South Fellini Presents Legends of Philadelphia

Latest Episodes:

The Forbidden Origin of Water Ice Jul 20, 2020

Show notes

It is getting hot out there So we thought it might be fun to talk about the city’s signature fruity, frozen snack; water ice (or Italian Ice). It's an icy treat made from water, sugar and some sort of flavoring — usually fruit. It is firmer than a slushy, softer than sorbet and lighter than a snow cone. So today we’re going to try to explain what it is. And why is it so popular. Where it came from. And who makes it the best.

History of South Street - 1950-2020 Jul 13, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to our two parter on South Street. By the 1950s, South Street was mainly a garment district, with stores for men's suits and other clothing, while the more western areas around South Street served as a cultural and commercial center for South Philadelphia's African American community. Real estate values plummeted after city planner Edmund Bacon and others proposed the Crosstown Expressway connecting the Schuylkill Expressway and I-95 that would have required the complete demolition of South Street and Bainbridge Street. The fight to stop construction went on for decades. Fear of the highway and mounting racial tensions caused an exodus of businesses and families from the area. This sent property value plummeting and the suddenly cheap real estate attracted artists and counterculture-types.

History of South Street: 1700-1950 Jul 06, 2020

Show notes

Today we’re going to do the history of South Street, the bohemian, punk, alternative stretch of bars and shops that divides South Philly from the rest of civilization in Center City. But that wasn’t always the case, originally known as Cedar Street, it was the southernmost point of Philadelphia. It was the final frontier before settlers would find themselves treading through increasingly swampy wilderness. So today, in the first of a two parter, we’re going to take a look at the origins of South Street.

Mystery of The Jersey Devil Jun 29, 2020

Show notes

This week, with people starting to head to the jersey shore for summer vacation, we thought it might be interesting to take a look at the Jersey Devil (also known as the Leeds Devil). For almost 250 years Jerseyans have told tales of this mythical beast that stalks the Pine Barrens and terrorizes local residents. There has been an evolving folklore that surrounds the Jersey Devil and even if the monster isn’t real it’s inspired some real life hysteria. So today we’re going to take a closer look at the Jersey Devil and its Philadelphia Origins.

Extreme Championship Wrestling: Fans Bring Weapons Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

ECW was a Philadelphia born wrestling league unlike any other that came before it. Extreme Championship Wrestling was rough and tough, they were local guys who invented the gory, modern wrestling that WWE utilize now. Listen in as we talk about Sandman, Terry Funk, Blue Meanie, and more; legends of South Philly's most famous squared circle on Ritner and Swanson. This very special episode of Legends of Philadelphia is hosted by our engineer Bryan Bierman (he's an expert on wrestling). Settle in for a sweaty, violent, history of Philly's most profound professional wresting league.

Hoagie Mouth: How To Speak Philadelphian Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

After weeks of listening to our hoagie mouth accents we thought it might be fun to talk about why we sound “dis way”. The Philly Accent (also known as Philadelphia English) is very unique, diverging from similar east coast cities in our vowel and consonant pronunciation. We’ve also got our own special words and portmanteaus that can be hard to decipher. So, today we’re going to have a little vocabulary lesson and learn how to speak with a hoagie mouth.

Legends of Philadelphia: Errors & Omissions Jun 01, 2020

Show notes

We thought we’d do something a little different this week. The podcast has been going for ten episodes now. Which is pretty consistent for a new side project. At the risk of patting ourselves on the back too hard; we thought today we could take a look back at our own history. One of the great things about doing this podcast is that it’s been a great conversation starter with our friends on the social medias. People let us know when we got things wrong and shared great new information we didn’t know at the time of recording. Today we’re going to go through some of the questions, comments, and suggestions we’ve received in the last ten weeks. And if we have time we’re going to talk about our ideas for the next ten episodes.

The 1926 World's Fair: Down The Lakes May 25, 2020

Show notes

Last week we talked about Philadelphia’s 1876 World’s Fair which doubled as a centennial celebration for the signing of the Declaration of Independence. There’s no easy way to put it but the 1926 sequel was not well thought of. A victim of bad luck, bad weather, and bad planning; the Sesquicentennial was destined to fail. Today we’re going to take a deep dive into the biggest party in South Philly history.

The 1876 World's Fair May 18, 2020

Show notes

Well, last week we touched briefly on the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. And that got some people asking if there had ever been a World’s Fair in Philadelphia. The answer is yes; actually there were two international exhibitions hosted in Philadelphia; the Centennial in 1876 and the Sesqui-Centennial in 1926. They were celebrated in Fairmount and South Philly respectively. World leaders, inventors, celebrities, and the common folk mingled there to take a glimpse at the future. And we’re going to take a look back at them.

Edgar Alan Poe At Moyamensing Prison May 11, 2020

Show notes

Luckily it only feels like we’re trapped in South Philly but it wasn’t that long ago you could be locked up for life in South Philly’s Moyamensing Prison. Located at Passyunk Avenue and Reed Street, where the Acme Supermarket sits today; the prison was built in 1835 and operated until 1963 and wasn’t demolished until 1968. Over the years there were hundreds of executions at Moyamensing prison and thousands of criminals passed through its gates. So today we’re going to talk about the most famous jailbirds at Moyamensing Prison.