeling Lucky? Trop Advantage® Members can guess the weight of an oversized pumpkin for a chance to win $1,000! For more information on Halloween events visit: www.tropicana.net/events/ultimate-halloween.
A whole lotta “wudder” The Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer underlies most of the Pine Barrens National Reserve in South Jersey. Its waters feed the streams and ponds of the Pine Barrens and the aquifer contains an estimated 17 trillion gallons of exceedingly pure water, enough to cover the entire State of New Jersey with 10 feet of water. The serene beauty of the waters may not be as easily measured. www.nj.gov/pinelands/cmp/summary 14
Photo: Richard Beck
Will it ever end?
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ver wonder what the hell is going on with the construction at the confluence of I-295, I-76 and Route 42 in Camden County, NJ? So did we. Turns out this project, which began in 2013, will straighten I-295, eventually allowing traffic flow on three lanes in both directions to cross over Route 42 and I-76 unimpeded going at 55 mph. That’s the good news. The bad news? The construction is expected to continue in this area through 2021. You can check out their progress and all the anticipated developments for yourself at http://njdirectconnection.com/contracts.html.
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Feel Good PHILLY
Photos Jamie Dunek _______________________________________________________________________________
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Stories to spark a smile…
HILADELPHIA could also be known as the city of murals. If you take the time to look, you’ll notice the streets scattered with lovely expressions of talented artists. Most people pass by, ignoring the graphic beauty found among the side-streets or building facades, but Amber Lynn’s #gothheart series tugs at our own heartstrings and makes it impossible to ignore the raw emotion expressed within her giant hearts: “U Blew It,” “I Gave U My All,” “Own It,” are just a few of her empowering and universal messages that makes on-lookers stop and feel. Amber, known by many as @amberellaxo on Instagram, is a Fishtown street artist who does these installations as a way of telling her story, and having others connect to those emotions she feels. Amber says, “Goth Hearts are a culmination of feelings pulled from diaries, notes, sketchbooks, scribbles, memories, and every day feels. This work speaks to my own experiences and vulnerabilities. Besides the therapeutic nature of the work for myself, I hope that it will trigger emotion in others. I just want to provide a moment in time for people to connect with themselves and their emotions. Feelings—all types—are so important. It means you are alive and present.”
Amber was awarded 2016 Rad Girls Artist of the Year and has impacted thousands on social media who find deep meaning within her work. You can keep up with her on Instagram or at www.amberellaxo.com.
This art is a collaborative project meant to bring awareness to the 360 million people worldwide who are deaf or hard of hearing.
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HERE’S SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT happening inside the glass windows of 2831 W. Girard Ave. in Philadelphia, and those who crack the door and enter into the world of The Monkey & The Elephant can feel it. The Monkey & The Elephant combines the comfortability and creative environment of a traditional café with a solid purpose: helping fostered youth. In 2008, founder Lisa Miccolis, opened the doors to her non-profit café after being inspired by a young boy named Ephraim whom she met on a trip to Africa. The relationship had such an impact on Lisa that she named the shop after her and Ephraim’s two favorite animals. She explained that the M&E program is designed to give youth a way to transition into adulthood, allowing them to gain real world experience by working at her coffeehouse. 16
The goal is to give these young adults an opportunity and support system, providing job, life, financial and communication skills. Not only is The Monkey & The Elephant serving delicious coffee and pastries, more importantly, they’re serving hope. To support this worthwhile cause, visit their location or learn more at: www.themonkeyandtheelephant.org.
The importance of providing an excellent customer experience
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S A BUSINESS OWNER, have you have ever asked yourself or your customer, “Am I offering an excellent customer experience?”
Here are the facts about this situation: 80 percent of business owners think they are offering outstanding service; only 8 percent of their customers agree. When you understand that their perception is your reality, you’ll understand why the customer experience is so important. It doesn’t matter what you think—the only opinion that matters is the customer’s. We all have products and services than can be duplicated, so it’s the experience we offer our customers that makes us stand out in the crowd. Customers never rave about average service. They experience plenty of that. What they notice and get excited about is excellence! This is what they will tell their friends about. This is what makes them come back again and again. AND this is what will help to increase sales. It doesn’t cost a dime to offer an excellent experience. It’s easy, it’s important, and it’s free and because it’s so basic, it’s often overlooked. Businesses spend so much time, money and energy on marketing but unfortunately when they encounter a customer they often drop the ball. They lose the sale because they do not handle the customer properly on the phone or at the location. Frequently they don’t even realize they have created a bad customer experience and an unsatisfied customer. All those marketing dollars wasted! So a few quick questions can help put you on the right track….. Were you and your staff smiling and happy to greet the customer? Did you listen to them and understand their needs? Did you make time for them and answer all their questions? Were you at your very best? Were you polite and professional? Did you deliver the product or service and thank them for their business? Will the customer look forward to dealing with your company again? Will they refer you to all their friends? Did you make them so happy that they will post an online review to rave about you? Remember—you may believe you give excellent customer service but if the customer does not feel they have an excellent customer experience, you are throwing money out of the window. – Eleanor Togneri 17
Durand, Inc.’s Dr. Temple Grandin Achievement Award Ceremony – Mt. Laurel, NJ Support of the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House – Medford, NJ
Members of the JerseyMan Legacy Club gather at Braddocks Tavern in Medford, NJ in August in support of The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House national campaign. Socks are available for sale at both Philadelphia Ronald McDonald Houses: 3925 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA, and 100 E. Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA. (#ShowTheirStripes)
Judy Dickinson Induction to the All Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey – Bridgeton, NJ Pictured are Judy Dickinson, LPGA golfer and Russ Chappius, a member of The All Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey immediately following Judy’s induction into the Museum. She was the first member of the LPGA and first professional athlete to be recognized for induction by this organization. The museum is open to the public for tours and is located at 8 Burt Street in Bridgeton, NJ
Durand, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching and helping those who live with Autism, Asperger’s and other developmental disorders. This year, Durand, Inc. presented the award to Dr. Stephen M. Shore, who has been a leader in the Autism community for many years. As Dr. Shore is autistic himself, he overcame many obstacles in his life after his diagnosis, and is now an accomplished author and professor. Many came out to support, toast, and honor Dr. Shore. Clockwise from top left: Tonya Faggins, Ray Cristofoletti, Dr. Stephen Shore, Jennifer Amoroso; Joyce Kaveney, Jamie Herlich, Amy Aviles, Aubri Frehner; Richard Hoffman, Patricia Hoffman; Bob Petrilo, Peggy Petrillo.
ACS Real Men Wear Pink/Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign
WCRE 2016 Celebrity Charity Hockey Game – Skate Zone, Voorhees, NJ
A charity hockey game conceived by Philadelphia Flyer legend and WCRE director of strategic relationships, Brian Propp, brought several fan favorites back to the ice for a game alongside thirty area business leaders. The result was an incredible gross of $45,000 raised for a variety of local charities. Joining Propp in the cause and on the ice were former Flyers Doug Crossman, Ray Allison, Kjell Samuelsson, Andre Faust, Ed Hospadar, and Todd Fedoruk. Recent Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame inductee Lou Nolan, public address announcer of the Philadelphia Flyers, served as emcee. 18
(L to R): Pepe Piperno, CEO of A.C. Moore joins Real Men Wear Pink candidates, Brett Michener, CEO of the Golf Performance Institute and M&M Physical Therapy and Jeff Jaskol, President of The Jaskol Group, in support of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Pennsauken occurring on Sunday, October 23.
Performance of “Tommy and Me” by Ray Didinger – FringeArts Theater, Philadelphia, PA
Author and playwright Ray Didinger chats with actor Simon Canuso Kiley, who plays Young Ray Didinger in the show.
Tommy McDonald meets actor Ned Pryce, who plays Young Tommy McDonald in the show, outside the FringeArts Theater after a matinee performance.
Good Luck to Alfie Difilippo, retiring after 45 years at Burlington Country Club in Mount Holly, NJ
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MOB SCENE
_______________________________________________________________________________ BY GEORGE ANASTASIA
Organized crime, disorganized law enforcement
J
oey Merlino may have caught a break.
The flamboyant boss of the Philadelphia mob was arrested in August in a sweeping federal investigation that targeted members of six different mob families. The feds say Merlino was one of three mob leaders coordinating the actions of an “East Coast LCN Enterprise.” The “details” are laid out in a 32-page, four-count indictment handed up by a federal grand jury in New York. Problem is, there aren’t a lot of details. The indictment is, as Merlino’s long-time attorney Edwin Jacobs Jr. said, “broad and general in nature.” Maybe that’s by design. Maybe there will be more information made public as the case moves forward. Maybe there will be superseding indictments that put skin on the bones of what is a skeletal document, particularly when it comes to “Skinny Joey.” Or maybe the indictment—and this is where the break for Merlino lies—was a rush job, one that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York insisted on bringing despite the objections of law enforcement agencies in Florida and in Philadelphia. The case against Joey Merlino may be the latest example of organized crime and disorganized law enforcement. “They didn’t need to charge him,” said one Philadelphia-based law enforcement source. “They could have waited. There were other things going on.” Those other things include investigations into the current activities of Merlino’s top Philadelphia and South Jersey operatives, and a continuing look at four mob murders that authorities have long hoped to tie to the Merlino organization. None of that, of course, matters to federal law enforcement officials in Manhattan where the current case was brought. And that’s the problem. There are those in the law enforcement community here and in Florida who will privately tell you that New York acted like the 500-pound gorilla in the current case. The feds in Manhattan forgot, or perhaps never learned, the lessons that are crucial in kindergarten. Play nice. Share. Take turns. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices have long been perceived by 20
local and state law enforcement agencies as smug and arrogant. But the feds have the resources to make big cases, and so, local police departments, county prosecutors’ offices and state police usually go along for the common good. But in this instance, it was the feds in New York freezing out their fellow federal agencies in two other jurisdictions. It is hard to believe, but there are sources who say it was only after the indictment was made public and Merlino was arrested on August 4, that law enforcement agencies in Philadelphia and Florida were made aware of hundreds of secretly recorded conversations made by a cooperating
The case against Joey Merlino may be the latest example of organized crime and disorganized law enforcement. witness and an undercover FBI agent working the case. What’s more, they say, it appears that the cooperating witness—identified as Genovese mob associate John Rubeo—wore a body wire and recorded conversations with Merlino in Florida, while continuing to report to the FBI in New York. You would think that the Miami office of the FBI would have been given a piece of that action since Rubeo was working in its jurisdiction. There’s a reason the Southern District of New York is referred to in law enforcement circles as the Sovereign District of New York. “They don’t play by the rules,” said one law enforcement veteran. The conversations, in New York, at the Jersey Shore and in Florida, provide an inside look at what Skinny Joey was up to. Those conversations may have been relevant to what investigators in Philadelphia and
Florida were working on. Merlino, while living in Florida, was a frequent visitor to Philadelphia. All the while, he was talking with the wired-up cooperating witness. Federal investigators in Miami and Philadelphia should have been privy to those conversations. There were meetings with other members of the Philadelphia mob in New York and in New Jersey. In a memo filed after Merlino’s arrest, the feds said Merlino was working to rebuild the Philadelphia crime family. If there were tapes, or surveillance photos, to support that claim, you can be sure that the Philadelphia office of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania would have been interested in knowing what was going on while it was going on, not a year or two after the fact. That same prosecutorial memo says the criminal activities being investigated stretched from Massachusetts to Florida, and included activities in Philadelphia. The indictment, however, makes no mention of any alleged crime committed in Philadelphia. Is there more to come? We’ll see. There’s a hearing in the case scheduled for October 31. Maybe the charges will be expanded by then. Or maybe some Philadelphia wiseguys who were at a mob Christmas party in New York, and at one or two gatherings at the Jersey Shore, also caught a break on this one. Merlino’s name lends a certain cache to the indictment. He and mob capos Pasquale “Patsy” Parrello and Eugene “Rooster” O’Nofrio were identified as the leaders of the criminal enterprise. In all, 46 mob members and associates were charged. They were, authorities said, tied to the Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese and Bonanno crime families in New York and the Philadelphia mob. There are allegations of assault, extortion, arson, gambling and loan sharking, as well as medical insurance fraud. erlino is charged in the gambling and fraud portions of the indictment. Federal authorities at first argued that he, like Genovese capos Parrello and O’Nofrio, should have been denied bail. But in a curious development, when the bail hearing was held in Florida a few days after the arrests, the feds backed off. New York didn’t bother to send anyone down to Florida for the hearing, and instead left local federal prosecutors to explain the change of heart. Merlino was described as a danger to the community, and a risk of flight in the original memo seeking to keep him behind bars. What changed in the five days between the filing of the memo and the actual hearing? Merlino is now free on $5 million bail. He was released after his wife and two associates posted real estate to support the bail bond. Just as curious is the addition of two Merlino business associates, Brad Sirkin and Wayne Kreisberg, as defendants in the New York case. Sirkin and Kreisberg are charged with racketeering conspiracy, the overarching crime in the New York indictment. The feds say the two Florida-based businessmen worked with Merlino in a medical insurance fraud scam involving a compound cream ointment used to treat aches and pains. Compound creams have been described by insurance fraud publications as the “snake oil” of the 21st century. It’s a highly expensive snake oil. And it has been the focus of ongoing investigations throughout the country where insurance providers have been bilked out of tens of millions of dollars. The scam, as outlined in other cases, involves bribes paid to doctors to write prescriptions for medical compound creams that a pharmaceutical company creates. The company then charges the medical insurer for the
creams. The “patients,” like the doctors, are in on the scam. A tube of the cream can often cost $5,000 to $10,000. The key is setting up and controlling the company that manufactures the cream. Authorities contend that Sirkin and Kreisberg did just that. The interesting thing about Sirkin and Kreisberg is that a few days after the New York indictment was made public, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa announced that Sirkin, Kreisberg and five others had been indicted on insurance fraud and money-laundering charges in an elaborate compound cream scheme that generated $157 million in what authorities say were phony medical insurance reimbursements. Everyone involved has pleaded not guilty and has denied the charges. Kreisberg, in a brief phone conversation, said he hadn’t done anything wrong and neither had Merlino. The New York indictment offers no specifics about the medical insurance fraud. The Tampa indictment, on the other hand, provides chapter and verse, a detailed account listing the names and addresses of companies that were set up, who controlled them and the flow of money through those organizations. The companies controlled by Sirkin and Kreisberg were based in the Boca Raton and Ft. Lauderdale areas. That is where Merlino lived and did business. It sounds as if Sirkin and Kreisberg have been charged with the same offense in two different indictments. It looks as if the feds in New York added them to the case there in order to bring the insurance fraud charge against Merlino. If, in fact, the indictments focus on the same or related scams, the better question is why wasn’t Merlino a defendant in the more serious Tampa fraud case? Organized crime, disorganized law enforcement may be the only way to answer that question.
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BILL LYON ___________________________
Fifty-eight
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N AUGUST 7TH, 2016, a steamy, sultry Sunday afternoon, on a golf course in Connecticut, Jim Furyk, a patient, unassuming, perfectionist, stood on the first tee with not even a hint of what he was about to do, which was to create an historic magic number for the sport that baffles and bedevils us all. Jim Furyk shot 58. On a par-70 course. Fifty-eight. Twelve under. Twelve. Lowest score in a PGA Tour tournament ever. Ever. The number may surprise us, but not the man who authored it. Only three years back, Jim Furyk shot 59. Know how many others have done that? Five.
