JerseyMan Magazine V8N2

CLEANING UP!

South Jersey’s Aaron Krause, inventor of Scrub Daddy

George Anastasia’s

MOB SCENE

Volume 8 • Number 2 – $3.95

Talkin’ baseball with

Charlie Manuel Life as a Peach:

Remembering the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

PLUS:

Radio host Steve Trevelise

Preview www.jerseymanmagazine com

PUBLISHER

FROM JerseyMan Magazine THE VOLUME 8 • NUMBER 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________

BY KEN DUNEK Ken Dunek Publisher

The Streak(s) Over

I

t was a total of 166 years.

That number signifies the combined time my two favorite teams had gone without championships.

My beloved Chicago Cubs and Theo Epstein ended 108 years of frustration with a mind numbing victory in game seven of the 2016 World Series. And they did it in typical Cubbie fashion, by having a lead, blowing it, and then winning it in extra innings.

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

And with that victory, I could sense the spirits of Ernie Banks, Leo Durocher, and Ron Santo could rest a little easier.

Events Coordinator Ashley Dunek

As for our Philadelphia Eagles, they were a team whose last championship preceded the Super Bowl itself by winning what was then the NFL Championship Game in 1960 against Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers 17-13 at Franklin Field.

Assistant Events Coordinator Jamie Dunek Editorial 856-813-1153 Advertising 856-912-4007 Printing 856-813-1153

I have to admit that I didn’t see it coming.

Who was to know Howie Roseman would exhibit laser focus on bringing quality players like Carson Wentz, Jay Ajayi and Alshon Jeffries into the mix, and that Nick Foles would turn back the clock, or that Doug Pederson would out maneuver the most successful NFL coach of all time in Bill Belichick?

EDITOR George Brinkerhoff

Controller Rose M. Balcavage Sales Associates Ashley Dunek, Jamie Dunek, Terri Dunek, Allison Farcus, Chris Kazmarck, JP Lutz JerseyMan Advisory Board

Publisher Ken Dunek with former Eagles teammate John Spagnola on the steps of the Art Museum on the day of the Eagles Super Bowl parade.

They did what Bednarik, Vermeil, Gabriel, Jaworski, and Buddy Ryan couldn’t do—bring the Lombardi Trophy to our city.

And let’s not forget the Mardi Gras up Broad Street to the Art Museum called the Championship Parade. I had a front row seat for a jubilation fest the likes of which I have never seen. It was like Woodstock, without the drugs.

So my sports life is now complete. But what shall I do with my time?

Perhaps Ron Hextall and Paul Holmgren of the Flyers should give me a call.

Peter Cordua (Chairman). HBK CPAs & Consultants Nick DeRose. . . . . . . . . Legacy Treatment Services Joseph Devine (Emeritus). . . . . . . Kennedy Health Ted Flocco (Emeritus). . . . . . . . . . . Ernst & Young Bob Hoey. . . . . . . . . . . Janney Montgomery Scott Jeffrey Jaskol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Jaskol Group Robert Kennedy. . . . . . . . The Kennedy Companies Julie LaVan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LaVan Law Anthony Mongeluzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCS Mike Regina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Big Sky Enterprises Paul Tully . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eagle Wealth Strategies

I’m really good at breaking streaks lately.

“It is not what you achieve, it is what you overcome. That’s what defines your career.”

– Carlton Fisk

CORRECTION: Our Winter issue’s DiPinto Guitars feature incorrectly stated that Chris DiPinto’s band Creem Circus had an open invitation to open for the band KISS. In fact, the invitation is to open for The Gene Simmons Band. We regret the error.

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

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

www.jerseymanmagazine.com

INSIDE 28

DON DiJULIA

JerseyMan Magazine VOLUME 8 • NUMBER 2

“Somebody’s got to win and somebody’s got to lose and I believe in letting the other guy lose.”

– Pete Rose

by DEI LYNAM

30 STAN WALTERS

by HARRY DONAHUE

COVER STORY

38 DAD VAIL RULES THE WATER 40 TACKLING LIFE

Remembering the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

Photo Miles Kennedy

48

The year of the quarterback

52 LIFE AS A PEACH

Charlie Manuel

Former NFL linebacker Kevin Reilly

46 2018 NFL DRAFT

Talkin’ baseball with

56 CLEANING UP!

South Jersey’s Aaron Krause, inventor of Scrub Daddy

62 PROUD TO BE NEW JERSEY

Steve Trevelise of New Jersey 101.5

Photo Kurt Smith

62

76 THE BOCCE CLUB

A South Philly neighborhood tradition since 1933

COLUMNS

12 JOTTINGS • 22 FEEL GOOD PHILLY • 24 GEORGE ANASTASIA’S MOB SCENE

34 MAN YOUR HEALTH • 36 GET FIT • 66 THE ENTHUSIAST • 70 THE ENTREPRENEUR COACH • 80 WHERE WE EAT 82 THE CIGAR GUY • 88 TECH TIME • 90 WHAT WE WEAR • 93 THE WINE MAN • 94 SAY GERV? BY GERVASE PETERSON

jerseymanmagazine.com

Cover photograph by Miles Kennedy

JOTTINGS

______________________________________________________________________________

BY GEORGE BRINKERHOFF

Make-A-Wish New Jersey Celebrates 35 Years of Wishes IT’S HARD TO THINK OF A BETTER WAY to give something back. Make-A-Wish New Jersey’s main focus is making wishes come true for children with critical illness. So what’s important about wishes? As Make-A-Wish New Jersey tells it:

Samuel & Josephine Plumeri Wishing Place in Monroe Township, NJ

“In the fight against a critical illness, a wish serves as a catalyst for renewed strength and encouragement for every child and family on their journey. A wish helps kids look past their limitations, families overcome anxiety and entire communities experience joy. Most importantly, wishes can improve a child’s quality of life. Put simply, we believe a single wish transforms lives.”

This year Make-A-Wish New Jersey is celebrating a significant milestone, namely 35 years of celebrating wishes for critically ill kids in the Garden State. From their beginnings in 1983, over 9,500 life affirming, life-changing wishes have been provided to New Jersey children between the ages of 2 1/2 to 18 years of age from all 21 New Jersey counties.

To further these efforts, around 2005, a task force was commissioned by the Board of Directors and their report indicated that a child’s living room or hospital room was not always the best place to conduct a wish interview. After consulting with numerous experts, includ-

ing doctors, nurses, child-life specialists, social workers, interior designers of thematic environments, architects, engineers, general contractors, wish families, board members, volunteers and donors, staff, and even a team of Disney Imagineers—and most importantly a focus group of wish kids—a vision emerged for a new home for Make-A-Wish New Jersey. The kids wanted a place that captured the magic of childhood and

they decided on a castle. In December 2011, the doors to the Samuel & Josephine Plumeri Wishing Place opened in Monroe Township, NJ. A one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art wish granting facility, it has served as an inspirational backdrop to special events, first-time visits with families, and thousands of wishes inspired and granted.

It’s a special place for wish children, where they can come and let their minds be free of the limitations that come with lengthy hospital stays and doctor visits.

It has also served to help raise the profile and awareness of Make-A-Wish New Jersey. Their vision was realized, and where they once received hundreds of visitors they now receive thousands. With the expectation this year of passing 10,000 wishes provided for New Jersey’s children, Make-A-Wish New Jersey continues to play a vital role changing the lives of kids and their families one wish at a time. You can join some of the many exciting celebrations this year during the 35th Anniversary, and help make future wishes come true by visiting nj.wish.org, or call Make-A-Wish New Jersey at 800.252.WISH (9474).

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SPEED RACERS

D

O YOU HAVE A NEED FOR SPEED? Check out the events and activities at Pocono Raceway, known as the “Tricky Triangle,” less than two hours away from the Philadelphia area in Long Pond, PA. This year features two weekends of NASCAR races, including the Pocono 400 weekend, June 1-3, and the Gander Outdoors 400 weekend, July 27-29, as well as one IndyCar weekend, August 18-19.

The NASCAR race weekends include visits by the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and its other support series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series on June 2nd, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on July 28th and the ARCA Racing Series presented

by Menards on both weekends. There’s camping and tailgating available on the grounds, as well as two or three night packages featuring race tickets and deluxe hotel accommodations.

For you open wheel fans, the IndyCar race weekend features the Verizon IndyCar Series practices & qualifying on Saturday, August 18th and the ABC Supply500 Verizon IndyCar Series race on Sunday, August 19th.

For all event ticket information, dates, times and pricing, go to www.poconoraceway.com.

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Witness a Civil War battle, and catch an 1860’s baseball game!

B

ET YOU DIDN’T KNOW that on April 28th and 29th, 2018, the largest Civil War reenactment on the East Coast, (outside of Gettysburg, PA), will be held for the 29th year at Neshaminy State Park, just outside Philadelphia, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Every year a different battle is featured and this year it’s the battle of Chickamauga. Over 1,000 reenactors will recreate camp life scenarios, provide military and civilian life demonstra-

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tions and authentic battle reenactments. And, of special note, at 11 a.m. on April 29th an 1860’s style exhibition baseball game will take place between the Monmouth Furnace and the New York Mutuals. While admission is free, a voluntary collection is taken each day of the event and all proceeds go toward historical preservation efforts. Neshaminy State Park is located at 3401 State Rd., Bensalem, PA. For the schedule of events and more information, go to www.neshaminycwevent.org.

Crown Jewel

Photo Golf Association of Philadelphia/Martin D. Emeno, Jr.

The

W

ANT TO SEE the top amateur golfers in the Delaware Valley? The crown jewel of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s tournament schedule—the 118th BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship— visits historic Whitemarsh Valley Country Club June 12-14 & 16 for a record 15th time. Whitemarsh Valley (below) is the home of legendary champion J. Wood Platt, who won an unprecedented seven titles from 1920-42, and for whom the Amateur trophy is named. Green Valley Country Club is the second site for qualifying on Day One. Admission is free.

Visit www.gapgolf.org for more information.

16

Bishop

2017 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Champion Gregor Orlando

24th Annual Hair O’ the Dog – Penn’s Landing, PA

Houshmand’s Hazardous Hot Sauce Cook-Off – Glassboro, NJ

Dozens gathered at Landmark Americana to watch a heated battle for 1st place in Houshmand’s Hazardous Hot Sauce Cook-Off. Contestants created fiery dishes and were judged on best taste by a panel of five, including Houshmand’s creator, and Rowan University President, Ali Houshmand. All proceeds of Houshmand’s Hot Sauce go to the Rowan University Student Scholarship Fund. Pictured from left to right: Dave Goldman, Co-Founder/ Owner Landmark Americana, Bill Fisher, The Pop Shop Owner and 1998 Rowan alumnus, Ali Houshmand, Rowan University President, Richard Jones, Dean of Students, Rowan University student Cayleigh McCusker. Photo courtesy of Rowan University

The 24th annual Hair O’ the Dog event took place at the Hilton at Penn’s Landing. This year’s event was hosted by Fox 29’s Alex Holley. Guests danced the night away to entertainment from Cash Cash as well as performances by DJ Casper and DJ Sojo. Two lucky partygoers won tickets to the NFC East Championship game. It was a night of glamour and excitement that benefited the Center for Autism!

L-R: Jennifer Sherlock, Buffy Harakidas, Alex Holley, Laura Lambo, Daniel Cronin

Primepoint Launches Partnership with NJ Devils and Prudential Center – Newark, NJ

Lee Eckert, Darnell Hicks, Ja’mie, Many Carela Primepoint kicked off its partnership with the Prudential Center and NJ Devils today with a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the Primepoint Lounge. Left to right; Glenn “Chico” Resch - Devils Broadcaster, Adam Davis - CRO, Prudential Center, Tom Fitzgerald - Devils Asst. Manager, Hugh Weber - Devils President, Alex Bothwell - CEO, Primepoint, Bea Bothwell - Founder, Retired, Primepoint, Ken Daneyko & Bryce Salvador - Former Devils Players

The official ribbon-cutting of Luxor ll at Luxor Lifestyle Apartments – Norristown, PA

Cash Cash with the Notorious DOG 20

Pat Cantwell and Ryann O’ Donnell

P.J. Whelihan’s Charity Hockey Game – Voorhees, NJ

Fans gathered at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ to watch team members from the P.J. Whelihan’s Restaurant Group take on fellow foodies from the Sysco Corporation.

The P.J. Whelihan’s team prevailed, winning 9-8 and raised over $4,600 for Run for the Stripes, a non-profit that hosts an annual 5k to raise awareness and funds for neuroendocrine tumor (NET) cancers. Photo courtesy of P.J. Whelihan’s Restaurant Group

Forsgate Country Club’s Paul Kaster Named a Top 50 Kids Teacher of the Year by U.S. Kids Golf Forsgate Country Club congratulates Paul Kaster, Director of Instruction for the Forsgate Golf Academy and a member of the club’s Teaching Professional staff, on receiving another significant honor. Kaster, who recently was recognized by Golf Digest as one of “The Best Teachers by State (2017-2018)” in New Jersey, has been selected by U.S. Kids Golf as one of 2017’s Top Kids Teachers of the Year. The U.S. Kids Golf 50 recipients represent 26 states, as well as five international countries.

ADVERTISE WITH US

contact: ken@jerseymanmagazine.com 21

Feel Good PHILLY

_______________________________________________________________________________

Local stories to live inspired…

th i w p u Sunday LOVE Catching

I

by Jamie Dunek

N OCTOBER OF 2017, we ran our Feel Good Philly story on the Sunday LOVE project. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the article, here’s a quick recap: Margaux Murphy is the volunteer organizer behind the non-profit that began when she gave out a few meals to the homeless one Christmas. Today, she and a group of volunteers, serve brunch and dinner at the Trinity Church (19th & Walnut) every Sunday to a growing crowd. Yet that’s not where her generosity ends. Margaux spends the rest of her week serving meals at a recovery center in Kensington, Margaux Murphy aiding those battling addiction.

Since our article went to print, she has also started a pop-up grocery store, Greater Goods, where she encourages anyone who cannot afford groceries to walk in and pick out donated items. Stationed at the Trinity Church, shoppers are not required to provide identification or proof of income. Greater Goods is there to provide groceries for anyone who needs them: homeless, food insecure, or folks in transition who may have just lost their job. Shoppers are served a light breakfast with donated bites from local eateries like, The Bagel Place, High Point Café, and Quaker City Coffee.

Recently Margaux and I reconnected. She surprised me with news—a $500 donation that was made in the name of Feel Good Philly’s Sunday LOVE article—and I was blown away.

I did some research and contacted the stranger to express my gratitude. I explained to him that in writing these short stories, I feel as if my voice goes unheard and I wonder if I am making any sort of difference. His generosity had shown me otherwise. At the end of our meeting, he handed me another envelope and politely asked if I could give it to Margaux the next time I saw her. “Of course,” I responded, “I’m actually seeing her next week.”

“Another $500,” Margaux stated as she pulled out a second check.

“Another?” I questioned. Margaux nodded in reassurance. “That’s $1000 in donations because of that article.”

I spent that afternoon seeing where part of the money is spent, and I can promise you it is in the hands of someone who is determined to help. Someone who stands on street corners handing out sandwiches and urging strangers to “eat a good meal.” Someone who doesn’t judge others by their appearance but rather asks, “How are you doing today?”

Margaux, I’ve learned some invaluable lessons from you: That one person CAN make a difference, even if it is simply showing someone else that you care or you are there to listen. And then there’s the overwhelming gratitude that can be found in showing others more love than they might expect. Finally, that a little love can go a very long way. n

Contact

Sundayloveproject@gmail.com • www.sundaylove.org • 22

The Sunday Love Project

MOB SCENE

_______________________________________________________________________________

BY GEORGE ANASTASIA

Skinny Joey: Is he in or is he out?

J

OEY MERLINO SAID HE QUIT THE MOB when he moved to Florida after his release from prison seven years ago.

Federal prosecutors said that while Merlino traded South Philly for South Florida, he never stopped being “Skinny Joey,” the boss and the face of Philadelphia organized crime.

Faced with those conflicting descriptions of the now 56-year-old wiseguy, a federal jury in Manhattan earlier this year threw up its hands and said it couldn’t decide. A hung jury and a mistrial ended the flawed racketeering case against Merlino back in February, but failed to resolve the question: Is he in or is he out?

And so the saga of Philadelphia’s only celebrity gangster continues. Prosecutors are expected to announce this month whether they intend to retry the flamboyant Philadelphia wiseguy. A conviction on the racketeering conspiracy, gambling and medical fraud charges could land Merlino in jail for the next 10 years.

Maybe more.

Last year, Merlino turned down a plea deal that carried a two- to three-year prison sentence. But a new deal may be put on the table.

In a letter to the trial judge last month, prosecutors said that discussions were underway “concerning whether a resolution of this case can be reached.”

Merlino has told associates that the only thing he is willing to accept from the Feds is an apology. He insists he is innocent and has been unjustly targeted because of who he is, not what he’s done. He admits to being, in his lawyer’s words, “a degenerate gambler,” but says he is not a bookmaker and loan shark, as the indictment against him alleges. Nor, he says, did he have anything to do with the multi-million dollar medical insurance fraud scam that is also part of the case.

“This has got to stop,” Merlino has told associates while describing himself as a “walking get-out-of-jail-free card.” Anyone in the 24

underworld facing criminal charges, he says, can negotiate a better deal for himself by giving up information that will implicate him in a crime.

There is some truth and historical support for that premise. Just ask Ralph Natale, the one-time Philadelphia Mafia don who worked his way out of a possible life sentence for drug dealing by testifying against Merlino and several of his top associates in a 2001 federal racketeering case in Philadelphia. It was one of the few times federal authorities made a deal with a boss in order to prosecute an underboss.

S

KINNY JOEY has that effect on authorities. His looks, his attitude and his media savvy get under the skin of investigators; that an abiding belief by many in law enforcement that Merlino and several of his closest mob allies have literally gotten away with murder. That’s not to justify, but merely to explain why some investigators find it easy to play fast and loose with the rules when it comes to making a case against him.

Natale’s testimony and credibility were suspect, but the mixed result verdict in that case—Merlino beat murder, attempted murder and drug dealing charges, but was convicted of a racketeering count built around gambling, loansharking, extortion and receipt of stolen property allegations—landed Skinny Joey in jail for 14 years.

When he got out of prison, he moved to Boca Raton and said he had left the mob life behind. “Too many rats,” he said.

The Feds didn’t buy his disclaimer and kept coming at him.

Shortly after Merlino settled in the Sunshine State, Nicholas “Nicky Skins” Stefanelli traveled from North Jersey to Florida to meet

Merlino

The saga of Philadelphia’s only celebrity gangster continues.

Prosecutors are expected to announce this month whether they intend to retry the fIamboyant Philadelphia wiseguy. with Merlino and discuss “business” ventures.

Skinny Joey blew him off. Stefanelli, a soldier in the Gambino crime family who later committed suicide, was wearing a wire for the Feds at the time.

