To share my Philadelphia story I have decided to include a picture of my late father who died in 2014 from ALS. The reason I am including this picture is because he is what Philadelphia is to me. He was born and raised poor in South Philly but persevered through that with a strong work ethic which resulted in a wife, two boys and house in the suburbs, with a successful career as a Construction Project Manager. Some of the ways my Father showed me what Philadelphia is was by instilling that work ethic upon me and introducing me to neighborhood Italian Restaurants deep inside of South Philly which families have been going to for generations.  New Year’s was not complete without seeing the Mummers strut down Second Street with family all around us, because the real New Year’s party happens New Year’s Day in South Philly. Due to his Philadelphia upbringing, my father was one tough SOB, which meant you always knew where you stood with him, which is a rarity these days. He would also give you the shirt off his back as long as you deserved it, and he would love you like one of his own as long as the respect was there. For people not too familiar with true Philadelphians, this is what we are about, we have a strong work ethic with a very rough exterior but at the same time you will always know where you stand with us and we will help you out any way we can, all while showing you that life can be fun. To me, that is what Philadelphia is about.