So can 57 be next? The thing is, his game, and especially his temperament, are ideally suited for such bursts of brilliance. Golf, after all, is all about self control, you against you. It is why the athletes from other sports are so drawn to it. Why, they wonder, can I be world class in my day job, but that %&$# little white ball takes me to my knees? Jim Furyk is even keel. He doesn’t get ahead of himself, and is always mindful that par is not always a bad idea. He is rawhide lean (picture Clint Eastwood stalking the dusty streets of Laredo in a game of who’s the quickest draw), and at 46 years of age, he is still fit and trim. Four more years and he’ll be eligible to join the Champions Tour and play against the sports elders. Look for a smashing debut. _________________________________________
THE GRINDER He’s not one of those peacocks on the tour with their rainbow wardrobes out there playing Bombs Away with those 350-yard drives that make the little girls swoon. No, he is the one wrapped in a cocoon of
concentration, plotting and measuring and calibrating. He’s not monstrously long, but he’s not a pop gun either. And when he’s on, really on, then the tee balls arc toward the heavens and the irons are pure daggers and the putts, ah the putts, snake across the green and slither into the cup. Of such moments are 59’s crafted. And 58’s. He plods along, deliberately and purposefully, and on the tour, players like Jim Furyk are called Grinders. It is meant as a compliment; while the rest of the field moans and yelps about the placement of cups and the height of the rough and too many trees, too much water, on and on and on…the Grinders button up and make the decision to embrace not the penalties, but the opportunities. As the USGA has said: “Our intent is not to embarrass the best players, rather to identify them.” So Jim Furyk bends to his work and produces shots that are spun gold, and he is the artisan, a relentless optimist, with blinders on (“Sand trap? I don’t see any sand trap. Water on the right, you say? So I’ll hit left.”) Yes, you can make it harder than it needs to be…as if it wasn’t already impossible. _________________________________________
UGLY IS AS UGLY DOES
Jim Furyk
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Now comes the mystifying part—Jim Furyk’s swing. It’s supposed to do any number of things wrong, and yet so many things end up right. This is what it looks like to me: A tipsy man on roller skates coming down a spiral staircase. There are loops and corkscrews, there are pauses and releases, and there are all manner of what look like something left over from baseball—take two and hit to right. Ah, but that guffaw you’re hearing in the background is Jim Furyk enjoying the last laugh. The secret lies somewhere between the take-back and the follow through, because at the finish, everything, all those moving
parts, click into place, just like the mystical innards of a Swiss watch, and, voila! Jim Furyk has achieved the single most coveted state in all of golf. The Repeating Swing. You want to divert your eyes, but you find yourself entranced. Surely the man must have a pact with Beelzebub. _________________________________________
UGLY PAYS GOOD Jim Furyk by the numbers: – Seventeen times a winner. – Sixty-seven million dollars, and counting, in career earnings. – Fourth all-time in earnings. – 2010 FedEx Cup champion. – Ranked 22nd in world ratings. – United Sates Open champion, 2003. That last one is the biggie, because it is for the country’s championship and always is contested under the most daunting of conditions, which is meat for a Grinder. And he has come achingly close…. _________________________________________
SOLVING THE MYSTERY Did we mention his swing? The one that defines unorthodox? He must employ a stable of swing gurus. But, in fact, he has only two
coaches. Himself. And his father, Mike. No outsider need apply…you might try to straighten the curves and curve what’s straight. As they say, leave well enough alone, and if it’s broke, let it stay broke. And besides, he is a slave to videotape and self-analysis. He was born in West Chester, moved west to outside Pittsburgh, and now makes Florida home. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh both like to claim him. Especially when he’s shooting 59. And 58. _________________________________________
THE MAKING OF A RECORD The Travelers Championship was played in Cromwell Connecticut, on the TPC River Highlands course, 6,841 yards meandering over 148 acres, the center piece being a 4-acre lake that is devilishly inviting and is framed by stately corridors of maple, oak, sycamores and pine. The allure of the place, however, was lost on Jim Furyk on this Sunday in August because his swing had betrayed him and he had stumbled home in Saturday’s third round and shot himself out of emphatic contention. He wanted only to rediscover his swing and point toward the road. A 58? Sure…what’d I have on the back 9? n
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GLEN MACNOW _________________________________________
The worst team ever
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Philly.com
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ACK THEN, no one called it “The Process.” The 197273 Sixers weren’t tanking for a purpose. There was no Sam Hinkie master plan. There was only wretched basketball. How wretched? The 76ers that season finished 9-73. That’s the worst record in the history of the NBA— barely surviving the threat put on by last season’s 76ers, who stumbled their way to 10-72. “Thank God they won that tenth game,” laughs Fred Carter, a solid eight-season NBA pro who has the ignominy of being the MVP of the worst team ever. “That’s my immortality, baby. I want to be part of an eternal trivia question.” Here’s one thing I’ve learned about covering sports in this town forever. Everything you see has some familiarity in the past. So as the current Sixers look to climb the standings—hopefully buttressed by the additions of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid—you can draw comparisons from what the same franchise did four decades ago. The good news? Just four seasons after the 9-73 horror show, the 197677 Sixers played in the NBA Finals. They went on to make the playoffs a dozen years in a row. In 1982-83, they won the last title in franchise history. Can the current squad do the same? There’s too much uncertainty to predict that. But there is hope. And hope is a great thing. he 1972-73 Sixers were hopeless. Before the season opened, star swingman Billy Cunningham defected to the American Basketball Association. Coach Jack Ramsay also skipped town. What was left was a roster of has-beens and never-weres. The new coach, Roy Rubin declared before the season opener, “I don’t think Boston will be that tough.” His team finished 59 games behind the Celtics. Those Sixers opened the season with 15 straight losses. They ended it with a 13-game losing streak. Rubin, whose previous gig was coaching that hoops hotbed of Long Island University, was mercifully axed at 4-47, leaving player-coach Kevin Loughery to finish up the disaster. Ownership should have known better from the start. At Rubin’s introductory news conference, he admitted he had never heard of Hal Greer, a Hall of Famer in his 15th season. Philadelphia hoops guru Sonny Hill once described Rubin to me as “a teenager being put in charge of a Fortune 500 company. He had no idea what to do and no control over his employees.” Need an example? During a game against the Pistons in Detroit, Rubin tried to pull forward John Q. Trapp, who first refused to come out and then signaled Rubin to look behind him. A friend of Trapp’s, standing near the bench, opened his jacket to reveal a gun. Trapp stayed in the game. Nineteen players shuttled through the lineup that season. My favorite was a big center from Niagara whose entrance into the game always inspired PA man Dave Zinkoff to bellow, “Manny Leaks on the floor!” “People started calling us the ‘Universal Health Spa,’” recalls Carter,
Ownership should have known better from the start. At Rubin’s introductory news conference, he admitted he had never heard of Hal Greer, a Hall of Famer in his 15th season. who somehow averaged 20 points per game that season. “It was because we made everyone else in the NBA healthy.” The good news is that the team used the first pick of the 1973 draft to select shooting guard Doug Collins, who became a four-time all-star. Two years later, they drafted Darryl Dawkins. Cunningham, “The Kangaroo Kid,” came back, first as a player and then as a Hall of Fame coach. And, most significantly, they added star veterans George McGinnis and Julius Erving. The horror of the NBA’s worst-ever season disappeared in the rearview mirror. an it happen again? These new-look Sixers are young, and obviously haven’t added any free agents of that caliber. Instead, they are building on the hopes that a collection of basketball babies will mature into a talented unit. Carter, for his part, is starting to believe. Remember, he coached the Sixers during two seasons in the 1990s, and still works as a scout for the Washington Wizards. “I was really down on the Sam Hinkie plan,” he says of the now-fired GM. “I’m an old-fashioned purist who despises tanking games or seasons.” “But maybe he proves to be a genius. There’s a talent pool here now. I’m excited about Simmons and, if Embiid is healthy, he could be special. And I really like (Jahlil) Okafor, a big post player who can score. I’m interested to see how the coach (Brett Brown) fits these pieces together.” As are all Sixers fans. Personally, I’m uncertain whether “The Process” will ever lead to greatness. One thing I’m fairly sure of, however: When Coach Brown pulls one of his players off the floor, I don’t expect to see any of his buddies protest by pulling out a gun. n
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THE ENTHUSIAST ______________________________________________________________________________________________ BY ANDREW RYAN
Angus Young stands alone Is this the end of the line for AC/DC?
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HERE WERE CANNONS. THERE WAS THUNDER. There was Angus Young. It was either the beginning of the end or a new beginning. On Tuesday, September 20th, AC/DC ended what had easily been their most tumultuous tour in recent history right here in the City of Brotherly Love. And after nearly a half-century of touring, the band’s future has never been more uncertain.
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accustomed to listening to at the time (that time being the early 00’s). They were loud, garish and completely unapologetic about it—a total
Illustration by Dan Dinsmore
For those of you not in the know, this has been a tough couple of years for AC/DC. In 2014, brother of Angus and co-founder of the band, Malcolm Young, was forced into retirement due to the onset of dementia. 2015 saw the loss of original drummer Phil Rudd, who was placed under house arrest for drug possession and threatening to kill a former employee. In their places Tuesday night were drummer Chris Slade (who recorded and toured with the band previously from 1989 to 1995) and Malcolm’s near-identical nephew, Stevie. That night even marked the retirement of Cliff Williams, AC/DC bassist for nearly four decades, who for the first time in perhaps his entire career, stepped up to the front of the stage (read: was literally dragged by Angus) where he received a fitting salute from fans as the final notes of “For Those About To Rock” rang out throughout the sold-out Wells Fargo Arena. And we haven’t even touched on the fact that standing in for “Back in Black” singer, and most unintelligible man alive, Brian Johnson, was none other than former Guns ‘n Roses front man Axl Rose. Whether you knew it or not, rock ’n’ roll history might have been made in Philadelphia as Angus Young now stands alone as the only remaining original member of the group, prompting the question: did we all just witness AC/DC’s final performance? AC/DC was the first rock ’n’ roll band I ever got truly excited about. I remember listening to Highway To Hell for the first time in middle school and everything just clicked. Malcolm’s big open chords, Bon Scott’s wailing vocals, Angus’ blistering solos performed while writhing on the ground… I knew in that moment that this band was different than the music I was
180 degrees from what I had been accustomed to hearing having been raised post-Cobain. They were rock ’n’ roll incarnate. Their songs felt as familiar as the 12-bar blues, yet somehow completely unattainable. Out of the genre’s most basic ingredients, they created the heaviest, dirtiest sound since Led Zeppelin. A sound that has yet to be imitated or improved upon, which is why AC/DC covers—good AC/DC covers—tend to be as rare as sightings of Angus Young wearing long pants. Speaking of AC/DC covers, that brings us to
Axl Rose, the man everyone over 30 remembers from Guns ’n’ Roses and everyone under 30 remembers as the guy who tried his absolute hardest never to play with Guns ’n’ Roses again. That’s right, rock ’n’ roll’s other problem child. In March of this year, AC/DC was forced to cancel 20 shows across two continents after Johnson’s doctor advised him to quit touring or potentially face “total hearing loss.” The remainder of the band was then faced with a problem they hadn’t experienced since Angus actually looked good in shorts: replacing a lead singer. This is, without a doubt, the single hardest obstacle to overcome for an established band. And while it’s certainly not my intention to stroke the egos of lead singers (as if they don’t do enough of that themselves already), they’re just more important than the other members of the band. Great guitar players are a dime a dozen. Need a new drummer? You used to have to pay 99 cents for a drum app but I’m pretty sure it’s free now. Singers are different, though. They’re the voice and face of the band. They are the one person who has the power to make a crappy band sound great (The White Stripes) or a talented band sound like they came from Middle Earth (sorry Geddy, we know you tried). In fact, alongside Genesis and Van Halen, AC/DC is the only other super famous band that has pulled off this feat to commercial success (and no, of course Ronnie James Dio doesn’t count. And come to think of it, the less said about Gary Cherone the better). After original singer Bon Scott’s tragic death in 1980, AC/DC hired Johnson and recorded Back in Black as a tribute to their late front man less than a year later. Today that album has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. So let’s just say if anyone could pull it off, it was them. he announcement a few months ago that Rose was set to replace Johnson was not exactly warmly received by fans and critics. Around 7,000 refunds were issued to upset Belgian fans who felt betrayed after paying 100% of the ticket price to see 40% of the original lineup, one of whom plays bass mostly from the shadows, while Who front man Roger Daltrey blasted the notion of Rose’s involvement as “karaoke.” What I expected to see in Philadelphia that night was a fat, sweaty Rose gasping and hacking up a lung in an embarrassingly ill-conceived attempt to recreate Johnson’s signature gravelly style. What I saw instead was a confident
Rose easily strut his way through every classic without ever breaking so much as a sweat (although he was fat). Where Rose truly stood out was during performances of their earlier songs from the Bon Scott era, including songs they haven’t played in years—possibly even decades—such as “If You Want Blood (You’ve
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what to expect as he took the stage. Half of me wanted to love him for his truly Ripkenlike dedication to touring, while the other half of me wanted to hate him for reminding me I don’t call my grandparents as often as I probably should. AC/DC to me personified youthful exuberance, not the early-bird special. Like
Half of me wanted to love Angus Young for his truly Ripken-like dedication to touring, while the other half of me wanted to hate him for reminding me I don’t call my grandparents as often as I probably should.”
Got It)” and “Rock ’n’ Roll Damnation.” And he did it all from the backseat, rightly allowing Angus to remain the star of the show, while by no means awkwardly sinking completely into the background. While it’s hard for me as a fan to admit this, Rose brought an energy back to the band that has been missing since Johnson’s performance began to decline these past few years. Where Johnson sounded strained, Rose sounded fresh and full of life. This wasn’t karaoke, this was AC/DC at the very best they’ve been in years. Anyone who hated Rose’s performance after actually witnessing it with their own eyes must only do so out of a sense of loyalty to Johnson or Back in Black or maybe just those weird-looking newsboy caps Johnson favors. Rose rocked, plain and simple. Enough to make me feel a little bad for making that last fat joke. (Although not bad enough to, you know, not make that fat joke, especially after learning of his recent legal attempts to purge the Internet of unflattering photos taken of him at a 2010 gig—photos which have launched a thousand memes under the banner of “Fat Axl,” examples of which include said unflattering images of the singer superimposed with altered Guns ’n’ Roses lyrics such as “Welcome to the Buffet”). Needless to say that even amongst all the drama and turmoil surrounding the band and its precarious future, the one man that really mattered that night was Angus Young, the 61-year-old guitar god who probably didn’t think too hard about the potential longevity of his career when he chose to wear his school uniform onstage 43 years ago. Although I’m a bit ashamed to admit this, I really didn’t know
watching a gray-haired Townshend windmill the chords to “My Generation” while a wrinkled Daltrey stutters the lyrics “hope I die before I get old,” the whole idea just seemed kind of, well, depressing. Now, I’ve been wrong before and I’ll be wrong again, but I’ll never be as wrong as I was that night. AC/DC blistered through an enormously long set of 25 songs while Angus outpaced every single person in the 20,000 seat arena, duck-walking across the stage with every bit as much energy as he did in 1979. His solos were everything I’ve ever loved about the guitar: powerful, emotive, and most importantly of all, meaningful, as if you could actually hear his thoughts in each and every bend of the string. In an overwhelming display of pure synergy, Rose’s near-perfect performance actually breathed incredible new life into every note played that evening, just as the bands unimpeachable catalog and Angus’ pure talent and showmanship redeemed rock ’n’ roll’s most irredeemable front man. It’s impossible to say at this point what the future will hold for AC/DC. Many have speculated this to have been their last show now that Angus stands alone as the only remaining original member, whereas others see exciting potential for future collaboration with Rose. But that’s all really beside the point. This wasn’t a rock show, it was a redemption story set in the city that tells them best. Because on one balmy night in Philadelphia, we were all reminded that the future is as unwritten as Rose’s apology letter to Guns ’n’ Roses for being a total d**k. And no matter where the road may take them in the years to come, we’ll always have Philadelphia. n 27
GET FIT
For more guidance follow Alexandra
@TipsFromAFitChick on Instagram! _____________________________________________________________________________________________
BY ALEXANDRA DUNEK
Whip it like Wilczewski Get Out!
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ost people might shy away from a competition series filled with challenges named “jumping spider” and “warped wall,” obstacles, whose names hint at the physical and mental toughness needed to attempt them. And that’s why most people aren’t American Ninja Warriors. But you’re about to meet one.
Twenty-seven year-old South Jersey native, Chris Wilczewski, has racked up an impressive resume with the show, American Ninja Warrior, by appearing on seven seasons including: two team appearances, one international competition, and three final Mount Midoriyama runs. And yet, he is still giving the Warrior course a run for its money with a first place win in the Philadelphia qualifiers which secured his spot for the 2016 finals. The finals recently aired and although Chris didn’t win, he still proved he was made to be a Ninja by gunning
for the Double Wedge- a supersized version of the regular Wedge- from the previous seasons, which has a 90% knockout rate. American Ninja Warrior brings a whole different meaning to athleticism. The show debuted in 2009 and has become increasingly popular with its unique obstacle course that continues to wow the audience along with anyone who attempts it. Chris Wilczewski’s last name might sound familiar. Why? He has a move named after him called the Wilczewski Whip, a tactic on the
Wilczewski appearing on American Ninja Warrior
Salmon Ladder done in a way the judges have never before seen. Aside from the show, Chris runs the Movement Lab, one of the first Parkour and Ninja Warrior facilities in the country, along with his brother Brian, who is an engineer. They built the 5,500 sq. ft. establishment from ground up, a skill that came from watching their grandfather work as a carpenter. I recently got a chance to check out the Movement Lab in Hainesport, NJ, and it’s by far one of the most exciting fitness centers I’ve had the opportunity to experience. The place focuses on obstacle-style conditioning and is bold in its design. Inside the facility, the words “Movement Lab” are plastered across in big blue letters with graffiti style painting on the walls around it. When asked about the colorful decor, Chris revealed the interior design was barter between him and an artist friend. Free training in exchange for an artistic renovation, a testament to the type of caring person Chris is. Not only did the building get a distinctive paint job, but the artist, Travis Weiand trained so well he made it to Vegas for the Ninja Warrior finals. I might not be making it to Vegas but I gave the course my best shot and, with a little help from Chris, came up with a few tips on how to be a Ninja.