Three years later, John “JR” Rubeo, a Genovese crime family associate from New York, showed up in Boca and quickly befriended Merlino. He, too, was wired for sound. The conversations he recorded were at the heart of the case against Merlino and 45 mob members and associates arrested in August 2016.

The Feds said they were all part of an East Coast La Cosa Nostra Enterprise. Merlino was listed as one of the leaders. To date, 44 defendants in the case have taken plea deals. One is on the lamb.

In many ways Merlino is the last man—

maybe the only man—standing.

He gambled, and, in the parlance of the crap table, the hung jury was a push.

Now the Feds have to decide whether they want to do it again.

Rubeo’s tapes and testimony were crucial elements in the trial. He and two other cooperating witnesses put Merlino in the middle of all the action, including the insurance fraud scam. While most jurors were apparently skeptical of the informants’ testimony, a majority accepted the prosecutions version of the case. Conflicting reports put the vote to convict on the four charges at 10-2 or 9-3. That wasn’t enough to send Merlino to jail, but it might be enough to convince prosecutors that it’s worth going to court again.

“Being with Merlino did not come for free,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Schorr told the jury in her closing argument pointing to Rubeo tapes that supported her position. On one Merlino accepts a $5,000 payment from Rubeo. On another, referring to what the prosecution said was the insurance scam, Merlino is heard to say, “We do the right thing, make 20,000.”

The tapes were difficult to explain away even if the jury accepted the arguments of Merlino’s defense attorney, Edwin Jacobs Jr., who said the government had built its case around “compromised” witnesses whose oath to tell the truth was “a meaningless jingle.”

Another witness said Merlino got $100,000 from the insurance scam. Merlino has told associates he never saw that kind of money.

Federal authorities roll their eyes at that assertion while asking how Merlino has managed to live the way he has in Boca Raton without any significant source of income.

They point to the luxury townhouse he moved into after his release from a halfway house, the high end automobiles he drives, the fact that his two daughters are students in an expensive private university and a daily lifestyle that includes days on the golf course and nights in casinos and swank cigar bars.

That, of course, has always been Merlino’s style. The late Ron Previte, a mob informant who testified against him back in 2001, said it best: “Joey’s agenda on Monday is to get to Tuesday.”

The Feds have always believed that Merlino’s lavish, devil-may-care lifestyle has been financed by his criminal enterprises. But they haven’t always been able to prove it.

In February they fell short.

Will they try again?

It’s a gamble for both sides, but, as always, the Feds have house odds in their favor.

As a former mob-busting federal prosecutor from Philadelphia said of the gangsters he successfully prosecuted, “We only have to win once. They have to win every time.” n 26

DEI LYNAM

_______________________________________________________________________________

After 35 Years, Don DiJulia Set To Retire As Athletic Director On Hawk Hill

I

F YOU ARE AN AVID FAN of any Saint Joseph’s University sports team, or just a casual attendee because a friend or family member is participating, you know this image: A nice looking man, full head of grey hair, wearing glasses, a pleasant smile and the friendliest demeanor, arrives to take in the event. He says hello to people he passes by. He’ll ask how the game is going because he was a little late arriving having come from another event on campus or off, but school related for sure. He wants to be there. You can tell because a person cannot fake his genuine, supportive spirit. He will stay as long as his calendar permits, and then leave as quietly and unassumingly as he arrived.

Don DiJulia has regularly kept this routine for the past 30 years as director of athletics on Hawk Hill.

“I was young and dumb when I took it because they didn’t know what they were doing either,” DiJulia said when I visited campus in February. “Never again would an assistant coach from American University,—not Duke; not UCLA—get hired. We were unprepared, and they were unprepared.

“It was the first time they separated the job of the AD [Athletic Director] from the head basketball coach. They were looking for their first fulltime person. I learned on the job; we learned on the job. I was the first ticket manager. I was the first compliance officer. It was great.”

DiJulia is not one to reminisce on the job; there’s too much work to do in the here and now. But, because this past October the ‘67 Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) graduate announced he was retiring at the end of the current academic year, he accommodated my request to learn more about his 50-year career in college athletics.

When DiJulia finished college he “died and went to heaven” teaching and coaching high school baseball at his alma mater, Saint James 28

High School. Then one day his phone rang.

“A former teammate calls me and says, ‘I just got hired as the head basketball coach at Fairfield University. Would you like to be my assistant?” he recalled. “Me being young and dumb, I say, ‘That sounds cool, sure.’ And I haven’t been off a college campus since.”

The teammate with the job invitation was Jim Lynam. The two became a coaching tandem at Fairfield and later American University.

Then one day DiJulia’s phone rang again. He returned to Hawk Hill, not as a coach, but in an unfamiliar role as an administrator in 1976.

He learned on the job. He watched the athletic department grow, as well as college athletics nationally. DiJulia knows the current state of college athletics is not simple, nor pure.

“There is still more good than what the public believes happens on a college campus in sports—without question,” he said. “But we [college athletics] are good at making headlines once a month that bring everybody to our knees, and that hurts us.”

HE PROCESS of finding DiJulia’s replacement is ongoing. Whoever is hired, he has big shoes to fill because Don is a tireless worker and omnipresent

T

supporter.

“The next person is going to say ‘He did what?’” DiJulia said with a chuckle. “The major sporting activities and key events I am sure an athletic department presence will be common, but because for me it was a force of habit (to attend every game.)”

“When I took over, we had eight teams, and we just started adding women’s programs. We had 200 athletes, maybe. I did my thing and all the sudden it’s 20 teams and 500 athletes. But you want to do the same things still. I am not not going to go to that field hockey banquet, because I have done it for years. I enjoy seeing student-athletes celebrate an honor; that’s one of my favorite things.”

DiJulia is proud of his longevity as vice president and director of athletics at a single Division I institution. But he hasn’t served at just any school; he’s been at Saint Joe’s.

“The Jesuits have had such a strong stamp on the culture and the environment here,” he said. “There are still footprints and voices.

When people come, it is a welcoming, caring, collaborative, challenging, spirited community.”

It is hard to imagine watching a basketball game at Hagan Arena and not seeing DiJulia stroll in to make sure everyone and everything

sjuhawks.com

are A-OK. If it is hard for us to imagine, think of DiJulia that first morning when a lacrosse game beckons, and his calendar is meetingfree. What is a man to do?

“That is an excellent question,” DiJulia said.

“I know I will probably go to the same Wawa, the same church, and I will probably drive to Saint Joe’s because I forgot.

“I can’t shut down. I will have a change of industry or a change of pace. The leaders in the clubhouse are one, be an usher at the Phillies all summer, or two, cut grass at the cemetery because they can’t respond back.”

Whatever the industry DiJulia decides to spend his next 50 years, he’ll be welcomed with open arms because everyone is looking for a rare gem. n

29

HARRY DONAHUE

_______________________________________________________________________________

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO…

STAN WALTERS?

T

HERE’S PROBABLY NO SHELF LIFE when it comes to Eagles’ fans deciding when to move on from the Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots.

For a lot of them, the loss to New England in Super Bowl XXXIX was still fresh in their memories. Not so fresh was the Eagles loss to the Raiders in Super Bowl XV. One of the cornerstones of that first Eagles Super Bowl team was left tackle Stan Walters.

What a lot of people don’t know, is that if it was up to Walters, he would have never played in Philadelphia.

But Philadelphia turned out to be all right for the North Jersey native. A two time All-Pro, he retired after the 1983 season and spent almost fifteen years as Merrill Reese’s sidekick on radio.

After spending five years in England and the last ten in Atlanta, Walters still thinks a lot about his years with the Eagles and especially Philly fans.

HD: What are your fondest memories of the 1980 NFC title win over Dallas?

SW: Before that game we practiced in Tampa for a week because it was so cold in Philadelphia. We flew home Friday night and I remember getting off the plane and hearing all the people at the airport talking about the game.

We knew it was a big game, but we didn’t realize the city was going to be that excited.

HD: After your first year with the Eagles, Dick Vermeil was hired as head coach. How did that change things?

SW: Dick ran hard practices. I asked to be traded one time. In Cincinnati we practiced an hour and a half, broke for lunch, then went to meetings for an hour and a half. You were home by 3:30 in the afternoon.

‘‘

Harry Donahue: You came out of Syracuse in the 1972 draft and wound up in Cincinnati.

What was your first experience like in the NFL?

Dick comes in with three hour practices in the morning and three hour practices in the afternoon. It was really, really hard. He said if any-

HD: How do you remember Wilbert Montgomery’s 42 yard touchdown run that set off a frenzy at the Vet? SW: It was a 46 Slant-I Right. The play was supposed to go over the Left Tackle. I blocked Harvey Martin and Wilbert cut that back to where [Right Tackle] Jerry Sisemore was, and then he was off. It was like he was shot out of a cannon. That’s the loudest I heard the Vet. It almost felt like the place was shaking.

HD: Two weeks later you lost to Oakland in Super Bowl XV.

Stan Walters: I was an average player in college on a very average team. Paul Brown, the Bengals’ General Manager and Head Coach, told me the reason I got drafted in the 9th round was because he wanted an offensive lineman to work out before training camp with their number one pick Sherman White, a defensive tackle from Cal.

One time Lawrence Taylor hit me and ran over me. I said, ‘You know, I’ve played 11 years, this may be a good time to quit.’”

HD: What was your reaction two years later when you were traded to the Eagles?

one wanted to be traded, just ask. I went in, and he said you aren’t going anywhere.

SW: I was devastated. The Bengals had been to the playoffs two of my three years with the team. When I would come home to North Jersey in the off-season the Eagles and Giants weren’t doing very well. I’d say I’m glad I play for a team that makes it to the playoffs. If you were with the Giants or Eagles back then, you were out of the playoffs by the fourth game of the season.

HD: Who was the best defensive end you ever faced?

30

SW: Harvey Martin of the Cowboys was always tough because of the Dallas rivalry.

Lee Roy Selmon from Tampa Bay was the second toughest. His very first NFL game, he played against me. I said, “Let’s see what this first rounder can do.” He was a great player.

SW: There wasn’t one person in our organization who ever played in a Super Bowl. The Raiders had already been there. They knew what to expect. We had a touchdown catch

by Rodney Parker called back by a penalty.

We also had a 28 yard field goal blocked.

Then they scored when Kenny King took a pass on a broken play for an 80 yard touchdown. After that, we just tightened up on the sidelines.

HD: What happened the next year?

SW: I think we started 9-1 and then the Giants beat us in the playoffs. That’s when I met my third toughest opponent, Lawrence Taylor.

Maybe the best football player I ever played against. One time he hit me and ran over me. I said, “You know, I’ve played 11 years, this may be a good time to quit.”

HD: ‘82 was the strike year and you almost thought it was time to retire.

SW: It was Marion Campbell’s first year as head coach. I went to training camp and said, “Marion, I can’t play anymore.” Then there was a preseason game in San Diego where they lost three offensive tackles. I was down the shore watching the game and my wife said, “They’re going to come back to you.”

There were no cell phones back then. I owned a house in Stone Harbor and the Eagles sent a few assistant trainers to the bars in Stone Harbor looking for me. I wasn’t in Stone Harbor. I was in North Jersey in Lavallette. In fact, Jim O’Brien on channel 6 said, “If anyone sees Stan Walters, tell him the Eagles are looking for him.”

For an offensive lineman I got a lot of publicity when I came back.

HD: What did you think about this year’s Super Bowl?

SW: To be very honest I was happy for the organization, for the players and for Merrill (Reese). But I was very happy for the Philadelphia fans. I watched the parade on TV, but I was a little envious.

The fans are really the NFL. The spirit of the NFL is in the fans every year.

HD: What about Doug Pederson?

SW: The thing I admire about Doug Pederson was that Nick Foles and the Eagles got better every game they played. And that’s really, really hard to do. Pederson made gutsy calls.

That’s why he won.

HD: Living in Atlanta do you get to watch the Eagles on TV? SW: In Atlanta, there are three Eagles bars. I go and nobody knows who I am. I sit in the back or at the bar. They sing “Fly Eagles Fly” after a TD, and they’re jumping around in their Eagles jerseys. Their loyalty is amazing.

HD: You’re actually anonymous?

SW: I’m not even anonymous. Most of them weren’t even born when I was playing.

That makes those of us who were around when Stan Walters played all the more fortunate. n 32

MAN YOUR HEALTH

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Hernia Surgery is Not What it Used to Be Robotic hernia repair offer faster recovery with less pain

BY ROBERT PEREZ, MD

Hernia surgery used to be painful and often resulted in a slow, difficult recovery. But, not anymore.

Thanks to innovations in robotic technology, surgeons can perform robotic hernia repair through tiny incisions rather than the large incisions associated with traditional open surgery. The result is less damage to surrounding tissues, less pain for the patient and a much quicker recovery—often within days.

Laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery uses small incisions, but the instruments and surgeon’s visibility are limited.

Robotic surgery techniques have been used for years to provide advanced treatment for cancer as well as urologic and gynecologic conditions. Now, general surgeons trained in robotic techniques apply the same technology to other types of procedures, including hernia repair.

The advantages of robotic surgery include:

Robotic surgery is used to treat all types of hernias, including: • Inguinal and femoral (inner and outer groin)

The robotic surgery system, which is controlled by the surgeon at all times, uses tiny instruments and 3-D cameras to precisely repair the affected area.

• A small incision. An incision that is the about the size of a pencil eraser reduces scarring, recovery time, blood loss and risk of infection.

• Better visibility. Using a high definition, 3-D camera provides the surgeon with better visibility than laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery.

Robert Perez, MD, is a fellowship-trained surgeon with Virtua Surgical Group in Hainesport, NJ, who specializes in robotic hernia repair for faster recovery with less pain.

• Increased precision. The wristed robotic arms have a greater range of motion than a human hand. This allows the surgeon to maneuver instruments in ways that deliver the best surgical results.

After robotic repair, they can’t believe how good they feel and how quickly they’re able to resume their normal activities.

Hernias are caused when an organ squeezes through a tear or weak spot in the tissue that surrounds it. Common locations for hernias include the groin, belly button and previous surgery scars. Hernia repair surgery involves returning the organ to its proper place and fixing the tears in the surrounding tissue.

How patients benefit from robotic hernia surgery

Years ago, many people put off hernia repair because they were worried about pain and lengthy recovery times. Such delays can lead to dangerous complications and emergency surgeries. With today’s advanced technology, there’s no reason to put off hernia surgery.

Why is robotic hernia surgery a better option?

Robotic hernia surgery can benefit almost anyone. This includes first-time hernia repair patients and people who need hernia revision surgery. It’s appropriate for the most common to the most complex hernia procedures.

• Umbilical (belly button) • Incisional (previous surgery sites) • Hiatal (reflux/GERD/upper stomach)

What exactly is a hernia?

Robotic surgery provides a number of advantages over traditional open surgery and standard laparoscopic procedures. While open surgery offers a full view of the abdomen and the ability to work freely inside the affected area, it requires a large incision through muscle and tissue. This type of incision can be more painful and take longer to heal.

Because of robotic technology, many patients experience significantly less pain after surgery and return to normal activity much more quickly. In fact, 90% of our surgical hernia repair patients go home the same day.

Many of our hernia revision patients are especially pleased when they experience the benefits of robotic surgery. Often, they’ve had a long recovery and problems after traditional open surgeries or laparoscopic procedures.

Has it been a while since your last primary care appointment? If so, call 1-888-847-8823, and an Access Navigator will schedule an appointment for you.

34

Don’t postpone your hernia surgery

If you need a hernia repair, talk to your doctor about having a robotic-assisted procedure. To make an appointment with a Virtua surgeon trained in robotic techniques, call 1-888-VIRTUA-3 or visit Virtua.org. n

GET FIT

For more guidance follow Alexandra, NASM Certified

Personal Trainer on Instagram at @TipsfromAFitChick ______________________________________________________________________________________________

BY ALEXANDRA DUNEK

The Places You’ll Go

Get Out!

H

EY AL, have you ever heard of Adventure Racing?” my

sister Ashley asked me one day. Tough Mudder, Spartan Race and Zombie Run all popped in my head, but I had to say I’ve never heard of this one. I think the name gave away the appeal and I was instantly hooked on finding out more.

While most races have obstacles that lead you to the finish line, Adventure Racing does not. You and your team partner against nature and find a way to navigate from Point A to Point B without the use of technology or markers, using instead a map and a compass.

But the experience lies within the journey, not at the finish line.

So where can one join in on a race? Introducing, Rootstock Racing, which is a non-profit located in Philadelphia founded by Abby Perkiss and her husband, Brent Freedland.

Rootstock offers different kinds of races for adults and children who want to roll their sleeves up and challenge the authentic outdoors. It’s a great way to get in tune with both nature and yourself.

When asked to give her top three tips for racing, Abby says: “Your body can do more than you think it can do. Signing up for a race that lasts for six hours—or twelve hours, or twenty-four hours—sounds daunting. But you’re not Upcoming Races: racing at a 5k or short OCR May 12 - Sylvan Adventure Race pace. You’ll be amazed at what you can do, when the June 9 - Schuylkill Valley Family Adventure Race main goal is simply to keep moving (ideally, in the right Aug.18 - Two Rivers Adventure Race direction).

Nov. 3-4 - The Stockville

Abby Perkiss and Brent Freedland, before a seven-day race across Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula (2015).

Photo by Bruce Wong.

The racing itself is composed of foot travel, paddling, biking and navigation. If you compete in a longer race, you are most likely to have additional challenges such as climbing and rappelling. Don’t forget, the clock is ticking against both your team and another group who will be navigating an entirely different path than you.

You must be able to adapt to the forthcoming challenges. Whether it’s by paddling for miles across a river, brainstorming strategy to advance or staying in sync with your teammates during the hours, days or weeks that lie ahead. You will be hungry, sleep-deprived and worn out. It will take grit and stamina.

Pictured is Abby Perkiss and Jim Driscoll at the beginning of the final trek during a five-day race in Ireland (2016). They were blanketed by a fluke tropical storm for the entire duration of the race. Photo

by Brent Freedland.

“On that note, pick up a map, and learn how to read it! Adventure racing takes teams from checkpoint to checkpoint on an unmarked course, which means using maps, compasses, and natural features to get you where you need to be. The more comfortable you are with navigation, the better your experience will be.

“Finally, make sure you like your potential teammates. The team can be the best part of adventure racing—but it can also totally derail your day, if you’re not clicking.” n

Pacelining during the Adventure Racing World Champs in Wyoming (2017). In order: Abby Perkiss, Brent Freedland, Andy Bacon, Mark Lattanzi. Photo by Ali Bronsdon.

36

To find out more about Rootstock Racing, visit www.rootstockracing.org or visit their Facebook page at “Rootstock Racing”.

THE DAD VAIL RULES THE WATER

BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

P

aul Savell does not miss the irony of his having never competed in the Dad Vail while a rower at the University of Wisconsin, even though the nation’s largest collegiate rowing competition is named for a former Badgers coach.

