Lucky Day updates?

**Positronisomer** · 10-25-2012, 07:48 PM

I mistakenly witnessed a drug deal to a Penn student in the foyer of Lucky Day while drinking coffee across the street at ultimo, dealer started hysterically screaming obscenities at me and my 2 year old. Any new updates on plans to do away with this blight to the community that is across the street from a park filled with toddlers? I'm seriously considering fleeing to the suburbs. Ridiculous for little kids to be around this nonsense.

**torts** · 10-26-2012, 07:07 AM

It's time to blow that store to the ground. I'm prepared to deal with any collateral damage.

**topogigio** · 10-26-2012, 10:57 AM

There recently has been an increase in drug dealing in the area and the local dealers that you saw outside of Lucky Day were Stephon Allen and Ryemel Edwards.

Stephon Allen, AKA Stein, was arrested for dealing last month and was locked up at the HOC for three weeks before posting bail. He lives at 2202 Fitzwater, an HCV property and a stash house for the drugs that they're selling.

http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketS...R-0011760-2012

Ryemel Edwards, AKA Meek, is a career criminal who has threatened many in the area over the years and I believe that he is the one who harassed you yesterday. He often appears high and is extremely volatile. Last known addresses include the 1800 block of s 19th and the 1600 block of Montrose.

The two have "worked" together for years and use 22nd St as their own private open air drug market often sitting in front of the Check Cashing Store or just across the street at 761 S 22nd.

Yesterday, Allen was wearing a grey hoodie and his drug dealing partner, Ryemel Edwards, was wearing a maroon hoodie and blue jeans. If you see these guys, please call 911. The first photo is of Stephon Allen, the second of Ryemel Edwards:

**topogigio** · 10-26-2012, 10:57 AM

There recently has been an increase in drug dealing in the area and the local dealers that you saw outside of Lucky Day were Stephon Allen and Ryemel Edwards.

Stephon Allen, AKA Stein, was arrested for dealing last month and was locked up at the HOC for three weeks before posting bail. He lives at 2202 Fitzwater, an HCV property and a stash house for the drugs that they're selling.

http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketS...R-0011760-2012

Ryemel Edwards, AKA Meek, is a career criminal who has threatened many in the area over the years and I believe that he is the one who harassed you yesterday. He often appears high and is extremely volatile. Last known addresses include the 1800 block of s 19th and the 1600 block of Montrose.

The two have "worked" together for years and use 22nd St as their own private open air drug market often sitting in front of the Check Cashing Store or just across the street at 761 S 22nd.

Yesterday, Allen was wearing a grey hoodie and his drug dealing partner, Ryemel Edwards, was wearing a maroon hoodie and blue jeans. If you see these guys, please call 911. The first photo is of Stephon Allen, the second of Ryemel Edwards:

**Positronisomer** · 10-26-2012, 01:18 PM

It was Ryemel. Pleasant gentleman. I wonder if the opening of the pocket park and Ultimo will pressure them to move their open market drug bazaar to another locale. Otherwise I foresee some clashes in the future.

**Spicoli** · 10-26-2012, 01:36 PM

Did you call the police? Also, I'd call ADA AJ Thomson at 215-686-5852 and let him know you witnessed this happening inside Lucky Day. That could put some pressure on the property owners....and motivated them to close their sale.

Of course, nothing has stopped these guys for years now. I'm thinking (unfotunately) its going to take a violent altercation happening in front of children in order to get any attention paid to it.

Maybe the hurricane will wipe them out. Our luck, Ultimo and the new park will be wiped out and the only thing untouched will be Lucky Day and Check Cashing shell.

**Spicoli** · 10-26-2012, 01:36 PM

Did you call the police? Also, I'd call ADA AJ Thomson at 215-686-5852 and let him know you witnessed this happening inside Lucky Day. That could put some pressure on the property owners....and motivated them to close their sale.

Of course, nothing has stopped these guys for years now. I'm thinking (unfotunately) its going to take a violent altercation happening in front of children in order to get any attention paid to it.

Maybe the hurricane will wipe them out. Our luck, Ultimo and the new park will be wiped out and the only thing untouched will be Lucky Day and Check Cashing shell.

**Grad hospital** · 10-26-2012, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Did you call the police? Also, I'd call ADA AJ Thomson at 215-686-5852 and let him know you witnessed this happening inside Lucky Day. That could put some pressure on the property owners....and motivated them to close their sale.

