1960s

The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 13): Who Are We?

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If you’ve followed the story on our blog,  you know that a friend gave us a fabulous housewarming gift:  a 12-pound photo album from the 1960s,  packed with images from nightspots in and around South Philadelphia.

You also know that we’ve been on a grand hunt to identify the hundreds of entertainers,  sports figures,  business people,  politicians and  “just plain folks” cavorting on its pages, with the goal of donating them to Temple University’s Urban Archives for safe-keeping.

WHO  ARE  THEY?

The photos were collected by South Philadelphia newspaper columnist Arthur Tavani, and many are already on our website,  along with whatever identifications we have.  

In September,  2015,  we added our  first section of “Who Are We?” photos,  asking for help in identifying the many unknown women in them.   Today,  we published 27 new photos on our website,  all showing at least one person we can’t identify.

Some photos include famous Philadelphians….

17_02_02-1-197-waw2-al-martinoYes,  that’s South Philadelphia singer Al Martino second from right,  with columnist Art Tavani (far left) and Philadelphia council president Paul D’Ortona (far right).   But who’s the man with the flower in his lapel?

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The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 12): South Phila. Movers & Shakers

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This past year,  we’ve told you the continuing story of a magical 1960s photo album compiled by South Philadelphia nightlife writer and photographer Arthur Tavani.

And we’ve shared dozens of Art’s celebrity photos on our Unexpected Philadelphia website.

BRINGING  IT  ALL  BACK  HOME

Today,  we’re publishing a new set of images showing mid-century business owners and government officials from right here in the neighborhood – and we need your help identifying everyone.

16_07_30 1 060 Verna Trombetta EspositoArt Tavani shakes hands with local photographer Carl Verna.  Mildred Trombetta was the editor and publisher of the South Philadelphia American newspaper,  for which Art was a columnist.  Louis Esposito  (right)  still reigns as a second-generation owner of Esposito’s Meats in the Italian Market.

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The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 11C): Linda Hoffman & Bobby Rydell

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(Continued from Thursday,  May 26.   Click here to see Part 1,  or here to see Part 2….)

It was 1964,  and still-shy Linda Ferrino  (now Linda Hoffman)  had just been appointed Bobby Rydell’s National Fan Club President.

16_05_31 1 Bobby Rydell Linda Hoffman 2014(Linda Ferrino Hoffman and Bobby Rydell in 2014)

So when Bobby was invited to appear on the nationally syndicated Mike Douglas Show,  she did what any responsible chief executive would do:  She had her mom call school and say she’d be out sick that day.

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The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 11B): Linda Ferrino Hoffman & Bobby Rydell

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(Continued from Tuesday,  May 24.   Click here to see Part 1….)

It was Easter weekend,  1960,  and young Linda Ferrino was pouting – big time.

She and her young-at-heart mom had both been smitten by Bobby Rydell when he sang “Kissin’ Time” on American Bandstand.   It had even been her mom’s idea to watch.

Now her mom was insisting that they couldn’t attend Bobby’s Steel Pier show,  because they were expecting Easter guests at their Jersey shore house.

16_05_26 1 Steel Pier(Atlantic City’s Steel Pier flaunts its star power on an undated postcard.   That’s Mr. Peanut tipping his hat at the far left.)

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The Great Photo Album Adventue (Part 11A): Linda Ferrino Hoffman & Bobby Rydell

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You can’t make this stuff up….

Last June,  we told you about a magical,  12-pound photo album that a friend gave us as a housewarming gift when we moved to East Passyunk Avenue.

Inside were over 200 photos of local and national celebrities,  politicians and “just plain folks” from the mid-1960s,  collected by South Philadelphia columnist and photographer Arthur Tavani.

16_05_24 1 Arthur Tavani Album(Art Tavani’s magical photo album.  Click here to see a sample of what it contains.)

WOW – CHECK  THIS  OUT….

Among the instantly recognizable faces,  of course,  were three photos of South Philadelphia heart-throb Bobby Rydell…

16_05_24 2 Bobby Rydell Mike Douglas(Singer Bobby Rydell with Art Tavani,  left,  and Philadelphia-based TV host Mike Douglas,  center,  around 1964.)

