From the Tacony CDC:

More than 50 Tacony residents, businesses, property owners and friends attended the kick-off meeting for the Historic Tacony Revitalization Project Oct. 17, held in the basement meeting room of at the Tacony Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library.

Addressing a standing room only crowd, Pete Naccarato, board president of the Tacony Community Development Corporation, welcomed everyone and shared the history of the Tacony CDC. He highlighted many of the important projects the CDC had completed during the past 10 years. Naccarato urged the audience to become an active part of the commercial corridor revitalization project to begin shortly for Torresdale and Longshore avenues.

He stated, “The Historic Tacony Revitalization Project is a very important priority for the Tacony Community Development Corporation.” continue reading »

Philip Scranton (L) and Walter Lict (R) discuss Tacony's history in Philadelphia's industry.

Wednesday, residents of Tacony gathered at the Tacony Branch of the Free Library to reflect on their city’s rich history. The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia hosted the presentation, Workshop of the World, which focused on the industrial revolution in Philadelphia.

The organization is a civic project that aims to increase the understanding of Philadelphia, and to serve as a
reference source in regards to the city’s history. continue reading »

A police car sat outside of the "Tacony dungeon" on the 4700 on Longshore Avenue. No members of student press were allowed on the premises. Photo by Pamela Seaton.

In a basement of a small apartment in Tacony, four mentally disabled adults were found chained to a boiler and locked behind a steel door on Saturday. Philadelphia police described the location as a “dungeon,” a “cellar” and of having a rotten smell.

The captors—alleged ringleader Linda Ann Weston, 51, Gregory Thomas, 47, and Eddie Wright, 50—are believed to have had held the victims for years, traveling from Texas to West Palm Beach, Fla., and finally to Philadelphia, stopping at many cities along the way.

Weston had more than 50 Social Security numbers on her person the day of the arrest, leading police to believe she tortured the captives into giving her their Social Security payments.

She was charged in 1985 for locking a man in a closet and starving him to death.

“These are…things that people have possibly never seen before,” Mayor Michael Nutter said in a press conference Wednesday. “This is quite possibly one of the most visible signs of man’s inhumanity to man.” continue reading »

Ten women were arrested last week after police raided a Mummers facility and broke up a prostitution ring.

Two members of the Downtowners Fancy Brigade face liquor charges, and several suspects have been charged for prostitution following a weeks-long investigation of the South Philadelphia club. continue reading »

It was late Saturday morning when a property caretaker found four adults chained up in a Tacony basement.

Police found the victims — all with developmental delays and malnourished — after the maintenance man became suspicious of a locked door and called police. Three people face charges of kidnapping, conspiracy, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment for the crimes against the 29-, 31,- 35- and 41-year-olds. continue reading »

From the Tacony CDC:

The Tacony Community Development Corporation announced Thursday it will hold a kick-off meeting for its new effort to revitalize the Torresdale Avenue commercial corridor Oct. 17.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss why the Tacony CDC is launching the Historic Tacony Revitalization Project now and what they hope to achieve in the next few years. Peter Naccarato, the Board President of the Tacony CDC will also discuss the role of the Retail Market Analysis study being conducted now, and the process the organization will undertake to hire a full time employee this fall to manage the commercial district revitalization work. continue reading »

Friday – A man was pronounced dead at Aria Health-Torresdale after his body was dumped from a car near a Tacony cemetery Friday. The 41-year-old may have died of a drug overdose, and was found along the 6400-block of Cottage Street by Magnolia Cemetery around 4 p.m. Police later arrested the driver.

– Police have charged a Somerton chiropractor with with indecently assaulting a 69-year-old female patient. Christopher Walcott, 43, is accused of assaulting the woman during a massage he was giving her at Advanced Wellness Center of Pennsylvania on the 14000-block of Bustleton Avenue. continue reading »

Q: I have an investment house in Tacony that I am selling. The tenants have moved out and now it is empty. I don’t want to try to get another tenant, but I am worried about someone breaking in and ripping out the plumbing or something. How can this be avoided?

A: It is so easy for someone to illegally enter a vacant house. They can break down the door or break a window and, since no one is there, thieves and vandals are free to wreck havoc by having parties, stealing anything and everything worth value, or leaving the water on to do even more damage when they leave. continue reading »

Tacony celebrated its annual History Day and Parade Saturday with food, games, prizes and tables full of information about the neighborhood’s rich history and its context in the Northeast.

Check out the slideshow below with photos from Steve Schultz. continue reading »

Tacony Civic Association board member Lou Iatarola reviews zoning matters at the September 2011 meeting.

Lou Iataroloa had less than an hour to zip through a dozen active zoning issues in Tacony at Tuesday’s civic association meeting.

Before 15th District Capt. Frank Bachmayer took the floor at 8 p.m. for his town hall meeting, the association board had an hour to review old business, new business and upcoming meetings.

The zoning issues involved a variety of issues, including illegal duplexes and auto body shops. The rundown Iatarola, a TCA board member, is below. For pending permits and variances, neighbors living within 500 feet of the properties in question will receive a notice prior to the TCA’s meeting and the Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing. continue reading »