Chick Goodroe is a former burglar and influential member of Philly’s infamous K&A Gang. Now, a man who has done his time and moved on to more a more legal lifestyle, Chick joins The Philly Blunt—with K&A Gang author Allen Hornblum—Chick joined us to talk about his entrance into the world of burglary, some of his best and worst heists, and running in a world of fast cash, fast cars, and Playboy Playmates.The K&A Gang, also known as Philly’s Irish Mob, was a legendary group of predominately burglars from the 1950s through the 1970s. Chick Goodroe was one of its youngest members.Chick once spent two days hiding in the Wetlands after the police found a safe in his car during a check point, spent a decade on the run in Florida, tried to rob Don Ho’s apartment while on vacation in Hawaii, and even had a rabbi in Connecticut unknowingly introduce him to potential targets.  This is a fascinating interview and rare glimpse into the criminal world of another era, one in which he and his gang never used any weapons.Thanks to author and former Blunt guest Allen Hornblum for making this happen and sitting in with us. His book about the K&A Gang is available HERE.Thanks also to O’Neal’s Pub for hosting this fun interview. 

Gabby Ortiz stands five feet tall. She grew up near 2nd & Somerset in Philly. She was raised in a household of wrestling fans and now she is a champion professional wrestler.Gabby joins The Philly Blunt to talk about how her career began, life as a female in professional wrestling, and her future plans.A random conversation at Philly’s Terror Behind the Walls led Gabby to an audition at the legendary Monster Factory wrestling school. That began a professional wrestling journey which took her to Japan and then to a female championship title.We discuss her early days, the dark side of professional wrestling, the collaboration between wrestlers necessary to complete a successful match, and the body-image pressures female wrestlers deal with.Gabby is a charming personality who gave us a rare glimpse into the world of female professional wrestling often glamorized in popular series such as GLOW. We think this is an interview you’ll find entertaining and informative.

Conrad Benner is the person and energy behind Streets Dept. Streets Dept is a “Best of” Philly podcast as well as widely popular street-art blog. The blog is celebrating its 10th year in existence in 2021. Born and raised in Fishtown, Conrad has always had an interest in the arts. We talked about the early days of Streets Dept and his decision to leave a stable job in marketing and pursue his blog full-time.Conrad is the expert in Philly street art. He discusses Philly’s current art scene, the repurposing of classic Philly buildings, and how his blog has developed over the years. Conrad discusses the influence his parents have had on him as well as their support in his  coming out as a gay man. Conrad also has smart, progressive views on how this city can improve and he’s not shy about his disappointment in Mayor Jim Kenney. Will he eventually run for office in Philly? Benner is regularly listed as one of Philadelphia’s most influential people and it’s well-deserved recognition. We think you’ll enjoy this interview with one of Philly’s more interesting and passionate residents.LINKS:www/twitter/facebook/instagram

Allen Hornblum is an activist, writer, lecturer, and investigative journalist who has tackled some of Philadelphia’s more intense stories.As a worker in the Philly Prison systems, Allen noticed prisoners with bandages all over their skin. He inquired what was going on, which led him to uncover one of the more egregious experiments in Philadelphia history. Dermatologists at Penn conducted a variety of tests on unknowing prisoners at Holmesburg Prison. He later discovered the government was also involved in conducting experiments involving chemical warfare agents and other drugs. He wrote a book called Acres of Skin about the unethical experiments by one of the world’s leading dermatologists.Hornblum also did an exhaustive study and investigation into the K&A Gang out of Kensington. The K&A Gang was basically Philly’s Irish Mafia, which focused on house burglaries around the Philly suburbs. They eventually became involved in drug dealing and helped make Philadelphia the meth capital of the country. Hornblum talked in depth about both of these books and moments in Philadelphia history. It’s a fascinating discussion.Hornblum is a wild and intense guy who covers very serious Philly issues. You gotta hear these stories.LINKS:Allen Hornblum

Judy Ni is of Taiwanese decent. She started out in the corporate world, but decided to follow food obsession and enter the restaurant world. Starting at the bottom, Judy worked her way to the top at fine dining establishments in the New York City and Philadelphia area. After some years in Philly at Farm & Fisherman, Judy and her husband decided to go back to her family roots and open a casual Taiwanese restaurant in Philly. They call it Baology, it’s at 18th and JFK and it’s receiving rave reviews.Judy is also a driving force behind the non-profit Hospitality Together which seeks to create a supportive eco-system to help underserved young adults and training the next generation of Philly chefs at the same time.LINKS:Baology: www/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram

