Frank Palumbo
Encyclopedia
Frank Palumbo was a restaurateur, local celebrity, humanitarian and power broker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
He is best known as the owner of Palumbo’s
, an entertainment complex in South Philadelphia
, Nostalgia’s Restaurant and the legendary Click Club. In the city, he is still widely known for his philanthropy: donating animals to the Philadelphia Zoo
, helping build youth programs and funding parades. He has been called "a supporter of politicians, ordinary folk and animals."
Palumbo expanded a boarding house
his grandfather, Antonio Palumbo, had started in 1884 into an entertainment complex. His restaurant and clubs served as an unofficial "political nerve center in Philadelphia."
In the 1940s and 1950s, Philadelphia was an important pop music center, with many bands and singers being made or broken in the city at Palumbo's clubs.
Palumbo became well known for philanthropy throughout South Philadelphia
. Disturbed by an article critical of the area, singer Mario Lanza
penned a response which identified Palumbo as an unsung hero of the city. Lanza lauded Palumbo for taking thousands of orphans to the circus, arranging parades for visiting celebrities and buying animals for the zoo
.
The love of Palumbo’s life was his wife Kippee (? -2003). A former Hollywood and TV actress, Kippee was a philanthropic legend and, at Palumbo’s side, became "one of Philadelphia’s first ladies".
connections were common.
, a long time friend of Palumbo, turned to him for help with his image when press reports tied Sinatra to the Mafia. Together, they promoted a youth football league to provide an activity for urban children and generate positive press for them both.
Sinatra had been photographed in Cuba with top American mobsters at a mob wake, was widely accused of womanizing, and reportedly had assaulted a reporter. On 14 November 1947, Billy Fox
threw a boxing match against Jake LaMotta
at the request of the mob. LaMotta's manager, Al Silvani
, was Sinatra's former bodyguard and friend. Fox was co-managed by Palumbo and Blinky Palermo
, a mobster who ran Philadelphia's policy racket.
As Sinatra and Palumbo were both threatened by the resulting investigation, they worked together to generate positive press coverage. Palumbo had been a long time supporter of the Pop Warner
Junior Football Conference
. Through Palumbo's dealings a "Santa Claus Bowl" was arranged. Philadelphia's "Venango Midgets" were renamed "Frank Palumbo’s Clickets". They took on the newly formed, and thus "undefeated", "Frank Sinatra's Cyclones" in a game heavily promoted by the Philadelphia Daily News
.
The News cited a fictional nation-wide bidding war for coverage with other newspapers, a planned (though likely impossible) appearance by Sinatra, alleged bids to host a planned 1948 bowl and the supposed support of Milton Berle
, Al Jolson
, Bob Hope
, Mickey Rooney
, and Jimmy Durante
. After the game, Palumbo drew the names of two players for trips to the Sugar Bowl
, generating three more days of coverage as the News ran articles penned by one of the winners.
(briefly) and Philadelphia mob boss Angelo Bruno
, who was also his friend.
A 1950-1 U.S. Senate investigation into organized crime found that Palumbo's CR Club was the meeting place for some 50 of the Philadelphia mob's numbers bankers. Palermo escaped with a small fine for "impertinent...sarcastic answers". Palumbo briefly evaded this subpoena before Kossmann got him off without charges. After the investigation, the Senate's file connecting Palumbo with Palermo disappeared.
Bruno's assassination on 12 March 1980, outside his home in South Philadelphia
, took place immediately after dining with Kossmann. Kossmann was also a trustee for the Pop Warner Football League.
A 1962 federal wiretap determined that Bruno's mob used the "secure" phone in Palumbo's for most of their dealings. A 1970s treasury agent who worked undercover
in the mob called Palumbo its "political fixer".
landed his first job in broadcasting (at WFIL
-AM) through Palumbo’s connections. It was there that Mammarella met the young Dick Clark, with whom he would soon produce American Bandstand
.
