More than 30 years ago, Philadelphia was the battleground in a brutal mob war as a group of young mafia upstarts challenged the rule of the established La Cosa Nostra leadership.
Known as the Young Turks, that group consisted mostly of younger men who were the sons, brothers, and nephews of former crime family members who were dead or in prison, and was purportedly led by Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino and Michael “Mikey Chang” Ciancaglini. They believed that mob boss John Stanfa, a Sicilian immigrant who preferred to keep a low profile, was an outsider who was not fit to lead. Instead, their bloodlines and connections gave them the right to rule their hometown neighborhoods.
Now, a new docuseries from Netflix, Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia, examines that conflict, complete with interviews from the law enforcement agents and former mobsters who were there, vintage 1990s Philly TV news footage, and the perspective of a hitman-turned-informant who made headlines. The goal, said director Raïssa Botterman, is to show the human element behind the violence.
“They’ve committed crimes, but they’re still humans, and understanding who they were and having their versions of events” is important, she said. “Whether it’s fighting against crime or it’s committing crimes, [we’re] trying to get a more holistic picture of what’s going on.”
Notably missing from the series is Merlino, who Botterman said declined to participate. Merlino has long denied having been behind a faction of the city’s mob and has never been convicted of mob-related violence.
Likewise, Merlino declined through a representative to comment about Mob Wars.
Throughout the ’90s, mob violence regularly dominated Inquirer and Daily News headlines, and resulted in several high-profile deaths and criminal trials, and a new mob leader in the city.
By most accounts, the first strike in the brewing mob war happened in January 1992 with the killing of Felix “Tom Mix” Bocchino, a Stanfa loyalist, on the 1200 block of Mifflin Street. Bocchino, 73, was shot four times in his 1977 Buick, and authorities believed he was targeted by members of the Young Turks faction, according to an Inquirer report from the time.
Retaliation was swift. Two months later, gunmen attempted to assassinate Michael Ciancaglini at his home near 12th and McKean Streets — just steps south of where Bocchino was killed. In that incident, the Daily News reported, Ciancaglini was returning home from a basketball game when two men carrying shotguns began chasing him. He made it inside, and the gunmen fired shotgun blasts through the front door and window.
Ciancaglini was not injured, and neither were his wife and two children, who were inside the house. Law enforcement sources told the People Paper that Ciancaglini “had something to do with Bocchino’s death,” but Ciancaglini’s attorney maintained his client was in the dark about the attempt on his life.
“He don’t know why. He don’t know who. And he don’t know what,” attorney Joseph C. Santaguida told The Inquirer following the shooting.
In March 1993, almost exactly a year after the attempt on Michael Ciancaglini’s life, older brother Joseph Ciancaglini, 35, was shot at the Warfield Breakfast and Lunch Express in Grays Ferry. The attempted hit on Stanfa’s underboss was captured on FBI surveillance video.
Though he survived, Joseph Ciancaglini became permanently paralyzed.
On Aug. 5, 1993, the warfare arrived on the 600 block of Catharine Street with an afternoon shooting that injured Merlino and killed Michael Ciancaglini. The pair were walking down the block when two gunmen began firing, striking Merlino in the leg and buttocks, and Ciancaglini in the heart, reports from the time indicate. Ciancaglini died at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, while Merlino was placed in stable condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
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The car used in the shooting, meanwhile, was found some 35 blocks away, burned to a crisp. It had been leased to Philip Colletti, a mob associate who later admitted his role in the crime.
Hundreds attended Ciancaglini’s viewing at the Carto Funeral Home at Broad and Jackson days later; some neighborhood residents were not surprised by his killing, The Inquirer reported.
“Why’d he get killed? The same reason the rest of these hoods in South Philly do,” said one South Philly hairdresser. “Most Italians are good, hard-working people, and these people give us a bad name.”
By the end of August 1993, the Young Turks struck back — this time with a botched assassination attempt on Stanfa himself that ended up wounding the mob boss’ son, Joseph, who was 23 and not involved with mafia activities.
That attempt took place during the morning rush hour as Stanfa and his son traveled from their home in Medford to their food importing business in South Philadelphia. As they drove toward the Vare Avenue off-ramp on the Schuylkill Expressway, gunmen ambushed them from a van that had been modified with makeshift gunports, allowing the assailants to fire from concealment.
The attackers, police later learned, had not cut eye holes in the van, and fired on the Stanfas wildly, missing their intended target. The younger Stanfa, however, was struck in the face, leaving a bullet lodged in his neck though he survived.
The van was found near 29th and Mifflin Streets as police attempted to reconstruct possible escape routes. It was littered with spent cartridges, and had “a number of punctures in it,” leading police to believe that a shooter lost control of his weapon, tearing bullet holes into the vehicle.
Stanfa’s vehicle, meanwhile, was heavily damaged, with at least 10 bullet holes running from the front hood to the right rear fender. A tire was shredded, and a window panel in the rear-passenger side — where Joseph had been sitting — was shattered. Stanfa, The Inquirer reported at the time, had his driver hide the car in the garage of the restaurant where Joseph Ciancaglini had been shot, requiring police to obtain a warrant to examine it.
“You’ve got to understand: This is an all-out mob war,” said Col. Justin J. Dintino, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. ”They’re going to take their shot whenever the opportunity presents itself.”
In September 1993, the opportunity presented itself at the Melrose Diner, where Frank Baldino Sr., a reportedly low-level associate of the Young Turks, was shot to death in his car. His last meal was a $6.95 chopped steak dinner, the Daily News reported.
Gunmen approached Baldino’s vehicle, investigators said, and “pumped several bullets” through its closed window, striking him in the head and torso. The assailants fled west on Passyunk Avenue in a rainstorm, and Baldino died while en route to the hospital.
Baldino was not considered to be a major player in the local mob. His killing, friends and investigators said, was something of a shock — even former mobster Nicholas “Nicky Crow” Caramandi, who was in hiding at the time, denounced it.
“This guy was not a gangster,” Caramandi told The Inquirer. “He wouldn’t hurt anybody. He was not a threat. It should never have happened.”
Though mob violence cooled as 1993 wore on, it didn’t fully stop, and late one Friday in January 1994, police found John Veasey near Sixth and Sigel Streets, grievously injured.
He had three bullet wounds to his head, one to his chest, and seven stab wounds, having fought off his attackers in an assassination attempt in the apartment above a nearby meat store. Somehow Veasey, then 28, had survived, and was placed in critical but stable condition at Jefferson Hospital.
“He’s a tough kid,” one underworld source told The Inquirer. “He knows a lot, and what he knows can hurt a lot of people.”
Veasey, it turned out, had gone to the FBI days before and copped to the Ciancaglini and Baldino killings at the behest of his brother, William “Billy” Veasey, who had told him there was a contract out on John Veasey’s life.
His assailants, Veasey told police, were Stanfa loyalists Frank Martines and Vincent “Al Pajamas” Pagano, both of which later surrendered.
The pair, John Veasey said, had lured him to a mob-run “numbers house” under the guise of protecting him. But once inside, Martines pulled a gun and shot him in the head and chest, telling him, “Bye, John-John.” When that failed to kill Veasey, a battle ensued in which Veasey wrestled a knife away from Pagano, and used it to slash Martines in the eye.
“I have a real powerful neck, real, real big,” Veasey later said of his survival, according to a Daily News report. “I was not knocked out. It wasn’t sending any messages to the brain.”
Following the attack on Veasey, Stanfa and 23 associates were indicted on federal racketeering charges and imprisoned by March 1994. As the legal proceedings wore on, mob violence in the city trickled almost to a stop — with one notable exception.
On Oct. 5, 1995, just hours before Veasey was set to take the witness stand against Stanfa and his codefendants, his brother Billy was shot and killed on the 1700 block of Oregon Avenue.
