I'm in Austin, Texas now but a friend sent a link to the "incredible discovery" that CKS was in the hood. What a shocker!


I saw a video of Vern walking with a reporter(Vern was wearing a suit so I assume he must now be an elected official) feigning no knowledge of any "nefarious" activities going on in CKS.

What exactly is "nefarious" as it relates to sex between consenting adults?

Can someone enlighten me?


I remember when this issue came up at the Bella Vista neighboprhood Assoc meeting.
Vern was a head of the Association.

I actually emailed Vern that I was appalled that we were going to discuss a topic that was really not our business. The sexual activity of consenting adults in a private club.
Vern then sent me a few emails(which I still have) indicating that he knew exactly what was going on in that club and that, as a single guy, he wouldn't mind visit to observe, at the very least. Chuckle, chuckle.

How lame is that?


Vern, Want me to post the emails?

Forward them to the media?

Or, do you want to make a less hypocritacl statement to all of us?

"All", you can email me at emailchristopher@austin.rr.com, if you have any questions.

Who was the lead reporter on this story? Anyone have an email address

Can you enlighten us as to why somebody in Austin, TX gives a crap about Vern Anastasio? Are you related to the guy from Oklahoma who put in a good word for Rick Mariano a while back?

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I don't give a crap about Vern Anastasio.

With your implied threats, allegations, and innuendo, it sure seems you care about him -- or have a vested interest against him.

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This is a private club where consenting adults had sex. Nobody was hurt and bothered by the club. It is an easy issue to demagogue on, just like gay marriage. But the existence of the club for consenting adults has nothing to do with the real issues that effect Philadelphia.

Those issues include municipal corruption and crippling business taxes, all endemic to the Street Administration- An administration Vern championed in his supporting op-ed that was published in the Daily News.

This is Philadelphia and not Kansas, thank God-The club is located off of South St., a street famous for hedonism and alternative lifestyles. Leave it alone.

Vern knows the issues that are important. Lets not play Karl Rove for short-term political gain.

Really? You sure sound awfully passionate for someone who professes to not give a crap.

South Street has over 1,000,000 tourists a year with an average immediate expendable income of $700, and neighbors within one block of South Street who spend 30% of their yearly aggregate home income which amounts to an average of 319 million, according to census 2000 data. Local government must work to satisfy the needs of this majority, maintain diversity, and do so in accordance to the local and state laws applicable to businesses within our district.

Two people have emailed about the positive effects of Club Kama Sutra.
84 businesses and residences have voiced complaints about Kama Sutra.
384 people have asked for a bookstore on South Street. What does a book store have to do with anything?

When South Street lost Tower Books, alot of residents and business owners wanted the South Street Headhouse District to find a replacement. The business development team found one. Unfortunately, the proposed book store rescinded its offer, because it refused to move within a 5 block radius of a "sex club" due to the perceived stigma, so the 2nd largest business district in Philadelphia went without a book store for over four years.

We can sit here and debate whether or not a sex club is a good or evil thing; but the fact is that we have not been able to attain certain desired businesses as a direct result of Club Kama Sutra.

We could assume that it wasn't a "sex club", and it was merely a private club that resided on 712-714 South Street for 5 years. They have been here long enough to make their storefront look vibrant and inviting so that other businesses would want to move near them-instead the 3rd largest retail space on south street has appeared vacant and uninviting. This actually caused more attention, as developers and retail merchants wished to move in, only to ask around and find that it was leased out by kama sutra. Upon further inspection, researchers realized that it did not have its license to operate and maintain a private club, (violation ZC-13), nor did they operate a restaurant in accordance to its approved permit(violation ZR02). Should goverment officials ignore these transgressions when over 500 businesses must operate in accordance to the law, and face equivalent ramifications if they are not in compliance?
It does not matter if it is a coffeehouse, restaurant, or private club; if it fails to maintain the proper permits the city has no choice but to shut it down. In fact, a coffeeshop that had been open on South Street for a year-and-a-half, yet was shut down after it was realized that they didn't have the appropriate take-out license; it has nothing to do with the type of business-it has to do with the violation.

Now Kama Sutra has to apply for permits that it should of possessed years ago, and in doing so, must go before the residential zoning boards of the first and third richest neighborhoods of Philadelphia.

The aforementioned coffeehouse also lost its appeal, as no more take out licenses are being granted on South Street, just as no more licenses will be granted for private clubs; therefore, the case is closed, and there is nothing our district, any politician, or government official can do about it.

Did politicians know of Kama Sutra? Of course they did. Lincense and Inspections raided the place a few years ago, but did not properly instruct the inspectors of the licenses needed for the club, so that infraction was overlooked in the initial raid. Furthermore, city paper did a story a year ago, explaing what went on in the club, with the owner bragging that lawyers, doctors, and government officials go to his club. Daily News did an article in 2001. When asked about the club, Dominic Verdi said "we do not govern moral issues", yet on the KYW article he pretended to be unknowing, stating that he did not know what went on in the club. Three major articles, two interviews with License and Inspections, yet no politician or city official was made aware of Club Kama Sutra until CBS came in for fall sweeps? Give me a break.

Its not a "Vern" or "Frank" thing. Its a typical reaction for any public persona to deny culpability, while city workers under them ineffectively do their job.

Well, the "2nd largest business district in Philadelphia" had a great used bookstore in the Book Trader. South St. had it but couldn't keep it. Difficulty atttacting a new bookstore? Hmmm, perhaps there are other factors other than the proximity to CKS.

Congratulations on exposing your uneducated disposition, just as you did with the "MsG" posts. You deplore "sex on tv", yet wish to discredit my argument on a sex club? Sure seems like you are merely searching for my posts, and criticizing each one without a meritous argument.
We do have a beautiful new book store on 2nd and south(Headhouse Books), as well as several other used book stores. The book trader left because he didn't wish to negotiate with the landlord, and decided to move to Old City in a location which he already held a long term lease for, and was subleasing for a low rent in comparison to both South Street and Old City rents.
Two major book stores wished to open near WholeFoods, but rescinded their offer for a single reason-club kama sutra-they wished to preserve their "family friendly" image(you should be all for their position mr morals).
Please educate yourself before lambasting.

You are awfully abrasive. Sheesh, lighten up!