The Drexel men’s and women’s crew coach may not have enjoyed that opportunity while a member of the UW eight, but he has certainly had more than enough experience with the regatta while leading the Dragon program. From 2013-16, Drexel won the Dad Vail overall title.

In ’13 and ’15, Savell’s men won the men’s title, and last May, they took the women’s crown for the first time. Last year, the Dragons became the first school in more than a decade to win the men’s and women’s heavyweight eight competitions. DU has won 62 Dad Vail medals, and Savell’s charges have captured 40 of them.

He may not have been able to row in the regatta, but Savell has had his share of success.

And he is delighted to play a sizeable role in the area’s rowing community.

“Philadelphia is the rowing mecca,” says Savell, who rowed at Absecon’s Holy Spirit HS. “It’s such a great rowing community. Boathouse Row is nice to look at, but it’s better to be part of it and to get to know people on the river.”

This May 11-12, the Dad Vail will celebrate its 80th birthday as the largest collegiate regatta in the country. More than 100 teams from the U.S. and Canada will participate over two days in men’s and women’s events that, for many, will be their final competition of the season. Unlike many NCAA races, which are segregated according to institution, the Dad Vail has classes for all college sizes, creating a festival atmosphere that celebrates rowing, rather than merely seeking to 38

crown champions. Make no mistake: the rowers want to win. But this is a chance for the rowing community to display itself.

Thousands of spectators will line the Schuylkill River, and a tent city will spring forth, offering hospitality for fans, refuge for rowers and entertainment for sponsors. Parking headaches will abound, and traffic snarls will enrage drivers as the city’s rowing culture puts forth its brightest face.

“It’s a rite of passage each spring,” says Regatta president Jim Hanna. “Many legends of rowing began their careers at the Dad Vail and then moved on to the Olympics or Henley.”

In the 1930s, then-Penn crew coach Rusty Callow wanted to increase interest and participation in the sport, at a time when many colleges did not offer the opportunity to row or were trying to establish fledgling programs.

In ’34, he launched a competition designed to spur involvement in the sport and named the trophy given to the best team for his friend Harry Emerson “Dad” Vail, the former coach at Wisconsin, who had died six years earlier.

Vail had been born in Canada and was at one point a professional sculler. He was known for his warm sense of humor, occasional sarcasm, deep religious beliefs (he would not allow his teams to compete on Sundays) and commitment to the sport. Four years after Callow established the Dad Vail trophy, the Regatta was born.

“This remains one of the premiere rowing experiences any rower can have in the United States,” Hanna says.

The Dad Vail’s Schuylkill home is known as a “rowing river”, since no ships or commercial vessels travel its waters, making it a perfect

home to humanpropelled crafts of every kind. Its mix of curious currents, wind patterns and tidal flows make it particularly challenging, as does its signature characteristic: a bend in the middle of the 2000-meter course.

(High school crews race on a 1,500-meter version, which is a straight shot.)

No college rower will find that kind of challenge on an NCAA championship course, but he or she would face it at Henley. Not that rowing in the Dad Vail has the same cachet as the legendary English competition, but it’s another thing that makes the Regatta unique. Rowers have the opportunity to compete in an environment that has its own personality, in front of crowds they rarely encounter and as part of a tradition that extends back further than many collegiate programs. It’s something that is uniquely Philadelphia and certainly worth experiencing.

“The Dad Vail is the biggest regatta,” Savell says. “It may not be the absolutely highest level of college rowing, because the NCAA championships has faster boats. But in terms of history and the teams that keep coming back, it’s special.”

John Strotbeck has been a member of the Vesper Boathouse since 1981 and was part of two winning Dad Vail boats during his time at Marietta College. He rowed for the U.S. in the 1984 and ’88 Olympics, and his Boathouse apparel company has been a sponsor of U.S. rowing for nearly a decade. He has seen plenty on the water and understands the importance of the Dad Vail.

“It’s a tremendous regatta,” Strotbeck says.

“When I rowed in the ‘70s and ‘80s, five-to-10 times the number of people showed up. But it

Drexel crew coach Paul Savell

elite international competitors, club rowers, masters’ participants and just people out there for a demanding workout. People make fun of the Schuylkill for its name, its color at times (brown water?) and the dastardly expressway to which it lends its name. But rowers love the waterway, and they show that devotion by spending considerable time on it.

Though there are some occasional problems that creep up, like some excess milfoil (dense, aquatic plants) in lane six that Hanna says needs to be removed to prevent it from clogging the pathway for boats, the Schuylkill is the perfect playground for crews of all abilities. A big reason for that is the Schuylkill Navy, which helps keep the rowing community alive. Under the direction of Commodore Paul Horvat, the Navy brings together the disparate personalities contained within the 12 main boathouses (there are other houses further west on the river) by promoting

drexel.edu

is still a great spectacle.”

When Saint Joseph’s women’s basketball team holds a practice, it allows precious few people to watch. Perhaps a handful of high school coaches gain admittance. A stray media member could wander in. The proceedings are largely top-secret. Walk in uninvited, and you will most likely be asked to leave—quickly.

But when Gerry Quinlan’s SJU women’s crew boats take to the Schuylkill, there are no such precautions. In fact, the Hawk rowers could be practicing right next to teams against whom they will be competing at the Dad Vail and other races throughout the season. If Quinlan wants his boats to work on something new or try a changeup, it has to happen in full public view.

“People don’t realize how many people are on the river every day,” Quinlan says. “There are a couple thousand people. Our team has 110 members alone.”

And anybody on the river had better be alert.

There’s always another boat close by, and the fastest crafts get the right of way.

“There’s a rule that’s been in place for over a century on the Schuylkill,” Strotbeck says. “If you are being overtaken by another crew, get the hell out of the way.”

That’s rowing in Philadelphia. In addition to Quinlan’s Hawks and the other college outfits on the river, there are high school teams,

and regulating the sport. The result is a camaraderie that transcends the competition and creates an ethos that can’t be replicated by other sport. Because rowers often toil in complete anonymity, thanks to the odd juxtaposition found when the demands of individual training meet the tyranny of the team, they forge bonds that are stronger than those found in other sports.

Just about everybody plays basketball. Only a small percentage of people choose to pull an oar.

In Philadelphia, that connection is as tight as anywhere else in the country.

“Philadelphia is one of the premiere rowing centers in the United States,” Strotbeck says. “It has been that way consistently since the early 1900s.”

Dozens of Dad Vail alumni have gone on to row at Henley and in the Olympics. And any day on the river can feature elite competitors honing their skills and endurance for future international competition. Mix in a menagerie of other rowers, and you have a rare athletic blend that can’t be found elsewhere. The Dad Vail sits as the centerpiece on a waterway that defines a unique Philadelphia sporting culture.

“On a three-mile stretch of river, you have 12 boathouses in close proximity that both on and off the water allows athletes to push each other,” Strotbeck says. “It’s one of the advantages of rowing in Philadelphia.”

And competing in the Dad Vail. n

39

Tackling Life

How Faith, Family, Friends, and Fortitude Kept an NFL Linebacker in the Game

K

EVIN REILLY GRABS YOU and doesn’t let go with the first sentence in his new book Tackling Life. It’s a quote from his orthopedic oncologist, Dr. Ralph Marcove.

“Kevin, you have a desmoid tumor, and we will be lucky if I can save your arm,’’ Marcove told him Aug. 18, 1978.

They weren’t lucky.

Reilly, a young NFL linebacker/special teams player with the Dolphins, Eagles and Patriots in the late 1970s, lost his arm and of course the rest of his football career. He didn’t lose his fight, or his other four F words—Faith, Family, Friends and Fortitude.

Tackling Life is a blow by blow account, that isn’t always pleasant, but is very inspirational, of how Reilly’s life continued without football and his left arm.

The book, which Reilly self-published and is available where most books are sold, was a long time in the making.

“I would do a chapter here and a chapter there,’’ Reilly said. “But I wasn’t really focused on it.’’

Then after a speaking engagement at St. Joseph’s University in March of 2017, the plan was finally put in place.

“I had been going around doing a lot of speaking engagements and lately, I’d been speaking in front of a lot of Catholic men’s groups,’’ Reilly said. “I was in Oklahoma, Boston, Washington, D.C., Nashville (Tenn.). The other speakers, who would be with me, always had books to sell. As I said, I had started writ40

BY MARK ECKEL ing one, had about 10 chapters, or so. I’d write some, and stop, then write a little more.

“Then I did [a speaking engagement] here in Philly at St. Joe’s in front of about 1,500 men.

And I was good that day, I really wowed them.

The next speaker came up after me and said, ‘Where is your book?’ He said, ‘You could have sold 500 books today and helped a lot of people.’ After every speech, I started hearing the same thing. I’d have 10-15 people ask me, ‘Do you have a book? I wish you had a book.’’’

John Reilly, a friend of Kevin’s but not a relative (although so many people assume it, they just let it go now), offered his help.

Was I going to put it out there that I’m a recovering alcoholic? But then I thought about it and there aren’t a lot of people out there who can identify with losing a limb. But there are a lot of people who have gone through a divorce or have an addiction problem. If I wanted to do the job right, I had to mention everything.’’

And he did. Reilly’s life was interesting enough, as just a football player from a small Catholic High School in Delaware, to Villanova University, to becoming a 1973 seventh round draft pick, the 160th overall selection (which would be a fifth round pick today) of the Miami Dolphins.

“The day they wheeled me into that room and told me there’s a 30 percent chance I wouldn’t come out, that’s when it hit me.’’

“He said he would work with me, but that I had to focus,’’ Kevin said. “I was worried about grammar and sentence structure, but John was there to clean up all of that.’’

O THE BOOK BEGAN and so did the help for others, who have battled some of the same treacheries of life that Reilly has gone through.

“It’s why I wrote it,’’ Reilly said of wanting to provide help. “There were some things I wasn’t sure I was going to put in it. I wasn’t sure I was going to put myself out there on my divorce.

S

There are some light moments in the book as well. Like how he landed with the Eagles after the Dolphins let him go just before the start of the 1973 season.

Out of football, looking for a job and waiting by his phone for his agent’s call, Reilly’s father had enough. He told him he should go to an Eagles practice and ask them for a tryout.

As expected, Reilly rolled his eyes and shook his head at his father’s suggestion. That’s not how the NFL works and he knew it. But to keep his father quiet and also to prove him wrong, he followed his advice.

“It’s hard for people to believe that story, but it’s true,’’ Reilly said of showing up at an Eagles practice and asking for a tryout. “I mean I couldn’t make that up. The hardest part was getting into the stadium. I had to convince the guards to let me in. All I had was some of my Dolphins stuff that showed I actually played for them. They let me in; I sat in the stands and watched practice. When it ended, and I remember this like it was yesterday, [Head Coach Mike] McCormack is talking to [Assistant Coach] Boyd Dowler, and I introduced myself.

I’m stumbling and I’m embarrassed and I just want to get out of there at this point. “[McCormack] chuckled and takes a look at me, calls a scout over. He says they had me on their board, but the Dolphins took me a little earlier. Then they gave me a chance. They hid me for a week. Then they signed me to the taxi squad. Next thing you know [Wide Receiver] Ben Hawkins broke his leg and they called me up because they needed help on special teams.’’

Reilly played the rest of that 1973 season and all of the 1974 season with the Eagles and the 1975 season with the New England Patriots as a reserve linebacker and special teams stalwart.

Then in 1976, came the first appointment with Dr. Marcove, for what he thought was typical shoulder surgery for a football player. Two years, and some failed surgeries later, came the words that still to this day resonate through

42

Reilly’s ears.

“My knees buckled,’’ he says. “I was technically one year away from [his NFL] pension. You needed four years then. They ended up waiving it and giving it to me for three and a half years.

But I didn’t know that then. I’m thinking I can play at least another year, maybe two or three.

Somebody always needs a special teams player and a backup linebacker. I knew I could still play. I just wanted to get my shoulder fixed.

“I’m in there waiting for the doctor and I’m with a bunch of cancer patients and I’m feeling bad for them. And we’re waiting and waiting and I’m feeling a little tight under the collar now. To go in there and see this little guy come out and tell me I’ve been misdiagnosed, I have a desmoid tumor and he’ll be lucky to save my arm.

“Yeah, my knees buckled, my ears started to ring. He says, ‘The first operation you’re going to lose your clavicle for sure.’ I say, ‘I’m never going to play football again.’ He says, ‘You got that right.’ ’’ Reilly’s life takes several turns after his football days ended and they are all chronicled in the book. But from one day thinking he’d never be able to tie his shoes, he’s become a regular on the golf course, has run a marathon among his many races and has become an incredible inspirational speaker.

Tackling Life has just added to that last accomplishment.

“I hear from people all the time who tell me they were inspired and not because of the onearm, but because they went through a divorce, or they know someone or have a child with an addiction.

“As far as [the marathon goes] I needed a different purpose. I was coming off the divorce and needed something. I had run 5K’s and knew how tired I was after that. So I couldn’t imagine running a half-marathon, never mind a marathon. I did the half, and then couldn’t imagine doing another 20 yards, let alone another 13 miles.’’

He started to train with friends and the next thing he knew, he was running the 26.2 miles.

“Fabulous experience,’’ Reilly said, “just fabulous.’’

It has been that kind of a run for Reilly since that day when he didn’t know what to think after his football career was over and his left arm was amputated.

“The day they wheeled me into that room and told me there’s a 30 percent chance I wouldn’t come out, that’s when it hit me,’’ he said. “That’s when the fog cleared and the only thing that mattered to me was my relationship with God.’’ Now he spreads that word. Through his speeches and through Tackling Life.

“I’m really fulfilled doing this,’’ Reilly says. “I really am.’’ n

THRU THE LENS Eagles Super Bowl Parade Photographs by Jamie Dunek

44

2018 NFL DRAFT PREVIEW

THEYEAR OF THE

QUARTERBACK

BY MARK ECKEL

IT HAPPENED 35 YEARS AGO and nothing has come close to it since.

The 1983 NFL Draft was the best quarterback draft ever. It produced three Hall of Famers in John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, a solid starter in Ken O’Brien, a Super Bowl starter in Tony Eason and a really good announcer in Todd Blackledge.

Sixteen years later, the 1999 Draft was supposed to rival that ’83 Draft when five quarterbacks were taken in the first half of the first round.

Of that quintet that featured Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith, Daunte Culpepper and Cade McNown, only McNabb reached stardom, or a Super Bowl.

Culpepper had his moments before injuries curtailed what could have been a fine career.

The other three never came close to their po46

tential or hype.

Which leads to this 2018 NFL Draft to be held in Dallas, April 26-28.

For the first time since 1999, five quarterbacks are expected to be selected in the first round.

“They’re going to go,’’ a long-time scout said. “But like always, one, maybe two, will make it and the others will be average, at best, and out of the league, at worst. It happens all the time, but every year you hear about these quarterbacks. They’ve been chasing that ’83 draft for a long time now.’’

This year’s Fab Five includes Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, of Oklahoma; another Heisman winner in Lamar Jackson, of Louisville; Sam Darnold, of Southern Cal; Josh Rosen, of UCLA; and Josh Allen, of Wyoming.

“Overall, it’s a solid group,’’ the scout said.

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1999, FIVE QUARTERBACKS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SELECTED IN THE FIRST ROUND.

“Mayfield’s got everything you look for in a quarterback. He sees the field well, he makes all the throws and he’s a winner.”

“They all have their good qualities about them. But they all have some flaws, as well.’’

Mayfield, who this scout ranks as the best of the five, is the only senior of the group.

Jackson, Allen and Rosen are juniors and Darnold is a red-shirt sophomore.

“He’s got everything you look for in a quarterback,’’ the scout said of Mayfield. “If he were a half-inch taller, there wouldn’t even be a conversation that he was the best. I mean he sees the field well, he makes all the throws and he’s a winner.’’

In his Heisman-winning season, Mayfield (6-1, 219) took the Sooners to the BCS Final Four and lost an incredible overtime game to Georgia.

Over his past three seasons in Norman, Mayfield finished in the top four of the Heisman voting three times. This past year he put up a NFL quarterback rating of 141.7 with 43 touchdown passes and just six interceptions.

In three years he had 119 touchdown passes to 21 interceptions.

“People make a big deal about size,’’ the scout said. “It’s a different game today.

He’s not any smaller than Russell Wilson or Drew Brees.’’

With the help of a long-time NFL scout, here is a breakdown of the best players at each position in the 2018 NFL Draft.

The Best of the Best: Quarterback: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: Mayfield (6-1, 220) threw 43 touchdown passes and just six interceptions for the Sooners in his Heisman Trophy winning season. “He’s got everything you look for in a quarterback,’’ the scout said of Mayfield.

“If he were a half-inch taller, there wouldn’t even be a conversation that he was the best. I mean he sees the field well, he makes all the throws and he’s a winner.’’

Running Back: Saquon Barkley, Penn State: Barkley (5-11, 231) rushed for 1,271 yards and 18 touchdowns and caught 54 passes for another 632 yards and three touchdowns for the Nittany Lions last fall.

“I put him right there with [Ezekiel] Elliott

Jackson, who a lot of draftniks have as the fifth of the five quarterbacks, and who former GM Bill Pollian thinks should switch to wide receiver, ranks second with this scout.

“His detractors say he runs too much,’’ the scout said of the Louisville QB. “A lot of those are designed plays for him. I think he’s going to do well [in the NFL]. He’s gotten better and better every year. He reminds me a little of [Carolina’s] Cam [Newton] when he was at Auburn.’’

Jackson (6-3, 207) won the Heisman in 2016 and finished third this year. His QB rating was 103.5 this year with 27 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. A spectacular runner (3,974 yards, 49 TDs), he’s just a 57.4% career passer, but did improve his percentage each season.

Darnold (6-4, 223) was a two-year starter for the Trojans with a QB rating of 99.9 this year. He threw 26 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.

“Off the field you love him,’’ the scout said.

“Real good character, says and does all the right things. He’s got the intangibles you look for, too. He’s a playmaker. He just [makes] a lot of bad decisions and turnovers and that worries you. If he’s making those in college, what’s he going to do in the pros? He’s got a lot that you look for, though. You can take a chance with him.”

Allen (6-5, 233) has an NFL passer rating of 89.2 for his career at Wyoming, including an 83.7 this year when he threw 16 touchdown passes and six interceptions. His completion percentage was 56 percent, the same as it’s been throughout his college career.

“He looks the part,” the scout said. “He’s

[of the Cowboys] and slightly ahead of [Leonard] Fournette [of the Jaguars],’’ the scout said of the last two No. 4 overall picks. “He’s actually more versatile than both of them. Fournette is more powerful, but [Barkley] is more shifty and he has better hands.’’

Wide Receiver: Calvin Ridley, Alabama: Ridley (6-1, 190) caught 63 passes for 967 yards, an average of 15.3 yards per catch, for the National Champions. “He’s the No. 1 [receiver], no question,’’ the scout said. “He’s athletic, he’s fast, he has good hands. He just needs to get a little stronger.’’

