The 2013 SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade “Order of Enjoyment”

The most wonderful time of the year continues with the 2013 SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade.  Some 10,000 Mummers will strut. They will be spread across 5 major divisions and about 40 “mother” clubs.  Below is the Order of March, or as I say, the Order of Enjoyment.

Comic Division

1. 
2. Landi  Captain Lorraine Cross    Lorraine is doing “Does Anyone Have Some Mustard?”

2. Murray* Captain Dennis Pellegrino   Dennis is doing “Land of the Free, Because of the Brave”

3. Goodtimers Captain Angelo Molinaro   Angelo is doing “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mummer”

Wench Brigade Division

1. Bryson “Fight Like A Girl”  Captain Eddie “Gootch” Bryson
2. Riverfront “Mummers Can-Can for 25 More” Captain Tom Kelhower
3. Pirates “Pirate Wrecking Crew 2013” Captain George Stewart
4. Oregon “Struttin on the Moon” Captain Jim Paley
5. O’Malley* “Jammin’ Up Broad” Captain Ed Smith
6. Saints “American Made Wenches” Captain Mike McQuilkin
7. Cara Liom “The Night of the Strutting Dead” Captain Bill Conway
8. Froggy Carr “Fifty Shades of Green” Captain Joe Renzi

Fancy Division

1.Hog Island*  Captain Kenny Medeiros**

Kenny is doing “Flying Down to Rio.”

2.Golden Sunrise Captain Matt Glovacz

             Matt is doing “Hobo Express.”

String Band Division

1. Greater Overbrook “Headin’ For The Hills” Captain Bill Razzano
2. Durning “What’s Hop-pening” Captain Joseph Pomante
3. Trilby “Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Mum” Captain Joseph Kaminski
4. Peter A. Broomall “Just What The Doctor Ordered” Captain Peter J.  Broomall, Sr.
5. South Philadelphia “Barnyard Moosical” Captain Denny Palandro
6. Hegeman “Just Imagine…” Captain John Baron
7. Woodland* “A Knight You Won’t Forget” Captain Tom Robison
8. Aqua “Bummin’ & Mummin’ on Broadway” Captain Ron Iannacone
9. Uptown “Keystone Kops and Kapers” Captain Ryan Radcliffe
10. Polish American “A RIO Good Time” Captain Nick Magenta
11. Avalon “Big Top on Broad” Captain Jack Hee
12. Ferko  “Ferko’s Bringin’ Back Those Minstrel Days” Captain Anthony Celenza
13. Greater Kensington “G.K. Rides Again” Captain Mike Kavchok
14. Quaker City “Pow Wow” Captain Charlie Roetz
15. Pennsport “Mummies in DeNile” Captain Charlie Nicholas
16. Duffy “Duffy Takes The Cake” Captain Ted Kudrick
17. Fralinger “Back From The Dead” Captain Thomas D’Amore

 Fancy Brigade Finale (inside PA Convention Center)

1. Golden Crown  “Apocalypse: Activate Thunderdome” Captain Rob Runowski
2. Bill McIntyre’s Shooting Stars “Super Heroes! Super Villains! Super Thrills!” Capt. Michael Adams
3. Jokers  “Midnight Masquerade” Captain John Lynch Jr.
4. Satin Slipper “Cyborgs” – Rise of the Machine Captain Tom “Terk” Gindville
5. Downtowners  “The Planets….Gods of the Sun” Captain Frank DeVito
6. Saturnalian  “The Mayan Prophecy: Mystery of the Crystal Skulls” Captain Jack Hatty
7. South Philly Vikings*  “R U Game” Captain Gerald Roccia
8. 2^nd Street Shooters “Vikings: Legend of the Dragon Claws” Captain Dave Brutnitsky
9. Clevemore “Alien Rising…Battle for the power of the Frozen Planet” Captain Ralph Tursi
10. Avenuers “Gathering of Nations: Spirit of the Eagle” Captain Bob Fitzmaurice

*Signifies 2012 division champion

**City of Phila had reported different order

Soup Day Success

The annual Soup Day, or Hat Day, or Kazoo Day, among other names, has been highly successful along Two Street.  Members of Mummers Clubs rehearsed in the morning or worked in the clubs or warehouses. Some attended Mass at St. Peter’s. Then, in the afternoon, as the hours progressed a very family-oriented event occurred inside the Mummers Museum: the first annual Soup Day Soup Contest.

Congratulations to Donna Howlett, of the JHJ Saints who took first prize with her soup, a sausage and spinach delight.  Froggy Carr finished a close second with a cream crab corn chowder. Satin Slipper was a close third with its navy bean soup.  Here are the Howlett’s. They now own the inaugural Golden Ladle Trophy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pennsport String Band was among the early serenaders moving down 2nd Street and Third St. in South Philadelphia as

the daylight began to fade.

Wench Brigades and Fancy Brigades and other String Bands added to the festive atmosphere.

Members of Froggy Carr reminisced and anticipated parade day.  I enjoyed meeting Katie and Patrick Molony , who’s father, Tom,  left us this year.  The Frogs dedicate the upcoming parade to Tom Molony.