Veasey was distraught, but his resolve to testify was hardened by the killing, law enforcement sources said. Five days later, he did just that.
Delivering his testimony in what The Inquirer called “South Philadelphia tough-guy jargon,” Veasey made the federal government’s case clear — in some cases, graphically so — for jurors. Calling himself a triggerman for Stanfa, he testified that the mob boss had given orders in 1993 to kill anyone who was aligned with Merlino and the Young Turks faction, and that a hit list with more than a dozen names had been circulated to mob members.
“A couple of [defense] lawyers tried to catch him up in semantics,” one federal source told The Inquirer of Veasey. “John doesn’t even know what semantics means.”
By November 1995, Stanfa and his associates were convicted on all counts, including murder, extortion, gambling, and kidnapping. Stanfa received five life sentences, and, at 84, remains in prison.
With that, the Young Turks had officially won the war. According to Inquirer and Daily News reports from the time, Ralph Natale had been installed as the head of the Philadelphia mob but focused his efforts on South Jersey, allegedly leaving Merlino and his cohorts to run South Philadelphia.
Following Natale’s arrest on a parole violation in 1998, Daily News and Inquirer reports from the time indicate, Merlino purportedly took over as acting mob boss, and later cut out Natale completely. Merlino himself was arrested on drug conspiracy charges in 1999, and Natale served as a government witness against him.
Ultimately, Merlino received a 14-year sentence after being convicted of racketeering. He was acquitted of drug trafficking and murder charges, the latter for which prosecutors initially considered pursuing the death penalty. With credit for two and a half years served, he was to spend nine more years in prison.
“It ain’t bad,” Merlino said of the verdict, according to an Inquirer report. “Nine’s better than a death penalty.”
“Mob Wars” is a three-part series on Netflix. Its release date is Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Hit man-turned-government informant John Veasey, whose testimony helped bring down mob boss John Stanfa and a dozen of his top associates in the 1990s, says he’s on the road to redemption.
The new Netflix docuseries Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia, now streaming, chronicles a violent 1990s power struggle in the local La Cosa Nostra through the eyes of investigators and former crime family members who were there.
Veasey, a South Philly native, was a central figure in the ’90s Philly mob, having admitted to participating in two high-profile murders. He went on to serve nearly 11 years in prison after becoming a government witness against Stanfa and other top mob associates in a federal racketeering trial, and was released in 2005. He has since denounced the mob life, and, in the Netflix series, calls joining the mafia the “worst decision” he ever made.
While he became a feared killer, Veasey was also something of a folk hero after Stanfa’s 1995 trial. The jury, according to Inquirer and Daily News reports from the time, was enamored with his frank and sometimes graphic testimony, which was a key component of federal prosecutors’ case against Stanfa and others.
Veasey agreed to become an FBI informant in January 1994 after his brother, William “Billy” Veasey, told him Stanfa had taken a contract out on his life, reports from the time indicate. In agreeing to work with federal authorities, Veasey admitted to being one of the shooters behind two then-recent mob killings: Michael “Mikey Chang” Ciancaglini and Frank Baldino Sr.
Ciancaglini was killed in August 1993 in a shooting that also wounded Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino. The pair were the purported leaders of the so-called “Young Turks” faction who opposed the rule of Stanfa, reports indicated. Merlino has long denied having been behind a faction of the city’s mob and has never been convicted of mob violence.
Ahead of that shooting, Veasey testified, Stanfa had given orders to “kill anybody aligned with Merlino” and circulated a list of about a dozen people who were to be killed. Veasey undertook the hit with fellow mob enforcer Philip Colletti in a white Ford Taurus that, shockingly, was leased in Colletti’s name.
Veasey also admitted to burning the vehicle, badly burning his hand in the process. Knowing he needed an explanation to have his injury treated, Veasey returned to his house and poured lighter fluid into a barbecue grill, and intentionally lit his injured hand on fire.
“I screamed and told the neighbors I had burned it trying to light the grill,” he told jurors during the Stanfa trial. The cover, he says in the Netflix docuseries, wasn’t a great one — the grill he used was electric, arousing the suspicion of police.
Likewise, Veasey was the triggerman in the killing of Frank Baldino Sr., a then-suspected low-level mob associate who was killed outside the Melrose Diner in September 1993.
Baldino was shot multiple times in his car in the diner’s parking lot, and died en route to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Veasey later tipped off authorities to the location of the murder weapons, which divers found in a pond at FDR Park in April 1994, reports from the time indicate.
The attempted murder of John Veasey
In January 1994, police found Veasey grievously injured near Sixth and Sigel Streets, having somehow survived a brutal assassination attempt in which he was shot four times and stabbed seven. The attempted murder, he later testified, was undertaken by Stanfa associates Frank Martines and Vincent “Al Pajamas” Pagano in an apartment above a meat store near where Veasey was found.
“One bullet fragmented in the back of my head. One went in the back and out through my forehead,” Veasey later said of the shooting. ”One hit the back of my head and bounced into my neck. And one is still in my chest, in my rib cage.”
His assailants, Veasey said, had targeted him because they believed he was working with the FBI — which he had been for a few days by the time the attack happened.
The shots failed to kill Veasey, who in the struggle wrestled a knife away from Pagano and used it to stab Martines near the eye. The ordeal lasted about 18 minutes, according to a Daily News report, and ended with Martines and Pagano letting Veasey go in exchange for their lives.
After he escaped, Veasey attempted to stop a car for help. But because of the way he looked, he said, no one would help him.
Eventually, police arrived but believed Veasey would die.
“I could hear them talking, saying I was DOA,” Veasey said. “I’m saying, ‘I’m alive, I’m alive. Everyone is giving up on me tonight.’”
Veasey later said he left the mob that night, putting his time in the mafia at just over five months, the Daily News reported. He had been recruited in August 1993, days before the Ciancaglini murder, after landing a job at a construction company owned by Stanfa’s brother-in-law.
“I wouldn’t recommend this life to an enemy,” he later said of the mob.
Hours before Veasey was set to take the stand for Stanfa’s trial in October 1995, his brother, Billy, was shot and killed on the 1700 block of Oregon Avenue. The killing, authorities speculated, could have been ordered by Stanfa as a way to silence Veasey, or by suspected Young Turks leader Merlino as revenge for the Ciancaglini and Baldino murders.
Ultimately, it only delayed Veasey’s testimony by five days.
From the stand, Veasey referred to himself as a triggerman and divulged his involvement with the murders of Ciancaglini and Baldino.
Veasey’s testimony at trial
In total, Veasey testified for about two and a half days, which he wrapped up with two pieces of information: That he refused to kill kids, and he did not like gambling. He also mocked Sergio Battaglia, a would-be Stanfa hit man who, despite going on a number of hits, never actually killed anyone, according to an Inquirer report.
Battaglia “went on a hundred hits and didn’t shoot nobody,” Veasey said.
He quickly became well-liked by the jury, who seemed to hang on his every word, The Inquirer reported. Among his more graphic accounts from the witness stand was the “drilling” of Joseph “Joe Fudge” DeSimone, a mob associate who had wanted to kill Veasey, to which Veasey took less-than-kindly.
Veasey testified that he had warned Stanfa of a coming altercation with DeSimone, and at one point persuaded another mob associate to bring DeSimone over to Veasey’s house to settle their dispute. Veasey was on house arrest at the time.
DeSimone arrived, kicking off a violent encounter with an electric drill.
“I smacked him in the face with the drill. I stuck the drill in his chest and in his legs. I stuck it in his head, and from the rotation of the drill, clumps of hair was going out,” Veasey testified. “Then I hit him in the knee with a baseball bat. I chambered the gun … gave it to him and asked, ‘Do you still want to kill me?’”
Veasey said that DeSimone declined.
The testimony was not only well received by jurors, but it was considered a success by prosecutors. Though violent, Veasey appeared relatable to the jury and seemed to have a secret weapon against the defense.