Of course, nothing has stopped these guys for years now. I'm thinking (unfotunately) its going to take a violent altercation happening in front of children in order to get any attention paid to it.

Maybe the hurricane will wipe them out. Our luck, Ultimo and the new park will be wiped out and the only thing untouched will be Lucky Day and Check Cashing shell.

There already was a 20 bullet shootout last Thanksgiving at 22nd and Fitzwater. No one seemed to care.

**torts** · 10-26-2012, 02:21 PM

guys, guys, guys, calm down. let's not be too hard on lucky day. a lot of GOOD folks buy egg rolls there. let's think about "them" for a moment -- ok? if "we" close down lucky day, "they'll" have to walk to 22nd & South to buy chinese food. "we've" already brought down "their" check-cashing store. NOW where will "they" go to cash "their" checks? let's be open minded about this. a kids park next to an open air drug market is good for everyone in a lot of ways. we all need to come together. like one big family. fight the power. thank you and have a blessed weekend.

**bootsywannabe** · 10-26-2012, 02:56 PM

Our tax dollars at work. We just had another 26 fragment shootout at the end of July over at 16th and Catharine. No big deal though. "They're not hurting anyone". These guys do a brisk business during the day, when we're at work. All these corners are enabled by the PHA, and by our local and state reps, and by the various connections they have at the district and commissioner levels. It's no coincidence that anything goes at one corner, and 1 block away it doesn't happen. It's organized. It's corrupt.

**torts** · 10-26-2012, 03:13 PM

"We know they're dealing drugs and we know they're awful for the neighborhood but there's nothing we can do. Once they're in their PHA house or their church house, they're on home base. We can't touch them."

**torts** · 10-26-2012, 03:14 PM

"philly"

**bradley** · 10-26-2012, 03:41 PM

Curious to hear how you're certain it was a Penn student, and how you identified a drug deal from across the street. Also interested in what provoked the screaming. Did you look at the dealer funny? I'm a bit naive, perhaps. I thought the dealers used a little bit more discretion. I've walked past these guys dozens of times, and they've never started screaming at me. Your outrage is justified of course; I'm just interested in how you cross paths.

**El Sharko** · 10-26-2012, 04:00 PM

Sorry to hear about the altercation. Perhaps you can turn your attention towards Bob Casey to thank him for all of that extra cash that PHA has lying around. He did, after all, pressure HUD to provide PHA with MORE flexibility to make them eligible for more stimulus funds to the tune of $100+million. That's a nice war chest to use towards legal fees in case neighbors ever have issues with their scattered housing sites. Then again, maybe the good Senator can apply similar pressure on the agency tomake them take a look at the Fitzwater site.

**bootsywannabe** · 10-26-2012, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by bradley

Curious to hear how you're certain it was a Penn student, and how you identified a drug deal from across the street. Also interested in what provoked the screaming. Did you look at the dealer funny? I'm a bit naive, perhaps. I thought the dealers used a little bit more discretion. I've walked past these guys dozens of times, and they've never started screaming at me. Your outrage is justified of course; I'm just interested in how you cross paths.

yes it's not really that complicated, especially if you live near a drug corner and see these types of things, as well as the dealers, regularly. even if not, most of these drug corners are pretty brazen, and involve open air drug transactions via hand to hand exchanges. sometimes multiple individuals are involved - this is the case down on 16th St, which often operates as a drive thru, with pickups up near Fitzwater.

these guys are very aggressive and go out of their way to intimidate anyone who poses a threat to what they are doing. that means if they see you see them do a drug deal, they will get aggressive with you. if you are a neighbor and don't like what they are doing, they will go out of their way to make your life miserable via threats and actual violence. their whole deal is to hold down their corner through threats of violence, and actual violence.

good luck with Casey though - he'll send you a form letter saying how vital the PHA mission is, and that's it. His wife though of course sits on the Board. did she get a Gucci bag?

[Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). I appreciate hearing you about this issue.