, later to team up with Sinatra as part of the Rat Pack
.
to Italy
Tom Foglietta was godfather to Palumbo’s daughter said,
spent most evenings there during his rise to power, years in office and beyond.
neighborhood, are named in Palumbo's honor. The Academy at Palumbo, 1122 Catharine Street, is also named for him.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
He is best known as the owner of Palumbo’s
Palumbos
Palumbo’s was an entertainment complex in Italian Market section of South Philadelphia, Palumbo’s included a banquet hall, Nostalgia’s Restaurant and the Click Club. The club was owned by local celebrity/businessman/humanitarian Frank Palumbo...
, an entertainment complex in South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
, Nostalgia’s Restaurant and the legendary Click Club. In the city, he is still widely known for his philanthropy: donating animals to the Philadelphia Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first zoo in the United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874...
, helping build youth programs and funding parades. He has been called "a supporter of politicians, ordinary folk and animals."
Palumbo expanded a boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
his grandfather, Antonio Palumbo, had started in 1884 into an entertainment complex. His restaurant and clubs served as an unofficial "political nerve center in Philadelphia."
In the 1940s and 1950s, Philadelphia was an important pop music center, with many bands and singers being made or broken in the city at Palumbo's clubs.
Palumbo became well known for philanthropy throughout South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
. Disturbed by an article critical of the area, singer Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza
right|thumb|[[MGM]] still, circa 1949Mario Lanza was an American tenor and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. The son of Italian emigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16....
penned a response which identified Palumbo as an unsung hero of the city. Lanza lauded Palumbo for taking thousands of orphans to the circus, arranging parades for visiting celebrities and buying animals for the zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first zoo in the United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874...
.
Personal life
Palumbo was quiet and almost painfully shy, often hiding in his office during major functions and banquets, only briefly emerging to meet with the guests.The love of Palumbo’s life was his wife Kippee (? -2003). A former Hollywood and TV actress, Kippee was a philanthropic legend and, at Palumbo’s side, became "one of Philadelphia’s first ladies".
Mob tie allegations
Palumbo was the subject of regular insinuation and speculation. An Inquirer Magazine article in 1975 suggested that his intense need for privacy and philanthropic zeal may have been used to cover an unexplained secret life of some kind. Unsubstantiated rumors of MafiaMafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
connections were common.
Frank Sinatra and the fixed fight
In 1947, Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, a long time friend of Palumbo, turned to him for help with his image when press reports tied Sinatra to the Mafia. Together, they promoted a youth football league to provide an activity for urban children and generate positive press for them both.
Sinatra had been photographed in Cuba with top American mobsters at a mob wake, was widely accused of womanizing, and reportedly had assaulted a reporter. On 14 November 1947, Billy Fox
Billy Fox (boxer)
"Blackjack" Billy Fox is a former American light heavyweight boxer. He is best known for having won a fix fight against future middleweight champion Jake LaMotta.- Boxing career :...
threw a boxing match against Jake LaMotta
Jake LaMotta
Giacobbe LaMotta , better known as Jake LaMotta, nicknamed "The Bronx Bull" and "The Raging Bull", is a former American world middleweight champion boxer...
at the request of the mob. LaMotta's manager, Al Silvani
Al Silvani
Al Silvani was an American boxing trainer and actor.As one of the most sought-after trainers in the business, Silvani trained over twenty world champions, including Jake LaMotta, Henry Armstrong, Carmen Basilio, Fritzie Zivic, Pone Kingpetch, Rocky Graziano, Ingemar Johansson, and Lou Ambers.He...
, was Sinatra's former bodyguard and friend. Fox was co-managed by Palumbo and Blinky Palermo
Blinky Palermo
Blinky Palermo, was a German abstract painter.-Early life and education:Palermo was born Peter Schwarze in Leipzig, Germany, in 1943, and adopted as an infant, with his twin brother, Michael, by foster parents named Heisterkamp, became Peter Heisterkamp, and moved to Münster in 1952...
, a mobster who ran Philadelphia's policy racket.
As Sinatra and Palumbo were both threatened by the resulting investigation, they worked together to generate positive press coverage. Palumbo had been a long time supporter of the Pop Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
Junior Football Conference
Pop Warner Little Scholars
Pop Warner Little Scholars is a non-profit organization that provides youth football, cheerleading, and dance programs for participants in 43 U.S. states and several countries around the world. It is headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania...