I was invited inside Avalon String Band’s clubhouse for their annual family Christmas Party. It was packed. What a wonderful collection of families.  I also presided over the induction of ten gentlemen into the Avalon String Band Hall of Fame.  Congratulations to the following men and their families: Matt Bochanski, the late Tom Cavanaugh, Marv Goodwin, Jim Kimrey, Frank McGugan, Kevin O’Brien, Bill Rinnier, Lex Rogers, Joe Urzillo, Sr., and Mike Vitanza.

Up and down Mummers Row there were good times and a hint of the fun day ahead on New Year’s Day. Dot Thompson, Franny Callan and Delores Macklin enjoyed the day.  Dot and Delores were soup judges, too.

The Parade is a Go!

The 2013 SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade is officially on track!  Mayor Michael Nutter, Congressman Bob Brady, Deputy Mayor Michael DiBerardinis, Mummers Division representatives and others today announced the joyful event at a news conference outside the Philadelphia Visitors Center at LOVE Park.  The 113th annual parade* is, of course, scheduled for New Year’s Day with the Comics leading off as usual from Broad and Washington.  Mayor Nutter praised the uniqueness of the parade and how no one will ever get anything like it anywhere in the world.

Congressman Brady talked about the importance of these Philadelphia traditions continuing.  The Philadelphia Traditions Fund also presented the mayor with a check for $100,000 to defray costs of the parade.  Each year, the Fund helps support about 10 major parades and festivals in the city and a few smaller ones.   Also on hand today were several children who had won the Mummers drawing competition.  The city has made some adjustments to the bleachers this year. There will be more bleachers, especially at the main “A” Stand judging area at 16th and JFK.  More bathrooms and food vendors, too.  But, the most comfortable place to witness the parade will be in your family room, watching on PHL17.   PHL17.com will also stream the parade for Mummers fans, especially those in the Armed Forces.   PHL17 reports viewers watched the e2012 parade online in all 50 states and 85 nations.

*This is the 113th official parade, though really 2 parades in the first half of the 20th Century did not take place.  But, for simplicity and because some Mummers still strutted in their neighborhoods in those 2 years, folks still count from 1901.

Fralinger Fire Fund To Aid Victims

Fralinger String Band is announcing that all the money donated to the Fralinger Fire Fund will be donated to the families adversely affected by the fire.

The string band had feared that the December 10th fire had destroyed all of its props.  But leaders of the historic band say they have made a final determination that the water and smoke damaged props are repairable.  The Fund was established before that was known, and although there is some cost of repair, the band will not touch any of the donated money for itself.

All proceeds donated to the Fralinger Fire Fund received from December 12, 2012 through January 1, 2013, will be given to the fire victims.  Fralinger encourages continued donations to the Fralinger Fire Fund in order to assist these families.

Fralinger expresses its gratitude to the Fire and Police Departments, L & I, other Mummers and non Mummer residents who have been involved in saving as much of the warehouse as they could and assisting Fralinger in the recovery.

Fralinger & the Fire

The members of Fralinger String Band are amazed and grateful that the warehouse fire which threatened an entire block somehow did not destroy most of the props that figure to be a significant part of their production in the 2013 SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade.  Several members expressed to me their gratitude for the Philadelphia Fire Department.  This photo shows the Fralinger members who quickly moved the props out of the warehouse the next day, as soon as fire officials said they had a safe few minutes to do so.

The fire started in an auto repair shop adjacent to the area in which Fralinger’s props were housed. Fralinger rented a part of the warehouse for storage and has no relation to the auto business.  The collapsed portion is obvious in the photo.  Next to that is the section of the warehouse where the props were stored.  Lots of water went on it.  But, a firefighter explained to me that Fralinger benefited from a great firewall that held and also that where the props were stored was a section that was like a box within a box.

Fralinger had initially feared that its own props were destroyed and opened the Fralinger Fire Fund.  It did lose tools, but now with word that 95% of the props are salvageable, mostly water damage that can be repaired, Fralinger says it intends to distribute most of any money raised to the families adversely affected by the fire or by the water damage in fighting it.

 

Fralinger, of course, won 8 First prizes in a row until a couple of years ago. This year they are going up 17th, last in the String Band Division, and that historically is a strong place to be.  The band’s theme this year is a “haunted” theme.  Fralinger is determined to succeed and although the fire has put them a couple of days behind schedule, they also pledge to intensify their efforts, for the families affected, for the Mummers community that has offered assistance, such as places to temporarily store props, and because, well, it’s Fralinger.  You might be able to take away their props, but you can never take away their professionalism.

 

Why There are Mummers

3 Maminskis, father and 2 sons, are about to strut up Broad! Congratulations to Kenny Maminski, who’s been at it for nearly 4 decades. This pillar of Aqua String Band will be strutting among family on New Year’s Day. Son, 14-year-old Eddie, plays sax and has been parading since he was 7. This parade, 10-year-old Andrew will take his sax up the street for the first time. Kenny’s wife, Marie, is helping with the band’s choreography. Daughter Samantha lends her support. Perhaps the greatest gift of Mummery is the opportunity it provides to be a touchstone for families. The Mummers parade, a Maminski family affair on New Year’s Day.