BY GEORGE ANASTASIA INQUIRER STAFF WRITER A high-profile North Philadelphia Democratic Party ward leader pleaded guilty to a bribery charge yesterday, admitting he paid at least $12,100 to two corrupt city councilmen in Atlantic City in exchange for their help in setting up business deals there.Carlos Matos, who married into one of the most politically active families in Philadelphia, entered the plea during a hearing in Camden before U.S. District Court Judge Robert B. Kugler. Matos, 58, is the son-in-law of City Commissioner Marge Tartaglione. His wife, Renee, is a chief deputy city commissioner. Matos has worked in the office of […]
TOMORROW: The Return Of Grumpy Old Men
MEET YOUR MAKER: Bill Giles, The P.T. Barnum Of The Phillies, And The Creature He Brought To Life “Bill Giles came to the public eye in the Philadelphia sports scene as the Master of Fun and Games, fearlessly orchestrating wacky promotions that pied-pipered sell-out crowds into the then-state-of-the-art Veterans Stadium. Following the franchise’s lone World Championship and the sudden sale of the Phillies to a group put together by Giles, he briefly enjoyed acclaim as caretaker of the Phillies’ most glorious era, before one too many lineups scribbled on cocktail napkins branded him as Bumbling Leader of the infamous Gang […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
RADIO TIMES Hour 1 Immigration overhaul 101. A plan introduced last week in the U.S. Senate is the starting point for what will likely be the first major overhaul of the U.S. immigration system since 1986. The plan now being debated in Congress would created a temporary immigrant based workforce and open the door to legal citizenship to the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants now in the U.S. To discuss this in detail, we’ll talk with MARK KRIKORIAN the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, and FRANK SHARRY the executive director of the National Immigration Forum. Hour 2 The […]
TODAY I SAW…
[photo by JONATHAN VALANIA] BY JEFF DEENEY “Today I saw…” is a series of nonfiction shorts based on my experiences as a caseworker serving formerly homeless families now living in North and West Philadelphia. I decided not long after starting the job that I was seeing so many fascinating and disturbing things in the city’s poorest neighborhoods that I needed to start cataloging them. I hope this bi-weekly column serves as a record of a side of the city that many Philadelphians don’t come in contact with on a daily basis. I want to capture moments not frequently covered by […]
EARLY WORD: Rumble In The Jungle!
[via MARRIED TO THE SEA]
KILLADELPHIA: 1 More Dead Since You Went To Bed
A triple shooting left one man dead in Germantown last night. Police said a gunman opened fire on Henley Street near West Manheim shortly after 8 p.m. A 29-year-old man, whose name was not released, was hit multiple times and died at Albert Einstein Medical Center at 8:38 p.m. Two unidentified men — one 21 years old and the other 29 — were wounded. Both men were listed in stable condition at area hospitals. DAILY NEWS: One Less German In Germantown OVERHEARD: “This is a lot more about community, about the lack of any centering force within the black community, […]
MEDIA: Daily News Gets A New Boss
Executive Vice President Mark Frisby will take over as publisher of the tabloid, Tierney said. Tierney will remain President and CEO of the Daily News. “This shows we’re going to actually step on the gas and invest more in the Daily News,” Tierney said. Brian Tierney — the CEO of the company that owns the Philadelphia Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer — announced today that he is appointing a new publisher for the Daily News. Frisby came to the company last fall after serving as publisher of the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, N.J. He will continue to supervise production, […]
OBAMA: The Man Comes Around
“Obama also met for 30 minutes with Democratic mayoral nominee Michael Nutter at the Sheraton Center City Hotel, spokesman Robert Gibbs said. He declined to characterize the meeting.During the primary, Obama had endorsed and stumped for one of Nutter’s rivals, Rep. Chaka Fattah. A spokeswoman for Nutter declined to comment on the meeting, saying it was private.” [INQUIRER] WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT: Barack Obama, Electric Factory, 5:10 P.M. [Photos by JONATHAN VALANIA]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
FRESH AIR Comic Don Rickles is known for insulting his audiences on stage, but he doesn’t consider himself an insult comic. His heyday was in the ’50s and ’60s, on TV and in Vegas. Frank Sinatra, an early fan, helped get him noticed. Now Rickles has written a memoir, Rickles’ Book. PLUS, documentary producer Huw Cordey helped create the staggeringly ambitious BBC series Planet Earth. The series was five years in the making and was shot in 62 countries on every continent. It was broadcast in the United States on The Discovery Channel, and is now available on DVD. RADIO […]
TONITE: Secret Cinema Under The Stars
On Tuesday, May 22, the Secret Cinema will present the historic drama Magnificent Doll at a very historic site — the cobblestone and ivy courtyard of the Morris House Hotel, built in 1787 as the luxury home of one of the Revolutionary era’s most celebrated families. This very special event will include dinner and a movie, and proceeds benefit The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. The film to be shown is a little-seen biopic from Hollywood’s golden age, Magnificent Doll, starring Ginger Rogers as feisty first lady (and latter-day ice cream icon) Dolly Madison. Co-starring are David Niven and Burgess […]
MEDIA: From The Dept. Of WHO FUCKIN CARES!?!
THANK YOU CORPORATE MEDIA: For keeping the public distracted, ignorant and preoccupied with insignificance. Your license has been renewed.
TODAY I SAW…
[Photo by RACHAEL SHIRLEY] BY JEFF DEENEY “Today I saw…” is a series of nonfiction shorts based on my experiences as a caseworker serving formerly homeless families now living in North and West Philadelphia. I decided not long after starting the job that I was seeing so many fascinating and disturbing things in the city’s poorest neighborhoods that I needed to start cataloging them. I hope this bi-weekly column serves as a record of a side of the city that many Philadelphians don’t come in contact with on a daily basis. I want to capture moments not frequently covered […]