Mayor Nutter confronts alleged tax deadbeat

Was that just another sidewalk altercation yesterday afternoon on South Broad Street, or was it Mayor Nutter trading verbal barbs with an alleged tax deadbeat?

Robert Gamburg, one of three lawyers at 121 S. Broad St. who owe the city a total of $348,000 in business privilege taxes, didn't like that Nutter chose to shame him with a news conference outside his building.

Nutter called the conference for 2 p.m. yesterday to show the measures he would take to embarrass delinquent taxpayers.

Nutter held a similar news conference in November, when he told those who owed more than $50,000 that he would be coming after them. Nutter said the city has collected $2.5 million in delinquent taxes in that effort.

Robert Gamburg owes $130,925; his father, Jerome, owes $84,566; and Joseph Santaguida owes $132,515, according to the city. Robert Gamburg and Santaguida were most recently in the news as attorneys for Dwight Dixon, the man shot in the hand in April with a gun belonging to NFL wide receiver Marvin Harrison.

Jerome Gamburg and Santaguida did not return calls for comment. Robert Gamburg declined comment beyond what he said to Nutter.

After Nutter denounced the three in front of the building, sheriff's deputies proceeded to deliver notices, while television cameras rolled, notifying the lawyers that their belongings were to be sold at auction on April 2 if they fail to pay their bills.

"The city will be forced to collect our money by any means necessary," Nutter said.

Robert Gamburg confronted Nutter after the news conference, as Nutter chatted with reporters. He asked whether the mayor was aware that he was in the process of arranging to pay his taxes.

"I'd also like to know if we are the only three people in the entire city that owe back taxes," Gamburg said, and wanted to know why Nutter chose his building to hold the news conference.

"I'm not going to argue with you on the sidewalk - you owe the city money, pay your taxes," Nutter said.

When Gamburg questioned why Nutter was getting "upset," Nutter raised the bar.

"Oh, you've never seen me upset," Nutter said. "So I'm not upset. Just pay your taxes and everything will be fine."

Nutter declared the conversation over, the men shook hands, and Nutter went back to City Hall and Gamburg went back into his building.