He’s written over 130 songs about the video game Mega Man, which earned him a Guinness World Record, rapped a Comic-Con, taught middle-school kids, and recently wrote a memoir. He is Mega Ran and he’s our guest on this episode of The Philly Blunt.Mega Ran grew up in West Oak Lane and graduated from Martin Luther King High School. As a kid, he was into video games as well as music. He decided to combine his two loves and started making songs about his favorite video game, Mega Man. Soon after, he became powerful force in the world of Nerdcore Hip-Hop playing conventions around the world.We talk about how Mega Ran got started, what it’s like playing to a Comic-Con, and growing up in West Oak Lane. Mega Ran thinks that 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are the worst kids to teach. We ask him to expound about that. He also thinks nerds today have it much easier than being a nerd when he was growing up.Mega Ran recently wrote a memoir about his life, the struggles of being a young Black kid with nerdy interests, and his successes. We spend some time talking about the new book, Dream Master, and then hit him with The Blunt Round.LINKS:Mega Ran: www/FB/Instagram/Twitter/Twitch/Book

WALLIS, A 15-year-old from the Philly suburbs has released the perfect 2020 Christmas song called, Lonely Christmas. The song has gone viral with over 600K views in less than two weeks and on has garnered mentions on The Today Show’s website Ellen DeGeneres on social media and massive sharing. WALLIS joins us with her father on this episode of The Philly Blunt to discuss the song, the video, and handling her new found fame.

















LINKS:WALLIS: Instagram

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. is squid crazy, owns the Squidmobile, determined to bridge the gap between scientists and the general public through Skype-A-Scientist, and a resident of Fishtown. She’s also our guest on this episode of The Philly Blunt.
McAnulty wasn’t your normal kid. She found joy in digging in the backyard and observing nature and animals. A National Geographic children’s video, which she rented from the library, featuring the color-changing cephalopod known as a cuttlefish changed her life. From that point on, she decided to study cuttlefish and cephalopods. After graduating high school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from Boston University. Now, she’s got a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology and she drives the Squidmobile. She once took the Squidmobile on a cross-country Squids Across America Tour.























The Squidmobile is her Toyota Rav4. It is covered in squid drawings, facts, and a number you can text for squid facts. Yes, Sarah personally answers every text. 
Sarah is founder of the non-profit Skype-A-Scientist, which seeks to make science more accessible to children and people of color. When school is in session, Skype-A-Scientist pairs scientists from underrepresented groups (women and people of color) with classrooms of a similar background.
Sarah exudes passion and excitement for science and squids throughout this enjoyable interview. It’s fun and informative. You might even think twice before ordering that next order of calamari…nah, probably not.
LINKS:
Sarah McAnulty: Twitter/Instagram
Skype A Scientist

Jeffrey McNeill, or as he’s better known Thee Phantom, is a Philly native who is the leader of the Illharmonic Orchestra, where he combines the world of hip-hop and classical music.McNeill started on his journey at the age of eight when he mashed up the Beastie Boys with Beethoven. McNeill has traveled the world introducing hip-hop fans to classical music and vice versa.He played with a 50 person orchestra in Seattle. He sold out the Kimmel Center and  played Carnegie Hall.McNeill joins the Blunt for this episode to talk out his early experimental days, how people in the classical world weren’t always receptive to playing hip-hop, his business acumen, and his plans for the Illharmonic Orchestra.LINKSThee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra: Facebook, www

Season 5 Episode 4 of Queer Eye in Philadelphia featured Tyreek Wanamaker from Philadelphia. Queer Eye is a fun, inspiring show and the episode with Tyreek may be the most inspirational. Tyreek is our guest on this episode.Tyreek overcame a variety of obstacles in his life including having a brother doing life in prison and being homeless much of his high school years. These days, Tyreek is active in his community. He is co-founder of the non-profit organization The Block Gives Back, which aims to “promote community involvement and engagement throughout Philadelphia by targeting issues within the community and devising a plan to recruit local volunteers, businesses, organizations and community leaders to help us in working toward a solution.” They do a weekly event called Feed the Block which creates food for those in need.He also works at The Mighty Writers were he helps kids master the art of communicating effectively through the written word.We caught up with Tyreek about his experiences on Queer Eye, how is life has changed since the show, the community work that he’s currently involved with, and his future plans, which may include running for a local office.Tyreek on Instagram