Former mob hit man John Veasey’s biography details his work for one of the city’s mob organizations, the hits he carried out, the attempt on his life, and more.
The reformed hit man
Stanfa was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to five consecutive life terms. Veasey, meanwhile, spent almost 11 years in prison, and was released in 2005. By 2012, he was back in the news, this time for a detailed account of his story in The Hit Man: A True Story of Murder, Redemption and the Melrose Diner, a book by former Inquirer reporter Ralph Cipriano.
By then, Veasey was working as a car salesman in the Midwest, and claimed to have turned over a new leaf.
“I never respected the Mafia or what it stood for,” Veasey said in an interview with The Inquirer in 2012. “My only regret was being dumb enough to join … I always said they either rat or kill each other.”
Amid persistently higher costs, three Philadelphia-area health systems have cut expenses over the last two years by changing how they account for investments in facilities and equipment. The change significantly boosted operating income in all three cases.
ChristianaCare and Main Line Health are now spreading the cost of buildings and building improvements over as many as 80 years, they said in their fiscal 2025 audited financial statements. That is double the maximum number of years they previously used to calculate what accountants call depreciation expense. Thomas Jefferson University made a similar change last year.
All three health systems use PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as their auditor. The firm, which did not respond to a request for comment, also has Philadelphia health-system clients that have not extended their depreciation schedules.
The term depreciation expense refers to the way hospitals and other businesses allocate the cost of a building, a piece of equipment such as an MRI machine, or even software to manage patient records across the number of years the asset is likely to be used.
It’s a noncash expense because the money used to make the purchase is recorded elsewhere in the financial statements. Several financial and accounting experts said the change could be seen as cosmetic.
“It’s not affecting operations. It’s not increasing their revenues. It’s not decreasing their cash expenditures. It is purely a bookkeeping entry,” said Steven Balsam, a professor of accounting at Temple University’s Fox School of Business.
Main Line Health
At Main Line, the extended depreciation schedule reduced the expense by an estimated $37.5 million. That helped the system achieve a small, $4 million operating profit for the first time since fiscal 2021, when federal COVID-19 aid buoyed hospitals.
Without the depreciation savings, Main Line would have had an operating loss of $33.5 million in the year that ended June 30, compared to a $61 million operating loss in fiscal 2024.
Asked for comment, Main Line’s chief financial officer Leigh Ehrlich noted that the system’s financial performance had improved, thanks to “increased patient volumes and continued focus on expense management.”
Excluding noncash depreciation and amortization in each of the last two years, Main Line’s operating income improved to $127.8 million from $96.7 million.
ChristianaCare
ChristianaCare reviewed the depreciation schedules of fixed assets “as part of our ongoing commitment to maintain accurate and reliable financial reporting,” the nonprofit’s chief financial officer Rob McMurray said in an email. The result was a $24.4 million reduction in depreciation expense.
The review also resulted in a $9 million write-off of unspecified assets, which meant that in fiscal 2025 the benefit to operating income was $15 million, McMurray said.
ChristianaCare’s operating income in the year that ended June 30 was $35.5 million, or $20.5 million without the accounting change. The organization had $126.2 million in operating income in fiscal 2024.
Thomas Jefferson University
Last year, Thomas Jefferson University opened its $762 million Honickman Center in Philadelphia. Normally, taking a building like that into service would increase depreciation expense.
Instead, Jefferson’s depreciation expense fell by $68 million, according to its audited financial statement for the year that ended June 30, 2024. The decline happened after Jefferson opted to spread the cost of all buildings and building improvements over as many as 70 years, according to the depreciation schedule in its financial statement.
Even with the depreciation change, Jefferson’s operating income in fiscal 2024 was extremely narrow, at $1.34 million on nearly $10 billion in revenue that year.
The benefit of lower depreciation expense continued in fiscal 2025, as it will in future years for ChristianaCare and Main Line.
Depreciation expense at other local systems
Most Philadelphia-area health systems use a schedule for depreciating buildings and building improvements that maxes out at 40 years, an Inquirer review of financial statements found.
“You’re constantly modernizing your facilities to allow for the delivery of medicine based on current times,” Temple University Health System chief financial officer Jerry Oetzel said in an interview. “Who knows 15 years from now? We don’t have clear insight, but it’s probably going to be more home care.”
That’s why Temple hasn’t adopted a longer depreciation schedule. “It’s just a savings in operating expenses without the benefit of any cash behind it,” Oetzel said.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to remove a reference to American Hospital Association guidelines.
An antiquated industrial building at 142-144 N. Broad St. is being converted to 99 apartments and over 4,000 square feet in restaurant space.
The seven-story building previously served as a car showroom with vehicle elevators and a factory. It has been empty for years.
“It’s gone through a couple of owners,” said Carolina Pena, principal at Parallel Architecture Studio, which is working on the project. “We’re doing an interior renovation. There are no additions proposed. We’re trying to retrofit the existing garage into apartments.”
The building’s previous owner, John Wei, has been selling off property across the Callowhill area in recent years in the face of mounting financial difficulties. He purchased 142-144 N. Broad in 2022 for $7 million.
The property sold in August for $6.2 million to a company called Penn Hall Investment LLC.
In zoning applications filed with the city earlier this month, the owners are listed as Qiaozhen Huang and Yizhou Li with their business address as 300 E. Allegheny Ave. in Kensington.
Philadelphia-based Parallel Architecture Studio, which is designing the project for the latest developers, also served as the architect for an earlier iteration of the property, when Wei sought to use it to house a 115-room hotel.
Pre-pandemic permits show a proposal for an even larger hotel from another developer and architect.
“It’s more stable financially this way,” said Pena, of Parallel Architecture. “It’s harder to get financing for hotels than to get financing for apartments.”
Pena projects a construction timeline of 18 to 24 months. The apartments will be designed for single-person households.
“We have some studios, some one-bedrooms,” Pena said. “They’ll be around 600 square feet.”
A view of 142-44 N. Broad St. (black PARK sign). Zoning permits have been pulled for a conversion of the long-vacant tower to residential and restaurant use.
The current Penn Hall project does not require any action from the zoning board because 142 N. Broad St. is in the most flexible zoning district in the city.
Bicycle parking and four automobile spaces will be available in the tower’s existing small underground parking facility.
In 2017, the city issued an “unsafe structure” violation for the building, but the owners at the time shored it up. No violation of that magnitude has been issued since.
The development along North Broad Street has been advancing at a slow but steady pace since the Great Recession.
Philadelphia developer Eric Blumenfeld’s string of popular projects along the thoroughfare, including The Met and the Divine Lorraine, started the redevelopment trend.
Other developers such as Alterra Property Group have added hundreds of new apartments to the area, and the Philadelphia Ballet’s new building is opening soon. Closer to City Hall at the shuttered Hahnemann University Hospital, Dwight City Group plans 288 apartments.
We’ve all been there. The game is finished, now it’s time for you to run your own play: Escape the Linc. So what’s the fastest way out of the sports complex? Naturally we decided to settle this age-old debate with a race.
On Sunday, Oct. 5, Inquirer staffers braved the post-Eagles game crowds to test five ways to beat the rush. They began on foot at Xfinity Gate and their destination was a neutral location far enough to test postgame traffic across the city – Dalessandro’s in Roxborough, where they would be rewarded with a bracket-winning cheesesteak.
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Meet our racers and their modes of transportation:
ARIEL SIMPSON
Ariel grabbed a rideshare.
HENRY SAVAGE
Henry parked in Lot Q.
JASEN LO
Jasen hopped on his bike.
JULIE ZEGLEN
Julie parked in FDR Park.
JOHN DUCHNESKIE
John rode SEPTA.