PHA is the fourth largest housing authority in the United States. It provides 81,000 Philadelphia residents with access to affordable housing. Although PHA is a state-chartered agency, virtually all of its funding is provided by the federal government through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Over the past few years, there have been serious concerns over the management of PHA. As a result, in March 2011, PHA agreed to a voluntary takeover by HUD. HUD’s management is set to expire after one year, although there is an option to renew control in one-year increments. It is my hope that this takeover will facilitate a return to good governance, and will allow PHA to continue providing affordable housing to Philadelphia residents.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

P.S. If you would like to respond to this message, please use the contact form on my website: http://casey.senate.gov/contact/]

**Positronisomer** · 10-26-2012, 06:22 PM

"Curious to hear how you're certain it was a Penn student, and how you identified a drug deal from across the street. Also interested in what provoked the screaming. Did you look at the dealer funny? I'm a bit naive, perhaps. I thought the dealers used a little bit more discretion. I've walked past these guys dozens of times, and they've never started screaming at me. Your outrage is justified of course; I'm just interested in how you cross paths."

The girl was young, college aged, carrying a Penn gym bag, and wearing a Penn sweatshirt. As a former Penn grad myself, I recognize that the only people who buy Penn's overpriced apparell are grads or former grads. For some reason our sports teams don't inspire too much loyalty (go Quakers!). I didn't see an acutal hand to hand, what I acutally think happened is I spooked her into leaving and ruined the deal, hence the dealer's aggravation. I think I accidentally made eye contact just because the chair was positioned with a direct line of sight into the restaraunt.

I suppose it's possible the known drug dealer pictured above and the Penn student who looks like she just got off the train from Long Island were engaged in a philosophical debate over a game of chess in the foyer of a dirty Chinese restaraunt. Stranger things have happened. But I doubt it. She certainly didn't walk away with a bag of chinese food.

I honestly didn't know about the Lucky Day drug market until this happened, or believe me I wouldn't have chosen a seat outside Ultimo that faces directly across the street and into Lucky Day. I will certainly avoid that section of the 22nd st corridor in the future. Last thing I want is a violent sociopath stalking my family!

I'm guessing the housing grants aren't awarded to actual known felons but probably rather to their grandmothers and such, and they just stay there? Would be kind of severe to boot an old lady out onto the street because her grandson is a drug dealer I suppose.

Spicoli, while I really should call 911, what's the worst that would happen to the guy? A citation for terroristic threats? Then he has a vendetta against me and stabs me in the throat the next time I get out of my car after coming home from work late. Or worse, threatens my family.

**Gladys** · 10-26-2012, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by El Sharko

Then again, maybe the good Senator can apply similar pressure on the agency tomake them take a look at the Fitzwater site.

this is a great idea!

**torts** · 10-27-2012, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Positronisomer

I'm guessing the housing grants aren't awarded to actual known felons but probably rather to their grandmothers and such, and they just stay there? Would be kind of severe to boot an old lady out onto the street because her grandson is a drug dealer I suppose.

Stop. "Grandma" is actually 45 years old. Tops. And she's in on everything too. Don't kid yourself. Kick them out. All the drug houses. And everyone in them -- including grandma. Don't feel sorry for anyone. Kicking a piece of crap out of the neighborhood is way less severe than watching a two year old get hit in the face with a stray bullet.

**topogigio** · 10-27-2012, 10:33 AM

We all want Ultimo to be successful. It's an asset to the community, but it will not succeed in a climate of fear and intimidation of its patrons. It may be time for owners of the building to consider installing surveillance cameras if they haven't already done so. It really would not cost that much, and has proven to be very effective in curtailing all kinds of illegal activity. Until Kennedy's installed cameras that monitor both the inside and outside of the property, it was a center for dealers who used to loiter and would brazenly exchange drugs and cash.

While the OP may not want to frequent businesses on this part of 22nd street, we must. If we are afraid to frequent these new businesses, Edwards and his drug dealing associates win. Let's make sure that this area is no longer, "their block" as they often say.

Edwards knows he made a mistake by harassing the OP and should stay away from the area, at least for a little while. What many of us do not understand is that these dealers actually consider the selling of crack, etc as a job. They wake up, get dressed in some type of "uniform" and walk or ride their stolen bikes to "their corner" of business. If Edwards and Allen know that they're being watched, they'll have to move to another place of business. Let's face it, this is their only form of making money. If we can screw up their schedule and the buyers don't see them at their regular corner at a specific time, they'll be forced to go elsewhere to purchase their drugs. Without the buyers, the dealers will have to find a new place to make a sale. And, If these guys are forced into some other dealers territory, they'll most likely be killed--good riddance to bad rubbish.