Residents rally outside the Chickie’s and Pete’s restaurant on Packer Avenue in response to an application to place a sports book at the popular venue. Photos/Mark Zimmaro
A large crowd of residents gathered in the Chickie’s & Pete’s parking lot on April 5 to speak out against a proposal that would bring a Parx Casino sports book inside the popular restaurant.
More than 100 residents — mostly from the Packer Park neighborhood — held signs and spoke in strong opposition of having gambling more prominent in their neighborhood.
“I wanted people to know what was going on,” said Barbara Capozzi, president of the Packer Park Neighborhood Association. “The legal process alone is probably not going to stop Pete (Ciarrocchi). It’s Parx (Casino), too. They’re a great organization but it’s all about money to them. This is our neighborhood, and there is no neighborhood in this city that fights harder for ourselves.”