. Through Palumbo's dealings a "Santa Claus Bowl" was arranged. Philadelphia's "Venango Midgets" were renamed "Frank Palumbo’s Clickets". They took on the newly formed, and thus "undefeated", "Frank Sinatra's Cyclones" in a game heavily promoted by the Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
.
The News cited a fictional nation-wide bidding war for coverage with other newspapers, a planned (though likely impossible) appearance by Sinatra, alleged bids to host a planned 1948 bowl and the supposed support of Milton Berle
Milton Berle
Milton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
, Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
, Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
, and Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
. After the game, Palumbo drew the names of two players for trips to the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, generating three more days of coverage as the News ran articles penned by one of the winners.
Angelo Bruno
Jake Kossmann was the lawyer for Palumbo, Palermo, Frank Costella, Jimmy HoffaJimmy Hoffa
James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader....
(briefly) and Philadelphia mob boss Angelo Bruno
Angelo Bruno
Angelo "The Gentle Don" Bruno was a Sicilian-American mobster who ran the Philadelphia crime family for two decades. Bruno gained his nickname and reputation due to his preference for conciliation over violence.-Early years:Born in Villalba, Sicily, Bruno emigrated to the United States in his...
, who was also his friend.
A 1950-1 U.S. Senate investigation into organized crime found that Palumbo's CR Club was the meeting place for some 50 of the Philadelphia mob's numbers bankers. Palermo escaped with a small fine for "impertinent...sarcastic answers". Palumbo briefly evaded this subpoena before Kossmann got him off without charges. After the investigation, the Senate's file connecting Palumbo with Palermo disappeared.
Bruno's assassination on 12 March 1980, outside his home in South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
, took place immediately after dining with Kossmann. Kossmann was also a trustee for the Pop Warner Football League.
A 1962 federal wiretap determined that Bruno's mob used the "secure" phone in Palumbo's for most of their dealings. A 1970s treasury agent who worked undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
in the mob called Palumbo its "political fixer".
American Bandstand
A young Tony MammarellaTony Mammarella
Anthony Mammarella was the first producer and second host of American Bandstand.Mammarella, a World War II veteran, started with Philadelphia television station WFIL-TV in 1947 as a switchboard operator and moved his way up to various positions in production.In 1958, as a way of increasing his...
landed his first job in broadcasting (at WFIL
WFIL
WFIL is a radio station and a former television station serving the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its transmitter is located in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania....
-AM) through Palumbo’s connections. It was there that Mammarella met the young Dick Clark, with whom he would soon produce American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
.
Joey Bishop
Palumbo gave a first break to Joey BishopJoey Bishop
Joey Bishop was an American entertainer who was perhaps best known for being a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin...
, later to team up with Sinatra as part of the Rat Pack
Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
.
Tom Foglietta
Philadelphia City Councilman and later U.S. ambassadorAmbassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Tom Foglietta was godfather to Palumbo’s daughter said,
"His friends go down to the restaurant, and if they want to talk, or they need a favor, Frank’s there. They might ask his advice on how to go about getting elected. Frank can help them by letting the committeemen and ward leaders know that he thinks a certain candidate is a good one."
Later years
Well beyond the Click Club’s heyday, the restaurant remained popular. Sinatra visited the "black tie saloon" frequently and mayor Frank RizzoFrank Rizzo
Francis Lazarro "Frank" Rizzo, Sr. was an American police officer and politician. He served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from January 1972 to January 1980; he was Police Commissioner for four years prior to that.-Police Commissioner:Rizzo joined the Philadelphia Police...
spent most evenings there during his rise to power, years in office and beyond.
Honors
Two different parks named "Palumbo Park", at 10th and Fitzwater and at 7th and Catherine Streets in South Philadelphia's Bella VistaBella Vista, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bella Vista, Italian for "beautiful sight", is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.It is bounded by 6th Street, 11th Street, South Street, and Washington Avenue....
neighborhood, are named in Palumbo's honor. The Academy at Palumbo, 1122 Catharine Street, is also named for him.