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TIME ELAPSED
ARIEL
HENRY
JASEN
JOHN
JULIE
ARIEL
HENRY
JASEN
JOHN
JULIE
Five minutes after the conclusion of the Eagles’ 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos, fans rush out of Lincoln Financial Field and it’s time to Escape the Linc. The race is on and our competitors head their separate ways.
JASEN
Bicycle
I strategically locked my bike to a street sign just a few feet away from the starting point. I’m motivated by my stinging defeat two years ago in the Race to the Shore, when I finished last despite a two-hour head start. I’m feeling good about my chances today though.
ARIEL
Rideshare
Weaving my way through fans, I order an Uber at the corner of the rideshare lot and quickly receive a call from my Uber driver. “I’m across the street, can you just meet me here?” the driver asks.
Of course, I agree. First place is starting to feel more achievable. Skipping the rideshare lot entirely, I am in his car four minutes later. I have never been this lucky getting an Uber after a game.
JOHN
SEPTA
I scurry to NRG Station, along with some of the 15,000 to 17,000 fans who use the Broad Street Line to get home after Eagles games. I make it to the station in 10 minutes. The intercom is announcing that one of the 10 Sports Express trains is now boarding. The express train is packed. There’s a single standing-room spot by one of the train doors, and I snag it. The doors close, and a sweaty mass of disappointed Eagles fans is off.
HENRY
Car from Q Lot
I parked in Lot Q specifically due to its distance from the major traffic chaos, and if you can beat the rush, you can get out of the direct stadium traffic. But I’m taking a car on I-95, so getting out of stadium traffic is only the beginning.
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JULIE
Car from FDR Park
I’m a pretty fast walker, but it takes me 17 minutes to get back to FDR Park, where I’d paid $50 to park. Henry has probably already left Lot Q! Though I’m not-so-secretly rooting for John and public transportation to win it all, I’d like to beat the other driver, for the sake of my pride.
Also, something I hope other competitors aren’t contending with: angry drivers, like the guy behind me who appears to be screaming as he pounds on his steering wheel. But let’s be real, they probably are. That game sucked.
ARIEL
Rideshare
It’s never gone this smoothly leaving an event at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Because of the speed and location of my Uber pickup, at the end of the normal pickup area, I am able to avoid most of the Eagles traffic. We made it onto I-95 less than 15 minutes after the race started and now we’re quickly making our way north toward the Vine Street Expressway.
It’s been 20 minutes since our racers set off from Xfinity Gate and the contestants are spread across the city. Jasen is out ahead, but Ariel is close behind. John is already at City Hall and about to transfer to Regional Rail. But our drivers, Julie and Henry, are still making their way toward I-76 and I-95, respectively.
JOHN
SEPTA
Feeling good about my chances, I stroll into Jefferson Station, look up at the board for the train schedules, and see that the 5:10 p.m. Regional Rail train on the Manayunk-Norristown Line is canceled. My heart sinks. It’s all over. I’ll be the biggest loser.
The Route 32 bus could be my lifeline, but it’s scheduled to leave City Hall in two minutes. I rush outside onto Market Street, and then, to my surprise, I’m doing something I’ve tried to avoid my entire life. I’m running.
JASEN
Bicycle
I bypass the Schuylkill River Trail in favor of MLK Drive, which is closed to motorized traffic on the weekends during the warm-weather months. Instead of having to pass pedestrians and slower cyclists on the trail, I can safely speed as fast as I can in pursuit of cheesesteak victory. My plan is only made possible thanks to the timely opening of the MLK Bridge, which reopened to the public in September, after three years of refurbishment.
ARIEL
Rideshare
We hit some traffic as we get onto I-76, and I take in the scenes of the Philadelphia Art Museum as we slow to a crawl on the Schuylkill Expressway. The slowdown hardly matters though, and we are already approaching Manayunk.
JOHN
SEPTA
Why does it seem that the only time a SEPTA bus is on time is when you need it to be late?
I miss the 4:56 p.m. bus leaving City Hall, and my options are dwindling. My best bet is to stay where I am and wait for the next Route 32 bus to roll around in about a half hour. That would get me to Dalessandro’s after 6 p.m., when I presume my fellow contestants will be polishing off their cheesesteaks.
JULIE
Car from FDR Park
It takes about 15 minutes to get from Pattison Avenue to Penrose Avenue to 26th Street. From there, my co-pilot, Ben, and I make our way to I-76 fairly easily, albeit slowly. This is not fun! There’s definitely residual game traffic, even farther out. But at least we’re moving.
HENRY
Car from Q Lot
The ride – or wait – along Oregon Avenue takes nearly 20 solid minutes of standstill traffic. Drivers are constantly speeding past lines of cars only to try and nudge their way back into the lane farther down the road. It takes seven minutes just to traverse the exit from Front Street onto I-95.
JULIE
Car from FDR Park
We pass the University City exit and I briefly fantasize about ditching the competition and heading home to West Philly. The will to beat Henry wins out. I really should have eaten before embarking on this trek. I start to feel carsick.
Meanwhile, SEPTA is causing its own chaos for John. And farther north, Ariel and Jasen are leading the pack.
ARIEL
Rideshare
I arrive at Dalessandro’s in just 48 minutes. The ride cost $73.47, before tip. Despite an Eagles loss, the cheesesteak sure did taste sweet after the win.
JASEN
Bicycle
I can’t help but think that the race planners chose Dalessandro’s just because it sits on a steep hill range, the same one that cycling legends have climbed in the storied Philadelphia International Cycling Classic. I’m only less than a mile away, but climbing up Ridge Avenue is tough going given the roughly 250 feet of elevation gain.
JASEN
Bicycle
Coming down Walnut Lane, I wait to cross Henry Avenue at a stoplight — for what feels like an eternity, thanks to the ridiculous configuration of this four-lane highway. As soon as the light turns green, I zip across and catch my first glimpse of our photographer. Mistakenly thinking my legs had won the day, I hoot and holler — only to spot Ariel taking a video of me. Private equity takes the crown today. I’ll settle for second. My ride took 56 minutes.
JOHN
SEPTA
At 5:32 p.m. — and right on time, despite my low expectations — my chariot arrives.
story continues after advertisement
JULIE
Car from FDR Park
Henry and I are neck-and-neck, according to the Slack chat where we’re sharing updates, and Dalessandro’s is in view. Ben and I hit a red light at the intersection of Walnut Lane and Henry Avenue and have a quick decision to make: turn left onto Henry, or stay straight for another block. I’m seized by a sudden, urgent, competitive rush. I will roll out of this car to get third place! The light changes. Ben follows Google Maps and says it’ll be easier to find parking on Wendover Street. He’s right, but we waste precious seconds making two (!) left turns.
JULIE
Car from FDR Park
We park halfway down the block. I throw open the car door and sprint up Wendover. I round the corner and see Jasen, Ariel — and no Henry. Victory is mine! That’s bronze, baby.
HENRY
Car from Q Lot
It’s the final leg and the final boss of this race in a car — finding a parking spot near one of the top cheesesteak tourist traps. I pass the restaurant and am lucky to find a spot across the street. Little did I know that right as I passed the restaurant, Julie was making her final sprint up Wendover Street.
Henry arrives at Dalessandro’s 1 hour and 14 minutes after leaving the Linc.
While the other racers celebrate with cheesesteaks (in Henry’s case, a vegan cheesesteak he picked up from Triangle Tavern), John steadily brings up the rear on the bus.
JOHN
SEPTA
Finally. After a smooth and uneventful 36-minute ride, I hop off the bus, steps away from Dalessandro’s. My fellow contestants have been waiting for me, with a curious mix of relief and pity. I realize that if I had gone straight to the bus stop after getting off the subway, I would have come in third — behind Ariel with her expensive Uber trip and Jasen on his bicycle, but ahead of Julie and Henry with their cars.