Tight End: Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin: Fumagalli (6-6, 248) caught 46 passes for 547 yards in a Badgers offense that struggled in the passing game last fall. “It’s really an average class [of tight ends],’’ the scout said. “[Fumagalli] is the most complete of all

a good athlete. He has a lot of bad tape, especially at that level. I mean he played in a bad conference.

“Somebody will still take him high. But are we going on what the tape is and production and winning, or is this a guy who looks like he should be an NFL quarterback and how he throws the ball?”

Rosen (6-4, 219) is another who has mixed views from scouts. Some love him, some not so much. He compiled a quarterback rating of 98.5 this season with 26 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in his third year as a starter for the Bruins.

“He looks the part when he throws the ball, but he lacks the rest of the assets you need to be a winning quarterback,” the scout said. “Off the field he doesn’t have that profile you want for someone leading your team.

He’s a talented pocket passer when things are clean, but things aren’t clean all the time in the NFL. He needs things to be perfect and they’re rarely perfect.”

Just like the NFL Draft, especially when it comes to quarterbacks. n

of them, so he’s No. 1 in my opinion.’’

Offensive Line: Quentin Nelson, Notre Dame: Nelson (6-5, 330) out of Red Bank Catholic High School, located in Red Bank, NJ, started every game at guard the past two seasons for the Fighting Irish. “He’s a top 10 pick and you don’t say that too often for a guard,’’ the scout said. “He’s as good as [Zach] Martin [former ND guard now with the Cowboys] was coming out, maybe better.’’

Defensive End: Bradley Chubb, North Carolina State: Chubb (6-4 1/2, 272) had 10 sacks each of the past two seasons for the Wolfpack. “He’s really good,’’ the scout said. “He’s more consistent than [Myles] Garrett [the No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 Draft] was. He’s tough, real tough.’’

Defensive Tackle: Vita Vea, Washington: Vea (6-5, 340) had 43 tackles,

3.5 sacks and batted down four passes for the Huskies last fall. “He’s legit,’’ the scout said. “I really like him. He’s a lot like Haloti Ngata [Pro Bowl player for the Ravens and Lions].

Linebacker: Roquan Smith, Georgia: Smith (6-1, 225) had 137 tackles, 14 of those for a loss, 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles for the National Runners-up.

“He’s a little small, but he’s really fast,’’ the scout said. “He’s not quite as explosive as Ryan Shazier [Steelers] was, but he makes plays.’’

Defensive Back: Joshua Jackson, Iowa: Jackson (6-1, 192) intercepted eight passes and returned two for touchdowns last fall for the Hawkeyes. He also had 18 passes defensed. “He’s long and athletic with real good cover skills,’’ the scout said.

“Reminds me a little of Tre White [Bills].’’

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48

Photo Miles Kennedy

Talkin’ baseball with

Charlie Manuel

BY T. JORDAN WOMPIERSKI

C

harlie Manuel spent just short of nine seasons in the dugout as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, so when he was relieved of his managerial duties in August 2013, he wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself.

The Phillies extended an immediate offer for him to stay on board with the organization as a senior advisor, but Manuel thought he was still cut out to be a manager somewhere. He wanted to mull things over for a while, so he temporarily tabled the offer and was left in limbo.

“My wife told the doctor that I was depressed, that I had depression that I couldn’t go to the ballpark every day,” Manuel said with a laugh, now able to make light of what was once a solemn situation.

“I didn’t know for sure if I wanted to manage again, but I knew I didn’t want to go somewhere and be a hitting coach or something like that again,” Manuel said. “With the success I had as a manager, I kind of felt like, if I was to go back to the field, it would either be as a manager, or working for somebody that played for me who got a job.”

After five months away from the field, Manuel ultimately decided to take the Phillies up on their offer, signing on as a senior advisor to the general manager in January 2014.

“I wanted to stay in the game, but I also thought, ‘Well, if I stay in the game in some capacity, why shouldn’t it be in Philadelphia?’

Because that’s where I had success as a manager and I already knew a lot of people there.”

As a senior advisor, the 74-year-old Manuel spends much of the season scouting amateur prospects in preparation for the draft, as well as visiting the Phillies’ various minor league affiliates to work with prospects. Each year

since 2015, he’s been back on the field in spring training, which is where he feels most at home.

“I go to big league camp, I walk around, I talk to some hitters and things like that,” Manuel explained. “I love to be on the field. I’ve always thought I belonged on the field. At the same time, I love the part about the scouting.

It keeps me involved in the game, and I get to watch baseball. In the summer, I get to go around to our [minor league] teams and I get to see our players and I get to work with some of them. I definitely enjoy that, but there’s nothing like being down on the field and being part of the game.”

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his spring, Manuel is back where he belongs once more, down on the field each day and working with the team’s hitters.

As a result, he’s had an up-close look at the 2018 Phillies team, and he likes what he’s seen.

“I think we’re definitely going to improve this year,” Manuel said, referencing new manager Gabe Kapler as one of the primary reasons for fans to be optimistic. “I think he’s a leader and I think he’s going to be a good communicator.”

Among the players Kapler will have the chance to lead, a few in particular have really stood out to Manuel during spring training.

“We’ve got an exciting looking bunch of offensive players, and [Scott] Kingery is definitely one of them,” Manuel said of the Phillies’ 23-year-old infield prospect. “He has a chance to be a very, very good player for us. To me, the only thing this kid does, he just plays baseball very good and smiles. He doesn’t talk much, he just goes out there and plays, and he’s got a lot of ability. He reminds me a lot of Chase Utley. He’s got some Chase Utley in him, as far

as his preparation and his desire and his will to want to play.”

Kingery isn’t a lock to make the Phillies out of spring training, but even if he only has a fraction of Utley’s work ethic in him, it’s only a matter of time before he’ll join fellow phenom Rhys Hoskins, 24, in the majors. Hoskins only played 50 games for the Phillies last season, but he turned plenty of heads by smashing 18 home runs and 48 RBIs in that stretch, setting a number of major league rookie records in the process.

“Hoskins came up last year and made an impact at the end of the year, and if he keeps the same demeanor and the same work ethic, and just how he thinks about the game and how he goes about it, I don’t see any reason in the world why he can’t continue to be a big productive hitter at the major league level,” Manuel said.

Kicking Back and Relaxing Baseball takes up most of Manuel’s time, but when he does have a moment away from the game, he enjoys fishing, golfing, and spending time with his family.

“I didn’t get to go fishing this year because baseball took my time up, but I love to play golf and I did go golfing a few times,” said Manuel, who resides in Winter Haven, Florida now that his managerial career is over. “But what I really love to do is spend time with my grandkids. I’ve got five grandkids, three small ones. I have two granddaughters, one is 4 and one is 3, and I have a grandson who’s 10 months old. I love to spend time with them.”

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Photo Miles Kennedy

The Glory Days Manuel appeared in 242 MLB games over six seasons as a player and later went on to have a very successful stint as a power hitter in Japan, but the highlight of his baseball career was winning the 2008 World Series as manager of the Phillies.

“I always loved playing, and managing is the next best thing, but I actually think managing the Phillies was the highlight of my career, and the biggest moment of my career was definitely when we won the 2008 World Series,” he said.

“And I think that our fans had a lot to do with it because they filled our ballpark and they created a lot of energy for us.”

Now that his days as a manager are over, Manuel has some time to reflect on all of his accomplishments and accolades.

“I keep a lot of stuff. The memorabilia I have, I’ve got some awards and things like that. Baseballs, uniforms, all that stuff. I’ve got a World Series ball. [Brad] Lidge and [Carlos] Ruiz gave me the ball that was the final out of the World Series. That’s something good to have. But at the same time, the memories are much bigger than the awards.”

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Manuel talks hitting with Phillies centerfielder Odubel Herrera

Manuel also tabbed first baseman Carlos Santana, who the Phillies signed to a 3-year deal in December, and catcher Jorge Alfaro, who has been in the team’s system since 2015 but is poised to earn a full-time MLB role this year, as players to watch this season.

While it’s the Phillies up-and-coming hitters that have Manuel the most excited, he’s also hopeful regarding the Phillies’ pitching staff.

“In our bullpen, we signed [Pat] Neshek and [Tommy] Hunter and we’ve got [Hector] Neris.

That’s pretty good at the back end of our bullpen,” Manuel said.

As for starting pitchers, Manuel believes newcomer Jake Arietta—signed in March with spring training already well underway—will be a big help, and he’s also been impressed with returning youngster Aaron Nola.

‘‘

Our team is going to be exciting.

I think the second half of the season you’re going to see our team really improve.”

“Nola looks like he’s definitely ready to settle in and be the pitcher that we think he can be,” he said. “He’s having a big spring.”

In addition to the more established pitchers on the Phillies’ roster like Arietta and Nola, Manuel believes some of the team’s pitching prospects will make names for themselves as MLB players in 2018.

“When we traded Cole Hamels and Ken Giles, we got quite a few pitchers in those two deals. In the last couple years, we’ve been sitting and waiting for some of these guys to step forward and kind of really prove they could pitch out of a big league rotation, and I think this year, somewhere along the line, some of our young pitchers are going to step up and become big league pitchers,” he said.

Powerful hitting and reliable pitching should combine to give Phillies fans something worth cheering about in 2018.

“Our team is going to be exciting,” Manuel said. “At the start of the season, if we can just

The Writing on the Wall With the Phillies trudging to a 53-67 record in August of 2013, and Manuel’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, Manuel knew the glory days were over and he might not be the team’s manager for much longer. On August 12, Manuel picked up his 1,000th career win as an MLB manager, but it would also be his last.

He was let go just four days later in the midst of a difficult season.

“I kind of knew that things were coming to an end,” he said. “You could see it. We were not the team that we were before. We got into a position where we had to kind of go back and re-do our team, and at the same time, my contract was running out, and we had Ryne Sandberg in AAA, and he was popular and of course he wanted to get to the big leagues, and I’m getting a little older, and our success on the field was going the other way. I could definitely see everything about what was coming. Believe me, if I could’ve stopped it or helped it, I would’ve. But, that’s baseball and I get that’s what you sign on for. Did I like it? No, because I loved my job, but that’s baseball and I guess that’s what you sign on for.”

A Special Bond During his career as a manager, Manuel was known for developing a special bond with his players based on mutual respect and the compassion he showed for them.

One player who Manuel developed a particularly close bond with over the years was first baseman Jim Thome. Thome played for Manuel in both Cleveland and Philadelphia, and when he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January, the only one who might have been happier than Thome himself was Manuel.

“It’s absolutely unreal,” Manuel said of Thome’s induction. “Even to this day, I’m just as happy as I was when I heard it. He’s very well deserving. I was with him for so long, especially when he was young and everything, and all the practices that we had together and all the time that he put in, it really paid off. It couldn’t happen to a better person. He’s one of the most honest people you’ll ever meet, he’s down to earth, everything about him is real.”

Manuel and Thome have a relationship that rivals that of father and son, so Manuel gets pretty emotional talking about Thome’s accomplishments.

“He’s been a credit to the game of baseball, and believe me, it’s well-deserved,” Manuel said, on the verge of choking up. “I actually can’t talk that much about it, I get all kind of out of focus really, because he’s that good of a person.”

kind of keep up with the league—say, play .500 baseball the first month or so, and get to the All-Star Game—I think the second half of the season you’re going to see our team really improve. And the reason is I think it’s going to take them a little while to come together, because we’ve made quite a few moves, and usually, just to mold a team together and let them really get used to one another, I think that might take a little while. But I think that we’re going to show improvement, and we have a chance to be very exciting.

That optimistic assessment carries a lot of weight, considering this isn’t Manuel’s first rodeo.

“I remember really well, when we got to spring training in 2008, you could tell the players that we had were anxious to get back and start playing. You could feel that aura in the air.

When the season started, believe me, we expected to get back to the playoffs and go to the World Series. We were geared and we stayed focused on getting to the World Series.”

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hat’s not to say Manuel thinks the 2018 Phillies will be heading to the World Series, but he doesn’t think they’re far off from a playoff berth. He feels a similar buzz to 2008 in the air courtesy of the young players the Phillies have in the pipeline and the energy they bring. All that’s missing is another big name or two.

“I’d say next year would probably be the year that we really make strides,” he said. “I feel like our team, we still need to add a couple pieces. I think we’ll know pretty much how solid of a team we’re gonna have by the end

of this year. I think there’s some things that we need to do to push our team into being a contender, if that makes sense.”

Manuel initially played coy, but he was referring to the unprecedented pool of superstars that could potentially be available via free agency next winter, including Washington’s Bryce Harper and Baltimore’s Manny Machado.

“There’s some big names out there this year,” Manuel acknowledged when pressed.

“There’s Harper, there’s Machado, there’s some big names out there. Of course, I do feel like that we could use a couple pitchers, but at the same time, I think that any of those big, proven players are definitely going to add depth and bring a high performance to our team. It’s just kind of who we go after and how hard, and if we could get some of those guys.”

Manuel is confident in the organization’s ability to bring in a few big names to complement the crop of youngsters on the Phillies.

“I like what [President of Baseball Operations] Andy MacPhail and [General Manager] Matt Klentak are trying to do, and also, [owners] John Middleton and the Buck brothers are definitely not afraid to spend money,” he said. “I think that by next year, we would have a team that might have a chance to really contend.”

Only time will tell if the new regime can usher in the same level of success that Manuel’s Phillies saw from 2007 to 2011, but Manuel hopes that’s the case.

“I pull for them and I’m looking forward to this year,” he said. “I want the Phillies to compete, and I want them to compete as soon as possible.” n 51

Life as a Peach: (age 10), ve: Edith Houghton Clockwise from abo The 1923 Philadelphia Bobbies, d, har Ric th Pepper Davis, Ru ches 1948 Rockford Pea

Remembering the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League 52

BY NICK SANTANGELO

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THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES open this season with hopes it will be a big step forward in its years-long rebuilding process. The Phillies’ five-season run of sustained success, from 2007 to 2011, may be a distant memory after six seasons playing sub-.500 baseball, but it’s largely seen as the most successful stretch of professional baseball in the city’s history—rivaled only by the run from 1976 to 1983 that brought the Phillies their first-ever World Series Championship in 1980.

Absent from that conversation, when it’s held by Millennials, Gen Xers and even some Boomers, however, are two periods of professional Philadelphia baseball that were objectively far better. Between 1910 and 1914, the Philadelphia Athletics went to four World Series, winning three of them. They returned to the game’s biggest stage each year from 1929 to 1930, winning twice more.

And while the Peaches and Chicks she played for from 1947-1954 may have called Rockford, Illinois and Grand Rapids, Michigan, their respective homes, Argus, Pennsylvania native Ruth Richard also was part of an era of professional baseball so successful that most Phillies fans wouldn’t even dare to dream of it. Richard made seven pro ball playoff appearances during that span, winning a whopping four championships. Of course, she

The 1992 movie, A League of Their Own, starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks and Madonna, was based on the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

didn’t do it as a Major Leaguer. She did it as a member of the league commonly known as the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

Their Own League

Richard, now a Sellersville, PA resident, showed up to an Allentown AAGPBL tryout along with more than 200 other women in 1946 shortly after she graduated high school.

Along with fellow Sellersville resident Gert Alderfer, Richard made the cut. The league folded after the ’54 season, and its memory, along with Richard’s part in it, was largely forgotten to time. Forgotten, that is, until Geena Davis portrayed a semi-fictionalized version of Richard in 1992’s A League of Their Own. William “Liam” Kelly, a Bucks County baseball historian who once worked with the since-collapsed Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society, has had the opportunity to get to know Richard and some of the other women who inspired the movie. When the film’s version of the league gets off the ground, the players are ridiculed by fans for being women trying to play what was, ostensibly, a man’s game. But Kelly says this derision was, along with the sibling rivalry and love story, part of

Hollywood’s efforts to dramatize the story.

Hollywood got most of it right, though, including the uniforms.

“When they played around the country, there probably wasn’t a lot of resistance,” says Kelly. “There still was Major League Baseball, but people enjoyed the female players. One of the things I said to [Richard] was I know when the men played they had these heavy uniforms, and you ladies were playing in skirts. That had to hurt when you were sliding into a base. They had a lot of raspberries from playing ball, but they were some pretty tough ladies, and I think some pretty good hitters.”

How good were the best female big leaguers? Well, Bill Hockenbury spent some time playing in the Athletics’ farm system and even rode the pines for a bit with the big club during the same era the AAGPBL was active, but it was Hockenbury’s mother who may have been the best athlete in the family.

Playing Like a Girl “He had a great sense of humor,” Kelly recalls of the late Hockenbury. “A heckler said, ‘Your mother was a better ball player than you were.’ And he agreed with him, said she was.”

Hockenbury’s mother had played for a pro 53

Edith Houghton, MLB’s first female scout

Philadelphia women’s team (the Bobbies) that existed long before even the AAGPBL. In A League of Their Own, candy magnate Walter Harvey—a stand-in for real-world chewing gum tycoon Philip K. Wrigley—is one of the team owners who founds the AAGPBL to keep baseball popular while many of their male MLB counterparts are away fighting in World War II. That’s largely true to life, but the Bobbies were part of another pro women’s league,

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and Mary Hockenbury was far from its only player of note. Joining the team at only 10 years old in 1922 was North Philadelphia native Edith Houghton.

Houghton and the Bobbies weren’t just some local curios, either. “They had traveled to Europe and played in Japan, and they played a lot of games against men’s teams,” says Kelly. “She was that good. She was a baseball phenom.”

Baseball was a major part of Houghton’s life, and she even made it to the Majors. In 1946, the Phillies shocked the baseball world by hiring Houghton as MLB’s first female scout. She would stay in that position through 1952, signing 15 players to Phillies contracts.

Houghton scooped up most of those players from Philadelphia high school teams. Around the same time, AAPGBL scouts were discovering and recruiting ballplayers from high schools around the country. Once there, however, they didn’t quite enjoy the same creature comforts their male counterparts, especially those of the modern era, would.

Rounding the Bases Kelly says the women’s travel arrangements involved “buses with no air conditioning and sometimes they would actually stay

While locals like Edith Houghton, Ruth Richard and Mary Hockenbury had to, as most elite athletes do, leave their hometowns behind to go play for whichever teams wanted them, today’s Philadelphia baseball fans may wonder how the city ever let its most successful professional sports team leave town. Money was the driving factor, but a certain team from New York played a role in stripping us of glory.

Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics of the late 1920s and early 1930s were arguably every bit as good as the storied ’27 Yankees.

But belonging to a richer ownership group and being located in New York helped the Yankees steal the limelight from the Athletics. When the Athletics fell on hard financial times some 20 years later, Liam Kelly says the Yankees played a big part in sending their rivals to the south packing out west.

“Maybe that’s why there’s always such contention between our cities,” says Kelly.

There were Philadelphia groups with the money and interest to keep the Athletics here, but the Yankees used some of their considerable clout to help sway other teams’ owners to vote in favor of a plan to move the team to Kansas City (which it eventually left for Oakland), instead.

