No historical designation for home of former mob boss on Snyder Avenue
Last month the Snyder Avenue home of former mob boss Angelo Bruno was recommended for historical designation by the city by Celeste Morello.
The historical landmark advisory board reviewed this proposal and believes that there is no grounds for this mob-related location at 934 Snyder Ave. to become a historical landmark.
More from the Associated Press:
The main argument for declaring it a city landmark was that federal investigations into his affairs shaped the way organized crime was tracked and prosecuted.
But the advisory board said that argument was weak and didn’t have a direct tie-in to Philadelphia.
The committee’s recommendation now goes to the city’s Historical Commission, which will have the final say.
No, historical designations are not based on whether or not we wish to celebrate or glorify the people, places and things. We have a marker for the Lombard Street Riot, hardly our finest hour.
That said, Bruno’s house is a trivial piece of his legacy of murder, violence, extortion, etc. Yes, we should have markers for the 9/11s, nativist riots, slave rebellions, concentration camps, etc. That this particular criminal rein ended their is no more meaningful than the murders he orchestrated throughout the area and the sites of body dumps. How many markers would we need for the location of every mob related murder?