In a shocking upset, at least in the mind of trending sports reporter ARIEL SIMPSON, the rideshare won. She was in her rideshare within 10 minutes of the start of the race. She finished in first place, making it to Dalessandro’s in just 48 minutes. All for the low price of $73.47, before tip … one way.
Riding his bike, JASEN LO was close behind, finishing in 56 minutes. If you’re able to bike to the game, you’ll avoid pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Although some hills in Philly can prove to be a serious workout.
JULIE ZEGLEN and HENRY SAVAGE both drove and paid $50 to park. Julie walked about a mile to her car and had to deal with less stop-and-go traffic than Henry. Henry was parked closer to the stadium, but spent half of his trip crawling through traffic. The difference was marginal, though. Julie’s trip took 1 hour and 12 minutes and Henry’s trip took 1 hour and 14 minutes.
John Duchneskie regales his competition with tales from his journey on SEPTA.Bastiaan Slabbers
After a strong start on the Broad Street Express, a canceled train stalled JOHN DUCHNESKIE and he had to wait 30 minutes for the next bus to take him north to Manayunk. His trip took 1 hour and 43 minutes.
After this completely scientific test, how should you Escape the Linc? You’re going to need some combination of luck, money, or physical exertion. For everyone else, there are traffic jams and the seemingly endless wait for the Route 32 bus.
Staff Contributors
Design and Development: Aileen Clarke
Reporting: Ariel Simpson, Henry Savage, Jasen Lo, John Duchneskie, Julie Zeglen
Editing: Sam Morris, Aileen Clarke, and Matt Mullin
Photography: Bastiaan Slabbers
Photo Editing: David Maialetti
Copy Editing: Jim Swan
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Forty-five years ago this week, the Phillies won their first World Series.
At the center of it all, Michael Jack Schmidt.
Schmidt went 8-for-21 with two homers and seven RBIs against the Royals and was named World Series MVP, a crowning achievement in his Hall of Fame career. But he badly needed that performance to change the narrative after several years’ worth of playoff disappointment, individually and for the team.
Here’s an excerpt from our conversation, edited for brevity and clarity. Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Phillies Extra podcaston Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Q: Kyle Schwarber has 340 home runs through age 32. What’s the key to maintaining the production on the back nine of a career?
A: You’re getting into your middle 30s, moving a little bit into your late 30s, if you can stay healthy, continue a really, really strong workout program in the offseason. Your flexibility has to be there. Your bat speed obviously has to stay up. Your eyes have to stay — you’ve got to be able to see. I had 20/10 vision when I played. And it’s important to have good eyesight as you’re going forward, like you did when you were young.
There’s a lot of nonmechanical baseball swing issues that have got to stay right because you’ve got to be quick.
Schwarber is now quick to the ball, and you have to have confidence you could hit a 95 mph fastball as you get older. That’s what kind of sent me out of the game — that fastball just started to just get by me. My reactions weren’t as strong as they were when I was young. My bat speed wasn’t what it used to be.
It’s like golf. As you get older, you wonder, ‘Why did I lose my length? How come I can only hit at 240 now? I used to be able to hit it 290-300,’ and things just change when you get older. So you’ve got to fight that off as long as you can. You’ve got to push that off into your 40s or whatever. And so, that’s a big issue.
… We’re crazy to [only] use the number 500 [homers] with Kyle Schwarber. You’re only talking about what, five more years at 30 a year to get to 500? He’s probably got, let’s say, five more years at 50 a year. Five more years at 40-45, a year. So, his No. 500, I believe, is selling a little bit short.
Q: Why do you think Bryce Harper has been such a good fit for Philly and maybe vice versa?
A: I had my doubts in the beginning, from a distance, from what I knew about [him] playing at Washington. I had my doubts about that. Plus, you add in that crazy amount of money [$330 million] the Phillies gave him to come to Philadelphia and the number of years [13], and I just had my doubts. And he has taken to Philly like a duck to water. He’s got a fantastic team around him. He’s a great family man. He plays the Philly way — down and dirty, and that’s the way he is. And he brings the crowd into his game, and the game into the crowd. He’s a little bit the opposite of me. I kind of played with those blinders on, and he’s very emotional when he plays the game. The Philly fans love that. He’s gotten a lot of big hits. He loves that big moment. The fans love to be there when Bryce comes up in a big moment. So he’s a clutch player, there’s no question about that.
And he knows the history of the game. He gives me a lot of respect. And also other players to play before him. That’s good. Players of my era like to see that in current-day players as a rule. … We don’t think that this generation of players knows as much about us as they should, because I know that when we played, we knew about the guys that came before us. We had their baseball cards when we were young, and … if somebody walked in, if Stan Musial walked into our clubhouse, we’d all rush over to meet him. We all knew who he [was]. I don’t want to get too deep into this, but I think over time, the sense of the people that came before you — and in all sports — I truly believe that is diminished from what it was 20-30 years ago. Not with Bryce. Bryce is very informed about the alumni like myself.
Pete Rose (left) was Phillies teammates with Mike Schmidt for five seasons.
Q: In May, the commissioner posthumously reinstated Pete Rose, whose name could be put before a Hall of Fame era committee for consideration for induction in December 2027. Within the Hall of Fame community, do you think there’s support to put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame?
A: I do, but I don’t know that it’s any more than 50% … There are as many detractors as supporters in Pete’s case. However [Hall of Fame chairman of the board of directors] Jane Clark forms the committee, that will determine Pete’s fate. And even if they put 16 ex-players, members of the Hall of Fame on it, I still think it would be 50/50. And if they put four or five Hall of Fame members on it, and GMs and team presidents and media people and historians, and they put all those guys on it, I still think it runs 50/50. [Note: 75% support is required for election.]
… I can’t go one way strong or the other, based upon my experiences and talking about Pete, wherever I’ve been, be it around the members of the Hall of Fame or media types, Just general conversation at a restaurant or something with people.
What a tumultuous life that man led. I don’t think he handled the whole situation very well. I’m not a proponent of him gambling on the game, which was the big issue, of course. The people’s lives that he affected through that, through his life during that period, the way he handled when he admitted on that, and the way that Mr. [former commissioner Bud] Selig was hoping that he would change his life and do some good, change his habits in life to positive things for the game of baseball and for himself and his family, which didn’t happen.
So I think he created his own fate. And now we will find out, I guess in two or three years, when this committee votes whether he will have a plaque in the Hall of Fame. And I believe that if he doesn’t, I still think there should be a big corner in the museum somewhere that shows pictures and tells the story, maybe a video of some sort, of Pete Rose happening in the history of baseball. Because I think it’s important. Whether it was a negative stain on the sport or not, that’s part of it.
Last summer, after six years in their home, Danielle and Jonah Abrams decided to upgrade their 1,000-square-foot, two-story rowhouse in East Passyunk. The neighborhood was ideal, Danielle said, but they needed to accommodate their growing family.
“We love our location and have great relationships with our neighbors. We know at least half our block by first name,” she said.
Both are heavily involved in the neighborhood, both politically and civically.
“When we were expecting our daughter, everyone asked us if we were moving to the suburbs,” Danielle said. “Instead, we doubled down on our investment in our home by renovating.”
They contracted with City Living Construction to complete the renovations. The process required staying with Danielle’s parents for three weeks, when she was seven months pregnant, while contractor Christtian Mazza, “transformed our full bath into the respite of our dreams,” Danielle said.
Danielle and Jonah Abrams’ second-floor bathroom, which they renovated before their child was born.A decorative window covering in the second-floor bathroom.Bathroom tiles, which the couple chose at a store in Fishtown.Danielle and Jonah Abrams’ primary bedroom.
“I designed the space by picking the fixtures and making multiple mood boards in PowerPoint showing the different tile, vanity, mirror, and fixture options,” Danielle said. ”We visited a tile store in Fishtown together and chose the flooring and shower tile, which took over an hour of laying different options on the floor of the showroom.”
