Philadelphia did-it

[Chris Newton]

13 hours ago, Gene Kelly said:

Chris: Just had dinner in Ambler, at a nice Italian restaurant called "From the Boot"

The trick to fine dining in Ambler is to find a place as far away from the Asbestos mountains that are essentially across the street from McD's and next to the Wissahickon creek.

https://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/gary/ambler-pa-asbestos-capital-of-the-world.htm

[Chris Newton]

If you want to rub elbows and dine with those Philadelphia-did-it folks I think the best place to do that would be The Valley Green Inn.

http://www.valleygreeninn.com/

[Ron Ecker]

I was once a baseball fan but haven't followed it for many years. What became of the Philadelphia Phillies? (The only player I remember was Richie Ashburn.)

 

 

[Gene Kelly]

Ron:

The Phillies are alive and well, although not playoff contenders recently.   Ritchie Ashburn is a fan favorite, and broadcast their games for many years after he stopped playing (he passed away a few years ago).  Today they play in a well-laid out Citizens Bank park (a far cry from the old Connie Mack Stadium).  They had a great team five years ago, but have lost much of that talent to free agency and age.    

Michael/Chris:

As far as additional Philadelphia connections, add the name Igor Vaganov to the list. Several articles have been written about Vaganov, and he was researched by no less than Josiah Thompson, Vincent Salandria, Gaeton Fonzi and Bill Kelly … all of whom have Philly roots and became interested in Vaganov because he came from Philadelphia.  Igor Vladimirs Vaganov was a Latvian émigré who lived in Germany during WWII and came to America at the age of nine, was a credit manager for General Electric in suburban Philadelphia (Upper Darby and Broomall) for two years.  He served in the Navy, spoke four languages, and also had been in jail in California. Vaganov is reported to have used several  aliases including John Nicholson, Kurt Kullaway, Vince Carson and Igor Baganov. He allegedly owned a high-powered rifle and liked to hunt.

On November 5^th (after unsuccessfully requesting to be transferred by GE to Dallas), Vaganov suddenly left his job, and showed up in Dallas with a rifle in his red Ford Thunderbird. By November 12^th, he was living on Sunset Manor, Oak Cliff with a girlfriend. He knew “Mike” (a short stocky man “from the CIA”) and worked for a plumbing supply company and (for a day and a half) at Texas Consumer Finance Corp., which had offices next to the Carousel Club.

Vaganov was allegedly an expert shot and master of the 'double-tap … an aspect of Tippet’s shooting which was observed by witness Benavides. Oswald’s alleged jacket dropped at the Tippit murder scene had a laundry ticket that could not be traced, but the jacket was said to have been traced to the Philadelphia Strawbridge & Clothier department store, and somehow affiliated with Vaganov.  Igor allegedly had a role in the Tippit murder… he used the fact that he was having his tires changed as part of an alibi associated with a red convertible seen parked near the murder scene.  Interestingly, the infamous Oswald jacket (linking him to Tippit’s murder) was discovered in the parking lot of Ballew's Texaco, directly behind the Abundant Life Temple where it was believed that the murder suspect hid out in the basement, on the corner of Jefferson and Crawford. Six months after the assassination the FBI found a bundle of his clothes in a Dallas telephone booth. It's interesting that Vaganov's alibi at the time of the Tippit shooting was that he was changing tires on his Ford Thunderbird (similar to jams earl Ray alibi in the King assassination).

Vaganov’s red Thunderbird convertible apparently became a problem… likely the reason that Vaganov headed back to Philadelphia before sunrise on the 23rd. Vaganov possibly was a driver for the other Oswald (Harvey or 'Mike from the CIA’) and was observed at the El Chico restaurant up to the time witnesses observed Harvey being driven away. It seemed as though Vaganov wanted to be highlighted as a suspect, so that he would be immediately investigated by the FBI and then cleared ... which is what occurred on the afternoon of the 22nd. On the Sunday after the assassination, he was back in Philadelphia where he remained briefly, before ditching the red Thunderbird in a friend's garage, picking-up a Sting Ray, and driving back to Texas.  By early December his girlfriend (and alibi/cover) had taken the train back to Philadelphia and left him.

Hard to  make this stuff up ...

Gene

 

[Gene Kelly]

http://www.visitphilly.com/restaurants-dining/philadelphia/valley-green-inn/ 

Chris:

I recently attended a wedding at the Valley Green Inn, on the bike path and trail along the Wissahickon Creek, near trendy Chestnut Hill.  The most famous dish at the Valley Green Inn is one that has made the Inn’s brunch a rite of passage for locals ... the famous brie-stuffed French toast which inspired the Food Network to call brunch at the Valley Green Inn as one of the best in the country. The Valley Green Inn is built on land that was part of a several hundred-acre tract purchased from William Penn in 1685. It had absentee owners in England and Ireland until 1791 when it was bought by a family who ran a large grist mill downstream. In 1868, the newly created Fairmount Park Commission appropriated the creek and its banks. The Livezey family sold the hotel to the Park in 1873.  In 1901, a committee of women was given permission by the Park to manage the newly restored Valley Green Hotel, serving served light refreshments and afternoon tea to riders, pedestrians and wintertime skaters. At this time, the restaurant became officially known as the Valley Green Inn. The Inn remains under the joint care of the friends of the Wissahickon and the Park Commission ever since, yet remains a privately-run business.

Gene

 

[Chris Newton]

10 hours ago, Gene Kelly said:

...serving served light refreshments and afternoon tea to riders, pedestrians and wintertime skaters.

My Philadelphia Family (Morris - my middle name) have served for many generations in the First City Troop, Philadelphia Cavalry and their horses were always at the stables just west of Chestnut Hill. When I was a kid, I was thrilled to go riding with the Troop in the park and they always stopped there for "lunch" on the way. I can remember getting some Fish House punch there that knocked 10 year old me on my @$$. I never actually served with the Troop but I wanted to because their uniforms "got the girls" even moreso than the Marines' dress uniforms.

[Gene Kelly]

Very cool ... I lived in Lafayette Hill when first married, and used to ride my bike on the Valley Green trail.

[Chris Newton]

Back to the Philadelphia-did-it scenario. I think there are some "family" traditions that east coast elites used to follow. My Philadelphia ancestors, generally all attended Yale and served in the Navy. My Boston area ancestors (Newtons) mostly attended Harvard  and served in the Army. JFK was a Bostonian and a Harvard man, is it probable that there was some regional bias based on what "tribe" of east coast elite that one belonged to?

[Michael Clark]

Bill Kelly does a good job, here, with the Philly connections.

 

http://jfkcountercoup.blogspot.com/2008/10/philadelphia-pennsylvania.html

[Michael Clark]

A very interesting thread focusing in Philadelphia connections, including Ruth Paine and James McCord Jr..