“ I know what it’s like for your dream to come true. Mine did.” – “Pepper” Paire Davis

at people’s homes in the towns they stayed in. People would invite them, and they stayed there or at like a bed and breakfast-type thing.

They didn’t have four-star hotels.

“Besides all the teams they had in the league, they also had a traveling team, and the traveling team would play a pretty rigorous schedule just like the league teams did. They played almost daily during the season.”

A League of Their Own was able to capture this reality so faithfully because it relied on Lavone A. “Pepper” Paire Davis, an AAGPBL player from 1944-1953, as a consultant. The late Paire spent a couple of seasons with the Racine Belles, who best the Peaches for the league championship in the movie. The Peaches, you recall, were the team Ruth Richard spent most of her career with. And what a career it was.

“Yeah, they won the championship a few times, and I guess the Peaches were like the Yankees,” says Kelly of Ruth’s Peaches and their four-championship dynasty. “They were so talented, and everybody wanted to be on their team, but they couldn’t all be on there.

They had somehow been better than most of the other teams in the league, and Ruth played ’47 to ’54.”

As it is with most catchers, the game was not gentle on Richard, now 89 years old.

“She has had, I think, both hips replaced, both knees replaced and one shoulder,” says Kelly. “She’s the bionic woman. I think she’s 87 now, but she’s had all parts replaced, which is understandable because she was a catcher, and being a catcher is one of the hardest roles in baseball.”

If they wanted to play professional hardball, however, the women had to be ready to deal with, well, hard circumstances. The pay wasn’t great. The travel was brutal—one team that toured Central America had a schedule of 15 games in 15 days before getting some time off—and the accommodations were poor. The pay was a far cry from the tens of millions today’s MLB players make or even from the approximately $5,000 the Philadelphia Athletics of the time tended to pay their players annually. But it wasn’t about the money or the fame for these women. It was about love of the game, with many players transitioning into various softball leagues after their time playing pro hardball came to an end.

Davis

Going to Extras “If it’s something you do and you love it, it’s hard to give up,” says Kelly, who adds that Philadelphia Athletics player Gus Zernial knew it was time to call it quits when he overheard some kids trading 10 of his baseball cards for one of Mickey Mantle. “I can understand athletes, when they stay well beyond their career, just hanging around. It’s just hard to give up.”

Much of the core of the 2018 Phillies features players like Aaron Nola, Rhys Hoskins and J.P. Crawford are young enough that they’re unlikely to have to dwell much on knowing when it’s time to hang it up for years to come yet. But those days will come for each of them, eventually. When they do, they—and Philadelphia baseball fans everywhere—should be so lucky as to have ex-

perienced the kind of success the Philadelphia Athletics or the Rockford Peaches did in their heydays. Or to go on to be honored the way the entirety of the AAGPBL players were in 1988 when they were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Before her passing at 88 in 2013, Paire Davis remembered that feeling. “I know what it’s like for your dream to come true. Mine did.” n

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A CLEANING UP! South Jersey’s Aaron Krause hit it big with his Scrub Daddy creation. Will his company’s new hockey stick be next?

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A

Aaron Krause is in his element.

Wearing an orange baseball cap and a skyblue dress shirt that both showcase Scrub Daddy—the company he put on the map on Shark Tank, becoming the most successful product in the TV show’s history—Krause fistbumps his employees as he walks briskly and percolates with enthusiasm while giving two visitors a tour of his massive distribution facility in Folcroft, Pa. Scrub Daddy, the brain-child of South Jersey’s Krause, is a smiley-face sponge made of a “game-changing” material that is in kitchens around the world, making its inventor a celebrity of sorts. For instance, he was at the Eagles’ post- Super Bowl in Minneapolis because of his connections, and he got to hold the Vince Lombardi Trophy while wearing an Eagles jersey and having a Scrub Daddy necklace dangling under it.

On this February afternoon, he stops by his company’s headquarters and unpacks a box of a new creation, a pineapple-scented, underthe-sea Scrub Daddy/SpongeBob Squarepants scrubber.

“It’s going to be so awesome,” he said.

Partnering with the Nickelodeon character will give Scrub Daddy more visibility—not that it really needs it. Krause estimates that 35 million Scrub Daddy sponges have been sold.

“A lot of people look at Scrub Daddy and they say, ‘OK, it’s a smiley-face sponge,’ and they

don’t give it a lot of attention,” he said. “This will make them stop. They’ll recognize SpongeBob and say, ‘Wait, SpongeBob is talking about this? What’s going on here?’ And they’ll give it a second look. They’re show-stoppers.”

Krause, 48, a marketing genius who grew up in Wynnewood, Pa., and attended Akiba Academy in Merion, talks about the sponges as if

BY SAM CARCHIDI they are people. He is that INTO his product.

He said the idea of partnering with a cartoon character came from an email he received from a woman who, it seemed, was complaining about Scrub Daddy as she began her remarks.

“Moms send emails in all the time. When it starts out, we think we’re getting yelled at,” he said. “They start by saying, ‘I was in the store with my five-year-old, and he picked up your overpriced, ridiculous $4 sponge with the smiley face on it and he wouldn’t put it down, screaming and yelling so I had to buy your stupid sponge.’ ” And then comes the surprise ending.

“And they say, ‘Oh, my God. What is this thing? It’s the greatest sponge I’ve ever used.

I’ll never use another sponge in my life! Thank you for making this!’ I get emails like that all the time, and I was like, ‘I need to get more kids picking this up and making Mom get it because once they’re converted, they’re converted [forever] and they’re going to be happy.’”

•••

Aaron Krause, who is wearing a Scrub Daddy necklace with his Eagles jersey, holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the team’s party in Minneapolis shortly after they won the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.

A SHORT WALK AWAY FROM HIS pineapple-scented creation, Krause stops at an office wall that is plastered with awards for Scrub Daddy, a product that is sold all around the globe. Right next to all the testimonials is a framed letter.

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Scrub Daddy now has a full line of products, including Scrub Mommy, Screen Daddy, Eraser Daddy, Scour Daddy, Daddy Caddy, Sponge Caddy, and Scrub Daisy.

A letter of rejection from QVC, a live, homeshopping show that sells a wide variety of products.

Krause received the letter in 2011, a year before Scrub Daddy became a Shark Tank wonder.

The gist of the letter: Scrub Daddy doesn’t meet any of QVC’s criteria to be shown on one

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of its shows.

Right next to the letter is a plaque Scrub Daddy earned in later years for selling 2.1 million Scrub Daddy sponges on QVC. In one day.

Repeat: One day.

After getting rejected, a broker helped Krause

get Scrub Daddy on QVC six months later.

Krause’s initial appearance on QVC was a bust.

“I actually had a terrible show,” he said. “It was my first show, and it was at 5 a.m. I had never been on TV before and I was scared to death. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing….and I wish I had more time to talk. But I was like a deer in the headlights.”

Luckily for Krause, the QVC executives liked his energy and he was invited back to try one more show.

He practiced his selling routine before his appearance. This time, he nailed it. In six minutes, he sold out of the few thousand Scrub Daddy sponges he had available.

It was the start of something big. In the coming weeks, he was given numerous shows.

Each was wildly successful.

“After my fourth or fifth show, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I love this. I LOVE being on TV. I LOVE selling my product,” he said. “It was just so much fun, and at that time, I just started rocking.”

In time, Scrub Daddy was the featured item of the day. He was on nine times, back to back, from midnight to midnight. Each show was live.

“You’re there for 24 hours, and you’re doing show after show after show,” he said. “There are different hosts and you never know what they’re going to ask and how you’re going to

respond.”

In one of his days, he sold 2.1 million Scrub Daddy sponges.

“It was insane,” said Krause, who studied psychology and marketing at Syracuse University.

After his fourth QVC show, Krause filmed a Shark Tank episode in July of 2012. It was shown in October of that year, and that’s when Scrub Daddy, which was already successful, took on a life of its own.

Scrub Daddy now has numerous products, including Scrub Mommy, Screen Daddy, Eraser Daddy, Scour Daddy, Daddy Caddy, Sponge Caddy, and Scrub Daisy.

Scrub Daisy, a new product, is a set of spongelike flowers that fit into vases, water bottles and other items that have openings too small for Scrub Daddy. Krause invented the product, and his engineering team perfected it.

Naturally, he took the new product to the recent Philadelphia Flower Show.

“This,” Krause said, “isn’t work. We have the most fun in the world, and I have the greatest staff.”

“It’s not work for ANY of us,” said Robin Romesburg, a customer-service representative for the company.

••• KRAUSE HAS NUMEROUS PRODUCTS on the market, but Scrub Daddy—whose name was created by John O’Brien, senior vice president of corporate operations—is his baby. Its success is what enabled Krause to launch his other products.

“You can’t compare it to anything,” Krause said of Scrub Daddy. “It’s a complete gamechanging material, and what makes it different is the material. The smiley face is not a gimmick; it’s actually fully functional. But what changed the game is the material. Before we came out, sponges were stinky, smelly, bacteria-ridden things that didn’t rinse clean and were an eyesore that you would hide underneath your sink.”

The Scrub Daddy material, created by Krause and called flex texture, is made in a Germany factory, and the sponge changes its texture depending on the water’s temperature.

Put it in cold water, it turns firm and will scrub off debris but won’t scratch any surfaces. Put it in warm water and it turns into a soft, moldable sponge and rinses clean.

Before he developed Scrub Daddy, Krause owned a company that manufactured buffing pads for cars, boats, and planes. In 2006, his mission was to create a product to clean your hands, “and this company in Germany sent me this material and it was amazing,” he said.

Krause refined it. He created holes in the product to clean your fingers.

“I launched this as a product for mechanics in body shops to clean their dirty hands,” he said.

The product flopped. Krause said he had mechanics tell him, ‘Dude, I’d rather have dirty hands than pay $4 for a hand-cleaning sponge.’

Krause had close to 500 samples made; by 2007, he put them in boxes and labeled them “scrap” and packed them away.

“Five years later, my wife was nagging me to clean the lawn furniture,” Krause said. “I took a traditional sponge out with the green scouring side and started scrubbing to get some of the mold off—and it scratched the paint off. And she’s screaming, ‘You ruined the furniture!’ ” Krause remembered he had the “scrap” sponges in boxes from his failed venture, and he cleaned his lawn furniture with one. “And the same one I started with was still in perfect shape when I got done with it,” he said. “And every time I would dunk it in this bucket of warm, soapy water, it would go totally soft. I was like, ‘What is that?’ We had put these stiffeners in it to make it rough for scrubbing your hands, and I had only been (testing) it in cold water. So as I’m scrubbing, it’s like crystallizing in my hand. The harder it got, the better I could scrub, and the softer, the easier I could mold it between the seats.”

That night, Krause cleaned his dishes with the sponge. As he did, he realized that, because of the shape of glasses, pots and pans, the old-

fashioned rectangle sponges aren’t as effective as round ones.

“The ‘lightbulb’ moment for me was when I put my fingers in the (sponge’s) eyeholes and go into this mug, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, why would you ever hold a sponge from the outside? And if you put a smile in it, you can clean the silverware [in that opening]. I was like, ‘Oh my God. I’m going to put a mouth in it and I’m going to change the whole game.’”

That was in 2011.

Three years earlier, 3M had acquired Krause’s company, but he stayed with them as a consultant and set up factories for them around the world. “But when I sold the company, they didn’t want a bunch of items I had created,” Krause said, “because they thought they were stupid and wouldn’t go anywhere.”

One of them that they rejected was a “stupid” product called Scrub Daddy, a sponge that now has plants in China, Germany, Taiwan, South

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Carolina, Tennessee, and Moorestown, NJ. The product’s popularity soared when Shark Tank cast member Lori Greiner paid $200,000 for a 20 percent share of Scrub Daddy when he presented the product on the TV show.

“She already knew I was going to be successful on QVC and was going to be a huge winner,” he said.

After the show, Krause said, the lawyers got together and “tweaked and adjusted” the deal.

The terms of the final contract, he said, “are in confidentiality. We’re both very, very happy. ” They should be. The product has become so well-known that Scrub Daddy was recently the answer to a question on a highly popular trivia show called HQ, which is sort of a smartphone version of Jeopardy!

••• ONE OF KRAUSE’S LOVES IS HOCKEY. He is a Flyers season-ticket holder, he plays on a Scrub Daddy men’s league team, and he coaches his son’s team in Voorhees, NJ. He has a shrine devoted to the Flyers in his office, and he has hockey nets spread around his distribution plant for employees to take shots and blow off steam.

Oh, and he recently became one of the owners of Tovi Hockey, a company that invented a hockey stick made of solid carbon fibers.

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Krause with his company’s revolutionary carbon fiber hockey stick

“It’s going to revolutionize the sport,” Krause said.

The carbon fibers are so sturdy—Krause said they are as strong as steel—that the blade doesn’t ever bend, making shots harder and ensuring that the sticks will last. The black blade has tiny holes in it, causing it not to have any wind resistance. “So you get faster swing speed and faster velocity,” Krause said.

He has some NHL teams looking into the

product, which is manufactured in Boston, and he has contacted the league to inquire about its approval process. One of the NHL’s long-time stars has used the stick at some of his team’s practice, said Krause, who is in the process of introducing the product to the Flyers.

“This,” Krause said, excitedly, “changes the whole game of ice hockey forever.”

He said the sticks, which retail for $275, can also be used for street hockey and roller hockey.

Krause’s son, Bryce, used the stick on the ice, “and he was scoring from the blue line. He was RIPPING shots—and he’s only 12,” said Krause, who has a full-size hockey rink in the back of his 2½-acre Voorhees home, where he lives with Bryce, Bryce’s twin sister, Sophie, and his wife, Stephanie, who is Scrub Daddy’s director of social media and public relations.

The stick’s shaft needs to be fine-tuned, Krause said, calling it “too boxy.” On the positive side, “you never have to tape a stick anymore. It’s got a sticky coating to it and it has a texture that grips the puck. You actually get much better control with it, and you get better puck feel.”

Krause’s voice bubbles with enthusiasm as he talks about the future of the product (Stick Daddy?) And why not? If the hockey stick becomes as popular and as used as Scrub Daddy, well, Aaron Krause will move one step closer to being known as Entrepreneur Daddy. n

PROFILE

Proud To Be New Jersey Union City man Steve Trevelise’s Jersey accent has been heard by New Jersey and Philadelphia residents for many years.

And he has no desire to be anywhere else.

BY KURT SMITH

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HORTLY FOLLOWING the 7:00 p.m. news break, a brief snippet of Blondie’s “Union City Blue” plays.

It’s soon accompanied by Steve Trevelise’s enthusiastic voice bidding NJ 101.5 listeners another great evening.

“Trev” then spends four hours jabbering “about things that drive me crazy,” with equally passionate Garden State natives on the phone lines. Fortunately there’s no shortage of topics. Our politicians alone are a bottomless source of insanity.

At week’s end, the seasoned veteran of the airwaves crosses the Delaware and pulls an overnight at WIP, talking Philly sports from 2:00-5:00 AM each Saturday. From the perspective of a Giants fan. Somehow, he manages to emerge from the studio free of visible blood stains.

Growing up in New Jersey has a way of preparing people for uncomfortable situations.

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As a Union City native, Steve Trevelise knows timidity doesn’t fly here. But it’s the rare caller to his show that hangs up seething. Trevelise is a genuinely nice guy, who articulates his opinion in a thoughtful way.

Say for example, his take on the NFL anthem controversy.

“The whole protest was ill-conceived. It was a bad idea. If you look at the greatest civil rights marches, Martin Luther King, the march on Washington, it’s all about the cause.

By taking a knee for the national anthem, the players confuse the issue. Now they spend more time explaining: ‘We’re not disrespecting the military.’

“If they had said, ‘in every NFL city on Saturday night, we’re gonna hold a rally. We’re gonna have celebrities go on, have players talk about the cause, we’re gonna sell tickets for 50 bucks. We’re gonna take that money and put it into a pool, and then for every case of police brutality or racial inequality you bring to us,

Photo Kurt Smith

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“ It’s really hard to get people to call a radio station.

If you listen to my show, there’s an intimacy. That, I think, is what makes it work.” that we examine and see that this is real, we will use that money to fight for you.’

“Now you’ve done something, and it’s away from the game. As opposed to football players taking a knee…it is disrespectful, and that’s where it gets lost.”

After Trev tells you what he thinks, call in and have at it with him…without fear of typical ratings-driven condescension.

“It’s really hard to get people to call a radio station. How often do you call a radio station? If you listen to my show, there’s an intimacy, like a ball-busting. We go back and forth, it’s a camaraderie. That, I think, is what makes it work.

“I would never degrade a listener or call him names, because we’re all hanging out, we’re all friends, and I appreciate the fact that you took the time to call my show. I don’t come off as ‘I know more than you do.’ I come off as ‘I believe this, tell me why I should, tell

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me why I shouldn’t.’ And then the caller calls and says ‘you rock’ or ‘you suck.’”

Ideology aside, the lifelong Giants fan is happy for the long-suffering Eagles faithful.

“I have a relationship with Eagles fans unlike any other Giants fan, because I talk to them every week. For years I’ve been hearing the anxiety in their voices, the frustration of the waiting. I sincerely congratulate them, especially when it’s so easy to root for this team with all their back stories.

“Of course next year, the rivalry picks up where it left off.”

S JERSEY as Steve Trevelise is, he’s anything but the rude, surly stereotype. But he understands why we all get a little aggravated sometimes. He did spend years reading the traffic reports.

Longtime Philly radio listeners are familiar with Steve Trevelise. He’s a longtime area pres-

A

ence who’s done traffic and sports updates for Howard Eskin, Tom Joyner, Gina Preston, Nancy Glass, and Glen Kalina among others, before landing at NJ 101.5 in 2011. He’s the kind of guy that never hurt anyone’s Arbitron showing.

Most memorably, he was a reporter on the Howard Stern Show on WYSP, as Stern directed nonstop scorched-earth vitriol at WMMR morning rival John DeBella. You may remember the stark contrast of Trevelise’s friendly tone, smoothly delivering sports updates following thunderous segments of Stern ferocity.

He might have been the perfect announcer to interrupt the War of The Worlds broadcast.

Trevelise describes his WYSP years as being a “local presence” for a New York-based show.

He remembers initial resistance to bringing Stern to Philly…not because of the daily controversy, but out of concern that Howard was too New York for Philadelphia.

He recalls how Stern turned that into an advantage: he appealed to our city’s love of a street fighting underdog.

“What made Howard work in Philadelphia, was getting Howard to talk about Philadelphia. It wasn’t ‘eh, Philadelphia, second class citizens’. He found a tool to make Philadelphia work. That tool was The Zookeeper, ‘we are at war with the Zookeeper’. Philly could buy into

that. And then it became, ‘how’s he going to torture DeBella today?’