Most of the home’s furniture was secondhand and sourced from local social media groups, Danielle said.
“The one piece we splurged on was our sofa, which is from Joybird,” she said. “We chose the ivory pet-proof fabric to brighten up the space and also to hide cat hair.”
A play area between the living room and kitchen in the Abrams’ home. The bookshelf, which also serves as a railing to the basement, was added while the couple renovated the home.The couch was one splurge item for the couple in their renovations.
The nursery is the smallest room in the house. Again, the couple’s practical sense took a role.
“We worked with furniture we already had, including the rocking chair from my childhood bedroom,” Danielle said.
They added handmade touches throughout the space, including the felt mobile in the window and the name garland on the wall.
“The only new piece of furniture in the room is the crib,” Danielle said. “We opted to get a mini crib from Babyletto that would better fit the small space.”
In Miriam’s nursery, the couple purchased a mini crib to better fit the small bedroom space.A homemade felt mobile hangs in the nursery window.Bows line a lampshade in the nursery.Children’s books and decorations in Miriam’s nursery.
In terms of color, the home showcases blue and sage green throughout. Danielle also added her own personal artwork. She is especially proud of a mural that she painted in the kitchen, a continuous line design that incorporates botanical leaf shapes and the Hebrew letters that spell out Shalom.
The stairwell was the couple’s final project, with a goal to create a space for their daughter’s books and toys.
“Choosing to stay in the city after having a baby makes our home stand out from many of our neighbors’ homes,” Danielle said. It “demonstrates how to be resourceful and creative in your home design rather than moving out to a larger property in the suburbs.”
Decorations and storage for kitchen items on the first floor of the home.
A 15-year retail veteran who has worked at many retailers in the Philadelphia area, including Burlington, Five Below, Anthropologie, and Terrain, she is a graduate of Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. She currently runs her own business, a sustainable Judaica brand called HamsaMade, while also working for a local woman-owned company that sells safety accessories to essential workers.
Jonah is a project manager in the renewable energy field. He’s equally happy to be living in the city.
“Being right by Goldstar Park, Capitolo Park, and Paolone Park is one of our favorite things about where we live,” he said. “Before we moved in together, I was living in Queen Village and Danielle was in Bella Vista so we clearly love South Philly.”
Paintings and mosaics decorating Danielle and Jonah Abrams’ backyard.
Last year’s renovation, Jonah noted, was not the couple’s first home project since they bought the house in 2018, but it was the first “that was not to solve an immediate problem.” He appreciates the surrounding community, and serves as a ward committeeperson. He can sometimes be found traveling the neighborhood by foot, “wearing our baby as I knock the doors of my neighbors, hearing about their challenges and helping them to vote.”
“We love being able to walk to so many of our favorite places and favorite people, and we want our daughter to grow up being able to do the same,” Jonah said. “And we are dedicated to making our neighborhood even better.”
Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.
The outside of Jonah and Danielle Abrams’ South Philadelphia home.
Clearing a golf ball past the 250-yard mark into the sunlit fairway of California’s Titleist Performance Institute is getting easier for a whole lot of people in the region.
All they have to do is stop by the virtual golf simulators at Cherry Hill’s PGA Tour Superstore. The Georgia-based chain is opening store No. 80 in South Jersey. It already has an outlet in the Metroplex Mall in Plymouth Meeting, and is looking to expand to Ocean Township, N.J., soon.
The company has undergone a significant growth spurt in the last six years with new brick-and-mortar locations and a 200% jump in e-commerce, a company spokesperson said.
The sprawling 40,000-square-foot superstore in Cherry Hill will open at 9 a.m. Saturday with $30,000 worth of giveaways, including a full set of iron golf clubs to the first two customers.
It will house dozens of aisles of the latest golf clubs, balls, apparel, and other gear, among six practice and play hitting bays, virtual golf simulation stations, and an expert club fitting area. Store sales manager Lexi Humbert, a golfer of 16 years, said she added 10 yards to her drive after a new club head suggestion.
Store general manager Lisa-Jo Donnelly reacts as she sinks a putt on the practice green at the PGA Superstore.
The real draw is the golf simulation bay, where customers can cycle through world-famous golf courses projected onto a screen, and drive balls nearly 100 mph into them, receiving analytics on each swing.
The putting green is lined with the most popular putters from classics like Taylor Made Spiders and Scotty Cameron Phantoms to the fresh lineup of L.A.B. brand putters. Golfers can explore clubs and then test them out in the golf simulation bays, or get hands-on fittings with the experts. Regripping and repair services are available, too.
Golf, historically associated with wealthier, white men, is a growing sport — especially “off-course golf.” It was made popular by TopGolf — a trend PGA Tour Superstore hopes to capitalize on with recurring Saturday events, inviting youth groups (like First Tee) in for lessons, and providing a social space for those looking to get some swings in outside of the green.
“The average golfer is now down to their early 40s‚” said the store’s general manager, Lisa-Jo Donnelly. The goal is to create a space that will become part of the Cherry Hill golfing community, within a region that is home to 70 courses and a local high school team that likes bringing home trophies, she said.
The store has an expansive women’s and juniors’ sections. Humbert, who said she has been to golf stores all over the country, said the selections will be refreshing for many, as stores tend to skimp on women’s and junior equipment.
“When I go to other stores, I already know that I’m not going to have nearly the selection that I need. I always get frustrated,” Humbert said. “The biggest thing for me is for those just wanting to get into golf and see a PGA shirt at other places for $150, whereas here you can go into the back of the store and find something for $20 to $30.”
Store sales manager Lexi Humbert reacts after a great drive on a virtual golf simulation at the PGA Superstore.
Saturday’s opening day is likely to lure hundreds to the store for giveaways, but they may have to contend with the dozens of people who will camp out for days to be first.
“These opening giveaways are so popular that we had, for quite a few openings, the same person in the front of the line. He was traveling around the country and getting there first,” Donnelly said.
The store will provide campers with pizza on Friday night and coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts on Saturday. The new PGA Tour Superstore CEO, Troy Rice, and Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher will also be in attendance Saturday, alongside members of the township council.
📅 Opening Oct. 25, at 9 a.m.📍2232 N.J. Route 70, Suite C, Cherry Hill Township, N.J. 08002, 🕒 Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 🌐 pgatoursuperstore.com
“Is it funny?” “Am I just old?” “What does it actually mean?”
Those are common questions you’ll come across while searching for “six-seven” (or “6-7”), a phrase that has eclipsed internet obscurity and made its way into everyday speech, filling timelines, classrooms, and group chats in a way only the chronically online could understand.
The numbers, said out loud together, are really just that. It’s not code, or sexual innuendo. In reality, it’s just a lyric lifted from a song by Kensington-based rapper Skrilla.
The 27-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Jemille Edwards, has over 130 million streams across platforms and continues to rise in popularity.
In 2023, he signed with Priority Records — a Los Angeles-based label significant within the rap scene that worked with N.W.A and Ice Cube. Last year, his album Zombie Love Kensington Paradise earned praise in the industry.
The 19-track album, which he rereleased this year as a deluxe version with eight additional songs, underlines Edwards’ “affinity for the neighborhood while displaying his vocal flexibility and off-kilter delivery,” Pitchfork said in its mostly positive review, calling him likely “on the road to rap stardom.”
Philly rapper Tierra Whack has repeatedly shouted out Skrilla’s work while North Philly’s Lil Uzi Vert has collaborated with him.
In August, Edwards was arrested by Philadelphia Police during a music video shoot where he used a toy gun filled with gel pellets to shoot at an officer. He was charged with assaulting a police officer and related offenses.
One particular single by Skrilla has raised the rapper’s internet prominence.
Where did ‘six-seven’ come from?
Skrilla raps the lyric “six-seven” in his song “Doot Doot (6 7),” a track from the deluxe version of Zombie Love Kensington Paradise about life on the streets, fast cars, money, violence, and loss.