Grip Strength Alexandra Dunek with American Ninja Warrior Chris Wilczewski
You can be the best athlete in the world but none of that matters as a Warrior unless you can hang from your fingertips for an extended period of time. How to achieve this: hang from pull-up bars for as long as possible and/or hang from a towel thrown over the bar. You can also gain strength by walking around with dumbbells in each hand.
Confidence
Alexandra Dunek
Attack the course with determination. Chris says, “I’d rather attack an obstacle and go down because I was going too hard than be 28
timid. That’s just my style, I’m very go go go.” And I agree. Hesitation only makes you secondguess what you know you CAN do.
Endurance Conditioning is pretty important. No doubt you will get tired but it’s good to build your tolerance and stamina. How to achieve this: incorporate intense cardio into your daily routine- the stairmaster (in my opinion is the hardest) or perform HIIT (high-intensity interval training) to boost your conditioning.
Failure You’re going to fail...it will happen. The key is not letting it discourage you. Chris told me, “One of the best lessons I have learned is to accept failure as a part of life and as an athlete I will be happy as long as I give it 100% out there. I attribute my success on this past season to my newfound insight”. Chris also mentions that cutting some body weight is another key for optimal performance. Interested in training like Chris? Visit the Movement Lab, located on 710 E. Park Ave., Hainesport, NJ, and jump on board with their six-week special for $99. Classes available to kids of all ages and adults. Let’s see if you have what it takes to whip it like Wilczewski. n For more information, visit www.mlabpk.com
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Where We Eat
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Famous Where Size Does Matter
BY MOLLY GOLUBCOW
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HE SUPER BOWL, an annual American extravaganza, has been around for 50 years. However, one of the best “soup-er bowls” (with matzoh balls, of course) has been served at the Famous Fourth Street Delicatessen on the corner of 4th & Bainbridge in South Philly since 1923. That’s 93 yummy years of brisket, stuffed cabbage, knishes, kugel, and other traditional Jewish deli fare. Do you have to be Jewish to sink your teeth into a double-decker pastrami on rye? Absolutely not! Anyone with taste buds and the love of good food can enjoy the Famous. From overstuffed (ungeshtupt) deli sandwiches the size of your head to smooth and tasty chopped liver to a bowl of chicken soup (AKA Jewish penicillin), you have not lived until you have experienced deli food done right. So, what keeps the Famous, a near century old establishment, on a roll (pun intended whether kaiser or onion)? Let’s meet the man behind the counter, the food he prepares, and some of the smiling and well-fed custom30
ers who understand this culinary concept—a sandwich is only a sandwich, but a deli sandwich—now that’s tradition!
Photo Merrill Kelem
Warning: This article may cause extreme salivating, hunger pangs, and moderate to heavy tummy grumbling. Cure? What any Jewish grandmother would recommend, “Eat, my child” (Ess, my kind)!
On the Corner of 4th & Bainbridge… Since 1923, the Auspitz family has owned and operated the 4th & Bainbridge store—cranking out decades of Jewish deli favorites. In the mid-70s, the Famous added more tables and waitress service which gave the place more of a restaurant look and feel (and taste), as opposed to a deli/store focus. As the neighborhood changed in the early 1960s, business took a few bumps and lumps, but the deli continued and managed to survive through gentrification comings, and goings. In 2005, David Auspitz decided to sell the family store after 80 years. As fate would have it, the building on 4th & Bainbridge remained as a deli and luckily was not converted into yet another CVS. Russ Cowan, a businessman/deli man who comes from generations of deli blood, bought the Famous, gave the old gal a bit of a facelift, and continued to offer a Jewish style menu. Not only did Cowan keep the style of food, but he also realized that the location and its history were synonymous with that corner of South Philly. Cowan explains, “I felt that I should keep the Famous
name—it was a piece of the neighborhood, and I decided to give it a revival.”
A Little More About the Man Behind the Counter Although Cowan does not wake up in the middle of the night craving corned beef, he does spend lots of his time and energy at the Famous. He’s the chef—the only chef—and his experience running and operating delis dictates how it’s done from the quality of the rye bread to how you slice the brisket (along the grain). In addition to good quality food at the Famous, let us not forget that the food is pleasantly plump (savtik) in quantity as well. Cowan swears by that rule and jokes, “My grandmother might have thought that my sandwiches were too big, but I want my customers to think they are getting both tasty food and a value for their buck. If you can’t finish it in one meal, take it home and have it for
Photo Merrill Kelem
“ My grandmother might have thought that my sandwiches were too big, but I want my customers to think they are getting both tasty food and a value for their buck.”
lunch. My Bubby might have questioned the size, but never the taste.” When you come to the homey (hamesheh) Famous deli, you come for what made it famous for the last 93 years—Jewish style food. From a restaurateur’s perspective, you need to have a good menu, good ingredients, know how to prepare the food, and, you must know your audience! Cowan knows what his customers want—traditional Jewish fare only. So, if you are looking for chicken parm or fried shrimp, the Famous is not for you. “When running a restaurant, my business philosophy is you cannot be everything to everybody,” Cowan confidently points out, “so stick to what you know or your product will be lousy.” Cowan, who has opened eight stores so far in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area, is a busy
man, a food man, and a hands-on man. Even with all that on his proverbial plate, don’t be surprised to see him, and his obviously just cut brisket stained apron, stop by your table, wave, or sit and chat. Customers enjoy seeing him—it gives them a sense of uber-quality control when the owner is around overseeing every detail, and in Cowan’s case, even cooking. One customer sees Cowan and yells, “Where you been, haven’t seen you in a while?” Cowan shrugs and wonders how he could ever be missed since he is at the Famous “…only 80 hours a week!”
If These Walls Could Talk… You don’t have to be famous to eat at the Famous, but over the years many politicians, journalists, and entertainers have sampled a knish or two at the deli. Dozens of pictures of satiated and smiling customers including David Brenner, Chris Matthews, Jackie Mason, Frank Sinatra Jr. (who absolutely loved the chopped liver), and President Obama wallpaper the interior of the Famous.
No matter who you are, Cowan fervently believes that his deli is successful because he runs the show based on his 3-point mantra: good food, good service, and cleanliness. Apparently his style is working because the Famous made it to Foursquare’s list of the 26 Best Jewish Delis in America. In addition, the deli has been mentioned on the Rachel Ray Show and the Food Network drawing people from all over the world, and of course the Philadelphia area—from its suburbs to neighboring New Jersey and Delaware. Cowan sees generations coming to his deli— a father brings a son for lunch, and fast forward a few years and that son is grown and now brings his little daughters. The Famous was and is the place to eat on South Street. Jerry Segal, a Northeast resident who knows the neighborhood, loves a good sandwich. Segal explains, “I have been going there for over 40 years. The best for me was not only the great food, but when eating the matzo ball soup, kasha and bow ties, knishes, or the kishka,
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Photo Merrill Kelem
From left to right: Russ and Ilene Cowan (owners) with friends and South Philly boys Merrill Kelem and Bobby Rydell, and the late Frank Sinatra, Jr. He loved the chopped liver!
it would bring me back to the days when my grandmother would make all of those types of foods. Great memories.” By the look of return business and regulars, customers like the deli and Cowan likes his customers—well, 99.999% of them. One customer, loud and disruptive, was ejected by Cowan several times. After being banned, this loud (and always hungry) guy snuck back in one day actually disguised with a wig and glasses! On another occasion, he had a friend
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plead his case. Cowan gave in, and Mr. Loud ate feverishly knowing that this could be his last Famous meal if he doesn’t watch his step.
That’s an Actual Cookie, Not a Frisbee! Let’s face it, size does matter—at the Famous deli, that is. The sandwiches, whether corned beef, tongue, or salami, are stacked like skyscrapers, the matzoh balls are soft, fluffy, and
grapefruit-sized, and so it goes from the juicy, half-sour pickles to the definitely not-out-of-aplastic bag rye bread to the homemade knishes and stuffed cabbage. Whatever you order at the Famous—hot or cold, soup or sandwich—you will never look at your plate and say, “Boy, that’s a small portion.” And, last but not least, there’s dessert—if you have any room left in your stomach! For example, the Black & White cookies rival a Frisbee in circumference. The cakes, from checkered layer to chocolate babka, have too many layers to count (you’ll need an elevator to get to the top layer). And, if you just need just a little treat (nosh) after your meal, the chocolate chip cookies are perfect. So, are you hungry yet? If so, remember this—“deli” derives its Latin roots from delicatus, meaning “giving pleasure, delightful, pleasing.” Oy vey, the Famous got that right! n
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L l A SM V
THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE BY MICHAEL BRADLEY
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hen Dr. Edward Matejkovic played football at West Chester in the late 1960s, the Rams would pack nearly 10,000 people on Friday nights into their stadium on the school’s North Campus. The dorms would empty, and people would ring the field. Back then, the concept of “Friday Night Lights” high school football was alien to all but a select few prep programs. The vast majority of games were played during daylight hours, leaving the TGIF main event to the Rams. “It was a very dangerous place for visitors and very intimidating,” says Matejkovic, now WCU’s athletic director. “I’m glad I was on the home team.” These days, dorms stand where Matejkovic and the Rams used to play, and games have moved to Farrell Stadium on the South Campus. Capacity is about 7,500, but there are games when attendance hits the old, five-figure numbers. A Division II team that has enjoyed plenty of success lately, West Chester has succeeded in putting together a strong game day environment that blends a good on-field product with promotions, in-game entertainment and a family-friendly cost structure. There may not be 100,000 fans in the stands, as there are often when Penn State plays in Happy Valley, but the Rams offer fans a chance to watch good football—and have a lot of fun doing it. 34
Delaware Valley fans pack the stands
“We try to do something promotion-oriented at every game,” Matejkovic says. “But you need to have a competitive team so that the games mean something.” cross the Philadelphia area, Division II and III teams suit up every Saturday and try to present a game day atmosphere that brings in alumni, students and the community, just like West Chester does. Widener, Delaware Valley, Cheyney, Ursinus and
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Lincoln have played football for decades and continue to chase championships and playoff berths. Their crowds may not approach 10,000, but they generate interest and help their schools stay connected to their various constituencies. At Widener, the Pride has experienced a resurgence over the past five years and has reached the NCAA D-III playoffs twice during that stretch. Athletic Director (AD) Jack Shafer understands the value of a good program, but there are other things at work as well.
Photo Cheyney.edu
The Cheyney “Soulful Sound” marching band
“We see a lot of camaraderie at the games,” Shafer says. “Parents of new players and of upperclassmen get together, and you see players who played here, 20, 10 or even two years ago back for games, because they love what happened to them when they were in the program.” Schools all over the country use football to help build their communities—as well as fund-
raise. There are a lot of ways to do that, and the local colleges have some creative approaches. One that is practically as time-honored as the sport itself is music. When people talk about the “color and pageantry” of college football, it is often accompanied by a band soundtrack. At West Chester, a 312-member outfit that has appeared at Eagles games and the Macy’s Thanksgiving
Day parade provides that. All freshmen and sophomores at WCU’s music school who play a “marchable instrument”, according to Matejkovic, take part in the band. The results are some memorable halftime shows and a loyal following. “I get angry e-mails from people after Homecoming, because we introduce the King and Queen during halftime, and that means a shorter band show,” Matejkovic says. At Cheyney, the “Soulful Sound” marching band is a staple at halftime and features its own dancers. Although the numbers have been down a bit, the drum line remains a big hit. Last year, when a group of 8-to-12 year olds from the Police Athletic League danced and cheered at a Wolves home game, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Widener has a pep band that was introduced two years ago. The 30-piece outfit helped “change the experience,” according to Shafer and has been a popular game day component. “It is definitely an added element,” Shafer says. ascots have been important parts of the college football scene for a long time too, and the local schools understand their value when it comes to appealing to younger fans. At Delaware Valley University, which has used a ram as its athletic symbol since the early
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Photo Steven Falk
Rammy (L), the West Chester mascot
‘60s, despite the school’s nickname being the Aggies, “Bruno” prowls the sidelines and is particularly energized when Gary Glitter’s iconic “Rock and Roll, Part 2” plays after every Del Val touchdown. Cheyney’s “Wolfie” is a fixture at games, while Widener fans have male and female Lion mascots (the school’s nickname is The Pride), who spend a lot of time in the stands.
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At West Chester, “Rammy” is so popular that fans actually request that he appear at parties and other gatherings. But he doesn’t enjoy the same appeal as did the school’s live ram— Ramses VII—that prowled the sidelines until three years ago. “Fans wanted to see the ram run,” Matejkovic says. All of the programs attract fans with specially themed games throughout the season.
Of course, Homecoming remains the most popular, just as it is around the country. Family day is another big event, and it gives parents and siblings the chance to see some football, but also make sure everything is okay with students. “It’s geared towards letting people come back and check on the freshmen,” Ursinus AD Laura Moliken says. The Bears will also welcome back members of the 1996 team that won the Centennial Conference and let them participate in the pre-game coin toss. The first home game of the year at Delaware Valley recognizes the newest inductees into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, a practice that is duplicated at Widener, which introduced its Hall in 2014. “We induct the honorees on Friday night, and we introduce them at halftime of the Saturday game,” Shafer says. “It’s a big event.” West Chester has a Hall of Fame promotion, and it also hosts community groups at a home game and salutes the military. At Cheyney, one of the main focuses of every game is the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is the official charity of NCAA’s Division II. Since starting with Make-A-Wish, D-II schools have raised more than $4 million and have granted 500 wishes. “We have a goal of raising enough money this year to announce the granting of a wish next year,” Cheyney AD Suzanne Kilian says.
Building a sense of community is important, both within and outside the colleges’ walls. Football is an excellent way for institutions to court and reward donors, and to have hospitality options that create environments that lead to future support. Those fortunate enough to gain a spot at the President’s Reception at West Chester get to tailgate in style before games in a tented area featuring upscale refreshments.
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hose who aren’t among that select group still have multiple opportunities to prepare for the game with food and drink options of their own. Widener has several lots around Quick Stadium that provide room to enjoy pre-game festivities. At Ursinus, there are dedicated areas for tailgating, and on given days, various Bears teams will hold pre-game events to raise funds and awareness for their programs, as well as promote bonding between coaches,
Widener’s Quick Stadium
players and parents. “That’s one of the benefits of being at a small school,” Moliken says. Fans tailgate at Cheyney, but they also get the chance inside the stadium to partake of the wares from many food vendors in the community. “We’re trying to get even more this year,” Kilian says. It’s a good way to enhance the experience, just as West Chester does by shooting T-shirts into the crowd, and Cheyney does by having face painters at the stadium. It’s part of building an experience that surrounds football with an atmosphere designed to attract families. Anybody looking for proof that the colleges succeed at that goal need only look at the most important games that go on every Saturday. You can find them behind the stands, beyond the end zones, in the parking lots and on basically every available piece of land. Kids toss the ball around, run to daylight and try to replicate the moves of the stars on the field. It’s a tradition that has repeated itself for generations, and it is as big a part of the experience as the game itself. Sure, perhaps security and athletic staff have to keep them out of the high-jump pit, but that pure joy makes the whole day—no matter the outcome—worthwhile. “Win or lose, we want people walking out of here with smiles on their faces,” Shafer says. That mission is usually accomplished. n 37
SPORTS GUYS
A LIFE IN PHILLY SPORTS
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BY KURT SMITH
f you’re an older Philadelphia sports fan, you would enjoy talking sports with Bill Werndl. Werndl’s been there: he was the first ever sports producer at Channel 6, a long time spotter for local and national football broadcasts, a co-host of Eagles pre- and post-game shows on WYSP, and a panelist on several networks. In 30-plus years in Philly, he’s seen a lot of things.
His coming book, No Curveballs, is the story of a life inside the Philly sports scene, covering the city’s best-known names… Chamberlain, Bednarik, Vermeil, Schmidt and Shero to name just a few. In it he shares behind the scenes stories of Philly legends, and his sometimes surprising takes on events in the city’s sports history. Recently JerseyMan caught up with Werndl and co-author Joe Vallee to chat about No Curveballs. If you want to learn more, check out the website www.nocurveballs.com.
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Bill Werndl (L) and co-author Joe Vallee
Bill Werndl: Bill White, Al Meltzer, my wife, my daughter…there were so many people that said, you’ve got a lot of great stories, you’ve had such a diversified career. I’ve seen it all, and I’ve run into so many great people. I’ve lived the dream for over 50 years. Your first ever interview was with Wilt Chamberlain? Bill: This man had just signed the biggest contract in sports history, I think for $250,000 a year. I was nervous, and he could tell, and he put his arm around me and said, “young fella, don’t worry about a thing.” It was a thrill of a lifetime, because I remember listening on the radio as a kid when he scored 100 points. He was very gracious. There wasn’t a greater basketball player than Wilt. It’s a shame they don’t have more video of him. Jordan was a great player, I’m not disputing that, but Wilt changed the way the game was played! People who remember Wilt’s departure from Philadelphia might be surprised at what happened. Joe Vallee: A lot of issues came into play with Wilt. According to the book, Wilt put them in a position where they had to trade him. His father had some health issues, he went to California to smooth things over and apparently a lot changed when he came back.
they drafted players, they came in like Wilbert Montgomery in the sixth round.