“What’s funny about it is, eventually DeBella comes to work at WYSP!” Trevelise has been a fan of Stern since the WNBC years. “The great thing about Howard was that he was so controversial, but he was entertaining, and he’s real. I got paid to listen to the Howard Stern show. Something would happen during the day, and it’d be like, ‘I can’t wait to go to work tomorrow and see what Howard’s gonna say about this.’

“And I love when I’m on the radio at night, and something will happen and I’ll be talking about it, and people go, ‘I couldn’t wait to hear what you had to say about this!’”

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N AN ERA of satellite radio and syndicated stars, radio is still local. It’s more than just traffic and weather, but as it turns out, that’s a pretty big part of it.

As a former director for Shadow Traffic and later Clear Channel traffic for Philly stations, Trevelise never ran out of work. But since those days, things have gotten pretty congested in the Jersey suburbs, too. After decades of migration from New York and Philadelphia, there’s now a need for an entire state to have its own traffic problems accounted for.

“I remember from giving traffic reports in the old days, New Jersey was always the afterthought. Philadelphia traffic, here’s all the roads in Delaware County, then New Jersey: 42, Turnpike, there you go. Here’s all the New York roads, then New Jersey: Turnpike, Parkway, and we’d go off. Every 15 minutes, you can turn on New Jersey 101.5 and you’re going to get the traffic report for exactly where you are. I-287, Route 9, Route 35, the Parkway, whatever.”

But daily traffic info is nothing compared to a Jersey-centric station’s impact in a storm that devastated our famous coastline.

“Hurricane Sandy galvanized 101.5 with listeners. I’ve never in my life, including during the Stern show, seen anything like it. I was on the air the night Sandy happened, and I remember Christie came in for ‘Ask The Governor’. They were telling him don’t come in, and he said, ‘no, this is the place where I can reach everybody.’ Because everybody was listening.

“Christie comes in at 7 a.m., I follow him at eight and I was supposed to be there until midnight. Ray Rossi was there at the time, he was gonna follow me. At about ten or eleven, we lose the transmitter. So now we had nothing but the Internet, and we have to stay on because we’re online. At 3 p.m., we lose the phones. Ray and I are talking recipes for tomato

THE COMEDY STYLINGS OF STEVE TREVELISE IN ADDITION TO HIS RADIO CAREER, Trevelise has dabbled in comedy, performing as an opening act for the likes of Robert Klein, Pat Cooper and Bill Hicks.

His first standup act was opening for Gabe Kaplan, of Welcome Back Kotter fame. “Remember the end of Welcome Back Kotter, when he’d tell the joke? That was his act!”

Trevelise became successful enough in the comedy world to open two of his own comedy clubs. The Coffee-Dot-Comedy Club in Sea Isle City was a success…it featured dishes named after radio stars and $1 a minute Internet service in the days before wi-fi. Later he took over the comedy club in the Cherry Hill Crowne Plaza, Rascals, and renamed it Sarcasm.

It was successful for about five years, but as Trevelise says, it’s tough when you’re living on the door. “I went through something like seven general managers in five years. I got guys sending fruit baskets to the comics, I got guys trying to charge me rent,” he says with a chuckle.

But he’s still doing standup comedy events, and now he brings his radio friends along. “I’ll go out and put shows together and do like corporate fundraising, as well as doing road shows. I take Dennis and Judi out on the road, and also Bill Spadea, and so the 101.5 guys are all able to entertain people, which is great.”

If you’d like to have Steve and his gang of NJ 101.5 radio costars at an event, you can check Trevelise’s page on the radio station’s website: www.nj1015.com/show/steve-trevelise.

Or you can “friend” him on Facebook for updates…he readily accepts most friend requests, but you have to catch him when he’s sitting at 4,999.

“Your limit is 5,000. Anyone who tries to friend me, they kick it back.”

sauce. We literally had nothing. But people are continuing to call in, because they’re getting us.

“For the next three or four months, we had people with no power, literally listening to us with batteries in the radio. Imagine, in 2012, you’re a radio station and you’re the only game in town. There’s no television, there’s no Internet, there is nothing else but you.

“To this day people thank me. They say hey man, thank you for getting me through Sandy.

They still remember.”

People tune in to NJ 101.5 for traffic and weather. They stick around for ball-busting camaraderie with Jersey lifers like Steve Trevelise. To him, it’s a communal thing.

“We’re the only radio station that, when you turn us on, you’re hearing people talking the way you do, talking about things that you care about, in the state that you live in. This is ours, it’s not New York, it’s not Philadelphia.

“101.5 is New Jersey. I am New Jersey. I was born in Union City, I’ve lived all over the state, I would never move. I genuinely love it here.

There is a realism, an honesty about New Jersey, and that’s what I bring to my show.

“If someone said to me, what do you want to do, I couldn’t write this better. I’m proud that I get to talk about a place that I love, in front of children who I love. And that they get to see it.” n

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THE ENTHUSIAST ______________________________________________________________________________________________

BY ANDREW RYAN

The Gene Simmons Vault Experience

W

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event at first. Simmons is easily one of rock n’ roll’s most controversial figures, simultaneously regarded as a legitimate business genius and borderline-cartoonish egomaniac. Perhaps those are just opposite sides of the same coin. In fact, you could say the same thing about Richard

sential rock n’ roll band. “Love Gun” and “God of Thunder” were fun songs, but they did not change the genre of rock n’ roll. KISS, however, changed the entire music industry. So, despite how easy certain Internet comment sections make it look, dismissing Simmons as some kind

Simmons citing Charlie Chaplain as one of his favorite songwriters of all time will remain as one of the most mind-blowing and unanticipated things I’ve ever heard.

Photo Illustration by Dan Dinsmore

HY ARE YOU ON 11TH? No… no, Arch has just opened back up,” said a man standing outside the Trocadero Theatre, dressed in all black denim, talking impatiently on his cell phone. He was presumably a member of Gene Simmons’ entourage, attempting to navigate the rest of the team through the blocked-off Chinatown streets. An unanticipated morning parade had shut down most of Chinatown, including the load-in area behind the theatre. Fireworks sizzled and popped in the middle of Arch Street and, once every few minutes, exploded overhead. Eager fans, two wearing KISS face paint, almost all of them sporting KISS t-shirts and clutching various bits of KISS memorabilia, covered their ears and traded annoyed glances as they waited patiently for the opportunity of a lifetime: to meet the legend himself, Gene Simmons, in person.

These fans were attending the Gene Simmons Vault Experience. Part box-set release event, part meet-and-greet, part Machiavellian business ploy, the event was being hosted for those who had purchased the new $2,000 Gene Simmons Vault; a literal 38-pound vault containing over 150 previously unreleased songs recorded by Simmons throughout his career (that includes track-by-track commentary) as well as 160 pages of previously unseen photos and even a hand-selected gift direct from Simmons’ personal archive. For $10,000—yes, you read that number correctly—these fans could have opted for the “Home Experience” in which Simmons actually shows up at your front door to hand-deliver your vault in person (which is actually quite an impressive enterprise for a figure of Simmons’ standing, despite the massive price tag, especially when you consider even Ringo got sick of answering fan letters from the comfort of his mansion in 2008).

Of course, dismissing all but Planet Earth’s most aggressive and disposable-income-laden memorabilia collectors, it was evident these fans weren’t purchasing the vault as much as they were purchasing their opportunity to finally meet with Simmons one-on-one, even if for only a few minutes in the back room of an unassuming Philadelphia theatre.

I really didn’t know what to expect from this

Branson, Kanye West, the President of the United States and literally any Kardashian. But it’s because of these traits, I’ve never really thought of Simmons as a musician. Not to say I don’t think of him as a slightly-above-competent bass player or songwriter. It’s more that I’ve always considered Simmons as a businessman, first and foremost. His product happens to be rock n’ roll, but could just as easily have been used Hyundais or moderately priced Swedish cutlery.

Simmons is a man who clearly understands the finer (and obviously more extravagant) points of marketing, having built a multi-million dollar machine out of an—to be perfectly blunt—unes-

of know-nothing opportunist is simply impossible, regardless of whether his intentions were to record a few good records or earn his fortune by whatever means necessary.

t was this precarious balancing act between artist and businessman that became almost eerily tangible as my cameraman and I waited outside the Gene Simmons Vault Experience, flashing occasional glances of bemusement. Like a clunky allegorical scene from a rushed novel, the entire event seemed almost too obvious, too on-the-nose to possibly be true.

Die-hard fans spending upwards of $2,000 for a

I

box-set of Simmons’ demos, a few new pieces of memorabilia (including a commemorative oversized coin engraved with the words “In Gene We Trust” and a “Gene Simmons businessman action figure”) and a five to ten-minute meeting with the man himself. There isn’t a writer living or dead who could have conceived of an event that more perfectly captures the essence of Gene Simmons. “This article is going to write itself,” I found myself gleefully and, upon looking back on it, somewhat condescendingly muttering to my cameraman in hushed tones, as if not to alert the hive of the termite lurking amongst them.

As the last few parade-goers dispersed and the empty streets began bustling with traffic once again, the doors opened and fans began slowly funneling inside and upstairs to the balcony stage. The room was about the size of a small tavern, a skeleton crew maintaining the bar and serving drinks on one side, finger foods being heated in Thanksgiving-style foil containers on the other. Maybe 50 people in attendance overall, including the staff and members of the press. There were no banners, no pyrotechnics.

A middle-aged woman with two kids sat at the bar, inspecting her carefully applied makeup via her pocket mirror. Other fans gathered in small circles, discussing everything from KISS to how far they traveled to get there. Simmons unassumingly took the stage to a mild, yet undeniably excited applause.

from half-heard anecdotes and way-too-easy punchlines. I expected “The Demon” and found only Mr. Simmons. I expected a sales pitch and found only perfectly genuine and completely original insight into the mechanics of songwriting. In fact, even Simmons simply citing Charlie Chaplain as one of his favorite songwriters of all time will remain as one of the most mind-blowing and unanticipated things I’ve ever heard.

“The genius of The Beatles is they listened to Gershwin and, yes, Charlie Chaplin,” Simmons explained. “Hey Jude,” he sang. “That’s the name of the song. In fact, it begins even before the chord. That’s genius. The other bands can’t touch them. We can’t shine their shoes. That songwriting talent is–” an iPhone started ringing in the crowd, the tinkly ringtone melody interrupting his momentum. “Don’t worry, I’ll get that,” Simmons joked as the crowd laughed. “By the way, do they make that ringtone for men?”

Simmons stepped down from the stage and made his way through the crowd, bumping fists and smiling all the way to the private room next to the bar where he was to greet fans one-onone and hand-deliver their vault. There were no velvet ropes, nor any need for security. Simmons was among his people. It was at this event I caught a glimpse behind the face paint and finally got to see the actual person: knowledge-

able, humorous, insightful and above all else, genuinely grateful. The event immediately left me feeling somewhat bewildered, slightly unsure of whether or not what I was seeing was an act, or some kind of meta sales pitch. But it wasn’t. It was real. The part of me that only recognized Simmons as a businessman wanted to think these fans were just merely dollar signs, more cogs in the wheels of the machine Simmons has spent a lifetime building. And maybe there’s some truth in that (after all, this is still the man who merchandized everything from KISS table lamps to KISS coffins (“Kaskets”).

But being there myself, it simply couldn’t have felt farther from the truth. Perhaps that’s his talent. Or more likely, the dualistic nature of one of the most complicated and intriguing men in rock n’ roll. Simmons needs these fans, and the electrified expressions on all of their faces told me they need him too.

Simmons will forever be a hero to some, a villain to others. And this Vault Experience, in particular, the price tag, suggests he’s not interested in winning over the latter (and why should he be?). Love him or hate him, this was Simmons at his very finest, showing authentic appreciation for his extraordinary career in the only way he knows how, the only way that could ever make sense—by wrapping it up in a 38-pound vault and selling it. n

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IMMONS SPOKE for about an hour, dark shades on inside the nearly pitch-black theatre, cradling a Les Paul tuned to E (his preferred tuning is D, as he made quite lightheartedly yet borderline-hurtfully clear to the long-haired gentleman responsible for pretuning his guitars), breaking down and explaining his approach to songwriting in far greater detail than I ever would have anticipated. Citing a song called “Smile” written by silent movie era star Charlie Chaplin as his personal favorite, Simmons explained his thoughts on songwriting by half-singing the first few lines. “Smile, though your heart is aching / Smile, though your heart is breaking,” Simmons crooned as a transfixed crowd listened. “That’s a perfect song. Because the name of the song is “Smile.” The very first lyric you hear is ‘smile’. It ends with the word ‘smile’.” He goes on to compare this song against “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream, noodling his way through the long-winded riffs and meandering lyrics. “It takes two minutes to get into the chorus,” says Simmons.

It was at this point I realized I didn’t know who this man was. What I expected from this event and from this man was the image I (and probably many others) have cobbled together 67

MEN & WOMEN OF THE YEAR HONOREES JerseyMan and PhillyMan Magazines are proud to recognize those in our area who demonstrate the rare combination of business excellence and dedication to community service. These Man & Woman of the Year candidates will be honored at our 4th annual Unmasking the Legacy event, held on November 8th 2018, where a portion of ticket proceeds will go to the winner’s designated charities.

Angela Parsons

is a Recruiting and Sales Executive that for the past decade has helped small to large companies make giant leaps in revenue and market share by maximizing their approach to sales. With several companies, she has revamped the sales process and strategy taking them to continuous triple digit yearly increases and priming them for sale.

After a very successful career as a collegiate Division I soccer player at Missouri State, Ms. Parsons went on to substantially increase the revenue and market share for CDR Assessment Group, a Leadership Development and Executive Coaching firm until its sale in 2012. Her next move successfully opened the Philadelphia Market for publicly traded company, Insperity, before taking on a Partnership and Chief Sales Officer role for one of her clients, Xelerate LLC, since 2015. Ms. Parsons has grown the company to over triple the size in both revenue and employee count in just over one year with recognition of her efforts demonstrated in being awarded the SmartCEO Executive Management Award in February of 2017.

Ms. Parsons sits on the board for several non-profits including Economics PA and The Center for Grieving Children and was crowned as Miss Teen Oklahoma in 1999 and Mrs. Pennsylvania in 2014.

Angela is supporting The Center for Grieving Children for JerseyMan/PhillyMan’s 4th Annual Unmasking the Legacy event.

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Dave Silver

is President/co-founder of Operation Yellow Ribbon of South Jersey (OYRSJ), a local nonprofit that sends care packages to US Service Members. In 2017, OYRSJ sent a group record 62,000 pounds of goodies and hygiene products in the form of morale boosting care packages. Additionally, OYRSJ partners with others to coordinate surprise “Rock Star” Welcome Home greetings for returning local Veterans.

Dave has never served in the Armed Forces but realizes how much sacrifice U.S. Service Members and their family members make and running OYRSJ is his way of showing his gratitude. He uses the very freedom they protect and provide to then turn and shower them with appreciation in the form of OYRSJ. Dave currently spends roughly 25 hours a week running OYRSJ. Any free time outside of time spent with his wife (Deborah), 2 boys (Damien and Daniel) or working as a Business Analyst for TD Bank is consumed

by OYRSJ. In addition, other volunteering efforts outside of OYRSJ include being on the Evesham Township school board (2011-14), coordinating a holiday meals program (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas), and volunteering for a local education foundation. Other efforts include fund-raising for other non-profits such as The Gift of Life Organ Donor Program, Given To Live and No Dogs Get Left Behind.

Past recognition for Dave’s community efforts include South Jersey Magazine’s 2016 “Man of the Year” Award, Burlington County’s 2015 “Community Service Award for Outstanding Volunteerism” and the South Jersey Volunteer Center’s “2014 Volunteer of the Year” award.

Dave is supporting Operation Yellow Ribbon of South Jersey for JerseyMan/PhillyMan’s 4th Annual Unmasking the Legacy event.

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THE ENTREPRENEUR COACH _______________________________________________________________________________

BY JOHN HOPKINS

Faster, Accurate Decision Making How well do we coach our teams in how to make the best decisions?

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ECISION MAKING is the process of making choices by defining a decision to be made, gathering information, and assessing alternatives. Closely held companies are relatively flat managerial organizations. So, decisions are being made everywhere and every day. This begs the question, how well trained are our teams in good decision making?

In today’s tempo of the “tyranny of the urgent” we are being challenged to make faster decisions. At times, this fast tempo doesn’t allow enough time to use proper judgement. Having a streamlined decision-making process is essential. It helps to self-coach making more thoughtful, accurate decisions in less time by using more precise critical thinking.

Closely held companies need to quickly focus on the how and do it now! Faster, accurate decision making requires; (1) a mental model for decisive thinking, (2) a critical thinking construct to remind us how we learn best, and (3) critical thinking tools to organize and stress test our decision planning for successful, sustainable execution.

MENTAL MODEL: Making the best decisions requires a “mental model” for repeatability and consistency. Here are 6 necessary steps that can be learned and leveraged by our teams for decision making in our fast pace world:

Faster, Accurate Decision Making: 1. Define 2. Believe 3. Anticipate 4. Involve 5. Initiate

6. Debrief

CRITICAL THINKING APPROACH: Applying these 6 steps most effectively requires the use of a practical, timeless, self-learning process called The Clarity Accelerator. It helps us gain AND confirm our understanding of the facts and alternatives being applied to the mental model.

TH W O GR Write it down

To Discuss it

To Gain Clarity

Time

1. Define: What clearly is the decision to be made?

2. Believe: Why do I believe this decision is essential and valuable?

3. Anticipate: How will I go about making this decision?

4. Involve: Who needs to be involved in making this decision?

5. Initiate: When must the decision be finalized?

Debrief: see #3 below, Insight Converter

2. The Reflective Perspective. This tool is a premeditated “gut check” on the decision before it is finalized. This step is completed by the person initiating the decision with no interference on the initial vision and belief. Then, when shared with the team, it rewards people for being imaginative in seeing the potential flaws in the plan. It fleshes out the illusion of optimism and realism. To be aware of potential errors in advance is essential. This tool acts as a heat map to identify unforeseen risks and unintended consequences. The Reflective Perspective imagines the future by writing its past. It puts you in the present to apply hindsight. By working backwards, you can dictate the actions that you will take today. (“The easiest way to go through a maze is backwards.” Shane Parrish, Farnum Street). You are defining why you were already successful because of the barriers you anticipated and blew away with advantages and strengths that you developed over time. The Reflective Perspective creates what some call The Law of Attraction and others call a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is also an excellent way to practice and reinforce Emotional Fortitude.

Reflective Decision Making: If we were meeting here 30 days (6 months, 1 year, etc.) from today and reflecting back on our decision, what has to have happened for this decision to have been TRUE and accurate?

3. The Insight Converter. This tool debriefs the impact of the decision starting 30 days after the decision is activated:

Decision Making Insights: To Make Decisions

To Take Action

CRITICAL THINKING TOOLS: Finally, the approach to making fast, accurate decisions requires three tools to activate the mental model that reduces risk of error, increases likelihood of the intended outcome and fosters a team approach to decision resolution.

