May 8–15, 1997

city beat

Franks For the Memories

The Philadelphia Weekly's April 30 cover article on Dirty Frank's bartender Sheila Modglin is a typical yarn for that publication. "Confessions Of A Bartender" (also billed as "The High Priestess of Late Night") reportedevents which unfolded long ago. But sadly for Modglin, the story of Frank's yesteryear — alleged drug use, sex acts, and penis-waving — means a great deal in the here and now.

That's because Modglin, 13 years a Frank's bartender, isn't at the gritty watering hole this week. Modglin — Dirty Frank's longest-serving bartender — may disappear from 13th Street's most famous nightspot.

On Friday, May 2, word emerged that Dirty Frank's owner Jay McConnell had fired Modglin for the bartender's role in the Weekly article. A sobbing Modglin confirmed the account the same day. By Monday, May 5, the story changed. Withoutelaborating, Modglin said she wasn't fired, then abruptly referred questions to bar manager Jody Sweitzer (also a Weekly employee). Minutes later, an angry Sweitzer called City Paper and said Modglin was "taking a leave ofabsence... taking some time off... you can't say she was fired," then refused further comment.

When City Paper visited Frank's on May 5, McConnell refused to answer questions about Modglin's fate. The bartender on duty, who did not give her name, said "it's just wait and see" in regards to Modglin's future at the bar.

On May 5, another source said Modglin has been banned from Frank's indefinitely.

"Sheila was suspended," said a friend of Modglin who requested anonymity. "And it's not necessarily temporary. Jay [McConnell] was worried about the ramifications from the article. But he can't say 'You're fired.' He is trying to benice about it. The problem is, Sheila told about absolutely illegal activities that used to go on in Frank's."

Indeed, the story by writer Karen Abbott — a well-written article — left the distinct impression that Dirty Frank's is a place where women strip off their underwear, men get under-the-bar blow jobs, and employees stick narcotics up their nose.Frank's insiders said Abbott's account is fiction in 1997.

"This stuff happened about 10 years ago," said Frankie Baggs, a city employee and Frank's regular.

"This was shit that happened years ago," added a Frank's bartender. "It's un-fucking-believable that [Abbott] would write this stuff."

Abbott's account did not report Modglin's "confessions" as present activity. But in four places, Abbott wrote, "This is the kind of party Dirty Frank's throws:" before describing outdated stories.

"The article makes it seem like this goes on all the time," the bartender fumed.

"This" would be accounts of men exposing themselves — Abbott wrote of two men holding a "testicle-twisting contest." According to Abbott, there was cocaine in the back room and used nitrous oxide tanks on the floor. Modglin alsotold Abbott that she once used heroin while on duty. Yet Frank's is currently known for strict policies.

"I have witnessed people being kicked out for dealing drugs, even if it's a regular," said the friend of Sheila, a Frank's regular during the '90s. "They go by the book."

That doesn't matter to McConnell. Because of Dirty Frank's never-ending battle with the Washington West Civic Association — a fact noted by the Weekly — the bar faces constant scrutiny from neighbors, regulators and police. (John Jordan,treasurer for Wash West, says he has not read the article yet but had received a phone call from a "very concerned" Sweitzer. Jordan said Sweitzer was concerned about the article's impact on Wash West/Frank's relations. Jordan noted that inhis view, Frank's has been "quiescent" during "recent months.")

Still, Frank's insiders say the Weekly account can only bring headaches to McConnell & crew.

"Frank's is an institution in this city," said Clark DeLeon, a former Inquirer columnist and Frank's regular. "This article is going to have repercussions down the line."

Especially for the Weekly. DeLeon reports that he will write a column on America On-Line/Digital City Philadelphia this week questioning Abbott's account ("the story had all the texture of Frank's but none of the feeling," saidDeLeon. "And the opening scene sounded preposterous... absurd.") Editors at GQ also are looking at the Weekly story after reports surfaced that Abbott used a first-person article from the magazine's March edition as theblueprint for her account. And several sources report that former Frank's bartender and local restaurateur Al McMahon intends to sue the Weekly for defamatory statements Modglin purportedly made about him in the article. (McMahon's wife, HollyWilson, declined comment on reports of possible litigation.)

Abbott did not return the phone call. When City Paper subsequently visited the Weekly's offices, Abbott told a receptionist she "would be right down." Five minutes later, the receptionist said Abbott was "ondeadline" and "too busy" to answer questions.

Tim Whitaker, the Weekly's editor, also refused to answer questions about the Modglin article.

City Paper"has a track record that's been less than just," Whitaker sniffed in regards to past coverage of the Weekly. "So we're not going to have a comment." Whitaker then hung up.

Despite bitter complaints about the Weekly (Frank's regulars are planning a boycott of that paper's advertisers), many of Modglin's friends admit that the bartender erred by speaking on the record.

"Sheila just said things that shouldn't have been said to someone who couldn't be trusted," says DeLeon.

"Sheila realized there were some major judgmental errors on her part," adds Frankie Baggs.

Mistakes aside, Frank's regulars simply want Modglin back behind the bar.

"Sheila has been an awesome, positive force in that place," says Frankie Baggs.

"Frank's will suffer without her," adds the friend.