New BYOB Philly Mob Tour Launches Thursday

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia is full of history. From the birth of the American Revolution to the tragic MOVE bombing, the city has so many stories that live inside it.

And one aspect of the city's history that is not often discussed is its world of organized crime.

And now, you can learn all about Philly's mob history through a new trolley tour from the folks at Founding Footsteps.

Founding Footsteps, the people behind the Jolly Trolley and other tours, is launching the city’s first ever Philly Mob Tour.

Those who embark on the tour will venture into Philly’s underworld during the prohibition era and learn about key figures and places that shaped that era, including war hero and Director of Public Safety Smedley Butler, as well as notorious bootleggers such as Max "Boo Boo" Hoff.

From Thursday until the end of March, guests will get to explore hidden corners and historic landmarks as expert guides reveal thrilling stories of mob bosses, bootleggers, and lawmen locked in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Learn how Philly’s underworld thrived during Prohibition, uncovering the secrets of illegal liquor trade, underground bars, and the rise of infamous crime families.

Founding Footsteps will eventually continue their Mob Tours including Philly during the reign of reputed mob boss Angelo Bruno at a later date.

This tour is BYOB and thus for those 21 and old. It also and contains graphic and disturbing content.

Get tickets online here.

Notable tour stops will include:

• Benjamin Franklin Hotel, 819-843 Sansom St. — Formerly the Continental House, the hotel’s former proprietor Edward Skinner was incarcerated for possession and sale of intoxicating liquor. The hotel is also the site where former President-Elect Abraham Lincoln arrived in Philadelphia on his way to Washington to give his inaugural speech.
• The 21 Club, 1321 Locust St. — Now the Clarence B Moore House, this hotel operated by Hoff; stones throw away from Picadilly Club which he owned with Charles Schwartz and Samuel Lazar
• Hotel Sylvania, 1324 Locust St. — The Arts Condominiums is the location where bootlegger and gambler Max Hoff rented office space on the 2nd floor
• Bankers Trust Building, 1313 Walnut St. — The location where public accountant records seized revealing police payment and protection of reputed bootleggers.
• Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company, 112 S. 18th St. — Operated by bootlegger Max Hoff, it managed revenue from his bootlegging ventures
• Italian Market — This area was a hotbed for turf wars and gang fights including one in 1936 where the boss of the Philly Mob, John Avena and bodyguard Martin Feldstein were murdered in a drive by. Then on New Years Eve 1936, bootlegger and mobster Pius Lanzetta was murdered at Joe Grimm’s luncheonette (8th and Fitzwater).