It’s a high-energy track that nods to Skrilla’s drill-rap style. The song’s chorus includes the lines, “6-7, I just bipped right on the highway,” and “pull up, doot-doot.”
What does ‘six-seven’ mean?
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Laekin Vakalahi smiles while taking the field during the first day of Eagles Training Camp at the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 in Philadelphia.
Well, it’s ambiguous. And Skrilla has said in interviews that he kind of likes it that way.
Meme lovers and unofficial lyric decoders have theories. Many think it refers to 67th Street in Philly, where Skrilla grew up (that’s what the Washington Post went with).
Owen Carry with Know Your Meme believes the Philadelphia ties are “largely speculative.”
Others think that it’s a nod to 67th Street in Chicago, where he has family. Taylor Jones, a linguistics and African American English expert, suggested it might be a nod to police radio code, where 10-67 is used to notify of a death. A contributor on Genius, a site dedicated to annotating song lyrics, theorized it was a reference to burial plots, six feet under and seven feet apart.
“Everybody else got their own different meaning,” Skrilla told Complex recently. “But for me, it’s just ‘negative to positive.’”
The most important part here is that it doesn’t really matter.
“Six-seven” has taken on a life of its own in recent months due to the pedestal it’s been placed on across TikTok and other social media platforms.
Why is ‘six-seven’ so popular?
The meme’s origins date back to late last year when Skrilla unofficially released “Doot Doot (6 7)” via Instagram as a leftover track from Zombie Love Kensington Paradise. It quickly started making the rounds on TikTok.
Content creators were using the line from the chorus in different, playful, extremely unserious ways: edits of a 6-foot-7 basketball player, lip dub memes, and scenarios that force someone to say the two numbers together. The creators are often nonsensical and copy Skrilla’s vocal pattern, a singsong “six-seven,” usually coupled with an open-palmed hand gesture.
Experts at Know Your Meme, who have been tracking the phenomenon since its inception, say videos surrounding “six-seven” have been viewed millions upon millions of times.
“The trend started with a series of bait-and-switch LaMelo Ball (of the Charlotte Hornets) edits late last year, which would intro with a random clip that included someone saying, ‘six-seven,’ and then switch to a Ball highlight reel,” said Carry, associate editor at Know Your Meme. “Skrilla’s ‘6-7′ lyric was used to queue the transition (Ball is 6 feet, 7 inches, which is relevant to why he was chosen).”
In turn, Carry said, young boys especially have been saying the numbers on camera in hopes of becoming the next NBA TikTok edit star.
“Six is a perfect number, and seven is a prime number, but only a glutton for punishment would put them together in front of a bunch of 13-year-olds,” the Wall Street Journal wrote in a piece about how the meme is wreaking havoc across campuses.
It’s safe to say the phrase has officially made its way into the mainstream.
“South Park” continued a buzzy season with its latest episode, “Twisted Christian,” on Oct. 15.
“Six-seven” was mentioned in a recent South Park episode where the kids can’t stop using the phrase, leading to an assembly about the Antichrist and satanic numerology.
Pro wrestler Je’Von Evans wore a “67″ jersey during his walk-in entrance last week, Shaq has given the trend his blessing (though he admits he doesn’t totally get it), and Skrilla claims the song will be included in the Grand Theft Auto VI soundtrack, though that hasn’t been made official yet.
Skrilla also performed the track in Philly last month when millennial icon Natasha Bedingfield, who was performing at the Theatre of Living Arts, pulled him on stage for a guest appearance. Bedingfield told Complex she’s a fan of the rapper and would like to get on a remix of “Doot Doot (6 7).”
Skrilla will be back in town at the Fillmore on Nov. 30.
What has Skrilla said about it?
In an interview this week with the Washington Post, he suggested the song referred to 67th Street in Philly, a block where a lot of his friends lived. It’s worth noting there isn’t a 67th Street in Kensington.
“We just rode by a truck that had ‘6-7’ written on it in dust, in Arizona, all the way out here,” the rapper said, speaking from a gas station on the way to Los Angeles.
The Inquirer couldn’t reach Skrilla for additional comment.
Will ‘six-seven’ still be cool by the time I start saying it?
Probably not.
With its place solidified in the mainstream — being analyzed by linguistic experts, printed on merch, and reported on by multiple newspapers (including this one), it’s safe to say the trend is likely on its way out the door.
But at least, for a fleeting moment, you can say you know what it means — which is nothing.
Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering gets replaced by manager Rob Thomson in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, August 31, 2025 in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Phillies are primed for big changes. Who needs to come back, and who needs to go? Swipe and decide
For the second straight year, the Phillies won the National League East. And for the second straight year, the season came to an unceremonious end in the National League Division Series.
Dave Dombrowski tried to improve the roster at the margins last winter, signing pitchers Joe Ross and Jordan Romano and outfielder Max Kepler to one-year deals and trading for Jesús Luzardo. Neither Ross nor Romano threw a pitch for the Phillies after August.
The Phillies have around $170 million committed to eight players for 2026, plus nine arbitration-eligible players. But with several key members of the Phillies core set to hit free agency this year, they are primed for bigger changes. Will they go bigger and bolder this year?
“You’re always looking to get better, so we will be open-minded to that,” Dombrowski said at his year-end press conference on Thursday. “I think it's a little bit different in that there's some built-in situations for us that are going to have to be addressed. So where you go as a club is very much dictated on some of those moves that end up happening.”
As the Phillies consider their next move, you can have your say. Make your pick for each player by swiping the cards below — right for Stay or left for Go. Yes, just like Tinder. Finding it hard to decide? We'll also show you how other Inquirer readers have voted so far and what we think the team will do.
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Pitchers
For the first time under manager Rob Thomson, the Phillies have a bona-fide closer to go with a top-end starting rotation. But some changes will be coming, with Ranger Suárez heading to free agency and the enduring Andrew Painter question. The Phillies also have to address their middle relief corps. Navigating the bridge from their starters to Jhoan Duran was a weakness during the playoffs.
#45
Zack
Wheeler
All-Star
Crowd says
Contract
Signed thru '27
Age
35
Inky Says Stay
March: Wheeler is expected back from thoracic outlet surgery in the first half of ’26. He had a 2.71 ERA before his diagnosis and was building another Cy Young-caliber year.
#55
Ranger
Suárez
Crowd says
Contract
Free agent
Age
30
Inky Says Go
March: Suárez is primed for a big payday, but with a crowded rotation and Andrew Painter on the way, it’s unlikely the Phillies will outbid other teams to keep him.
#27
Aaron
Nola
Crowd says
Contract
Signed thru '30
Age
32
Inky Says Stay
March: Hampered by injuries, Nola had a career-worst 6.01 ERA. But some better starts late in the year showed flashes of the old Nola, signaling a bounce back next season.
#50
Orion
Kerkering
Crowd says
Contract
Pre-arbitration
Age
24
Inky Says Stay
March: If Kerkering regains confidence after that brutal finish, he’s worth keeping. Despite inconsistent execution, his 33.5% hard-hit rate at age 24 signals back-end potential.
#61
Cristopher
Sánchez
Crowd says
Contract
Signed thru '28
Age
28
Inky Says Stay
March: Sánchez stepped into the role of the Phillies’ ace in the absence of Zack Wheeler. He had a 2.50 ERA over 202 innings (22 quality starts) and his 8.0 bWAR led all pitchers.
#46
Jose
Alvarado
Crowd says
Contract
Club option
Age
30
Inky Says Stay
March: If the Phillies are betting on first-half Alvarado — who had a 2.70 ERA and a 99 mph fastball before his PED suspension — it’s worth exercising their club option.
#58
Tanner
Banks
Crowd says
Contract
Arbitration elig.
Age
33
Inky Says Stay
March: Banks has developed into a reliable option against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .175 batting average this season.