1. The Critical 5 Filter. This tool answers the 5 most critical questions of WHAT, WHY, HOW, WHO, & WHEN to quickly gather and filter through the most important information for how the decision is to be made: 70

Streamlined Fact Gathering:

1. What is working?

2. What could be getting done better?

3. W hat are the most essential insights learned from making this decision?

4. W hat could we be doing differently to convert these insights into value creating results?

With today’s speed of business, leaders and teams must bend and twist how we think, learn, and share the best decision-making wisdom. The net worth of our companies depends on it! n Want to learn more about the “Decision Making Toolkit”?

Contact john@inspiritgrowth.com

The Bocce Club

BY JAN L. APPLE

The Italo-American Bocce Social Club has been a neighborhood tradition since 1933

N

ESTLED IN SOUTH PHILADELPHIA on over an acre of land, there is a thriving social club where members flock to enjoy Old World Italian food, partake in sports leagues, pasta eating contests, talent competitions and a host of special events and activities.

In today’s high tech world of fine upscale dining, sushi and delicacies galore, some might find it hard to believe such a place exists, but for the 1,000 or so members, it’s a warm, welcoming change of pace.

The Italo-American Bocce Social Club, more commonly known as The Bocce Club, has been a neighborhood tradition since 1933. However, its membership and mission has evolved over the decades, explains Robert Cusato, Sr., club president for 15 years and member for the past 20. Before becoming president of the 12-person board of directors, Cusato says The Bocce Club was at a crossroads and nearly closed down. “Many of the members were older,” he said, and upkeep was becoming a challenge. It was clear that work and renovations were needed to revitalize the facility. Cusato and his board decided to take on the project and keep the establishment going strong.

The club, open 7 days a week and occupying a two-story building on nearly a full square city block, was first established by a group of South Philadelphia Italian Americans who loved the game of bocce. Bocce, also referred to as Italian lawn bowling, is a team sport played with eight large balls and one large ball called a jack. It originated in Italy and is described as one of the oldest lawn games.

The Bocce Club was originally named the Italo-American Republican Club of Philadelphia. In the 1950s, the charter changed to represent a more diverse membership, reflect76

There is an upstairs dining area where members and guests savor Old World Italian cooking and seafood served in large portions at reasonable prices. “There are no small plates or tapas,” said Cusato. The menu includes old-fashioned basics like pasta with meatballs and traditional style mussels in garlic and oil. “We tend to keep it the way it was,” explained Cusato, something that keeps members happy and coming back for more.

ocial member Ted Flocco, 73, of Mount Laurel, NJ, was raised in South Philadelphia. He attended Bishop Neumann High School—just a couple of blocks from The Bocce Club. He lived in the neighborhood until he was 26. Yet, oddly, he explains, he never knew of the club’s existence until 2014 when he was having dinner with some high school friends. The longtime friends get together several times a year at various restaurants in the city. One friend suggested they meet next time at his club. “I was flabbergasted,” recalled Flocco when he first visited the establishment. He says you’d never guess what was inside by the big metal door in the front. “You ring the doorbell and only members are allowed in,” said Flocco, describing the ambiance like a scene from the movie Goodfellas, starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. The tavern reminded him of an oldfashioned corner bar, complete with a pinball machine and a bowl-a-matic machine.

Flocco describes the feeling as going back in time to 1960, to his youth—as the music of Frank Sinatra is playing and the walls are lined with photos and décor of an era long gone. Yet this feeling of being frozen in time is part of the enduring charm for Flocco as well as many members he has introduced to the place.

“I was so impressed with the place that I brought many friends and their wives there from Tavistock Country Club in Haddonfield, NJ,” said Flocco. They too fell in love with the club and became members. Flocco, a CPA and director of Republic Bank, has entertained many business associates in the dining room including the 25-member executive board of Subaru of America. He is proud to have introduced so many to a unique, special place and happy to oblige their requests to dine there.

Flocco’s close friend, Tom Doll, is the CEO of Subaru of America. He has told Flocco, “there’s no place like The Bocce Club.”

S Robert Cusato, Jr., left, has been club president for 15 years.

ing shifting political leanings as well as the landscape of the city. Foremost, it was a social club. All of its events are centered around the game of bocce.

Over the years, Cusato explains, membership became more and more diverse, stretching beyond the original Italian American core group to a much broader base.

Cusato, 57, of South Philadelphia, grew up within blocks of the club on Point Breeze Avenue. His father was a social member.

He remembers it as part of the fabric of the neighborhood, a fact that remains today. And although the current membership of men and women—ranging in age from 21 to 86—live in the city, surrounding suburbs and an array of states, more than half have roots in South Philly. And as anyone from the neighborhood will attest—those ties run deep.

“We still have the same name, but we’re not as focused on bocce,” explained Cusato of their present day flavor. In fact, they are resurfacing the indoor bocce court, so, presently, members cannot partake in the game.

However, a wealth of other well-attended sports leagues are offered at the club, including: pool, pinochle, darts, shuffle bowl and horseshoes (played outdoors on their expansive lawn). Members gather for friendly sporting competitions while enjoying the atmosphere of an old fashioned bar and tavernstyle food. And at an annual membership fee of $25, people rave about the value.

The bar, serving beer, wine and spirits, is a popular hangout and where most of the league competitions take place. The Bocce Club, Cusato points out, was included on a Zagat rating under the Dive Bar category.

Of course, when the Eagles played in the Super Bowl, the bar and the entire club was packed with charged up members and guests.

“We had large screen televisions on in every room,” said Cusato. And when the Eagles won, the elation and roar throughout this South Philly site—long known for its diehard passion for their hometown team—was beyond any words. “It was like New Year’s Eve times 20,” recalled Cusato. “People were really celebrating.”

he club’s banquet hall is often home to weddings, birthday parties, religious events like christenings, or luncheons following a funeral. It’s also where the talent shows and annual pasta eating contests take place.

The club hosts two annual fundraisers.

The Tourette Syndrome Benefit, organized by member Frank Lozzi and the Sernicola Soppressata Showdown to support the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, orchestrated by member Joe Sernicola. The Bocce Club provides the food and beverages.

Other events take place when a member has a need. They recently hosted the Baby Jack Benefit, a Chinese auction organized to help a member pay costs for necessary medical treatment for their child.

An annual golf outing, a trip to a Phillies baseball game and backyard summer barbeques are traditions that continue to keep the membership bonded.

And each year, the club holds a Thanksgiving Food Drive—to give to those in need.

They also participate in the Toys for Tots drive at Christmas time.

But it seems that the club is more than just the sum of its many fun-filled activities, charitable events and reasonably priced meals.

Members frequently remark on the quality and value of the food and love for the home style cooking. One member shared her sentiments on the club’s Facebook page: “It’s the closest thing to Italian home cooking that you can get without doing it yourself. I love Bocce.”

What makes The Bocce Club so special and adored by an enthusiastic member base? Said Flocco: “It’s the general camaraderie of the place.” n

T

The Bocce Club

2001 Point Breeze Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19145 • (215) 389-8071 www.thebocceclub.org 77

– Promotion –

REVIEW YOUR GAME ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

By Albert Fox and Joseph Dehn ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

J

OHN HEISMAN ONCE SAID, “When in doubt, punt!” The namesake of the Heisman Trophy was not referring to tax legislation when he made that emphatic statement, but his words are still relevant to the financial world.

Even though tax legislation was just recently signed into law, it is not too early to get a good understanding of the recent tax legislation and its potential impacts for the 2018 tax year. The changes affect areas such as federal tax rates, standard and itemized deductions, pass-through income and deductions, and estate and gifting rules. It is also important to keep in mind that most of these individual tax changes are generally effective through 31 December 2025 and are due to sunset (retroactive to 2017 tax law) in 2026.

Starting January 1, 2018, the marginal federal tax brackets range from 10% to 37% (previously 10% to 39.6%). With these changes in marginal tax rates, many of the taxable income bands have changed as well. For example, a couple filing “married jointly” with taxable income of $150,000 would now fall in the 22% marginal tax bracket, versus the previous marginal tax rate of 25% (2017). Taxpayers will also see changes with standard and itemized deductions. For taxpayers who utilize the standard deduction, these deductions have increased to $12,000 (single) and $24,000 (married). With the increase in the standard deduction, all personal exemptions are repealed at all levels. One area of intense debate in Washington D.C. around tax reform has been the ability to itemize certain deductions that have historically been available to taxpayers. The result is that aggregate itemized deductions for state and local taxes (SALT) for income, sales and property taxes are now limited to $10,000 for single or married (joint) filers.

Mortgage interest is another potential itemized deductible tax item. Starting on December 16, 2017 any new purchase money mortgages are generally allowed an itemized deduction for interest on principal residence and second residence mortgages up to a combined $750,000. Pre-December 16, 2017 mortgages are grandfathered with the $1,000,000 itemized mortgage debt level for principal and secondary residences. As straightforward as this may seem, grandfathered mortgages that are refinanced, and interest on home equity lines of credit (HELOC) may not be deductible going forward. It is best to seek professional tax advice when considering these potential tax deductible items.

Another area of potential tax relief pertains to income received from partnerships, S corporations and sole proprietorships. Prior to January 1, 2018, income from these business entities would be passed-through to the owner’s individual tax return, where it is taxed as ordinary income. The new tax legislation provides a 20% deduction for qualified business income (QBI) from partnerships, S corporations, or sole proprietorships. There are specific limitations on this deduction based on a cap on W-2 wages paid by the business, and in some cases, the “unadjusted basis” of certain property used in the business. Moreover, this deduction is generally not available for income from certain “specified service businesses”. As an example, at the new top individual rate of 37%, if an individual’s sole income source is domestic qualified business income (QBI), the individual’s effective top tax rate on the domestic QBI would be 29.6% if the individual can claim the full 20% deduction.

Business entities that currently pass-through income at the individual tax level should factor in these changes and determine if they should continue to exist as a pass-through entity or

through a C corporation – now taxed federally at 21%. Other factors go into determining the most appropriate and advantageous business tax entity, so any considerations should be examined with both a legal and tax perspective in mind.

After all bodies of the government concluded their negotiations, the final tax act does not repeal the federal estate tax. Beginning in 2018, the federal estate, gift and generationskipping tax (GST) exemptions have doubled to $11.2 million per US domiciliary in 2018. In addition, there is an inflation factor attached to this lifetime exemption amount that allows for future increases. The new tax rules also leave in place the so called “date of death stepup in basis” rule. This rule allows the estate to continue receiving a step-up in basis on assets in the estate, based on the market value of the assets on the date of death of the decedent.

For those who make annual gifts to family, friends, or others, the annual gift tax exclusion has increased to $15,000 per individual. New rules also increase the amount that can be deducted for charitable gifts starting in 2018 so that qualified charitable gifts of cash can be deducted up to 60% of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income (AGI) versus the previous 50% of AGI. These changes are a mere sampling of the thousand page document that comprises the 2018 tax reform, better known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. There are many other tax rule changes that will take effect in 2018 that have not been noted and it is important to take a comprehensive view on these changes and how they will affect you individually. Just like a football coach has to review the game plan, you should review your current and future tax situation and partner with your tax, legal, and investment professionals to ensure you are in a position for success.

Albert Fox and Joseph Dehn are Financial Advisors with Morgan Stanley Global Wealth Management in Mt. Laurel. The information contained in this article is not a solicitation to purchase or sell investments. Any information presented is general in nature and not intended to provide individually tailored investment advice. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be suitable for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC, member SIPC. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please visit us at www.morganstanleyindividual.com or consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences.

79

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

Philly Special: Barclay Prime

T

HE PHILLY SPECIAL has many names: soft pretzel, cheesesteaks, and most recently 2018 Super Bowl quarterback Nick Foles’ infamous heart-stopping touchdown play. It’s our city’s new favorite phrase for describing all things Philadelphian and we can’t get enough of it. With Spring Training upon us, we decided to gear up for the season by exploring some favorite ballpark specials that can be found outside of Citizen’s Bank. In Between River’s pick? Stephen Starr’s high-end, contemporary steakhouse, Barclay Prime.

Tucked alongside other infamous Rittenhouse restaurants like Parc and Rouge, Barclay Prime sits in the heart of Rittenhouse Square at 237 S. 18th Street. After entering, guests may either slip away into the dimly lit lounge area to taste some HH specialty cocktails or reserve a table in the library for an intimate dining experience. We opted for the lounge to try out their new happy hour menu, gloriously beginning at 4:30 PM. We were pleasantly surprised with our picks.

Top-notch service (thank you, Jessica!), fantastic happy hour steals, and a sexy, upscale atmosphere. This place is definitely in a league of their own.

Here’s what we picked: • Barclay Prime Cheesesteak: What they are known for. Delicious wagyu ribeye, foie gras, and truffled cheese whiz on a sesame roll. Is it worth the price tag? You decide and let us know your thoughts. $120 • Loaded Tater Tots: ‘Cause crispy potatoes are a game-time must have. These small bites are topped with truffle wiz and bacon, sealing the deal for our first pick. Happy hour steal for $10.

• The Crony: When an old-fashioned levels up, you get The Crony. Jim Beam Rye, tobacco-infused vermouth, and sorghum syrup. HH special $7.

Loaded Tate r Tots

• Aged Beef Sliders: Juicy, tender bites of heaven topped with gruyere, bbq and bacon. Try at HH for $10.

Barclay Prime 237 S. 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA (215) 732-7560 • barclayprime.com 80

Aged Beef Sliders

In Between Rivers IBR is a professional content creating service partnering with local businesses in Philadelphia to grow your social media presence. We produce alluring, high quality, engaging content featuring the things that you are most proud of. www.inbetweenrivers.com • info@inbetweenrivers.com • Follow us @inbetweenrivers

THE CIGAR GUY _____________________________________________

BY SAM KRAFT

Sponsored by The

Smoking Dog

Laranja Reserva by Espinosa Size: Lancero • Origin: Brazil, Nicaragua

T

HE LARANJA RESERVA is a very unique cigar manufactured by Espinosa Cigars. “Laranja” translated in Portuguese means orange. Erik Espinosa named it based off of the cigar’s Brazilian wrapper, which has a distinct orange hue. The Espinosa name might not be familiar to all cigar smokers, but Erik has been in the industry since 1997. His father even longer, before that.

In his early years, he worked for companies like Gurkha, Alec Bradley, Drew Estate and Rocky Patel. It wasn’t until 2012 when Erik bought the La Zona factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, that he started producing some of his best work. The Alpha Dawg, Espinosa Especial, and the Espinosa Habano all are high quality, complex blends that are produced alongside the Laranja Reserva. Erik Espinosa has also crafted blends for rising brands like Cornelius

82

& Anthony and Moya Ruiz cigars.

The most promising characteristic of Erik Espinosa is his love for the Nicaraguan tobacco. “In my opinion, Nicaragua is producing the best cigars in the world,” says Erik, “which is why I built my factory there.” With so much hype that reinforces the archetypal Cuban cigar, it is welcoming when a company openly embraces the future of Nicaraguan tobacco.

Erik does an excellent job of bringing out the best of Nicaragua and Brazil in the Laranja Reserva.

The Laranja is rich and has a natural creamy sweetness. From the first puff to the last, the cigar never becomes too bitter or too burnt. In the first third, the smoker will taste more noticeable flavors of citrus and cedar.

The smoke promises a grassy and floral scene.

It’s reminiscent of springtime. As bizarre as it

sounds, the sweet and savory combo that it delivers can be likened to ice cream. As the cigar smokes down, it gains spice while still remaining sweet.

There’s not a lot a person can say that won’t be understood from tasting this cigar on his own. The Laranja is truly a gift and is one of the best cigars Espinosa has to offer. Its vanilla-like sweetness is so natural and encouraging. It is like nothing else on the market.

The Laranja might just be my favorite cigar.

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

JerseyMan • PhillyMan

’ chairman s club Jon Cofsky

Peter Cordua

Joseph Cronin

Rob Curley

whitepenny

HBK CPAs & Consultants

The Cronin Firm

TD Bank

Anne Koons

Nick DeRose & Roy Leitstein

Bill Emerson, CSP

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Legacy Treatment Services

Emerson Group

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Commonwealth Agency, Inc.

Richard Green & Son Disaster Recovery Consultant

Insperity

Prelude Solutions

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Surety Title

John Murabito

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PCS

RE Business Solutions

Pine Valley Investments

Joe Simone

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Regional Resources

Compliance Services Agency

Christofer Wilhelm Gateway Mortgage

Contact ken@jerseymanmagazine.com or call (856) 912-4007 for more information • www.jerseymanmagazine.com

LegacyClub A social club

where business happens

We are proud to introduce you to our private business network n Do you want to expand your network in

Philadelphia and South Jersey?

n Do you want to create powerful connections

with other business professionals in the area?

n Do you want to attend exclusive networking

events once a month at local venues?

LEGACY CLUB SPOTLIGHT “Like most business owners today, the thing I need to manage most carefully is my time. As a Legacy Club member, I have the opportunity to meet with other high-level, like-minded executives in upscale locations that never disappoint. With the support of the JerseyMan/PhillyMan leadership, I have made many new meaningful connections, gained friendships and grown my client list.”

– John Vanderslice, President of Sandler Training

“Being a part of the Legacy Club has introduced me to a different type of networking atmosphere. The atmosphere of the Legacy Club events is relaxing and energetic making the networkers feel comfortable, giving them the ability to network effectively. The relaxing and energetic atmosphere is created by the astounding Legacy Club team, who makes networking as simple as possible for all types of businesses.”

