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Dozens of candles flickered inside Connie’s Ric Rac as folk singer Birdy Bush strummed her guitar on stage for a crowd of about 40. The mood was mellow the evening of March 31, until some unexpected visitors shattered it at about 1:30 a.m. Much to the chagrin of patrons at 1132 S. Ninth St., a dozen Philly police officers and Department of Licenses and Inspections agents showed up.
A routine inspection of the dimly lit space, which looks more like an artist’s loft than a performance venue, turned up fire-code violations and a lack of the proper zoning permit, recalled co-owners Pete Pelullo and Joe Tartaglia.
So it was lights out for Connie’s.
"The owner needs to get a zoning permit to operate and there were other [fire code] violations issued against the property," L&I; spokeswoman Gail Johns said.
"The candles are what did us in," Pelullo said, jokingly.
"They thought that we were doing all this stuff like selling beer and all they got was a female folk singer and hillbilly music," Tartaglia said with a laugh, alluding to the fact many clubs hit by L&I; get nailed for serving alcohol without a license. He continued on a more somber note: "It was basic stuff that we needed to do. Since we needed to do this stuff anyway, it was useful."
This was the first inspection since the club opened nearly a year ago. Brother Frankie Tartaglia said, "We didn’t know we needed to do it. It wasn’t like we said, ‘Ooooo, we’re going to break the law.’ We’re working with L&I; and our plan is to do this right."
Meanwhile, one of the only alternative live-performance venues in the city specializing in improv and comedy will remain closed until it’s brought up to code, which has created a void for performers and patrons seeking entertainment of that ilk at bargain-basement prices.
March 24, Jason Williams saw Sixth Borough Comedy Troupe at Connie’s for $8. "The space was packed, and I had a great time. It was just what South Philly needed: An inexpensive place to go see great live entertainment run by the Tartaglias, a family that has had a presence on Ninth Street for nearly a century," he said.
Frankie and Joe’s father, Joe Tartaglia Sr., has had a fruit stand at Ninth and Ellsworth and the brothers have also supplied music for the Annin Street stage during the annual Italian Festival each May.
Connie’s is open 9 p.m. to midnight (although sometimes things run later, as was the case the night L&I; dropped in) Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, the latter being free admission and usually open mic. Weekends, donations or $5 to $8 gets you in the door, depending on the performers.
"We’re providing an alternative to TV," Frankie said. "We are supplying entertainment and culture in the Italian Market. Our goal is to provide high-quality entertainment at a discount price. We do it because we love it."
Opening in May with seating for 80 to 100, everyone, from musicians to puppeteers, has graced Connie’s 12-by-16-foot stage, complete with curtain and lights. Alex Strang, co-creator of the Puppet Karaoke Universe Show, performed to a packed house in January and was scheduled to return in May. Establishments catering to Strang’s brand of avant-garde work are few and far between, so he was sorry to learn about the closing.
"The concept is great. That area definitely needs a shot in the arm. A place like that will increase draw. A venue is a good anchor," the former resident of Eighth and Christian streets said.
For decades, the Ninth Street corridor from Washington Avenue to Ellsworth Street was home to vacant buildings and vagrants, Connie’s owners and Pip DeLuca, president of the Ninth Street Italian Market Merchant’s Association and owner of Villa Di Roma restaurant, said.
Until last spring, Connie’s contributed to the void.
Tartaglia Sr. and wife Connie own the building that housed Connie’s Ric Rac in the 1980s. With the advent of eBay, Connie closed her small electronics business in the ’90s and carried on from a laptop at home. The space remained empty for years, until Tartaglia Sr. agreed to his sons’ requests to build a theater.
Frankie, who lives across the street from his mom’s former store, has witnessed firsthand his block’s renaissance in recent years with shops and restaurants opening and artists moving in. "Now that we’re here, we brought life, we brought culture," Frankie said of Connie’s.
DeLuca remembers when Connie’s was a store, and he’s pleased to see the space still thriving — despite its recent run-in with L&I.;
While most merchants close at 5, Connie’s is among a handful of spots open at night, drawing people to the market for business, DeLuca said.
"As a merchant on the street, we look at it as positive because the market from Washington to Ellsworth has been dull and dismal during the evenings. During the last several years, there has been an increase in activity along that corridor so we look at it as another store opening and bringing people down to the market," he said.
If anything shady was going on, DeLuca said he would know, since shop owners and residents usually call him to complain. "I haven’t heard anything negative from businesses and neighbors. I haven’t had any nuisance reports," he said.
Police haven’t received any complaints about the establishment, either, 3rd District Capt. Mike Weaver said.
If all goes according to plan, Connie’s won’t be dark for long, as the owners hope to reopen in time for the Italian Market Festival the weekend of May 19.
As of last Thursday, the fire violations were already fixed, with a fire extinguisher, lit exit signs above doors, fire alarms and an alarm system in place.
L&I; will reinspect next week and the owners need to apply for the proper permit. Zoned commercial, Connie’s holds a theater-school permit license since the siblings originally opened for arts and music instruction, providing classes in improv, painting, sketch writing and music. Once word spread about the stage size, however, musicians were begging to perform, Joe said. Now, in order to host any live acts, Connie’s must obtain a theater license.
"We’ll be back and better than before," Frankie said. "Artists love coming here because they know we love the arts."