Photos courtesy Bill Werndl
What made you decide to write a book?
Then he goes to St. Louis, the Greatest Show on Turf. If Vermeil was still there, I think they would have won a couple more Super Bowls. Vermeil was able to get these guys to work hard and to understand. The practices were rough. Two a day, he was a grinder. The word intensity cannot be said enough about Vermeil. The man represented what coaching is all about. You tell a great story about what happened with the USFL. I remember the Stars moving to Baltimore and thinking that there was a problem then. (The Stars moved when the USFL changed their schedule to the fall, at the urging of then-New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump.) Bill: The league would have lasted if they followed the blueprint they had laid out initially. Like or dislike Donald Trump, he’s obviously a good businessman, but he didn’t understand that you had football in the spring. And TV was looking for programming. I agree with Ken Dunek. [Editors note: Dunek,
Vermeil, Werndl
“[DICK VERMEIL] WAS A MIRACLE WORKER, TO GET THAT TEAM NOT ONLY INTO THE PLAYOFFS, BUT TO THE SUPER BOWL. HE HAD TO BUILD THE TEAM, GUYS OFF THE STREET...” JerseyMan Magazine publisher, won two USFL championships with the Philadelphia/ Baltimore Stars.] If the USFL would have been there, it would have been a tremendous alter-
One of the funniest chapters in the book is the Chuck Bednarik chapter. You asked him to demonstrate the Frank Gifford tackle on you? Bill: I was in the newsroom at Channel 6, he’s standing there, and I said, ‘Chuck, can you demonstrate that hit on Gifford?’ He gave me a little love tap, a forearm shiver. I was like 155 pounds, and I thought his forearm was going through my chest! He gave me that shot and said ‘that’s how I hit Gifford. And I meant it.’ Chuck was a character. I was bold back then, I’m still bold to a certain extent, but Joe has calmed me down a little bit. It’s impressive that Dick Vermeil made an appearance for you, given that you managed to tick him off a few times. Bill: If Tony Dungy is in the Hall of Fame, Dick Vermeil better get into the Hall of Fame. What he accomplished in Philadelphia, with no draft picks and no free agency, this man was a miracle worker, to get that team not only into the playoffs, but to the Super Bowl. He had to build the team, guys off the street, and when 39
native to the NFL. Because people can’t get enough football. You can do an NFL draft show on July 4th at 3:00 in the morning, and you’ll light up the phone lines. It’s just amazing. And I loved the USFL. Joe: They would have given the NFL a run for its money, and I think a lot of people in the NFL were afraid of that. I remember being a young kid going to Stars games, and the Stars were so good, and the Eagles were not. They were ruffling some feathers, and just like that, everything changed. In your chapter on Dick Allen, you call him the most misunderstood athlete in Philly history. Bill: Not only misunderstood, but the greatest offensive player I ever saw in a Phillies uniform. That includes Mike Schmidt. Remember, 1964-65 was a very tumultuous time in the Philadelphia area. And here’s a guy who had to deal with all of this racial unrest. The Phillies sent him down to Little Rock; Frank Lucchesi was his manager. Lucchesi never defended that kid. And that kid needed somebody. You have some choice words for Hall of Fame voters regarding Dick.
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Rose, Werndl
had? These guys loved him! If he was such a bad guy, why’d these players love him so much? Joe: He had a long memory, as Stan Hochman discusses in the book. Stan talked about the clothes he wore when they called him up in 1963. 18 years later, Dick remembered exactly what Stan wrote about him. Stan didn’t mean it; he wasn’t malicious that way. I think Dick was sensitive and took it the wrong way, but then again I’m not him.
I SAID, ‘BILL, I HAVE A FUNNY FEELING THAT THERE’S A PLAYER IN BASEBALL THAT’S GONNA GET IN A LOT OF TROUBLE.’ HE SAYS, ‘WHO’S THAT?’ I SAID, ‘PETE ROSE.’ Bill: I’ve talked to Hall of Famers about Dick Allen. To a man, they all say, are you kidding me? I’m in the Hall and Allen’s not? He missed it by one vote one year. One stinking vote. They tried to say Dick was a cancer. But if you asked Jim Kaat, Goose Gossage, any of those guys, who was the best teammate they ever
There’s a revelation in the book about Pete Rose. You offer up more, if not evidence, certainly eyewitness accounts that he was probably gambling as a player even in Philly. You had an opportunity to break one of the biggest scandals in baseball history. Bill: I remember driving down with Bill White to Baltimore in June of 1987. I said, ‘Bill, I have a funny feeling that there’s a player in baseball that’s gonna get in a lot of trouble.’ He says, ‘Who’s that?’ I said, ‘Pete Rose.’ White became the National League President in January of 1989, and I called to congratulate him. He said ‘Bill, how’d you know about Pete Rose? I’ve got 12 volumes of evidence on my desk!’ I just saw the types of people he was associating
with in the Phillies’ clubhouse. Joe: There were rumblings throughout the 70s that Pete was fraternizing with undesirables. But it was swept under the rug. He was always great with quotes, he took the heat off of Mike Schmidt…and then hmmm, all of a sudden this pay phone is missing from the Veterans Stadium clubhouse. Bill: Stan Hochman says that very eloquently in the book. We dropped the ball. You are generally kind to athletes and media types, until the Howard Cosell chapter. I won’t say what he did at the one Eagles game in the magazine, but that story is incredible! Bill: It was on the south side of Franklin Field. A cold November night, it was a bitterly cold game. That was the game where Howard supposedly had the flu. I was in the box when they set up for him to get out of there, because he was drunk as a skunk. He tried to find a bathroom, there was an auxiliary bathroom there. And he missed the toilet, and it was so cold, people didn’t know what was coming down. He thought he was in the bathroom. Cosell was always looking for something outside the box to ruffle feathers. Monday Night Football, at the water cooler, you could always remember what Howard said on Monday night. Like or dislike Cosell, there’s nobody like that anymore. Everybody is afraid of their credentials being pulled, afraid of this and that. I do miss guys that come out and are opinionated. I got the impression reading the book that it’s impossible to do what you do, to be in sports reporting, and not ruffle feathers from time to time. You seem to accept responsibility for that. Bill: We all make mistakes. That’s why we have erasers on pencils. What would you say is your proudest moment throughout the years? Bill: The thing that makes me so gratified is that so many people have helped me along the way. The people in the business, the Bill Whites, the Merrill Reeses, Ron Franklin, on and on. The relationships I’ve built with so many great people over the years, that’s the proudest moment for me. That may not answer your question, but that’s what makes it very, very special. The greatest moment, I think, is when people take time to help you. n 41
PROFILE
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FOX NEWS ANCHOR AND REPORTER
KELLY WRIGHT living his dream
UNE INTO THE FOX NEWS CHANNEL on most
Saturdays at 4 p.m. and you will likely find Kelly Wright in his element. As co-anchor of “America’s News Headquarters”—based in New York City— this seasoned journalist enlightens viewers on the latest, most relevant stories of the day. His aim—as it has been since starting his career 39 years ago—is to be as objective and honest as possible while presenting both sides to a story. “I like to think that when people watch me, they can trust me in giving them accurate and credible reports,” said Wright, who also anchors overnight news from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m., often entailing breaking stories. Getting a good night’s sleep, he admits, can be a challenge. But his passion for his career keeps him fueled. 42
BY JAN L. APPLE So whether it’s the disappearance of a Malaysian flight, the terrorist attacks in Paris, unrest in Ferguson, Missouri or the Middle East, Wright is called upon to tie it all together. “There’s live video coming in from the scene,” explained Wright, who resides in Jersey City, but also maintains a home in Clarksburg, MD. “I talk to reporters and experts who can shed some light on what is going on.” Maintaining his composure is part of the job, one he is appreciative to have. Wright, who has been with the Fox News Channel since 2003, has had an illustrious career. He’s reported from war torn Iraq and numerous countries around the globe, covered
Photos courtesy FOXNews.com
Wright reporting from the White House
presidential and political campaigns, Pope John Paul II’s visit to Mainz, Germany, interviewed former First Lady Laura Bush about the Virginia Tech massacre and Hurricane Katrina recovery, and even had the opportunity to interview O.J. Simpson following his murder trial. Wright had traveled to the Bahamas to cover an event that was raising funds to fight sickle cell anemia. “It was a surreal experience to have interviewed [Simpson] on the heels of that first trial,” said Wright, who couldn’t believe he was actually sitting across from O.J. “People in the Bahamas revered O.J.; he was even more popular there than in the United States.” Wright has come face to face with the rich, the famous and those with the highest of profiles. Yet, he says, it is his faith in God that is at the heart of all he does. His faith keeps him going each day, a theme instilled from an early age. Interestingly, Wright is also a non-denominational minister, an ordained pastor and a
“I like to think that when people watch me, they can trust me in giving them accurate and credible reports.”
recording artist. “My instrument is my voice,” noted Wright, who released a CD of gospel music in 2011 entitled “Goodness & Mercy.” He
served as associate pastor at a Virginia Beach church from 1994 to 1996. At the time, he was also a news anchor. Born Kelvin Overton, he was reared in Hagerstown, MD (the place of his birth) and Washington, D.C. In middle school, people started calling him Kelly. The nickname stuck. “I was raised by a single mother,” explained Wright. “At 16, my mother (June Lorraine Overton Wright)—unfortunately—was sexually assaulted by a pillar of the community who happened to be not her pastor, but a pastor of another church. She, facing all those incredible odds, said ‘I’m keeping this child.’ Five days after her 17th birthday, I came into the world. She sacrificed so much as a single parent to help me become who I am today. She accepted it graciously; she was a courageous person, a wonderful woman.” In fact, Wright underscores, she gave up her own dream of becoming a psychiatrist. Instead, she became a champion for her son. 43
When Wright was 8, some neighborhood kids called him a bastard because “he didn’t know who his daddy was.” He ran home in tears. Soon after, his stepfather adopted him and his last name became Wright. Although his parents wanted to have another child, his mother was not able to conceive again. When Wright was 13, they adopted a baby girl, Kim. REAMS HAVE BEEN a theme throughout Wright’s life. “I grew up listening to Martin Luther King, Jr., ” said Wright. “He inspired me. Because of his dream, I have a dream.” Wright’s “Beyond the Dream” series on Fox that launched in 2008—the first segment featuring Dr. Ben Carson—is an outgrowth of this inspiration. He initially approached Bill Shine, Fox co-president, then senior vice president of programming, with the idea. The premise, Wright explains, is “in the midst of negativity, there are ordinary people doing extraordinary things.” Wright aspired to highlight such human triumphs. He created a similar program, “Brother to Brother,” for Fox 43 in Norfolk, VA. One such person, he says, who has set an extraordinary example is JerseyMan, Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal. In April 2012, several months after interviewing Shaq, Wright was inducted
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Wright interviews former NBA great Shaquille O’Neal
into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Sponsors, Laity and Clergy in the chapel at Morehouse College—one of King’s alma maters. “It is a network of people who are living out Dr. King’s legacy and are broadening his reach to the world based on his dream,” said Wright, who was incredibly honored. “We had no idea the series would have such impact.”
Another honor and longtime dream has been working in New York City. “Hands down, New York is one of the greatest cities on earth,” said Wright of the place he has grown to love. Wright credits all he is today to his late mother who insisted he get an education. “She said, ‘pursue a goal of communications in television and radio; let music and acting be your
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Wright has received numerous awards for his reporting, including two Emmys for a documentary on the transatlantic slave trade.
avocation.’” He heeded her advice. At 16, Wright became a radio announcer for a local station. He saw something missing: the station lacked the urban sound of rhythm and blues. He approached the manager and the show “Soulful Sounds” soon took to the airwaves. When he was a junior at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, studying communication arts, Wright enlisted in the army. It is there that his journalism career took flight. Stationed in Fort Stewart, GA, Wright appealed to his company commander: “I told him I used to do radio in high school and college and that I would like to start utilizing my journalistic skills other than being in combat support.” There was a television show in Savannah that reported on military news. Wright began anchoring their 5-minute newscast and writing for “The Patriot” newspaper. His military service enabled him the rare opportunity to excel in television, radio and print media. Wright has received numerous awards for his reporting, including two Emmys for a “Brother to Brother” documentary on the transatlantic slave trade. ND HE’S LIVING out his passion for music through “A Night of Smooth Jazz with Kelly Wright.” Accompanied by Paul “Sequence” Ferguson—guitarist, pianist and producer—whom he calls an amazing talent, the two perform monthly at the Metropolitan Room in Manhattan. Their repertoire encompasses soul, R & B, jazz, gospel and Philly sounds—like those of The Stylistics. Wright has turned performances into benefits, merging music with his commitment to giving back to the community and the world. Recently, money was raised for a charity to combat sex trafficking in such far off places as Cambodia and India. “Through my Beyond the Dream series, I’ve met incredible people doing incredible acts of charity,” said Wright, who introduces these charities to audiences. He also feels fortunate to have opened for James Brown and performed with Bobby Caldwell, Jason Crabb, Cissy Houston and more.
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At the end of the day, Wright says his family is his greatest blessing. “They keep me grounded, keep me humble, keep me hungry for doing more things that are good.” He’s been married to Loretta for 33 years. He has three adult children: Sarah (from his first marriage), Mychael and Morgan. He remains close with sister, Kim. Has Wright ever felt fear while reporting? Absolutely. He was scared when bomb blasts in Iraq shook the hotel where he was staying. Another time, Wright was reporting live and gunfire could be heard on the broadcast. Neither Wright nor the Fox crew were certain about the source of the shots. It turns out the Iraqis had won a soccer match against another country; the shots were celebratory. That’s not always the case. HE PEOPLE Wright has met and the stories he has brought to life are too numerous to mention. Yet one of the most memorable occurred in 1980 during his military service while covering Pope John Paul’s visit to Mainz, Germany. Wright was wearing a nice suit and brand new shoes before going on the air. “It had rained,” he remembered. “I stood in ankle deep mud.” Suffice it to say the shoes were ruined. “Those shoes were forgotten, but covering the Pope
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Wright continues to live out his passion for music by recording and performing.
remains an indelible memory.” Wright acknowledges that no one is perfect and he humbly strives to always do better: “While I may fall flat on my face in my job or personal life, I still can get up again knowing that there’s a new day and as my album says, there’s goodness and mercy to meet me for that day. “Ultimately what compels me to keep trying is because of what June Wright did by giving her dream to me. She saw me get to Fox News. She smiled and said, ‘well done.’ It’s been a long wonderful career. I see no reason for it to stop.” n
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BY SAM CARCHIDI
Philly talk radio host
Dom Giordano
Sure, he’s from Philly, so he’s absolutely, totally completely opinionated. But unlike our presidential candidates he’s also refreshingly likeable.
LATE IN THE SUMMER, Dom Giordano, talking to listeners on his WPHT radio show, sounded befuddled when discussing the remaining presidential candidates.
Photo Josh Chiu
How, Giordano wondered, did we get to this point, where THESE are the four survivors out of 320 million people? America is wondering the same thing, based on a Monmouth University poll taken about the same time Giordano expressed his frustration. The poll showed that the top two candidates—Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump— are not making people feel warm and fuzzy, like they felt about, say, Jack Kennedy or Ronald Reagan. Trump’s lack of humanity and Clinton’s scandals have apparently taken a toll on their popularity. Only 34 percent of voters had a favorable opinion of Clinton, the Monmouth poll showed. That seemed like rock-bottom until you realized only 26 percent thought favorably about Trump. “We have never in our history been at this point, where the unfavorable ratings of these two candidates are off the charts; it’s unprecedented,” said Giordano in an interview in early September.”...It’s a real race to the bottom for these two.”
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“ Here’s the essence of my job: In one week, I got to judge a seven-hour Miss Kensington contest, and the very same week I got to interview Dick Cheney.” The other two candidates—Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party’s Jill Stein—aren’t thrilling voters, either. All of which is good fodder for the likeable Giordano, a veteran talk-show host who can be heard on 1210-AM from 9 a.m. to noon on weekdays. Giordano is opinionated, but not threatening or overbearing. He doesn’t possess a “my-way-or-highway” attitude; instead, he has a refreshing give-and-take with his listeners. In recent months, Giordano and his listeners have discussed numerous topics, from Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of a $15 an-hour minimum-wage bill, from Penn State honoring the late Joe Paterno to a tweeting controversy surrounding an Ursinus College board of trustees member. None of the conversations, however, triggered the animated dialogue produced by the antics of Trump and Clinton.
