In the wake of Piazza at Schmidt's slaying, restaurant owner is "soul searching"
In the wake of Monday morning's fatal shooting at the Piazza at Schmidt's -- which cops say was fueled by an argument that erupted on the patio of Tommy Up's bar/burger joint, PYT -- the bar owner sent his reflections on the violence to the Daily News.
In the wake of Piazza at Schmidt’s slaying, restaurant owner is “soul searching”
In the wake of Monday morning’s fatal shooting at the Piazza at Schmidt’s -- which cops say was fueled by an argument that erupted on the patio of Tommy Up’s bar/burger joint, PYT -- Up sent his reflections on the violence to the Daily News.
It isn’t the first time violence has hit close to home for the burger joint.
Up, who was there Monday morning when Maurice Kimble, 25, was shot three times just outside PYT's patio and gave the victim mouth-to-mouth in an attempt to save him, wrote that the slaying has brought back memories of the violent rape and murder of Sabina Rose O’Donnell. O'Donnell, 20, a waitress at PYT, was strangled a few blocks from the bar on her way home from hanging out with friends one early-summer night two years ago.
Here's the full text of Up's statement:
So what to make of this situation...how does something like this happen outside of a place run and staffed by a bunch of pacifist beatniks who are just interested in making tasty burgers and showing our guests a great time?
The soul searching has been intense, and I've thought about what I personally could have done to prevent it. Whether it makes sense or not, in my mind, memories of Sabina and what happened to her have been surfacing. Like, again, what could I have personally done to prevent that...be more protective of people around me?
The thing about Sunday night, was that Ed Blammo and I were literally playing the Dirty Dancing soundtrack and we were all all high-fives and smiles. It was a full house with people smiling and eating burgers and sipping on watermelon beers. So one minute, I'm listening to Patrick Swayze sing his little heart out to "She's Like The Wind", and the next minute I'm giving mouth-to-mouth to a man I've never seen before screaming for an ambulance while my co-worker is pumping on his chest.
I'm sure there are details that will fill in the blanks later, but for the last few days the absolutely random looking nature of this horrible violence, and the realization- again- that there are people with no remorse, no human feelings...just walking amongst us. Reading about the Sandusky trial this morning, and hearing the details of what he did to those little boys, make me feel that it's that same callous disregard for another's feelings, their life, their value as a person...that this is what "evil" is. Not having a shred of empathy. Not being able to care for another person.
I feel blessed to have so many wonderful, really just lovely people around me. I am feeling blessed that none of these people were hurt. And people who have been coming into the restaurant, friends who I have known forever or just the wonderful customers, have made me very grateful having these kinds of people around me.
I did not know the man this happened to, and I don't know the reasons, but as a human my heart goes out to his family and his loved ones. I know I tried my best to save him, as did my co-workers that night. I have never been more proud and amazed by a group of people in my life. I've never been at war, but if I did, I'd feel safe and secure if these people were at my side.
And that's about all i got to say on this matter. Thank you.
The real problem doesn't seem to be the residents of this area but those coming from other areas such as kensington where the alleged murder lives. The culture of these areas is one of extreme selfishness with absentee fathers, and everyone about to explode at the first sign of disrespect. Until the underlying issues, and the culture of these areas are changed, either through gentrification or an awakening, these events will continue to happen as they are merely a representation of the ideas and priorities that live in these neighborhoods.— Rambert80- The residents aren't the problem? Really? Have you not heard of Rian Thal? She was a resident.
- @jerkoftheworld - yeah, but she was white, so it's different. — whatwhat
Comment removed.- Are burgers the only think being sold at the place ? And, what did Mr. Up do before selling "burgers" ? Sometimes the "game" follows you even when you think it is over. In the Game of Drones anything is possible !— GameofDrones
- 100 ft away at gunners you never see problems like this. then again, a certain 'element' never goes in there.— Zero
- Is all of philadelphia as racist as the comment sections on this website make it seem?— WanderRound
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- My point is about culture not race. You can look at any part of this country and find destructive tendencies in every racial subgroup and community that must be changed or improved if we as a nation are going to develop. While the culture that exists in kensington, and other violent predominately african american areas, is shaped by the members of its community, it is not a reflection of that ethnic group as a whole as there are countless other communities that are productive and don't suffer and cause suffering to others the way that is experienced in philadelphia. The culture must be changed from within, or diluted from outside so that people are properly socialized and accept responsibilities and work to make our greater community better rather than being an impediment.— Rambert80
- I agree with you that anyone involved with buying or selling illegal goods is a problem but I wouldn't put her, or that activity, on the same level as murdering someone. She was murdered by Will Hook and his associates from kensington where using violence to get what you want is taught from an early age and imparts you with status. The main problem as I said earlier is the culture that doesn't socialize these individuals properly. They are socialized to use violence in dealing with people and situations while respecting no one but themselves. It is way fathers don't raise their children, why mothers continue to have children when they can't care for the ones they already have, and the community doesn't band together to root out the much smaller minority that is responsible for the destruction and stagnation that results through their actions.— Rambert80
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- The absolute nerve of someone who actually lives and works in the neighborhood making a classy statement like this, when we on the philly.com comment section all know that the real problem is blacks and/or democrats.
lecturing the suburbanites who post racist comments on philly.com— whatwhat - Kensington is the poorest and likely the most violent neighborhood in Philadelphia - BUT, it's not predominately black, as you say. There's a good amount of blacks, latinos, and whites. And why is it so violent in Kenzo? Drugs. Who comes down everyday down there to buy? Predominately white folk. These problems are much more complicated then what these simpletons claim when they say things like "usual suspects" on this forum.— Eman84
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- A very large percent of this violence IS because of drugs. Hard drugs aren't sold in mass in suburban communities which you speak of. Addicts don't go to Doylestown to get dope, they go to Kensington. The illegal drug trade creates violence, wherever it is. Colombians and Mexicans have to deal with much more violence than we face, and they aren't black. And poverty brings all of these people toward employment in this drug industry, where profits aren't always high, and risks outweigh benefits. Who are the majority of the population putting money into the hands of the pusherman though? White folks. It's a complicated problem, stop being so simplistic.— Eman84
- There are similar high drug consumption nations in canada, australia, and most european countries whose poor and minority populations have violent crime statistics, by percentage of total population, that are far under that of the united states. To use drug consumption as the sole motivator for the disproportionate violent behavior by african americans in philadelphia glosses over the cultural foundations that promote and accept violent behavior and anti-community bias. Acceptance of extreme individualism that socializes one to use violent means towards any goals, is certainly exacerbated by the drug trade, but not the cause of it. There is significant non-drug related crime by said residents both against their own community but also the larger philadelphia region as a whole. If you remove the drug trade, guns, etc you are still going to have individuals committing crimes as the underlying culture's morals and values remain the same.— Rambert80
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- A NY study found that 40 percent of homicides in the year of the study were drug-related. I can send the link. That is a VERY significant number. It is a big reason why so many guns even exist in the inner-city. Let's be real, the majority of murders aren't over arguments. While it may not be the only cause, it is a primary cause. And one where the majority of patrons are white folks.— Eman84
- and furthermore, those countries you mentioned don't have the poverty as we do here— Eman84
- Sir! How dare you attempt to infect the internet, this last bastion of the cowardly, milquetoast, terrified of his/her own shadow white racist, that paragon of abysmmal self-esteem and copious self-hatred, with your logic and facts and...and stuff? Have you no decency, sir, have you no decency! — wb2nd
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