– Charles Muracco, CLM Advisors LLC

To learn more about the Legacy Club contact Ken at: ken@jerseymanmagazine.com or call 856.912.4007

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LegacyClub Members Ren Cicalese, Alloy Silverstein Group Vincent Cieslik, Capehart Scatchard, P.A. Dr. TJ Citta, LegalShield Vince Cocciolone, Creative Visual Productions Jon Cofsky, whitepenny Larry Cohen, BCA Insurance Group Michelle Cohen, Union Home Mortgage Cheryl Colleluori, HEADstrong Foundation Pamela Collins, Oaks Integrated Care Michael Coluzzi, Health Wealth & Fit Trevor Cooney, Archer & Greiner P.C. Peter Cordua, HBK CPAs & Consultants Bill Cornelius, Ocean First Bank Tom Costello, RE Business Solutions Michael Craig, Pennworth Financial Services George Cressman, Jr. , Bohler Engineering PA, LLC Ray Cristofoletti, DURAND, INC. Joseph Cronin, The Cronin Firm James Crosby, Crosby & Co. Rob Curley, TD Bank Constance Curci, RE/MAX David Czarnecki, 215 Secure / CzarStar Security Mack Dadyan, Gateway Mortgage Group Anthony DeGerolamo, DeGerolamo Financial Services* Roxanne DeHart, Foodwerx by Nicholas Caterers* Charlene Delia, Western Pest Services Nick DeRose , Legacy Treatment Services Sheri Desaretz, Looking Forward Coaching* Joe Devine, Kennedy Health Gary DeVito, Zarwin Baum Devito Kaplan Schaer Toddy, P.C. Chris DeYoung, DeYoung Financial Group Devin DiNofa, Keller Williams Real Estate* Lia Domenick, Allstate John Dougherty, Wells Fargo Gerald Dorn, MeridianBank Pamela Downes, Downes Designs Jeff Drozen, Gaspar Insurance Joe Duncan, Pine Valley Investments Ken Dunek, New Opportunity Publishing George Duffield, National Integrity Doug Easlick, The Graham Company John Eason, E & O Financial Services Donald Eichman, Alcom Printing Jennifer Einhorn, Compliance Services Agency William Emerson, Emerson Group Julia Emery, Peerless Business Advisors Bill Evans, Liberty Fox Technologies Shana Fannon, Humanscale Michael Fiore, The Income Experts Mark Fisher, Fisher Wealth Management Jerry Flanagan, JDog Junk Removal & Hauling Sean Flanagan, Always A Good Sign Ted Flocco, Ernst and Young Lauren Flounders, Fusion Employer Services* Steve Foreman, Financial Business Systems, Inc. Daphne Forte, DPM Designs, LLC*

Bryan Hornung, Xact IT Solutions Kristi Howell, Burlington County Chamber of Commerce Theresa Hrivnak, Indulgence Cupcakery Bryan Hughes, Total Technology Resources Daryl & Shari Hulitt, SharpLink Staffing, LLC Kenyon Hunter, Evolution Ave Group at KW Edward Hutchinson, Hutchinson Mechanical Services Tim Irons, T.C. Irons Insurance Mike Jaconelli, TAM Lending, LLC Jeff Jaskol, The Jaskol Group Philip Jaurigue, Sabre Systems, Inc. Keith Johnson, Laurel Lanes Larry Johnson, Total Traffic Control Lisa Joswick, Blackbook, LLC Kenneth Justice, KMJ INC. Abbie Kasoff, Say It With Clay Alex Kazmarck, Surf Mall Jessica Kiefer, Del Frisco’s Michael Kiernan, Earp Cohn P.C. Phil Kirchner, Flaster Greenberg Robert Kennedy, The Kennedy Companies Sean Kennedy, New Jerseyans for a Better Tomorrow Jeffrey Alan Kerstetter, Kerstetter Law, LLC Janine Kiriluk, Janine’s Bookkeeping Anne Koons, Anne Koons Real Estate Edward Labman, Santander Joe LaGrossa, McKella 280 Stephen Lang, HBK CPAs & Consultants Keith Langan, Surety Title Company, LLC Julie LaVan, LaVan Law William Lees, Jr. , New Life Properties LLC Roy Leitstein, Legacy Treatment Services Sam Lepore, Keller Williams Real Estate Elizabeth Leska, Wells Fargo Brian Libby, Primepoint Josh Lignana, Spadea Lignana, Attorneys at Law Ryan Loro, Santorian Michael MacFarland, TD Bank Douglas MacGray, Compassion Advisors, LLC Brian Madalion, Insperity Adam Malamut, Malamut & Associates, LLC Matthew Malinowski, Corporate Source Mike Mamula, CSS Inc. Jamie Martin, Strive Physical Therapy Betty Maul, FrontEnd Graphics* John McAdam, Pioneer Business Ventures Marla McDermott, The Walnut Club Brian McGroarty, Core Title* Michael McGuire, Johnson, Kendall & Johnson Kelly Meerbott, You: Loud + Clear, Inc. Steve Meranus, EBE Events and Entertainment Frank Messina, All Risk Jeremy Messler, Jeremy Messler Photography, LLC Earl R. Miller, Mainline Private Wealth John Milne, Corporate Synergies Nick Mink, Guaranteed Rate

Brian Minker, Able Technology Partners, LLC Rosemarie Mohr, CAMBRiA Hotel and Suites Philadelphia Anthony Mongeluzo, PCS Ron Monokian, We Make It Personal by Joy’s Hallmark Harry Morad, Pine Valley Investments, LLC Kathy Morgan, Integrity Staffing Solutions Dan Morroni, Morroni Custom Clothiers Jay Mullen, Full Spectrum Services John Murabito, RE Business Solutions Charles Muracco, CLM Advisors Peter Musumeci, TD Bank Eric Myers, Riverfront Limousine Service Phil Naro, American Athletic Courts, Inc. David Nast, Nast Partners John M. Nolan, Jackson Lewis P.C. Sandy O, Creative Juice Joe O’Donnell, Fulton Bank Lori O’Leary, O’Leary Counseling, LLC Michael O’Leary, Design Studio 312 Joe O’Malley, Stewart Business Systems Marc Oppenheimer, Parx Casino Damon Pennington, ATS Group, LLC Tom Peric, Galileo Communications, Inc. Ian Perler, STAR Real Estate Group, Inc. Devon Perry, VisitSouthJersey.com Jeremiah Phillips, Profound Sound & Video, LLC Jaime Picozzi, J2 Solutions* Emil Pilacik Jr., EMCO Technology, Inc. Carmen Pilone, M&T Bank Tony Plakis, ADP Frank Plum, Workplace HMC Inc. Bonnie Pollaci, Katz/Pierz, Inc. Josh Poli, Prelude Solutions Chuck Polin, The Training Resource Group Fred Poritsky, FZP Digital Casey Price, Price and Price, LLC Mike Regina, Big Sky Enterprises, LLC* Deanna Reilly, Deanna’s Travel, LLC Matt Ribaudo, Body Science Media Edward Rivas, Cherry Hill Group Benefits Mike Rosiak, Weisman Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital Daniel Rosenberg, Daniel M. Rosenberg & Associates, LLC Jill Ross, Beneficial Bank David Rossi, CORT Andrew Ruhland, National HR Donna Sadwin, Design Studio 312 Guillermo Salas, The Salas Team, RE/MAX One Wendell Sammons, Wells Fargo Mike Schad, CMG Financial Derek Schaffer, American Financial Network Inc. Joseph V. Scorese, Firstrust Kevin Sentner, FEDWAY Jeremy Shackleford, Republic Bank Jennifer Sherlock, Jenna Communications, LLC Michael Sherman, Vanguard Building Solutions, LLC Gary Shickora, Northwestern Mutual Bill Shipp, Vaxient Eric Shugarts, Rx Cut Joe Silva, Kokua Technologies* Lisa Silveri, AGENCY Real Estate Partners, LLC Joe Simone, Regional Resources Energy Group Marc Sinkow, Synch-O Elizabeth Six, Republic Bank Josh Smargiassi, Boomerang Andrew Smith, OSI Consulting Frank Sorrentino, Ardmore Toyota Jade Soto, Dave & Buster’s Philadelphia Greg Star, CARVERTISE Lee Stokes, Compliance Services Agency Scott Tanker, Tanker Consulting Services Brian Tierney, Streamline Payroll, LLC Brooke Tidswell, Univest Megan Timber, Tao Architecture + Design Kenneth Toscano, New York Life Insurance Company Jordan Traenkner, Traenkner Cleaning Services, LLC Jim Travis, UBS Financial Services Inc. Paul Tully, Eagle Wealth Strategies Les Vail, Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce* Nicolaus Valentino, Temple Sports Properties Alyssa Vargas, Keller Williams Real Estate John Vanderslice, Sandler Training Teadra Vito, Keller Williams Real Estate Jon Vogel, 215Marketing Josef Vongsavanh, Center City Photo Monica Walsh, Vantage Real Estate Services, LLC Benjamin Watts, Liberty Bell Bank Bill Webb, Saratoga Benefit Services Jo-Ann Weiner, J.L.Weiner & Associates, LLC CJ Weiss, Seasons 52 John White, Peerless Business Advisors Andrew Whipple, Greentree Mortgage Company Christofer Wilhelm, Gateway Mortgage Group Rob Wishnick, Guaranteed Rate* Jason Wolf, Wolf Commercial Real Estate Wendee Yudis, WY Design Vittoria Zaslavsky, BB&T Bank Jim Ziereis, Tropicana, Atlantic City Jack Zoblin, Cory Communications

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@PCS_AnthonyM

TECH TIME

_______________________________________________________________________________

BY ANTHONY MONGELUZO

Exciting New Tech Developments on the Horizon 2018 has been off to a fast and furious start.

Technology is appearing this year that we didn’t anticipate being available until 2025. For instance, Samsung just demonstrated to the world their 30TB (Yes,terabyte!) hard drive that looks like a standard desktop drive. That inspired me to share some techbytes this month with you.

Linux. While that might sound fun and completely harmless, it exposes the game system to software piracy. Additionally, hackers will be looking for more exploits to turn the switch into a full retro gaming device that plays all the classic gaming systems, such as NES, SNES and Sega.

Austin Powers might have asked “Who throws a shoe?” and I will ask “Who hacks a Switch?”

Google’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) is really smart

Microsoft isn’t good at selling phones

Google has a new algorithm that predicts heart disease by looking at your eyes. Even crazier, this new algorithm has also been proven to be able to accurately identify your age, blood pressure and whether or not you’re in trouble. The goal is to help doctors more quickly identify issues and cardiovascular risks without having to do a blood test. This exciting new technology hasn’t received official clearance yet, but don’t be surprised if sometime soon someone begins to utilize it.

The Windows Mobile platform of phones is essentially dead. Microsoft has announced it wouldn’t be developing new features or hardware for the Windows 10 lineup of phones. To further kill the brand, Microsoft announced there would no longer be push notifications for the Windows 7.5 and Windows 8.0 phones. This will force people off the platform. Microsoft is good at many things: software, gaming, tables, and for some reason, it just can’t figure out this phone thing. My prediction is that within the next 10 years, Microsoft will give this another shot and finally figure it out. n

Anything is hackable... anything.

Nintendo Switch has been selling better than bread, eggs and milk before a snowstorm. This device is the latest rage in gaming technology.

Some clever hackers were able to find an entry and exploit the device and turn the gaming system into a fully functional computer that runs

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Have any tech ideas you want to talk about? Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@PCS_AnthonyM) or email me anytime at Anthony@helpmepcs.com.

WHAT WE WEAR

_______________________________________________________________________________

BY DANIEL R. MORRONI

Essentially Spring

T

HIS SPRING, you can create a fresh, breezy look without losing your individual style. Here are a few quick seasonal changes that will breathe fresh air into your wardrobe for the spring.

• Try loafers instead of lace-ups for casual flair.

• Wear a woven canvas or light brown leather belt instead of the dark leather belts you’ve depended on all winter.

• Bring out your brighter fabrics, whether in ties, shirts, or socks.

• Supplement your oxford shirts with equally well-tailored custom shirts made from any of our beautiful, open-weave fabrics for the comfort of breathability-without looking sloppy.

• Indulge in shirts built of lightweight cotton, linen, or blends of the two.

• Enjoy a pair of custom-tailored tan trousers, whether as part of a spring/summer suit or as a stand-alone item.

• Consider a custom unlined or partially lined suit coat or sport coat, for occasions when you need the sense of presence a coat offers but not the heat of winter wear.

When autumn comes again, you’ll be ready to bring out your wardrobe staples in darker colors and heavier fabrics, but for now, enjoy the lighter feel of your favorite custom spring clothing.

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” – Coco Chanel

IN BLACK AND WHITE (AND GRAY) Creating outfits from black and white pieces leads to striking ensembles. When you add shades of gray into the mix, you’ll have an ensemble that is at once visually arresting and monochromatic.

Combine several gray tones for a lighter look that’s perfect for sunny days and social occasions. Pair your custom gray suit with pastel shirts, or wear it with your all-purpose white and blue shirts. Bring in black and your darker grays for more formal occasions. Crisp whites or subtle off-whites like cream or ivory look fantastic with black.

By combining your favorite black, white, and gray pieces, you have a myriad of wardrobe options that always coordinate-helping you look great without spending time searching for just the right shades that will work well together. n 90

THE WINE

MAN

_______________________________________________________________________________

BY ROBERT KENNEDY

Go where the crowds are not!

R

ECENTLY, I had the opportunity to hear Rick Steves speak at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.

Rick is one of the foremost authoritarians on European travel.

He has written many travel guidebooks, penning more than 50 to date, and has a syndicated television travel program that he hosts routinely on public television and radio. For over 20 years, Rick has been accompanying group travelers all over European countries such as France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Ireland. Steves offered me some very interesting and unexpected advice during his hour-long talk that is worth sharing here.

Most of us who are fortunate enough to travel abroad will almost always plan to see the many highly recognized sites in the world.

You know the ones: The Sistine Chapel in Italy, Blarney Stone in Ireland, the Hofbrauhaus in Germany, and Costa del Sol in Spain. What’s

ded in the culture of the country—not just visitations to those touristy locations above, but really embed by venturing outside the cities of Paris, Dublin, Munich and Rome, and into the foothills just beyond. Go where the crowds are not! Traveling just five miles outside city walls allows each of us to experience what it really means to be “temporary locals” as Steves likes to call it. Uncover the real world by venturing beyond your comfort zone, and into the militarized “D” zones of each of these countries.

That was Rick’s underlying message that evening which resonated with me…

What does this have to do with wine, you say? Well, we all know those outstanding world renowned wineries that exist in the world, and particularly, those in the California wine country. You know, the ones we dearly love. Between Napa and Sonoma there are over 1,000 wineries with tasting rooms, and many more if you include producers and wineries

Find and explore those family owned hidden gems.

These are the ones that allow us to immerse in the real culture of the “sport of wine-ing”. not to love about these, and others such as the gondola rides in Venice and Michelangelo’s David in Florence, Italy? Well, the crowds, mostly.

European travel is widely accessible for most in the developed world now, given our incredible advances in technology. Frankly, the world has gotten much smaller in the last 2 decades.

There’s a real hunger and appetite to see these well-preserved landmarks, some of which date back more 2,000 years. Tossing three coins in the Trevi Fountain at the bottom of the Spanish Steps in Rome? Absolutely! It’s all there to absorb like a dry sponge. Except, of course, for those very large crowds.

So, Steves offered this take: First, go when the temperatures and weather are conducive to travel. And, very importantly, get embed-

without. Yes, these are the ones we gravitate towards when visiting the Napa and Sonoma appellations. (I’ve been terribly guilty about visitations to the highest profile wineries in Napa.) They are delicious, but expensive and mobbed. What’s the alternative? Finding and exploring those very small and inconspicuous family owned hidden gems; the ones that few of us either ever know about or experience, because we simply don’t know they exist.

These are the ones that allow us to immerse in the real culture of the “sport of wine-ing”.

These are the ones behind the scenes, not advertised online, not found in wine stores, and hardly ever captured on a wine menu in the finest of restaurants. The truth is, these wines are reasonably priced, and sometimes unlike

the high profile, expensive ones we know, love and invest in regularly, these guys are excellent in value, and come with some wonderful human interest stories. These are the ones that produce few cases comparatively, and don’t make a splash like the “Big Boys,” but will allow us to truly experience what it means to be “temporary locals.”

OR THOSE WHO HAVE READ my column in the past, you’ll know I’m uncomfortable making wine recommendations, although I have discussed previously about family-owned Aonair, Switchback Ridge, and Fontanella Family boutique wineries, among others. That said, there are many other small family-owned vineyards producing some wonderful grapes, too many to enumerate upon. The recommendation I would make is the one I completely concur with Steves on: Do your homework and delve into the details in advance of your visit. Research the many “off the beaten path” smaller boutique wineries that few know about. For example, after taste-testing a $50 glass of Opus One in Napa, go embed yourself along with your travel buddies in a few obscure family wineries that are the best kept secrets in the valley. Learn about the families that founded their farms; ask about the not so famous winemakers; learn more about how and what grapes are grown on the estate, and ask for a personal tour of the vineyard (which is typically never given without an appointment.)

It will be a surprisingly wonderful experience that will not be forgotten. You’ll come back with a newly found appreciation for some of the best unusual explorations in the most unobtrusive areas of the Napa Valley, without the crowds and high costs. Moreover, the people who are homegrown and entrenched; the ones that have woven their fabric into their labor of love, will create for you a ride of memories that will last a lifetime. It’s an awe-struck lift like no other, and a first-time experience you’ll want to repeat over again, wherever travel may take you in the future. n

F

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Got a question for Gerv?

SAY GERV?

Send your questions to:

saygerv@jerseymanmagazine.com

_______________________________________________________________________________ and look for his answers in the next issue!

BY GERVASE PETERSON

S

ay Gerv? I’m a very good worker, but my job only gave me a two percent raise. How can I get a better raise next time?

– Lee, South Philly, PA

Lee, take stock of what you’ve done for the past year. Were you on time? Have you made any mistakes? Do you go above and beyond?

Do you work overtime? If you were on point with all of those things and more, then have a talk with your boss. Keep the conversation about yourself. Don’t talk about other coworkers and what they do or don’t do. Let your boss know you feel like you have succeeded and surpassed the expectations he had for you. If he’s still not budging, ask your boss why he doesn’t think you’re worth more than the two percent he gave you, and what do you have to do to get a better raise next time. Revisit this conversation again in a few months to see where you’re at. If you’re still getting the same run around, you may want to consider looking for a new job. Feeling underappreciated and undervalued is not conducive to being the best worker you can be. Don’t be afraid to update your resume and look for

‘‘

something better. Remember Lee, you always have to do what’s best for you. Good luck! _________________________________________ Say Gerv? I’m a business owner and I have a flirtatious relationship with an employee.

Should I pursue this or not?

– Tom, Philadelphia, PA Tom, the first question you should be asking yourself is, “How many ways can this go wrong?” I can think of 1,684 ways off the top of my head, but I’ll just discuss a couple with you right now. If you start dating an employee, anything she does that’s not within company policy with no repercussions will look like you’re giving her special treatment. She comes in late? “Oh, she can do that because she dates the boss.” She messes something up? “Oh, she can get away with that because she’s sleeping with the boss.” You’ll ruin the morale of your other employees and slowly destroy your own company from within. Also have you not been watching the news? You may think you’re being flirtatious, but your employee may think you’re harassing her.

And that, my friend, could lead to you losing

Feeling underappreciated

and undervalued is not conducive to being the best worker you can be.”

94

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

your business. With so many women in the world, why can’t you just make the ones you work with off-limits? Hey, I love to gamble, but the odds on this bet aren’t good, Tom, and that’s a bet I wouldn’t make. _________________________________________ Say Gerv? If a girl asks a guy out on a date, shouldn’t she pay?

– Mike, Collingswood, NJ Mike, from your question, I guess you’ve never heard of the word “chivalry,” and it must really be dead. I have a simple rule. If you ask a girl out or she asks you out, the guy pays. I have a three date rule. I pay for the first three dates.

After that, if she wants to pay, I’m cool with that because if you make it to date number four, things are usually going well and you’ve made a good connection. I know women are independent, can take care of themselves and handle their business, but it just feels like the right thing to do. So does opening doors for them, giving them your jacket if they’re cold and getting their drinks. It’s called being a gentleman, and I don’t know any woman who doesn’t love one of those. n