Alex Tewfik is a restaurant veteran, who loves both restaurants and writing. He currently covers the Philly restaurant and drink scene for Philly Mag. He joins us to talk about his perspective and experiences in an industry that’s struggling to survive.Ambience was always a major factor into the success of most restaurants. We discuss how restaurants are adapting now that most ambience consists of outdoor seating on a picnic table. Convenience and quality takeout has almost surpassed ambience. Alex touches on his fears that only restaurants with deep pockets will survive the pandemic. In a worst case scenario, only chains would survive.Alex talked about his lessening expectations when he goes out for food. He is actively conscious that people are risking their lives to serve food. Expecting service at the levels before the pandemic just seems unreasonable.What changes does Alex think remain in Philadelphia? Will streeteries continue? Does the PLCB allow to-go cocktails to continue? Will the restaurant model remain a tip-based industry for servers? Is Alex dining indoors these days?In a hysterical Blunt Round, Alex details an injury suffered while performing a drunk dance move.LINK:Alex Tewfik: Instagram/Philly MagD

Antonio “Tone” Johnson is a photographer who grew up in the West Philly and Overbrook sections of Philly. He’s got a new book out called “You Next: Reflections in Black Barbershops and he’s our guest on this episode of The Philly Blunt.Johnson’s most recent project, You Next, focuses on barber shops as sites for the cultivation of black male identity and wellness. He’s interested in capturing how those spaces and the communities within them are constructed and maintained.Tone shares his childhood experiences in barbershops with his father and uncle and how a trip to Havana gave him the idea for the You Next project. He ran a successful kickstarter campaign behind the idea. Soon after, he was traveling the country documenting Black barbershops.We talked with Tone about the importance of the barbershop in the Black community, what makes a barbershop special, and the importance of the vibe of the shop. He also documented haircut day at Fulton County Jail and shares the impact that day had on him.During the Blunt segment, Tone confesses to his wildest haircut, best Halloween costume and his go to steak shop in town. We also vented about folks in the suburbs claiming they’re from Philly.The You Next project is an important one and we think you’ll find his inspiration and process for shooting the book an interesting listen.LINKS:Antonio Johnson: www/Twitter/Instagram

Trumpeter Arnetta Johnson has performed on the world’s stage, she’s only 26 with a bright future, and she’s our guest on this episode of The Philly Blunt.At 13, Arnetta Johnson decided to take up trumpet at Camden, New Jersey’s High School for the Creative & Performing Arts in an effort to get out of class. Four years later, she entered the prestigious Berklee College of Music on a scholarship. Soon after, she performed at the Super Bowl as a member of Beyonce’s backing band. These days, she’s leads her own band called SUNNY.Arnetta discussed growing up in Camden, her journey to Berklee in Boston, and the culture shock of that move. It was the first time she encountered racial slurs and faced life without a corner store. She soon realized that her fellow students had far more personal training leading into their arrivals at Berklee. She locked herself away in the practice room for most of her freshman year to catch up, and catch up she did.She made a couple of connections at a show in Philadelphia that followed her to Berklee and eventually led to a gig in Beyonce Knowles’ band for her Super Bowl performance.Arnetta is the self-proclaimed “Disrupter of Jazz” because she wants to disrupt everything you think of when you hear the word Jazz. NPR recently called Arnetta Johnson one of the Top 20 Artists to Watch.Current events weigh heavily on Arnetta. She candidly discusses the importance of current events influencing the music she creates and how music has always been influenced by history.We also talked about the pressures of being a band-leader at the young age of 26 years-old.Arnetta’s story is an impressive and inspiring story.LINKS:Arnetta Johnson: www/Instagram/Facebook