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Giordano, whose son, D.J., works as a research assistant for him, has captivated his audience with never-ending material on the two candidates. There’s Clinton’s health issues, her e-mail scandal, and her “basket of deplorables” comment about Trump supporters. There’s Trump promising to build a Great Wall of Mexico, changing his campaign leaders late in the race, and making a weekly (daily?) statement that makes eyes roll. Giordano is in Trump’s corner. When guest Lou Dobbs tore into Clinton—calling her aloof, and saying she was a liar, and had an “extraordinary sense of entitlement”—Giordano was in agreement. “I think that’s very, very accurate,” he said. Giordano laughed out loud when Dobbs criticized Johnson—who was in the news for not knowing Aleppo was a city hit hard in Syria’s civil war—and said he “smokes dope every day and obviously doesn’t retain much
of what he has heard.” Added Dobbs, who anchors a show on the Fox Business Network: “If we persist in having these types of candidates, whether they be Gary Johnson, who has no clue as to what is going on...it’s the rest of the country that needs to go on daily doses of marijuana because we’re going to be in desperate need of medication.” On the air, Giordano called Dobbs’ tirade “brilliant.” He then agreed when Dobbs claimed that if Clinton got into the White House it would “doom the nation.” Some, of course, have the same feelings about a potential Trump presidency. Giordano, 67, realizes that, and admits there are times he is “conflicted” in this bizarre race.
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IORDANO LOVES talking politics, loves trying to analyze next month’s election and how it will play out. “There’s a multitude of reasons for how we got to this point,” he said, referring to the final presidential field. “For one, we know the Democratic system was rigged to favor Hillary Clinton because of her pedigree and because of the power of her husband and her power over a period of time. We know it was rigged by the emails that have been out there, that they deepsixed Bernie Sanders. “With Trump, he is the ultimate disrupter,” Giordano added. “The biggest story in this election cycle has been....the conservative base erupting against the Republican establishment.” Giordano, a part-time teacher at the Community College of Philadelphia, said some “great candidates” like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were bypassed. “Rubio would have won this (presidential) race in a heartbeat. I was close to, and really liked, Rand Paul. And Scott Walker was a man of tremendous accomplishments,” he said. “And they went for a guy, Trump, who was this tremendous eruptive force, as maybe a pushback—maybe even a thumb in the eye to all other things. That’s the story of this election.” Trump’s unpredictability has made this a fun and entertaining race to cover, Giordano said. “But it’s also draining because inside talk-radio, there’s quite a bit of back-and-forth over Trump because I don’t think he represents limited government and conservative values.”
Photo Josh Chiu
Then again.... “He’s brought a lot of people in that Republicans are happy to see, the white working-class that’s been left out.” Giordano said. Though Giordano supports Trump and believes he gained lots of momentum by visiting Mexico (home of the people he has mocked) late in the summer, he isn’t reluctant to disagree with him.
and I said that on the air.” Giordano, an avid reader and diehard Philly sports fan who likes to golf, play tennis and run/jog during his spare time, says he has “arrived at a place where I want Trump to win because of Hillary’s obvious corruption” and because he is afraid of what might happen to the Supreme Court if Clinton won. “From my point of view, if Hillary gets to
“ Trump is such a wildcard in a lot of parts in the state—even in Philadelphia… He is a celebrity, he has an appeal that’s different. “Just the other day, I had some unbelievable back-and-forth with callers,” he said. “They were attacking John McCain because Trump said he hasn’t done enough for the veterans. I mean, John McCain has a gravitas second to no one I have ever met. I’ve been around him three times and he creaks when he walks (because of war injuries). I don’t think anybody has the stature to take on John McCain on issues affecting veterans. My God, that’s insane,
appoint three or four people to the Supreme Court, they will destroy the Second Amendment—the individual right to bear arms—and any number of other things,” he said. “So my hope is that Trump will not be so bad on the other issues, and will appoint Supreme Court justices [that are better equipped].” Trump has shown little humanity. He criticized McCain for being a former prisoner of war (“I like people who weren’t captured”) and
mocked the mother of a slain Muslim American soldier. Does it concern Giordano to potentially have a compassion-challenged person running the country? “That is an issue, but I don’t see Mrs. Clinton being very authentic, either,” he said. “Yes, it is important in a president and I’m very conflicted. If I had a dollar for every conflicted email, Facebook post, or call that I get about Trump, [I’d be rich]. As I said, this is a race to the bottom.” Giordano thinks Trump “either wins in Pennsylvania or loses by under two percent.” The state has voted for the Democratic candidate during the last six presidential elections. “Trump is such a wildcard in a lot of parts in the state—even in Philadelphia, he’s going to do better than a (Mitt) Romney or a McCain,” said Giordano, whom Trump once invited to play at his Pine Hill, NJ, golf course. “He is a celebrity, he has an appeal that’s different. Mrs. Clinton’s issue is simple: Can she get excitement going?” In 2012, President Obama received about 85 percent of the votes in Philadelphia, walloping Romney. “Mrs. Clinton will come nowhere near that,” Giordano said. “She has the excitement challenge. And Trump has the challenge of suburban women, college-educated, particularly here in the four counties around Philadelphia. 51
An Unconventional Journey To put it mildly, Dom Giordano’s career path was unconventional. He has gone from being a creative high school teacher—he once rewarded a student’s reading accomplishments by giving him enough shrimp to feed an entire classroom—to becoming one of Philadelphia’s most popular talk-radio hosts. Teaching groups of easily distracted teenagers, he said, helped him make the transition to the world of radio, where he has interviewed such people as Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, John McCain, Dick Cheney, Henry Kissinger, Donald Rumsfeld, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump. Hey, if you can find a way to captivate a bunch of 15- and 16-year-olds, what’s so difficult about interviewing a political big shot? “Teaching was a great experience,” said Giordano, who now hosts a show on 1210 WPHT. “It prepared me to entertain and to get people informed. It taught me how important energy is.” Giordano has local roots, enabling him to understand the psyche of his listeners. He attended Bishop Neumann High and earned his degree in education at LaSalle. He received his masters at Antioch University, where he met his wife, Rosemary, and attended Rutgers Law School. “But I never took the bar because I got into this,” he said. “This” is the radio business—and he probably wouldn’t be behind a microphone if it wasn’t for his creative teaching methods, which, in a roundabout way, led to him getting a taste of the media. Giordano taught English in Camden (Davis Middle School), Darby Township High in Delaware County, and Triton High in Runnemede, NJ. While teaching at Triton, Giordano rewarded his students for correct answers. “It was like a behavior-modification system,” he said. “If you got something right, I’d threw you gum or candy and the wrapper counted toward points—and you needed X number of points to get an A or a B.” Giordano’s main goal was to make students want to read. That seemed like a long shot at first, but the reward system proved beneficial. “It helped tremendously dealing with people who were, let’s say, reluctant learners,” he said. The more points you accumulated, the higher your grade. And the students who excelled were given prizes donated by folks in the community. “One kid read 10 books in one quarter, so I got him 30 pounds of shrimp, because that’s what he wanted,” Giordano said with a smile. “Another kid read a lot of books and I got him a half-priced transmission job.” His unique system became known as Giordano-ism. Giordano’s unorthodox teaching methods became publicized locally and made him a popular radio guest. It even enabled him to attract well-known guests—such as Tug McGraw, the former Phillies relief ace—to his classroom. “There were those who could read, but they chose not to read,” Giordano said. “I started to write about it, started to have the kids write to famous people...and it got picked up on the news and that’s how I got started doing talk radio. They had me on as a guest because of all these teaching things I had written about and were in the news.” As a radio guest, Giordano felt so comfortable he decided he would “like to try this while I was still teaching. So I got into paid talk radio.” He bought air time at a Jenkintown station. “Before me, was Rev. Billy Bob Ray, saying the world was ending, and then I was on after him,” he said, giving the radio host a fictitious name. Giordano sold advertising to pay for his costs, then went to a bigger station and was on the air after a “glutton who was doing a six-course meal” as he spoke, “and then I would come on and do a self-improvement show, followed by Mark Segal and the only gay hour in America. They would open the closet door and say they were coming out of the closet. “That,” said Giordano, a Germantown resident, “was quite the programming block on a Saturday afternoon.” For a while, Giordano continued to teach full-time while doing radio work on the weekends. In 1987, he went to WWDB and left teaching. Thirteen years later, he was hired at WCAU (now WPHT) and has been there ever since. No word on whether he has been rewarding his producers with bushels of shrimp. 52
They don’t like him at this point, and he has to win enough of them to counter this.” Giordano believes Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes) is in the “top two or three states” whose outcome will decide the overall election. The polls have been close, but Trump is fighting huge odds because Democrats hold a 919,000-voter registration edge over Republicans. In New Jersey, which has 14 electoral votes, Giordano sees Clinton winning in a landslide. A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 1988, when the states helped George H.W. Bush take the election.
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S FAR AS PICKING this year’s overall winner, “the fundamentals are there for Hillary Clinton,” Giordano said before adding, “I would give Trump a puncher’s chance. The electoral map adds up for Hillary Clinton. The Democrats have a lock on California, New York, but....” There is something about Trump that makes Giordano believe an upset is possible. “I wouldn’t call it an ‘outside’ chance for Trump, but I’d call it a ‘reasonable’ chance,” he said. In some polls, “Ronald Reagan was behind Jimmy Carter until the Sunday before the big election in 1980—and then it broke right for him.” It will be a “relatively close” race, Giordano predicted. “It’s Hillary’s race to lose, but she’s on her way to losing it.” He said if Trump can be relatively gaffe-free down the stretch—and continues his campaign’s new strategy by displaying more substance than bluster—he could shock the world. No matter who wins, Giordano will be happy behind a WPHT microphone. He said the station has become a bigger player because of resources provided by David Yadgaroff, the CBS Philadelphia market manager, and Jared Hart, 1210’s program director. “What’s thrilling about this job is you never know what’s going to come up,” Giordano said, noting he once did a politicalbased interview with Cher. “Here’s the essence of my job: In one week, I got to judge a seven-hour Miss Kensington contest, and the very same week I got to interview Dick Cheney after he had the heart problem during the recount of 2000.” There was another time he got to interview Kissinger and Phillies manager Charlie Manuel on consecutive segments. “Where else, but on talk radio, do you have Henry Kissinger followed by Charlie Manuel?” Giordano cracked. “When you can handle those two back-to-back, you know you’ve arrived in talk radio.” n
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The 76ers unveil their new state-of-the-art training facility on the Camden Waterfront
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T WILL TAKE SOME TIME before the Philadelphia 76ers reign as kings of the NBA, but construction of their castle has already been completed. On Friday, Sept. 23, the Sixers unveiled a palatial new training complex with a festive and highly anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Camden Waterfront. The crown jewel of the 125,000-square-foot campus off of Delaware Avenue is a 66,230-square-foot basketball facility with amenities suited for basketball royalty. BY T. JORDAN WOMPIERSKI
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Photos sixers.com
Dawn of a new era
BY INCORPORATING THE BEST-OF-THE-BEST IN MODERN ATHLETIC TRAINING AND COMFORT, THE SIXERS NOW HAVE ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE FACILITIES IN THE NBA, IF NOT ALL OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS. “With the Philadelphia 76ers training complex, one thing was really clear,” said Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil. “We wanted to build the biggest and best training facility in the history of the world.” The basketball building at the new training complex features two full-sized courts, a 16-stall locker room, a hydrotherapy room with multiple pools and tubs, a strength and conditioning area, a luxurious players’ lounge complete with pingpong tables and big-screen TVs, and a gourmet restaurant open only to players and basketball operations employees. The second building on the campus will house the team’s business offices. Previously, the Sixers’ practice court and offices were located at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. “In order for a team to succeed, you need to have a place where players feel comfortable, players have access to the courts at any time, players have access to other resources including fitness facilities and treatment facilities,” said Bryan Colangelo, president of basketball operations for the 76ers. “They also need the people that can carry those activities out.”
The locker room in the Sixers state-of-the-art facility
Sixers executives looked at other world-renowned training complexes and borrowed their favorite elements from multiple facilities, tailoring them to meet the needs of a basketball team. “We had the ability to go around the world and look at the Australian Institute of Sport, look at what happens in Manchester United, Real Madrid, and study domestically what the NHL does,
NFL, Major League Baseball, existing NBA practice facilities, and to be able to take the best of all of that and form a facility that we think reflects how we see the sport,” 76ers coach Brett Brown explained. By incorporating the best-of-the-best in modern athletic training and comfort, the Sixers now have one of the most desirable facilities in the
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N ESTIMATED 250 EMPLOYEES will work at the state-of-the-art complex, which was originally announced in June 2014. Groundbreaking took place in January 2015, but the Sixers did plenty of homework first to ensure the complex would be unrivaled in both luxury and functionality. “The reality is that it took a significant amount of time to get this right,” said David Blitzer, the team’s partial owner. “What we wanted to do was, when you go on a project of this scale and magnitude, you want to make sure that you spend the appropriate amount of time planning, for everything from locations to the changes in technology that are occurring, so that we can deliver to our staff, to our players, to our coaches what is clearly going to be the finest facility within the NBA.” 57
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NBA, if not all of professional sports. “In the business today, there’s so many things that you’re competing with, with other franchises, and it’s become a little bit of an arms race, if you will, with respect to what player amenities you have,” Colangelo said. “How you travel, what the practice facility is, what kind of creature comforts you give them. We’re taking this to an entirely new level in terms of the healthy performance and nutrition aspect of things. We’re really trying to drive excellence. We’re trying to create a culture of not only excellence, but of maximum performance, and trying to give them as many things that can help enhance that and get us there quicker.” “It’s stylish, it’s got a vibe,” added Josh Harris, managing owner of the Sixers. “It looks good. People want to be here. Part of building a winning team is people enjoying themselves and wanting to come and play. Attracting stars. It’s gonna help, rolling this out. We’ve now jumped everyone and gone from maybe one of the toughest places to play and practice and live to probably the best in the NBA.” In addition to top-notch amenities for players and staff, considerable thought also went into the location of the training complex. There were initial rumblings about a new facility at
the Philadelphia Navy Yard, but the Sixers ultimately opted to put roots down in redeveloping Camden. Of course, finances played a big role in that decision: the New Jersey Economic Development Authority granted the team $82 million in tax credits over 10 years to build the training complex there. ONEY ASIDE, the Sixers say they are proud to play a part in the revival of Camden. It’s a city the team is familiar with due to years of 76ers youth and community programs in the area, but actually establishing brick-and-mortar ties to Camden is an even greater sign of commitment to the ongoing revitalization. “We spent 20 years doing programs in and around Camden,” O’Neil said. “It’s a city on the rise and there’s a tremendous opportunity for us to be a catalyst for change in that community, and we hope to play that role.” Just as the city of Camden is in the midst of a long-term rebound, the Sixers are also in the middle of a lengthy rebuilding process. The team has struggled in recent years as management complacently trudged through losing seasons in order to stockpile draft picks.
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However, there was a genuine buzz surrounding the Sixers this summer, with a number of big-name players now ready to enter the fold. After a few disastrous years, it seems as if the 76ers are finally getting ready to return to playoff contention, so it’s only fitting they will have a pristine new practice center to use as they embark on the upswing of the rebuild. “It’s a new day for us,” Harris said. “The best facility in the NBA—our facility. A place where we’ve got the best medical facilities, the best nutrition, and a great place for the guys to hang out, and our coaches and our staff. At the same time, we’re looking at Dario Šaric and Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and all of our other players and a lot of new faces, but a lot of new talent. A lot more talent than we’ve had in the last few years.” The team debuted that talent during the first full practice at the new Camden training center on October 2. It was a session full of excitement and optimism—something the Sixers hope becomes a regular occurrence in Camden. “Our goal is to build a team that can compete for a championship here over multiple seasons,” O’Neil said. “Part of that is having a home where we can make sure that we develop and come together, and this is that home.” n
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The First Tee
Teaching life skills through golf BY BOB SHEPPARD
William Hyndman V
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ILLIAM HYNDMAN V, the newly appointed Executive Director of the First Tee of Greater Philadelphia, believes that he developed many of his life skills through his own junior golf experiences while participating in junior golf tournaments run by the Greater Philadelphia Scholastic Golf Association. As things sometimes happen in life, it was the same Greater Philadelphia Scholastic Golf Association that eventually morphed into The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia that Hyndman now champions. Hyndman firmly believes that these early golf experiences provided him with the confidence, perseverance, and judgment that enabled him to achieve many of his dreams, one of which was to become a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter pilot. “It was an honor to serve my country as a pilot and paratrooper, and it was great to use my experience and leadership not only to later work for Comcast running Philadelphia’s cable systems, but to now serve as the Executive Director for The First Tee of 60
Photos courtesy The First Tee
Greater Philadelphia
Greater Philadelphia. This was something I could not pass up, because it gives me the opportunity to take all I learned in the military, in business, and through my golf experiences to make a difference with hundreds of kids. I never thought I would work in the non-profit world, but having this opportunity was something that I knew I would enjoy. Too many people have jobs they do not enjoy. The First Tee has a mission that was right in my wheelhouse.” Golf has been good to the Hyndman family. “I welcome having an opportunity through The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia to give back to the game that has given me so much. My grandfather, the well-known amateur golfer William Hyndman III of Huntingdon Valley Golf Club, exemplified all of the Nine Core Values on the golf course, as a successful businessman, and in everything he did. What he taught me formally, and through his example, is what our kids learn through The First Tee programs.”
provides golf equipment for the kids. Third, the game is not easy, and can be frustrating. The junior golfers will learn the basic rules of play, and understand that they will be calling penalties on themselves, and will be responsible for recording their own scores. The First Tee’s programs are geared for kids of all privileges, with the main goal being to teach life skills for them to face life’s challenges, and through the mechanism of golf, they can apply these skills and play the game their entire life.