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The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 10B): John the Barber

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(Continued from Monday, March 14.   Click here to see Part 1…)

When word got around that South Philadelphia nightclub musician John Valente, Sr. had a local barbershop,  visiting stars began dropping in.

16_03_17 1 John the Barber Valente DC_4068(John the Barber, Jr. reflected in a shop mirror below photos of his –
and his dad’s – famous customers.)

ALL-STAR  ROSTER…

Soon John, Sr. and John, Jr.  (who joined his dad full-time after graduating from St. John Newmann High School in 1959)  began cutting the hair of South Philadelphia celebrities like singers Bobby Rydell and Al Martino;  comedians Guy Marks,  Al Fisher and Lou Marks….

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The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 10A): John the Barber

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When I first shared Arthur Tavani’s fabulous mid-1960s photo album,  there were local faces that every South Philadelphian recognized:  Singers Bobby Rydell,  Fabian and Al Martino;  boxer Joey Giardello;  comedian Guy Marks.

“So who’s the guy in the white coat standing next to your brother and Jerry Vale?  A doctor?  A dentist?”  I asked Virginia Tavani Romano,  Art’s sister.

“That’s John the Barber!”  she immediately replied.

16_03_14 1 Jerry Vale John Valente Jack Baldschun(From left: South Philadelphia nightlife writer Art Tavani,  singer Jerry Vale,  John the
Barber,  and Phillies relief pitcher Jack Baldschun in John’s shop around 1964.)

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The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 9): The Stars Shine on Philly

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Over the past 9 months,  we’ve introduced you to a magical 1960s photo album….and told you some of the stories behind it.

Back around 1964,  South Philadelphia nightlife columnist and photographer Arthur Tavani collected over 200 photos of himself with nationally and locally famous singers,  comedians,  athletes,  politicians,  judges,  business people and more.

16_02_28 1 Art Tavani Album(Art Tavani greets South Philadelphia’s Al Martino,  bottom right.  Not all the stars
were locally grown:  That’s Art with Tony Bennett,  top,  and Bob Hope,  bottom left.)

Many of the best-known entertainers – ranging from Bobby Rydell and Fabian,  to Al Martino and Guy Marks – were South Philly natives.  Today,  we’ll show you Art’s photos with famous out-of-towners… Continue reading →

South Philly Celebrity Windows Are Up!

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Bobby Rydell,  Fabian,  Al Martino,  Buddy Greco….Ed Hurst,  Cozy Morley,  Len Barry….Phil Jaye,  Guy Marks,  Al Fisher and Lou Marks….Joey Giardello,  the Day Brothers….

16_01_04 1 Bobby Ryell_3632
(“Wildwood Days” and East Passyunk nights: It must be Bobby Rydell…)

Fifty years ago,  you couldn’t walk down a South Philadelphia street – or enter a club – without encountering one or several of them.

And now,  for the month of January,  they’ll be smiling back down on the neighborhood.

16_01_04 2 Al Martino & Fabian_3710(Native sons Al Martino & Fabian Forte)

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The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 8): Lou Marks

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It was the last weekend of November,  2014,  and we were celebrating our new holiday display:  26 lighted photos of South Philadelphia celebrities  –  drawn from our star-packed 1960s photo album  –  looked down from our windows onto E. Passyunk Avenue and Tasker Street.

15_11_16 1 Celebrity Windows(And, yes, everyone from Bobby Rydell and Fabian, to Al Martino and
Joey Giardello,  will be back in our windows in January, 2016.)

Feeling festive,  we headed out to Stogie Joe’s Tavern for a square pie with sausage and broccoli rabe.

It was the perfect choice:  Stogie Joe’s Passyunk Avenue building once housed the gym where boxer Joey Giardello trained,  and Joey was among our window celebrities.

But,  like everything related to Art Tavani’s magical South Philadelphia photo album,  the coincidences didn’t end there….

“NICE  LOOKING  MUSSELS!”

Soon we were comparing appetizers with the people at the next table.

“Be sure to check out our holiday windows on your way home,”  we told them.  “We’ve got everyone from Bobby Rydell to Fisher and Marks up there!”

15_11_16 2 Fisher & Marks(Singer and dancer Al Fisher,  left,  was the semi-straight man to comedian and jitterbug champ Lou Marks)

“Fisher and Marks?”  one of the men asked.  “I’m friends with Lou’s son!”  Continue reading →