He’s a CPA, mergers & acquisitions attorney, author, and founder of the Philly Music Fest. He is Greg Seltzer and he’s our guest on this episode of The Philly Blunt.By day, Greg Seltzer is a major player in the world of mergers and acquisition law. By night, he’s an author of two books The 1965 Project: The Intersection of History and Music in 1965 and The 1968 Project: The Intersection of History and Music in 1968 and the man behind the annual Philly Music Fest.Philly Music Fest is unlike any other music festival in the country in that it is a multi-day multi-venue festival exclusively featuring bands with Philadelphia connections. Local food and drink companies provide all the beverages and food during the festival. All the proceeds from the event go to local music-education programs throughout the Philly area.The 2020 version of the Philly Music Fest will be live performances live-streamed from the Ardmore Music Hall on September 24th and 25th.Greg sits with us to discuss how the Philly Music Fest came to fruition, the difficulties of organizing a music festival during a pandemic, his work in negotiating a lease between the NHL and Citizens Bank Park for the Winter Classic hockey game, his discovery of jazz in State College, and how historical events shape the music released in the years following.During the Blunt Round, Greg discloses the amount of Phish shows he’s attended and it’s a pretty ridiculous number, as well as some local bands and artists that we all should be listening to these days.LINKS:Philly Music Fest: www/Facebook/Instagram/Twitter

Inga Saffron came to Philadelphia in 1985 to work as the Philadelphia Inquirer as a Suburban Reporter. She spent five years as the Inquirer’s Eastern European correspondent and eventually became their architecture critic in 1999. Since then, she’s been writing about Philadelphia’s changing skyline and neighborhoods. In 2014 she won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism for her work at the Inquirer.Inga sat with us just after the news broke of the 76ers submitting a development proposal for Penn’s Landing. She provides great insight on that proposal and what the future development of Penn’s Landing might and should look like. We discuss how the city can develop Penn’s Landing while keeping it a destination that the general public can continue to utilize.Tax breaks are always in discussions when developers approach the city. Inga shares talks about the possibilities of tax breaks and whether or not the city still needs these tax breaks or abatements at this point.She talks about the immediate and long-term effects that working from home has on center city life and businesses, her mellowing-out on the Philly Mural Arts Program, her hatred of large video screens around town, and whether or not streeteries and cafe dining is her to stay in the Philly.Inga even shares with us her teenage crush and favorite city takeout joints during COVID-19 in the Blunt Round.She has a new book out called Becoming Philadelphia that you can purchase HERE.LINKS:Twitter/Instagram/Inquirer

BAMM ROSE, a retired stripper, is the founder and CEO of Stilettos, Inc, a non-profit that works for improved and safer working conditions for strippers and sex workers in the Philly area. She has also organizes the Philly Stripper Strike to bring awareness to the racism and colorism in gentlemen’s clubs and to the harassment that sex workers endure on a daily basis.Rose also organizes “dog walks,” which are protests were women dog-walk consenting white people to signify an end to white supremacy and a future that is more inclusive of women and people of color. So far, the dog walks have taken place down South Street and in Rittenhouse Square.Bamm joined us for this episode to  discuss her activist work, her experiences as a sex worker and what brought her to the place she is now, and how she is looking to improve the sex work industry and the world around her.Shout out to our sponsors. Shibe Vintage Sports where you can score all your Philly team gear as well as shirts about Philly’s cultural history. Local owners. Local artists. Shibe Vintage Sports where every stitch tells a story.And Jawnville.com for the rants, ramblings, and observations of a born-and-raised Philly bloke.LINKS:BAMM ROSEStilettos, Inc.

Dr. Steven Klasko is the CEO of Jefferson Health, named the #2 Most Influential Person in Healthcare, and probably the most honest healthcare executive in the country. In this interview he spills the dirt on the issues of government, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and pharmaceuticals and how to make the country better and healthier for all citizens.Dr. Klasko, born in South Philly, started his career out as Little Stevie Kent, a radio disc jockey on WYSP in Philadelphia. After being fired, a counselor told him to consider taking the MCATs. He went on to become an OB/GYN, delivering thousands of babies. He transitioned to the management side of healthcare after earning his MBA. On top of that, he’s an author having written numerous books on America’s healthcare industry.He pulls no punches in discussing the impact of COVID-19 on Philadelphia or America’s healthcare crisis.Dr. Klasko professes what we already know—healthcare in America is broken. He provides valuable insight into the absurdities that exist between insurance companies, the government and providers and how they often fail the American citizens.The discrepancies in healthcare between the wealthy and the poor is a major concern on Dr. Klasko’s. He talks about how two zip codes in Philadelphia, a mere mile or two apart, can have a twenty year difference in life expectancy and steps that we, as a nation, can do to combat this.Klasko thinks out of the box. He is changing the way medical schools select students and the training they receive. He wants to change the way healthcare is delivered, provide broadband to all citizens, and work with other health institutions in the city to make Philadelphia as healthy a city as possible.This is easily the most honest and informative discussion over healthcare, government, and insurance you will hear from a true visionary in the industry.LINKS:Dr. Stephen Klasko