YOU CAN HELP
THE FIRST TEE’S NINE CORE VALUES The First Tee focuses not only on teaching golf to kids, but also on introducing and promoting these Nine Core Values to every participating junior golfer: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment. The First Tee is not content to just build new golfers. It is also intent on building valuable life and leadership lessons for every one of their participating juniors. They understand that a junior golfer’s potential can be viewed in many different ways, and the ability to shoot low scores may not necessarily be that important. They instead watch how the different kids enjoy playing the game and how they handle their good and bad rounds, and The First Tee offers encouragement for their efforts regardless of the outcome. Hyndman understands that the future of golf is in the hands of the next generation of golfers, and his biggest challenge is getting more kids involved in The First Tee Programs. Promoting the game of golf is quite different than other sports. First of all, the use of the golf course is rarely cost free as are basketball courts, tennis courts, and baseball fields. Second, the golf equipment the kids need can be expensive, so The First Tee
The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia is operating the Walnut Lane Course, and also has a large learning center at their FDR Golf Course. You can help The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia by contributing to their Annual Appeal. Contributions to their Chapter are tax deductible, and you can make a huge difference in the program and the children that they serve. They work very hard to keep their program costs low and to work with families that are in need. Additionally, they work with schools and other non-profits to help deliver programming at little or no cost. Get more information at www.thefirstteephiladelphia.org. n
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Photo Tom Peric
PROFILE
Ballantyne in his Edison, NJ office
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JOHN BALLANTYNE N O T
YO U R
FAT H E R ’ S
L A B O R
L E A D E R
BY TOM PERIC
JOHN BALLANTYNE STOPPED WATCHING TELEVISION FOR ONE YEAR. That act of self-denial—he felt it distracted him and stole time away from his work—is emblematic of Ballantyne’s commitment to the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC). And it’s a big job, especially with a recent restructuring of the union carpentry territory that now includes all of New Jersey, New York (except the five boroughs of New York City), Greater Philadelphia, Delaware and parts of Maryland. Last September, Ballantyne, 53, became the NRCC’s Executive SecretaryTreasurer, usually referred to in union parlance as the EST; in most organizations, he’d hold the title of CEO. When asked what it’s like to be the powerful leader of 40,000-plus union carpenters and signatory contractors (who have agreed to use union carpenters), Ballantyne grimaces at the word “powerful.” “I lead. I direct. I compromise. I suggest,” he says, indicating a clear distaste for any suggestion that he runs a fiefdom with him at the top. Ballantyne has a corner office on the second floor of the union’s Edison, NJ, headquarters. He never sat down at his executive-style desk, preferring to sit at a small round table at the other end of the room when meeting with someone. When reading emails, he would balance his tablet on a window ledge overlooking the parking lot and State Route 514. During phone conversations, he paced frequently, made decisions quickly, approved ideas but also override associates when necessary. However, the larger issues that he confronts will be the ones everyone judges him on during his four-year tenure as EST. Unlike most company officials, Ballantyne, the former Assistant EST, had to be voted into his current role by union representatives, who are voted upon, in turn, by the general membership. Ballantyne calls it union democracy at work. The carpenters union faces a cloudy horizon, as do all the trades. Union membership is down, and the trades face a shortfall of skilled labor. The economic downturn in 2008 pushed many out of the industry. The generational spigot of recruits—grandfather to father to son—is no longer reliable. Too many of this generation, including the kids of trade workers, are going to college, while experienced tradesmen are retiring. There is also the image of some unions, in popular media reports, that seem to highlight the contentious aspects of the construction-related indus-
try, rather than the jobs they bring to local communities along with regular volunteer work. (Each local has a volunteer committee that matches its members’ carpenter skills with organizations or individuals with those that need their help.) Ballantyne emphasizes what most people forget, especially nonunion members. “If you hear about some union-related incident, the negative brush applies to the entire union membership,” Ballantyne says. “If a major corporate executive creates a public mistake or even a crime, no one points the finger at all the employees, saying they’re all guilty.” Ballantyne is setting the tone for the union’s future. The first is that today’s union is different from the past. It almost seems like it’s a cliché, except in the carpenters union, it’s patently true. “It’s not your father’s union,” Ballantyne says emphatically, not minimizing past accomplishments that contribute to a livable wage, but acknowledging that today’s workforce, culture, demographics and technological landscape are different. He concedes that union penetration isn’t the same as it was during the 1970s. n n n BUT THE CARPENTERS UNION UNDER BALLANTYNE ISN’T PAUSING
on the playing field. He has committed himself to ensuring that the carpenters meet the challenges of the construction industry in the 21st century. One example is the carpenters’ multiyear push toward recruiting with the overarching theme of diversity. Historically, women and minorities have been on the sidelines. The NRCC, together with the Puerto Rican Association for Human Development Inc. (PRAHD), have developed a pre-apprentice program that allows potential carpenters to have a taste of the carpenter life. It’s a new venue for recruitment and finding hidden talent for a carpentry trade that had, until recently, been largely untapped. This effort, in part, acknowledges Ballantyne’s pragmatism. His attitude and approach are measured, open-minded and almost collegial. (Union literature these days is apt to use the word “partnership” when dealing with builders or contractors.) Another visible change is his growing emphasis toward shaping the Carpenter’s union into a more professional organization. Most trade organizations are amateurs when it comes to marketing. The Carpenter’s union is changing that. The Carpenter Contractor Trust, a management63
Photo courtesy NE Regional Council of Carpenters
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OUR CORE PRINCIPALS ARE WORK, WAGES, AND BENEFITS FOR OUR MEMBERS. THAT’S IT. ALL THE OTHER STUFF IS JUST BELLS AND WHISTLES.”
labor trust, serves as the marketing arm for union carpenters and its signatory contractors. Its professional staff developed the theme—supported by Ballantyne—that the advantages union carpenters bring to the job are skill set, flexibility, equity and productivity—as part of their recruitment effort and pitch to developers and builders. The language today is about fairness, partnerships, give-and-take, and the disappear-
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ance of a “take-it-or-leave-it” approach when negotiating. This sophistication is also evident in Ballantyne’s political pragmatism. He points out that not only does the union support specific candidates, but they urge their members to become active, beyond the ballot. Today, more than 200 elected or appointed officials are union members. If there is any sense of regret from Ballantyne, it is that if more nonunion builders or developers gave his workers a chance, they would see the results of training and witness the work ethic firsthand. He points out that it takes four to five years of training (both classroom and on the job) before an apprentice carpenter becomes a journeyman. Ballantyne is a patient listener, and though he didn’t graduate with a college degree, the self-taught labor leader is urbane and reasonable. But it would be an error to presume that he isn’t zealous about protecting his workers and the funds to which union members contribute. Hard bargaining is as American as apple pie. It’s as true in the corporate boardrooms as it in a union hall. In the bliss of modern day comforts, we might overlook why we have unions in the first place. Ballantyne won’t get a soap box, but he will remind people—especially around Labor Day, which was founded by a union carpenter—that in the past, they campaigned for “outrageous” demands like the eight-hour work day and the 40-hour work week. Surprising to some, Ballantyne uses words like streamlining, reducing redundancies, and freeing up assets as he describes the future of the Carpenter’s Union. “A corporate executive is concerned with the bottom line and reducing redundancy in services for a profit line,” Ballantyne said. “I have no profit line. I’m looking to put people to work. I may take their core principles [of corporate America] on how to get there, but my end goal isn’t profit. It’s work, capturing man hours and establishing benefits and security for our membership. That’s the difference.” While he is poised to handle labor and business issues in a new era, he
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breaks it down into simple English. “Our core principals are work, wages, and benefits for our members. That’s it. All the other stuff is just bells and whistles. “We’ve taken the best of what we see in Fortune 500 companies and tried to convert that into how a labor union should run. It’s a $161 million budget. Our members should be glad we’re looking at this as a corporation. This is big business. We walk into a room; we utilize that money to capture work for people. [The union will invest its funds if projects pass a rigorous litmus test.] They should be glad it’s run like a corporation. The other thing is our transparency. You can find out anything about this union on the Internet, down to a secretary’s wages. The disclosure is more [detailed] than any corporation.” “If somebody tells me, ‘Hey, that guy runs it like a Fortune 500 company,’ I’m proud because I’m running it not for profit. I’m running it for our people. n n n SOMEONE DESCRIBED HIM AS A GUY WHO WILL BACK YOU UP
in a fight, but has the smarts to avoid it because he sees it coming. That’s Ballantyne in real life. Being the leader of an immense union organization always carries some edge to it. He maintains that even in his personal life. He boxed as a youth, is a pilot and has a scuba diving certification. He is also a recreational motorcyclist (he owns a Harley), and recently scuba dived with friends exploring a sunken Mexican Navy vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. His oldest, son, Justin, 31, is a carpenter (and trains mixed martial artists), and his younger son Ian, 20, is a college student. He’s been with his wife, Alison, a licensed electrician, for 32 years. Ballantyne is urbane, calm, intense when necessary and an accomplished public speaker. When asked: “John, you’re in the barber’s chair, you strike up a conversation, and someone asks, ‘What do you do?’ how do you answer?” Ballantyne looked mildly surprised, as though it was a trick question. “I tell ’em I’m a carpenter,” he said. n
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BOOK EXCERPT
WORST. PRESIDENT. EVER. BY ROBERT STRAUSS
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hough I have chosen Pennsylvania’s only president, James Buchanan, to star in my new book, “Worst. President. Ever.”, I have had a long fascination with Old Buck and his 43 other comrades at the top of our political food chain. I got the bug early—mostly because I had a bug. Actually, it was tonsillitis, and I was not yet to my sixth birthday. The doctor who was going to take those vestigial inflamed tonsils out sent me to the huge municipal hospital in Philadelphia, where I was placed in a room packed with cribs. It was the 1950s and the babies of the Baby Boom seemed all to be getting their tonsils out at once. My father, an American history buff, had already taken me to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and a few other minor halls nearby – Carpenters’ Hall, basically a union meeting place, was my favorite, mostly because no one else ever seemed to be visiting there—in Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park. One of the books he bought me was a Disney version of Ben and Me, where an absentminded Ben Franklin was guided in his discoveries and diplomacy by Amos, the mouse, who rode in Franklin’s hat and told him how to handle fellows like “Red” – Amos’s name for Thomas Jefferson, based on Jefferson’s red hair. Dad and I also visited Christ Church, which Ben and Red and General George Washington attended when they were in Philly. Amos, the fictional mouse, grew up with his siblings “poor as church mice,” Amos said. “In fact, we were church mice.” Amos was one of twenty-six children, the oldest, his name beginning with “A.” So, he had to go out to seek his fortune, eventually finding Ben. Those who go to the Franklin printing shop re-creation on Market Street in Philadelphia can, if they look closely in a crack in the brick wall, see a gray mouse head sticking out. I had to wait in that children’s ward for several days while the inflammation subsided, and one morning, my father came to see me with a big smile. Knowing I also had become a sports fan—starting to memorize the statistics of every Philadelphia Phillie baseball player—he handed me what is still the favorite book I have ever received, Facts About the Presidents, compiled by Joseph Nathan Kane. Its pages are not just yellow, but burnt sienna now. It could have been the tablets from Mount Sinai and not influenced me more. In its pages, which—given when I got it—only go up to Dwight Eisenhower, are stats and quick anecdotes and little almost-nothings about The Guys, as my father and I called them. There are birth and death dates 70
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uthor Robert Strauss describes his new book, Worst. President. Ever.: James Buchanan, the POTUS Rating Game, and the Legacy of the Least of the Lesser Presidents as “a sardonic biography of James Buchanan, but, as you might imagine, it is apropos of the current election—no matter whom you are for….” Most comforting, perhaps, is his confidence that the outcome of the current Presidential election will not be more terrible, whoever gets elected; “I assure you, no matter how you think, that Buchanan was worse. Whatever they or the potential Presidents Trump or Clinton do, it is unlikely they will start the Civil War and preside over the worst depression we have ever had, the Panic of 1857.” The excerpt he has modified here is about his own obsession with presidents, or as he calls them, “the Guys.”
not only of the presidents, but of the first ladies and vice presidents and parents and children of The Guys. The statistics are all over the place, almost willy-nilly. “Nine of 33 had fathers who married twice.” “Two of 33 were posthumous children.” Causes of death: “Wilson—Apoplexy, paralysis…Jackson—Consumption, dropsy…T. Roosevelt—Inflammatory rheumatism.” Relative longevity of the presidents and their parents: “J. Adams—90 years, 247 days; 70 years, 106 days; 98 years, 43 days…Monroe—73 years, 67 days;” and then the unfound parents’ ages still listed, but left like this: “_____; _____;” Kane gave me a visual place to go: “Hayes---Height 5 feet 8 ½ inches; weight 170 pounds; dark brown hair; sandy red beard; deeply set blue eyes; large head, high forehead, straight nose, curling brows; mild but very audible voice.” Or the biggest of The Guys, “Taft—Height 6 feet; huge frame; weight 300-332 pounds; deep-set eyes; ruddy complexion; turnedup mustache.” And an idea of their secret passions and hobbies: “Poker— Harding, Truman…Jujitsu—T. Roosevelt…Indian Clubs—Coolidge…Mechanical horse…Coolidge…Pitching hay—Coolidge.” Even a five-year-old could appreciate how nutty this seemed, a president who loved pitching hay, riding a mechanical horse, and throwing Indian clubs but, then, a few pages away was the notation that Coolidge was the only president born on July 4—to the White House born, so to speak. Dad had me hooked. Yes, he took me to ball games and theater, but anyone might go there. We didn’t travel much, but when we did, there was no historical marker he didn’t stop at and have me read with him. When I was ten he had some business in North Carolina, and we went there over Christmas vacation, stopping along the way at Civil War sites then celebrating the war’s centennial. On the way back he headed northwest to the town of Staunton, VA, so we could go to Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace. We got up to the door, my father almost salivating at the thought of visiting someplace he had never dreamed he would get to. The door was locked. Crestfallen, my father went to the side of the building, where there was a note on the side door. The birthplace was closed because that very day, Dec. 28, 1961, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, the president’s 89-year-old widow, had died and the place was in repose in her memory. Undeterred by his bad luck, my father motored across the Blue Ridge
highlands the 90 minutes or so to Charlottesville. Before we could visit Ash Lawn (James Monroe’s house), or Monticello (Jefferson’s), my father had his own personal mission. We headed directly to the University of Virginia library and bounded up to the collections room. No visitors were there but we two, my mother opting to stay in the library lounge. My dad had his big box camera at his side and went immediately to the librarian in charge. “I’m Judge Strauss from New Jersey, and I need to see President Jefferson’s will and photograph it,” he said, then invoking the name of a judge he knew in Virginia, or at least a judge he said he knew, as a reference. The incomprehensible burbling from the librarian’s mouth somehow indicated this was not something the library was supposed to be doing. My father’s agitated reference to the Virginia judge over and over again—I think I was even laughing a bit at this point—saw the man cower farther and farther into the stacks. After what seemed like an endless-back-and-forth, the man retreated, went to the vault, or wherever he had to, and brought out the will, spreading the five pages out on the table for my father to photograph it. I know it is five pages because on the top shelf of my office bookcase, I have that photographed Jeffersonian will in two frames, just as my father did during his lifetime. I have another presidential keepsake that I like for the story value as well. It is a T-shirt from the bookstore at Calvin Coolidge’s birthplace in Plymouth Notch, VT. My wife and I made that pilgrimage after leaving our two daughters, then 16 and 13, for a week’s internship at our friend’s refugee resettlement
agency in New Haven, CT, while we tootled around New England. But the story really starts just a few years after the gift of Facts About the Presidents, when my father brought home a set of white plastic statues. All about four inches high, they were likenesses of the presidents—by this time going from Washington to JFK— all standing on platforms that had their last names on the front and their terms of office on the back in raised letters. Some kids had toy soldiers. Girls of my era may have had Barbie dolls. But I had my Guys. Dad even bought an extra Guy later—Lyndon Johnson when he came to office. After I had grown up, my mom obviously put them in a brown wooden cigar box and added them to “Robert’s things.” I found the box after she died, and I put them away again—until it was time to indoctrinate Sylvia, my younger daughter, maybe when she was 7 or 8. One day a couple of years later, I noticed that she had taken seven of them out and put them on her nightstand, all in a row, save that William Taft was a few inches in front in his place in the horizontal row. There were five back to his left and one to his right. So I asked Sylvia what was up. “It’s Friday,” she said. “Friday? So why Taft?” I asked. “Sixth in the row. Friday,” she said, exasperated at me for not recognizing the calendar she had made out of The Guys. One day in 2004, when she was 13, Sylvia and I went to see the remake of Around the World in 80 Days, starring Jackie Chan. At some point in the movie, which is set in the late 1870s, someone mentions President Rutherford B. Hayes.
