🥖 Re-made guy | Morning Newsletter

Welcome to Sunday. The high will be near 91, and evening storms may dampen Philly’s first World Cup match.

In today’s main read, we explore how one of Philadelphia’s most recognizable organized-crime figures went from wiseguy to influencer.

And with the FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill now in full swing, residents in the area say it has caused disruptions to daily life.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino is now 64, and he’s five years removed from the criminal justice system.

The onetime alleged head of Philadelphia’s underworld is also enjoying a second act that few could have predicted: podcaster, social-media personality, and cheesesteak entrepreneur.

To start, family friend Joe “Lil Snuff” Perri gave him a mic and camera for a new second act — complete with cheesesteaks.

As Merlino opens his cheesesteak shop on the Wildwood boardwalk, The Inquirer’s Mike Klein dives into the world of “MobTube” and how Merlino’s new career fits into the true-crime subculture.

Through July 19, Lemon Hill will be bumping with activity as thousands of people gather to party and watch World Cup games for free.

But residents in the area, who were given a little more than three weeks to prepare, say this once-in-a-lifetime experience is all happening at their expense.

In their own words: “Everybody’s feeling pretty resentful, maybe cautiously optimistic, but also just not feeling respected as residents,” said one Fairmount resident and local neighborhood group organizer.

Traffic issues: There is confusion surrounding road closures and parking limitations, pushing drivers onto narrow side streets and making it harder for residents to find parking spots near home.

The city’s response: Officials say they are adding signage, adjusting traffic controls, and working with rideshare companies to address access issues. “More work remains to be done,” said Councilmember Jeffery Young.

Henry Savage reports on both the short-term issues and the long-term concerns about the longevity of Lemon Hill Park.

Plus: Inquirer columnist Stephanie Farr braved the sweltering heat and spent five hours at Fan Fest’s opening day. Follow the minute-by-minute account of her experience.

🎤 Here’s my colleague Tommy Rowan with a look back at the Philadelphia Music Festival.

Remember Made in America? Have you been to the Roots Picnic?

Today we take for granted that Philadelphia has an international reputation for hosting major music festivals.

But in a post-World War II America, the city simply wanted to create something for the kids that offered a distraction from war, and also helped celebrate Philly’s legendary music scene.

Leaders called it the Philadelphia Music Festival. The Inquirer, which sponsored the event, called it a “symposium of the arts.” Here’s the story.

Herr’s just debuted three new limited-time, Philly-inspired flavors.

Which of the following is NOT one of the new flavors?

A) Freedom Loaded Cheese Fries

B) Liberty Hickory Barbecue

C) Declaration Dill Pickle

D) United Jalapeño Cream Cheese

Think you know? Check your answer.

🍝 Obsessed with: The cavatelli Amatriciana at Angelina’s Pizzeria, among the best things we ate this week.

🔔 Moved by: The Liberty Bell popup exhibit on Cherry Street Pier.

💿 Browsing: One of the country’s best record stores, just 50 miles northeast of Philly.

🏠 Impressed by: How a Philly couple bought a $975,000 Fairmount home with no money down.

⛩️ Grabbing: Dinner in Chinatown during Mural Arts founder Jane Golden’s perfect day in the city.

Hint: One of Philadelphia’s true soccer pioneers

BELLY CUNNINGHAM

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Elinda F. Kiss who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Mole Street. The historical holdout in the heart of Center City is getting redeveloped and losing its affordable houses.

P.S. Shoutout to Elinda and others for kindly pointing out some missing letters in that puzzle. “Must be a typo or I did not have enough coffee,” Jim Diamond said (LOL). 😅 Sorry about that, and thanks for being good sports.

🎶 Today’s song goes like this: “Sometimes, all I think about is you / Late nights in the middle of June.”

One more musical thing: The new Bruce Springsteen museum is a giant scrapbook that validates New Jersey’s role as a music incubator, columnist Inga Saffron writes.

👋🏽 Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Have a great one.

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