Philly’s favorite trash man, Terrill Haigler, joins us to talk Philly trash.In a city that prides itself on being blue collar, it should come as no surprise that its latest viral sensation is a sanitation worker.Terrill Haigler saw that a storm was brewing Philly, people angry at the trash department without understanding why trash was running so late. So he decided to start an instagram page where he’d explain exactly why they were running late. In about 6 weeks, he’s gotten over 9000 followers and his regular video updates get anywhere from 1000-6000 views. Terrill talked about a typical work day, about his theatre background, and about how he had to stay on the waiting list for 2 years before he landed the job. But most importantly, he talked about how difficult the job is in the COVID age. Going into work with not enough PPE, dealing with the heat and the Karens and the fact that people are throwing out way more trash than they used to. We discussed the good (engaging with people on route), the bad (almost a third of the workforce being quarantined because they either have COVID or were in the truck with someone who tested positive), and the ugly (sh*tboxes, which are….you’ll have to listen and find out). It’s a fascinating look at what goes on behind the scenes after you take your trash out, and Terrill has an infectious personality, which has a lot to do with the IG pages success. Informative, fun, and hilarious: this episode is really the epitome of what the Blunt is all about.  LINKS:Terrill Haigler

A. Charles “Chuck” Peruto, Jr. may be the biggest name in Philly criminal defense work. He wasted no time in making a name for himself in his 20s, taking the case of the Whitman Park Sniper. A few years later, he represented Joey Coyle, an unemployed longshoreman who stumbled across a bag filled with $1.2 million that had fallen out of a Brinks Truck. He also represented murderer Gary Heidnik and defended Joey Merlino. After Meek Mill passed over Peruto to take on another lawyer, Chuck took the judge in the Mill case as a client.  He is currently planning on running for DA, since he thinks that Krasner is doing such a poor job. Peruto discussed why Joey Coyle got caught, the tricks he used to unsuccessfully convince the jury that Heidnik was insane (he wasn’t), whether repping the mob was scary, and why he thought the judge in the Meek Mill case got a bad deal. Peruto talked about how he likes Krasner but doesn’t respect him as DA, and his thoughts about police. He discussed the importance of law school, the problem with Ivy League educated attorneys, and how to win over a jury. Peruto also told a never before heard story about his infamous fight with Howard Eskin at the Palm and Lynne Abraham that has to be heard. He holds back on absolutely nothing. Whether you agree or disagree with him, you’ll be interested to hear what he has to say. A true Philadelphia original.  LINKS:Law Offices of A. Charles Peruto, Jr.

We sit down with Damon C. Williams. Damon is an award-winning journalist having written for the Daily News for a decade and then at Philadelphia Tribune. A bulk of his work focused on local politics. Damon has also released a memoir available on Amazon called Soul in Ink, the memoirs of a journalist. Maybe more importantly, while at the Daily News, Damon started a rap and hip-hop column in the 1990’s that focused on local artists in Philly. It was one of the first, if not first, columns in a major metropolitan newspaper of its kind.
Thanks to everyone out there who helped make us a Philly Mag Best of 2020 winner.
Shout out to our sponsors Shibe Vintage Sports where you can find unique vintage-style shirts and hats. There’s a story in every stitch at Shibe. Shibe Vintage Sports. Philly owned. Philly artists.
And Jawnville.com for the observations, rants, and ramblings of a Philly bloke. This bloke, in particular.
Check us out on instagram, twitter, and Facebook all as THe Philly Blunt.
Stay safe. Wash Your hands. Wear a mask and enjoy this interview with Damon C. WIlliams.
LINKS:Damon C. Williams: Twitter/Soul In Ink: The Memoirs of a Journalist