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“Nineteen,” Sylvia said in a whisper, leaning over to me. “Nineteen?” I asked back. “Yes, nineteen,” she said assuredly. I don’t think I said anything more, but she could feel that I didn’t have a clue what she was saying. “Rutherford B. Hayes, the nineteenth president,” she said, and then went on to cheer some antic Chan was doing on screen. Sylvia, now an adult, still pretends she is nothing like me, and it was even more her belief back in her teen years. She was a pretty good athlete, doing at least one sport a season. One thing, though, was that she was determined to do as little running as possible. When she found out that shooting 3-pointers in basketball meant that she had to run only between those outer curved lines, she became the team shooting guard. In soccer and lacrosse she was most often a goalie, recognizing quickly that goalies rarely run during a game or practice. So when I got to the Coolidge birthplace, I could not help but notice that T-shirt, one emblazoned with a portion of a famous Coolidge quote, “I do not choose to run…” Coolidge used it to say that despite being eligible to run in the 1928 election, he would retire—and maybe pitch hay or ride that mechanical horse. It was perfect for Sylvia and her non-running sporting proclivities, but when I gave it to her, I merely said it was a presidential keepsake. Even at 13, she knew better. She looked at the T-shirt and threw it back to me in disgust. There is little in presidential oddball minutia that has not attracted me. I have seen Grover Cleveland’s cancerous jawbone (at the Mutter Museum of medical oddities in Philadelphia) and the pieces of his wedding cake his sister saved (at his birthplace in West Caldwell, NJ). We passed close to Herbert Hoover’s birthplace in West Branch, Iowa, and stopped to see the most impressive thing there, the family chicken coop. Woodrow Wil-
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son’s crib, George Washington’s false teeth, Grant’s Tomb, I have collected memories of them all. We tried to go to John and John Quincy Adams’s house on Presidents Day—and it was closed, who would have thought, because of the federal holiday, Presidents Day. I was between interviews during a book tour in Charlotte, NC, and noticed that James Knox Polk’s birthplace was just south of the city. No one else was there and the shelves in the small bookstore looked like they had not been stocked in years. I bought a coffee cup with Polk’s visage—and about a half-inch of accumulated dust. Several months later, my daughter was having a college interview at Vanderbilt, in Nashville, so while waiting, I walked the few blocks to the Tennessee State House. To my surprise, on the grounds was Polk’s tomb. I had seen the bookends of a presidential life in the space of mere weeks. How fortuitous. Years later, the editor of special sections for the New York Times asked me for ideas for a Museum section. I was pondering presidential so said it might be fun to do something on sites connected with lesser presidents. Among those I chose was the estate of John Tyler, Sherwood Forest, in rural Virginia. I called over and the executive director said, excitedly, “Oh, you will just have to talk to Mrs. Tyler.” Tyler may not have been the most significant president, but his historical paternity is without equal. Late in life, post-presidency, he had several children with his second wife. One of those boys followed the same pattern, having children in his dotage with a second wife. Two of those children were still alive when I did the story in 2015, and one of them, Harrison, was still living in the original John Tyler home with his wife, Frances Payne Tyler. The chance to talk to the president’s granddaughter-in-law was a major kick. I could not get her off the phone, nor did I want to. The stories flowed. How she was sunbathing one day in the garden of the Tyler home,
said to be the longest house in America—230 feet long with 33 rooms— when a group of older folks wandered down and started staring at her. “I wasn’t going to kick them out, Robert, but it was then I decided we should give tours and make a little money,” she said. She also said she loved riding horses on the family plantation in South Carolina, but when her father, her riding partner, died when she was 12, his best friend, who did not have his own horses, volunteered to come ride with her every few weeks. The best friend? The Honorable Strom Thurmond, who himself ran for president in 1948. Despite her disdain for that Coolidge shirt, Sylvia was with me on my first trip to Wheatland, the Buchanan estate, when I did a story for the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Weekend section about what to do in Lancaster. We bought a souvenir postcard, not a T-shirt. Sylvia could only laugh in derision, though, when I told her a few years later that Sue, my wife, allowed me 90 minutes to go to Rutherford B. Hayes’s home in Fremont, Ohio, a few miles off the Ohio Turnpike, on our way to my mother-in-law’s house in Michigan. During the tour---there were only two other people with us in the thirty-plus-room house—the docent asked if we would like to see Hayes’s bellows-driven harpsichord. She pulled it out and looked at me gazing at the machine. “Would you like to play it?” she asked. It could have been Mozart’s own instrument and I would not have been more anxious. I pressed the bellows with my feet and played, I think, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” I would like to believe Hayes would have appreciated my enthusiasm. n Journalist, educator, historian and author Robert Strauss of Haddonfield, NJ, is a frequent contributor to JerseyMan/PhillyMan Magazines. His book Worst. President. Ever.: James Buchanan, the POTUS Rating Game, and the Legacy of the Least of the Lesser Presidents is available now at Amazon.com.
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THE HEALTH REFEREE ______________________________________________________________________________________________ BY DR. RUBINA TAHIR, DC
Kickoff: Four Benefits of A Vegan Diet 2.5% of the US population is vegan
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OES THE IDEA OF A VEGAN DIET INTEREST YOU? Going vegan is quite appealing given that research supports many health benefits. More and more men, women, children, and even athletes are turning to a vegan diet. Joe Namath, one of the most recognizable names in NFL history, is quoted as saying, “It shows that you don’t need meat to play football,” when he switched to a vegan diet. So if you don’t need meat, what do you need? It just takes a little extra information gathering and recipe creation to ensure a well-balanced plant based diet. 1.YOU CAN GET ENOUGH PROTEIN Amino acids are like building blocks and form chains together which are called proteins. “Some amino acids cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from food”, says Lenka Zivkovic, a Philadelphia based vegan chef. Essential amino acids are found in meat, dairy products, eggs, as well as many plant-based foods, such as quinoa. You don’t just have to eat chicken! “Chia seeds are my favorite”, says Lenka, “I use them to make jam, add to shakes, and salads”. A 100
PLANT BASED PROTEINS • Black Lentils (Mungo), 100 grams = 25 g protein • Chia Seeds, 100 grams = 17 g protein • Chickpeas, 100 grams = 19 g protein • Quinoa, 180 grams = 8.4 g protein • Hempseeds, 1tbsp = 5.3 g protein • Tofu, 100 grams = 8 g protein • Broccoli, 100 grams = 2.8 g protein • Almonds, 100 grams = 21 g protein
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gram serving of Chia seeds contains 17 grams of protein. Generally, patients on a plant-based diet are not at risk for protein deficiency.
VEGAN UNSATURATED FATS
2. UNSATURATED VS. SATURATED
Try to avoid eating plants that are high in saturated fat. However, if you enjoy the benefits of coconut oil, make sure it comprises 30% or less of the fat you eat.
Saturated fats are considered the bad fats. Eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. From a scientific standpoint, saturated fats are simply fat molecules that have no double bonds between carbon molecules because they are saturated with hydrogen molecules. Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature. Our body naturally makes LDL, so we need to be mindful of our food choices so we don’t raise this to an unhealthy level. Going vegan is an easy way to control your LDL because you eliminate dairy products and meats which contain large amounts of saturated fats. By reducing the amount of saturated fats from your diet, you’ll improve your health tremendously, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health.
Almonds, Brazil nuts, Walnuts, Tahini, Avocado
3. SHOULD YOU GO VEGAN TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high blood pressure is the second greatest public health threat in the US, and about half of all people with hypertension have uncontrolled high blood pressure. Dietary patterns influence health in a major way. Take this study for example. The British Journal of Nutrition conducted a study with 29 patients who had suffered from essential hypertension for an average of 8 years and were all receiving long-term medication for hypertension. The 29 patients were subject to therapy with vegan food
for 1 year. In almost all cases, medication was withdrawn or drastically reduced. There was a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. A number of reported symptoms also disappeared. Food for thought. How many days could you commit to going vegan for? It would be a great way to connect with your body and document changes.
4. FOODS THAT FIGHT CANCER Many of us have a friend or family member that has been affected by cancer. Thus, research that supports foods that fight cancer is always a headline to pay attention to. Take for instance one study by Loma Linda University funded by the National Cancer Institute, which reported that vegans have lower rates of cancer than both meat-eaters and vegetarians. Touchdown, team women! Vegan women had 34 percent lower rates of female-specific cancers such as breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer. Touchdown, team men! Vegan men had a 35 percent reduced risk of developing prostate cancer. n References:
1. British Journal of Nutrition, Volume 52, Issue 1 July 1984, pp. 11-20 2. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, Volume 65, Issue 1 February 2006, pp. 35-41 3. N utrients. 2014 Jun; 6(6): 2131–2147. 4. https://www.facebook.com/lenka.zivkovic.5?pnref=about
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DR. NINA
_______________________________________________________________________________ BY NINA RADCLIFF, MD
The Fountain of Youth
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CCORDING TO LEGEND, drinking or dipping into the Fountain of Youth will get rid of wrinkles, thinning hair, and turkey neck. This mystical water has led humans on missions and voyages dating back to the 5th century BC—over 2,500 years ago. But so far, this fountain has eluded us. Yet, our desire to turn back the hands of time continues today. Fortunately, there are a number of lifestyle changes—things we have control over—that can make us look and feel younger.
Getting plenty of exercise can help slow down the aging process, and drinking water helps maintain the elasticity of your skin.
What You Need To Know About Looking and Feeling Younger: DECREASE STRESS If you don’t believe me, compare the picture of our American Presidents at the time of Inauguration and at the end of their term. Enduring the stressors of being the most powerful person on the planet makes our President age in dog years. Woof! When stress is chronic, it is like pressing the pedal to the metal on a fast track to aging. Additionally, when we are stressed, we are more likely to eat poorly, become sedentary, imbibe more tonics, and rely on medications—behaviors that drain our fountain of youth. To put the brakes on this, make active efforts to avoid unnecessary stress, alter situations to minimize its impact, adapt to the stressor, and accept that which we cannot change. STAY ACTIVE Exercising and being active helps maintain a healthy weight, boosts energy levels, tones muscles, strengthens bones, improves our mood, and distracts us from daily worries. We sleep more soundly, and think more clearly. All of these are states of youthfulness. Additionally, one study showed that when men and women over the age of 40 years old exercised frequently, their skin was closer in composition to that of 20- and 30-year-olds, even if they were past age 65! While recommendations vary, getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily can help slow down our aging process. EAT A BALANCED DIET We are what we eat. Fruits and veggies are chock-filled with antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. As a result, they can decrease the breakdown of collagen and provide the building blocks to synthesize collagen. – Antioxidants shield our cells from the damage and aging that free radicals can cause, including its effects on collagen. 80
– Vitamins and minerals are necessary for the production of collagen. As we age, our body decreases collagen production that leads to decreased firmness, a recipe for wrinkles and sagging. It is recommended that adults consume 1.5-2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of veggies every day. But only 13 percent of Americans eat this amount of fruit each day and only 9 percent eat enough veggies! Make sure to incorporate veggies into every meal and for snacking. EAT LESS Research shows that low calorie diets in laboratory rodents increased their lifespan by 30 to 40 percent, compared to rodents that consumed standard diets. These findings have also been seen in humans who consume fewer calories. One hypothesis is that calorie cutting decreases the number of times our heart beats, thereby allowing our heart’s “battery” to tick tock longer. Another hypothesis is that consuming fewer calories can lower T3 (a thyroid hormone involved in metabolism) production and, consequently, the aging process.
APPLY SUNSCREEN Like our Postal Service motto, “Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail” should prevent us from applying sunscreen. UV radiation is present even when it is overcast, winter, or indoors. Sun damage not only can cause skin cancer, but it is responsible for 90% of our skin’s aging. Rule of thumb to ward off wrinkles and skin damage: broad spectrum, greater than SPF 30. STAY HYDRATED Water helps maintain the elasticity of our skin. As we age, our fountain of youth’s water level gets lower and lower. And although drinking water cannot erase wrinkles, it can serve as a speed bump to slow them down. ATTITUDE Age is a gift not everyone gets… “Don’t regret getting older. It is a privilege denied to many” (Unknown). Having a positive attitude helps to keep us young, vital, and healthy, just as a pessimistic, negative attitude can cause us to age. And remember, age is just a number. Therefore, I no longer claim my actual age, but instead take claim to how old I feel…24 years young! SLEEP We all know that not getting enough sleep can make our eyes puffy and have dark circles. Additionally, insomnia can decrease our energy levels, increase stress, and pack on the pounds. When we sleep, it allows our body time to repair and rejuvenate itself. While we may never literally find the fountain of youth, figuratively, the power is within us. It is the accumulation of the choices we make over a long period of time that keeps us youthful. As Sophia Lauren so aptly stated: “There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” Look no further! n
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CELEBRATING OUR MAN & WOMAN OF THE YEAR HONOREES
Man & Woman of the Month JerseyMan/PhillyMan Magazine wants to recognize one man and woman in our region every issue for their extraordinary achievements in community service. At the end of the year, each of the ten nominees (5 men, 5 women) will be recognized at a dinner in their honor.
Christie Mandia Christie Mandia is a communications consultant and Integrative Health Coach. The Honigman Group, Inc. is a full-service marketing consultancy specializing in strategic public relations and luxury brand development. Founded by Christie in 2010, the firm has since executed hundreds of events, secured thousands of media placements and purchased millions of dollars in advertising for clients in and around Philadelphia. She received her Undergraduate degree in Communications from Pennsylvania State University, in State College, Pennsylvania and is a graduate of The Integrative Health Coach Professional Training Program at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. When she is not writing or consulting, she enjoys being a part of many local charitable organizations and co-chaired the Academy of Music’s 157th and 158th Anniversary Concert and Ball Young Friends Committee. She also loves to cook healthy, whole foods and spend time off at the beach. Most of all, she values time spent with her family. For updates follow her at @christiemandia
Raymond J. Pennacchia Ray Pennacchia is Senior Vice President for Select Medical’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Division, a nationally prominent, locally driven provider of outpatient physical rehabilitation with more than 1600 locations nationwide including the District of Columbia. Ray is charged with positively profiling the Select Outpatient Division brand to key customers and decision-makers on national, regional and local levels. In 1997, Ray was instrumental in creating a Naming Rights Partnership between Select Medical’s NovaCare Rehabilitation brand and the Philadelphia Eagles. Under Ray’s leadership, NovaCare manages over 400 High Schools, 50 Universities and over 60 Pro Team partnerships throughout the United States. NovaCare Rehabilitation was purchased by Select Medical Corporation in November 1999. Active within his profession and community, Ray is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Ray also serves as a board member for the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA, Northwestern Human Services (NHS), Police Athletic League (PAL), Pop Warner and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Ray is headquartered at the Select Medical Outpatient Division Office in King of Prussia, PA.
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THE
Entrepreneur Coach by John Hopkins
inspireme@inspiritgrowth.com
Closely Held Company Leadership It’s grassroots. It’s real. And it’s a personal journey.
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RE LEADERS BORN OR MADE? This has always been a curious question wherever leadership is studied and exhibited. This is surely not the place to debate it, but here are some strong guidelines that few leaders would disagree with. You can be born with leadership capability and become a leader. You can be born with leadership capability and NOT become a leader. And it is pretty challenging to be born without leadership capability and become a leader. It just makes sense. You gotta’ have the raw material, and it has to come from somewhere inside.
and/or are the next generation that has taken the business to new levels.
Figuring it out
The path to effective leadership in the closely held business is not the same as it is in corporate America. The former does not enjoy the bench strength of up and coming leadership candidates. The circumstances of private ownership most often intend for family or closely valued employees to move through a succession plan into ownership. Small to mid-size companies, while very profitable and sustainable over decades, generally cannot easily invest in leadership development programs. They are expensive. They require a lot of time away from the business. Most importantly, because of the few number of leaders being developed in the closely held business and the many hats they are asked to wear, the leadership fundamentals don’t get well rooted. Yet, leadership still finds its way to work. It takes longer to figure it out for most of us, and we all wish the path to leadership had greater clarity, practicality and efficiency.