#31
Walker
Buehler
Crowd says
Contract
Free agent
Age
31
Inky Says Go
March: Buehler had a 0.66 ERA in a tiny sample size (13⅔ innings) with the Phillies, but had major struggles with command all year. It would be risky to commit a rotation spot.
#59
Jhoan
Duran
Crowd says
Contract
Arbitration elig.
Age
27
Inky Says Stay
March: As the Phillies’ closer, Duran is the anchor of the bullpen. His 32 saves in 2025 were a career high.
#44
Jesús
Luzardo
Crowd says
Contract
Signed thru '26
Age
28
Inky Says Stay
March: Luzardo had some rough patches, but overall put together a strong season. His 183⅔ innings were a career high, and he finished second in the NL in strikeouts (216).
#54
Tim
Mayza
Crowd says
Contract
Free agent
Age
33
Inky Says Stay
March: Mayza pitched only 16⅔ innings in an injury-plagued season, but left-handed relievers with a 53.8% ground-ball rate can be hard to come by. He could be worth another shot.
#30
David
Robertson
Crowd says
Contract
Free agent
Age
40
Inky Says Go
March: Robertson had a 28.2% strikeout rate in 20 games. He has undeniable experience, but will be entering his age-41 season and the Phillies may prefer to build for the future.
#68
Jordan
Romano
Crowd says
Contract
Free agent
Age
32
Inky Says Go
March: Romano was a reclamation project that didn't pan out, and he ended the season on the injured list after struggling to an 8.23 ERA. A change of scenery will be best for all.
#25
Matt
Strahm
Crowd says
Contract
Signed thru '26
Age
33
Inky Says Stay
March: One of the leaders in the bullpen, Strahm can get lefties and righties out and is a solid setup man for Jhoan Duran. Strahm held opponents to a 4.3% barrel rate in 2025.
#57
Lou
Trivino
Crowd says
Contract
Free agent
Age
34
Inky Says Go
March: Trivino had a 1.343 WHIP across three teams. Though his numbers improved with the Phillies late in the year, they may prefer a more consistent middle relief option.
#99
Taijuan
Walker
Crowd says
Contract
Signed thru '26
Age
33
Inky Says Stay
March: Walker improved from his 2024 season as he bounced between the rotation and bullpen. There were still inconsistencies, but his fastball velocity increased to 92.1 mph.
It isn’t usually the best idea to offer a multiyear contract to a catcher who is entering his age-35 season and coming off his worst offensive season in 10 years. But here’s the question: If not J.T. Realmuto, then who? The pitchers swear by Realmuto, and the Phillies are built on pitching. Maybe it isn’t such a difficult decision after all.
#10
J.T.
Realmuto
Crowd says
Contract
Free agent
Age
34
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: Signing a 35-year-old catcher to a multiyear contract usually isn't wise. But what's the alternative? As Cristopher Sánchez said, “We’re basically nothing without him."
#13
Rafael
Marchán
Crowd says
Contract
Arbitration elig.
Age
26
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: How do you evaluate a catcher who plays once a week? Say this: There's upside for a larger workload, although he remains the backup to J.T. Realmuto or a replacement.
#21
Garrett
Stubbs
Crowd says
Contract
Arbitration elig.
Age
32
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: After stepping back to triple A, he's out of minor league options. But if there's a way to keep him and Rafael Marchàn in the organization, catching depth is important.
The infield, to quote Dombrowski, is “pretty well solidified.” The Phillies prefer to keep Bryce Harper at first base, and Trea Turner quieted talk of a position change by making drastic improvements in his defense at shortstop. Bryson Stott will likely reprise his role at second base, with Edmundo Sosa providing an option against left-handed pitching. Get ready, then, for another round of Alec Bohm trade rumors. Third base is the one spot where change could be coming.
#7
Trea
Turner
Crowd says
Contract
Signed thru '33
Age
32
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: Behold the NL batting champ. Also, one of four Phillies players to bat .300 with at least 175 hits, 15 homers, and 30 steals in a season. He's squarely in his prime.
#3
Bryce
Harper
Crowd says
Contract
Signed thru '31
Age
33
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: Something seemed … off? … all season. Maybe it was his achy right wrist. He still finished 11th in OPS among NL hitters. Everything continues to revolve around No. 3.
#28
Alec
Bohm
Crowd says
Contract
Arbitration elig.
Age
29
Inky Says Go
Lauber: Get ready for another winter as a walking trade rumor. But after an injury-filled, league-average season with Bohm entering his walk year, the Phillies will be selling low.
#4
Otto
Kemp
Crowd says
Contract
Pre-arbitration
Age
26
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: An undrafted Division II college player reaching the majors was one of the year's best Phillies stories. He'll have a chance to stick around as a right-handed bench bat.
#33
Edmundo
Sosa
Crowd says
Contract
Arbitration elig.
Age
29
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: A versatile fill-in all over the infield, he's also the lefty-mashing half of a potential second-base platoon with Bryson Stott. Either way, he brings energy and value.
#5
Bryson
Stott
Crowd says
Contract
Arbitration elig.
Age
28
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: He batted .310 with an .880 OPS after Aug. 1 by lowering his hands and moving closer to the plate, à la Kyle Schwarber. Maybe it unlocked peak Stott. At last.
It’s possible the Phillies could have an entirely new outfield. Nick Castellanos isn’t expected back. Harrison Bader and Kepler are free agents, with only Bader on the Phillies’ radar. Justin Crawford is on the way, but will he play center field or left? The answer could impact Brandon Marsh’s future. It’s the most unsettled area on the field … again. Oh, and there’s a $125-ish million question at DH, with free agent Kyle Schwarber.
#12
Kyle
Schwarber
All-Star
Crowd says
Contract
Free agent
Age
32
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: As long as the Phillies are spending $125 million or so, what about a solid outfield defender with a low strikeout rate? Cody Bellinger, anyone? Probably not over Schwarber.
#8
Nick
Castellanos
Crowd says
Contract
Signed thru '26
Age
33
Inky Says Go
Lauber: In a hitting-depressed era, someone (Royals? Reds? Giants?) may take a one-year flier. How much of his $20 million salary must the Phillies eat? Regardless, he's gone.
#16
Brandon
Marsh
Crowd says
Contract
Arbitration elig.
Age
27
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: Subtract April, and he was seventh among NL outfielders in OPS (.836). How's that for a trade pitch? Problem is, he's one of the Phillies' few outfield assets.
#2
Harrison
Bader
Crowd says
Contract
Mutual option
Age
31
Inky Says Go
Lauber: If the Phillies are honest, he surpassed expectations after a deadline trade. Assuming he declines his $10 million option, bid him farewell and usher in Justin Crawford.
#17
Max
Kepler
Crowd says
Contract
Free agent
Age
32
Inky Says Go
Lauber: A .791 OPS in August and September kept him from being a total bust. Overall, he underperformed a $10 million, one-year contract. He isn't the answer in left field.
#23
Johan
Rojas
Crowd says
Contract
Pre-arbitration
Age
25
Inky Says Go
Lauber: You could do worse for late-inning defense and speed off the bench. But after Rojas was sent back to the minors in July, a change of scenery is probably best for everyone.
#37
Weston
Wilson
Crowd says
Contract
Pre-arbitration
Age
31
Inky Says Stay
Lauber: He's out of minor league options, which could be a factor in a potential spring-training competition with Otto Kemp for a spot as a right-handed hitter off the bench.
All Outfielders rated!
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Staff Contributors
Development: Sam Morris and Jasen Lo
Design: Sam Morris, Jasen Lo, and Luke Reasoner
Reporting: Scott Lauber and Lochlahn March
Editing: John Roberts and Jim Swan
Photo Editing: Danese Kenon
Photography: Staff Photographers, additional photography provided by Associated Press
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