Frank Palumbo

Frank Palumbo
BornMay 23, 1911
DiedFebruary 12, 1983(1983-02-12) (aged 71)
Merion Station, Pennsylvania, U.S.
SpouseKippee Valez

Frank Palumbo (May 23, 1911 – February 12, 1983) was an American power broker, political boss, entrepreneur, and racketeer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He is best known as the owner of Palumbo's, an entertainment complex in South Philadelphia, Nostalgia's Restaurant and the Click Club.[1] In the city, he is still widely known for his philanthropy: donating animals to the Philadelphia Zoo, helping build youth programs and funding parades. He has been called "a supporter of politicians, ordinary folk and animals."[citation needed]

Palumbo expanded a boarding house his grandfather, Antonio Palumbo, had started in 1884 into an entertainment complex.[2] Palumbo held significant unofficial political power throughout the city.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Philadelphia was an important pop music center, with many bands and singers being made or broken in the city at Palumbo's clubs.[3]

Palumbo became well known for philanthropy throughout South Philadelphia. Disturbed by an article critical of the area, singer Mario Lanza penned a response which identified Palumbo as an unsung hero of the city. Lanza lauded Palumbo for taking thousands of orphans to the circus, arranging parades for visiting celebrities and buying animals for the zoo.[4]

  1. ^ "Rockabilly Hall of Fame – DANNY CEDRONE". Archived from the original on 14 June 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  2. ^ The Neglected Market Archived 2006-09-18 at the Wayback Machine – article at Penn's Department of Folklore and Folklife's Research Annex
  3. ^ Clooney, Nick (1998-07-15). "Nightclub debut didn't suit Funsy". The Cincinnati Post. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on 2004-11-27. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  4. ^ Mario Lanza, Modern Screen, September 1950.