There is No Easy Path Leadership is mission critical, very different than management and more essential than ever. Most companies are over-managed and under-led. Most closely held leaders still spend too much time working “in the business” rather than “on the business.” The workforce is much more diverse and younger than ever
before. Leadership is therefore evolving in real time. There is a long list of leadership qualities and characteristics that we have all studied and seek to emulate that include, but are not limited to, the following:
ENERGIZE OTHERS
Simplified Leadership Actual leadership doesn’t have formulas, checklists, or a step by step approach where one size fits all. It requires insight and action around three leadership competencies that are uniquely defined by each leader after careful consideration:
SERVE AND GROW
LISTEN STRATEGICALLY
STAY GROUNDED
SHARE TRANSPARENTLY
BE AMBITIOUS
ENGAGE RESPONSIBLY
BE SOCIABLE
UNDERSTAND BEHAVIOR
BE INSPIRING
EMPOWER POTENTIAL
BE EMPATHETIC
SHARE VULNERABILITIES
DEMAND EXCELLENCE
REMAIN COOL UNDER FIRE
FOSTER LIFELONG LEARNING
DEVELOP DEEP BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE
DEVELOP ENGAGING LEADERS
CONNECT/STABILIZE GROUPS
CREATE TRUST
Amazon offers over 57,000 books with “Leadership” in the title. In 2015 alone, over 1250 books were published with “Leadership” in the title. Most of what is written comes from leadership discussions in corporate America, which can tend to vary considerably from the closely held company. I haven’t read most of the books, but I can bet that few are written by business owners that have been “boots in the dirt”, built their companies from scratch,
1. Predict-Ability Leadership – effective leaders gain a deep, fearless understanding of their natural leadership tendencies and how they impact others. This is based on highly validated science, and is a MUST HAVE for every leader. It is a 7-minute stimulated response survey that tells you if, and how, you can and will lead.
2. Inspiring Leadership Essentials – leaders MUST know what they are passionate about, what they MUST prioritize and how to inspire others. These are personal, written down and self-assessed quarterly.
3. Self-Coached Leadership – the most effective leaders self-manage their strengths and weaknesses to stay true to their natural leadership behaviors. A simple, selfcoaching system also ensures the leaders know what others expect from them and what adjustments may be required to meet those expectations.
Your Leadership is Your Legacy Being certain about your predictable leadership behavior, knowing how to effectively self-manage and understanding what is most essential for you to be an inspiring leader will motivate resourceful, resilient, re-energized teams and define your leadership legacy. n
If you would like to learn more contact Margaux@inspiritgrowth.com 84
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THE CIGAR GUY _____________________________________________ BY SAM KRAFT
Sponsored by The
Smoking Dog
Oscar by Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co
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Size: Toro Wrapper: Habano
T WAS A CHALLENGE to choose a cigar to review this month because the IPCPR (International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers) trade show was in August. This is significant because the IPCPR is where many manufacturers and brands release their new cigars for the year. Because of the new FDA laws restricting a manufacturer’s ability to succeed financially with a new blend, the new releases this year were somewhat lackluster. Still, there were quite a few newbies that made out like cream. Introducing the Oscar by... well... Oscar. One might remember Oscar Valladares’ rise to fame with Island Jim’s Leaf and Bean line. A very thankful and humble man, Oscar has a refreshing origin. Oscar Valladares was originally Rocky Patel’s personal driver. One day, he made the decision to start his own factory with Island Jim as his first customer. What was supposed
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to be merely a house blend grew into a colossal success. Through just Jim’s shop alone, they sold their first 5,000 cigars in a month! When other retailers got wind of The Leaf and Bean, they decided to buy it wholesale and the brand took off. When it came to marketing the Leaf, Oscar was hesitant about using his own name. Island Jim insisted that he put Oscar’s name on the band and Oscar eventually agreed. Fast forward a few years and you have a man with more than just a name. Oscar has a signature. Just like The Leaf and Bean cigars, the Oscar cigar has unique packaging. The foot of this cigar sits in a vibrant green candela leaf and its band is a beautiful teal color. There is no other cigar on the market that looks anything like it. As much as this cigar is reminiscent of The Leaf and Bean, don’t be fooled. The Oscar has its own very distinct taste that is nothing like what he has previously blended. When smok-
ing it, the Oscar starts out with bitter notes of oil and leather. On the retrohale, it has some rich spice to it. The cigar has an earth and mineral taste that you get with tobacco grown in more volcanic regions. About halfway through, the cigar begins to taste more like dark chocolate with hints of citrus. It’s a very smooth, well-constructed cigar that leaves a beautiful cake-layered ash. The cigar is good. It is not just different from Oscar’s previous blends, its flavor profile stands out from most other cigars. Be safe, have fun, and enjoy your smoke! n
Are you a Participant or a Spectator when it comes to your Retirement Money? For a complimentary review call 856-354-3200 x207
ANTHONY DEGEROLAMO CFP® CLU® CRPC® CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional DeGerolamo Financial Strategies
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@PCS_AnthonyM
TECH TIME
______________________________ BY ANTHONY MONGELUZO
A New Reality
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MAGINE if you could visit a car dealership and purchase your car with a full showroom experience from your home. How about if your kids could go downstairs and play a game of capture the flag with folks from around the world? What if you could attend any college, and experience it with your folks live from your home? That future is closer than you think. Two new products have hit the market that are bringing virtual reality to you. The flagship products are the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. Both units are similar in terms graphical experience. The main difference between the two products is that you can walk around in a virtual area (you need clear space in your home, and the area is controlled by two sensors) with the Vive, while the Rift is more of a stationary experience. Both systems utilize a headset that you wear to immerse yourself into the experience. I was able to test both of these products before they went to market and I now own the HTC Vive. I can tell you from firsthand experience that it is nearly impossible to share with you in writing how real the experience is with
The Oculus Rift (above) and the HTC Vive (right) virtual reality headsets
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I can tell you from firsthand experience that it is nearly impossible to share with you in writing how real the experience is these systems. For instance, I purchased a roller coaster program which simulates riding a variety of different roller coasters. Once I set up my chair, I was off. While on the roller coaster, you can look up, down, left, right, any way you want, and it interacts and responds to your head movements. One of the first times I “rode” the coaster, I had to take my headset off because the experience put my senses on overload. Many folks will see this as a gaming system, because they do have some amazing games. I’m looking at this as something more. I’m viewing these systems as a way to provide experiences like never before. You can use this device to travel to places to where you’ve never been and interact with people whom you simply would not come across in a non-virtual environment. You can share ideas or visit the ancient Roman Colosseum. Right now, the experiences are incredible, and we are only at the first generation of this hardware and software. My bet is that like most technology products, this will evolve extremely quickly. Have a Vive or Rift? Let me know your thoughts by either reaching out to me online @PCS_AnthonyM or emailing me directly—Anthony@helpmepcs.com. n
2115 VOORHEES TOWN CENTER, VOORHEES, NJ 08043 • 267.228.9578 • WWW.HMCHOME.COM 89
WHAT WE WEAR
_______________________________________________________________________________ BY DANIEL R. MORRONI
Escaping the tyranny of the store buyer
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EADY-TO-WEAR CLOTHING sellers must concentrate on the merchandise they think they can sell in a short period of time. By economic necessity, their wares must appeal to the most customers possible. Each season they buy far in advance, based on forecasts of trends and fads-and they must move that merchandise quickly to have room for the next season’s fads. Stores may stock only thin lapels one year, and only wide lapels the next. Only flat-front trousers or only pleated ones. Only summer suits or only winter wear. When you choose custom clothing instead of limiting your choices to those selected by store buyers, you’ll find you have a myriad of choices for styling, fabric, color, and fit. You can build a wardrobe that bucks the current trends-or anticipates the next ones. Whether you have an eclectic taste, or prefer a classic look that is essentially ageless, feel free to express your individual style.
“ Well-dressed men know that nothing worth-while is ever outmoded, that a superb tailor’s work is ageless.” – Finis Farr
Raising the bar: the collar pin
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OU ALREADY KNOW that paying attention to your accessories sets you apart from the crowd. One accoutrement that quickly gives an air of elegance to an ensemble is a collar pin.
This refined tool gives the knot in your tie more visual importance and stability. It’s perfect for days when you want to look your best-and want the confidence that comes from stylish dressing.
Many notable gentlemen of style have been known to sport a collar pin, from Fred Astaire and Steve McQueen to Tom Ford and Daniel Craig. Its rarity is part of its appeal, as its use shows considerable sartorial savvy. If you enjoy the collar pin but prefer a less noticeable approach, put aside the more common safety pin style and try the barbell style. Whichever collar pin you prefer, make sure to pair it with a substantial tie knot for best effect. n
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THE WINE
MAN
_______________________________________________________________________________ So, becoming a sommelier doesn’t BY ROBERT KENNEDY take much, right? After all, how difficult can it be to smell, taste and then recommend wines with those who enjoy them the most? Actually, it’s extremely difficult.
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CCORDING TO MOST WINE AFICIONADOS, there are only 229 Master Sommeliers in this world. Surprised? Most are. Pronounced and spelled phonetically as “sumahl-yay,” this hard and often mispronounced French word, and the level of achieving its highest certification, is just that—hard. These are very experienced, trained and knowledgeable wine professionals. The very best in the business. Some of us have had the pleasure and privilege of dining in upscale establishments with a ready “somm,” as sommeliers have come to be known. It seems as though many restaurants are teeming with somms, hovering over the shoulder of those viewing that extensive wine menu, anxiously awaiting our questions, or waiting to be asked about recommendations on which finest wines pair best, or which vintages in select appellations are respected the most. Although reading an in-depth and sophisticated wine menu can be intimidating enough, it certainly helps to have a somm by our side, quickly eager to impart their wine knowledge upon us.
The Wine Master
a little about the cabernet sauvignon grape and where it’s grown, doesn’t qualify us to sit. Not even close. Be aware that these courses are costly, so it would be wise to expend time in preparing for these exams, no matter the level. This cert proves very difficult to obtain. Ok. So as luck would have it, Level 1 exam was passed. Are we done? Actually, this is just the tip, as there are 3 more levels in the CMS world that need to be achieved on the way to become only the 230th MS in the world. Level 2, administered by CMS, is known as the Certified Sommelier Examination. Only those who have passed Level 1 within 3 years, or those that passed within 5 years with an MS, can sit. The Level 2 exam includes 3 basic areas: Service Standards, such as wine, champagne and decanting service; Written Theory, covering such topics as varietals and appellations with strict time constraints in a 30 minute, 40 question exam; and finally, blind tastings of 2 wines within a 15 minute period. Other periphery tests include food and wine pairings, sales ability, and proper storage, including temperature and humidity control. This level is considered by CMS as the minimum standard for all those serving in restaurants as a wine steward and beverage professional. e now know having a somm cert is more than just knowing which bank a great Margaux comes from. Discovering it’s difficult? Well, it gets progressively harder. There’s Level 3: The level of difficulty is increasingly exacerbated when sitting for the Advanced Sommelier Examination. However, first another course must be taken in advance, simply known as the Advanced Sommelier Course; a 3 day educational program, testing a greater level of understanding in the areas of skill, knowledge and experience. All candidates are screened and must have at least 5 years of experience in the beverage and hospitality industry. Simply applying for candidacy can be daunting, and is enough to scare the mere wine mortal away. This stage, which tests one’s in-depth understanding of theory, beverage selling (not just wines), deduction tastings of six wines, and table settings, including stemware proves to be extremely challenging. For a student to pass, a score of 60% or better must be met. Once completed, an invite to sit for the Master Sommelier Diploma could be considered. The final level is the 4th under the CMS program. As stated above, this is the Master Sommelier Diploma Examination that consists of three parts. The first is an oral exam testing theory. Next is a six wine blind tasting. Last, an examination which includes practical wine service. Scores must meet a minimum of 75% or better to qualify for the MS diploma. The Theory Exam is the first part to be taken, and once passed; the student has three consecutive years to pass the other two parts. The approving panel consists of Master Sommeliers that are chosen by a committee and the Director of Education. Among many requirements, each student must demonstrate the highest standards of charm, respect, technical ability, and social skills as set forth by Master Sommeliers. Pretty easy, eh? Not really. So next time a somm offers advice on what wines to pair and how, think about the education, knowledge and experience it took to achieve certification of this very coveted position. n
W So, becoming a somm doesn’t take much, right? After all, how difficult can it be to smell, taste and then recommend wines with those who enjoy them the most? Actually, it’s extremely difficult. Understanding what a person needs to achieve to become a certified somm is important here, and the degree of difficulty in moving up each of the 4 levels before capturing the most coveted top level somm position: The Master Sommelier or “MS”. (Frankly, it’s like obtaining a 10th degree black belt!) Let’s begin with the basics, known as Level 1 certification. The Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) was founded in 1977 to promote the goodwill of the hospitality and beverage business through professional certification of wine stewards or somms. Candidates who enroll are given very intense instructional review over a 2 day period by Master Somms on not just wine, but liquor and beer as well. This happens just before sitting for the exam. Important topics such as wine service and blind tastings are included. At the conclusion of the second day, there is a 70 question multiple choice exam on basic theory. This course and subsequent exam is about what wine is and how it’s made. Just because we have a good nose, and know
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SAY GERV?
Got a question for Gerv?
Send your questions to: _______________________________________________________________________________
BY GERVASE PETERSON
S
saygerv@jerseymanmagazine.com and look for his answers in the next issue!
Say Gerv? I don’t think my wife loves me anymore. Her actions are speaking louder than her words. Is this really the end? – Jeff, Haddonfield, NJ
Say Gerv? My 19 year old daughter wants to live at the shore next summer. I say no, but my wife says yes. Should I stick to my guns or give in? – Kevin, Moorestown, NJ
Say Gerv? I’m in the music business and my girlfriend doesn’t support my passion. How can I get her to be there for me the way I’m there for her? – Jose, King of Prussia, PA
Jeff, here’s my definition of love. Doing something for the other person that you don’t want to do, don’t like to do or refuse to do because it’s a selfless act, not a selfish act. You care more for your partner’s happiness, and you’re willing to sacrifice some of your happiness for them. Now before you start calling divorce lawyers, are you sure you’re reading her signals right? If you’re thinking this is the end of your marriage, Jeff, don’t think your wife doesn’t love you anymore. You want to be absolutely sure your wife doesn’t love you anymore. I can tell you this, Jeff, if it was my wife, I’d be questioning her actions and her words. I wouldn’t be going out without a fight. I’m sure you worked hard to win her affections. Don’t get comfortable, because you have to work just as hard to keep them. And if it is the end, at least you can walk away knowing that you did everything in your power to make it work. I’m a romantic at heart, Jeff, so I’m pulling for you.
Kevin, sit the wife and daughter down and discuss this with them so they know you’re not just being “crazy dad,” saying no to everything. When my daughter wanted to live at the shore at 19 years old, I was concerned about her maturity level, the partying she would be doing, and the lack of adult supervision. Her mother
Jose, the truth is, you probably can’t. Sorry, I didn’t ease you into that, but this is a Code Blue situation, my man. If your girlfriend doesn’t support you now, she probably never will. You know that saying “opposites attract”? Well they do, but it’s having the same things in common that keeps you together. I dated a girl who hated
_________________________________________ Say Gerv? My wife pays the bills and she’s been late on payments lately. How can I tell her to let me take them over without offending her? – Steven, Voorhees, NJ Steven, let your wife know that there are some things she’s good at and paying the bills isn’t one of them. In a nice way, of course. Make a list of the things that need to be taken care of, and instead of just picking things to do, divide them up by what you are each most talented at doing. Be honest about what your strengths and weaknesses are. If you’re always running late, then getting the kids to their practices should not be your job. If she burns the steaks and overcooks the pasta, then cooking should not be her job. When you are taking care of things at which you’re good, it not only gives you a feeling of accomplishment, it makes your lives easier and things run smoother. Remember this is a partnership, and even though you both take care of things individually, it all benefits the same team. 94
We let our kids live at the shore at 19 years old to drink, party and do who knows what else. wasn’t as concerned because as she told me, if she was away at college, I would have those same concerns and wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Touche’ woman! But I countered with, we send our kids to college to get an education. We let our kids live at the shore at 19 years old to drink, party and do who knows what else. I don’t know if that was a good reply, but I was sticking with it. Kevin, I say go with your gut. You obviously have reservations about your daughter living at the shore. And don’t let the wife try the old “well, what did you do when you were 19?” line. It was a different time when we were 19 years old. When kids get in trouble today, it goes on social media, which not only affects their family, it could also affect their future. Is that a risk the family is willing to take?
Survivor and everything it stood for, as she put it. She didn’t want to go to any events or parties with me, and didn’t believe in me or the hard work I was doing to make a career from the opportunity I was given. Needless to say it made the relationship very difficult. Is your girlfriend with you because of you, or for all the perks you get from being in the music business? Ask her why she’s with you. If your girlfriend won’t support your passion and career, drop her the same way a girl drops her booty when she’s twerking. Like it’s hot! You see how I tied this all up with a song reference? I did that just for you, Jose. n Gervase Peterson was a cast member on the reality series “Survivor.” Gerv is an actor and entrepreneur and keeps busy fulfilling personal appearance requests and speaking engagements all across the country.
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