The heat is on for control of the First Councilmanic district. Things got rolling last week when incumbent City Councilman Frank DiCicco and challenger Vernon Anastasio both had campaign events on Wed., Feb. 26, in the district.

Anastasio's gig began around five with an open-bar party at Beau Monde in Bella Vista. This party was not a fundraiser, but Anastasio's announcement that he intends to run for the seat. He walked into his party to the 10,000 Maniacs' song "These Are Days."

Once the crowd had assembled, he took the stage with his wife, Leslie, who is expecting their first child.

"We are going to make City Hall work for us," said Anastasio. "It will be people before politics. I will be the people's candidate."

Anastasio has recently resigned his position as chief of staff to State Rep. Babette Josephs to run. The 33-year-old Bella Vista resident's family has been a fixture in the Italian Market with their coffee house and produce and fish markets. Anastasio himself has been a longtime activist in the community. Although there has been a lot of speculation, he has been quiet about his plans to run against DiCicco. It became even less clear when he took the position with Josephs last summer.

At his party, guests such as Rue Landau, an attorney at Community Legal Services, and Dan McElhatton, son of the former City Councilman, made glowing public remarks about Anastasio's ability to serve in the district.

Michael Fera, president and business manager of the cement masons and plasterers union, disparaged DiCicco at the event.

"We need to get rid of someone who has been hanging around on a marionette string," said Fera. "We don't need no puppets in City Council," he continued. Fera made it clear that political elections were the union's business.

"We know how to win an election. We put an army out for Mayor Street and Ed Rendell," said Fera.

Anastasio said that he recognized that DiCicco was formidable. "It will not be easy. We are up against a multimillion-dollar corporation. And the dark forces need to be stopped," he said.

Anastasio insists that he is not John Dougherty's candidate. Dougherty is the business manager of Local 98, the electricians union. Dougherty is a fan of the Mayor and the nemesis of State Sen. Vincent Fumo and DiCicco.

However, Dougherty was observed by some guests at a party for former city controller employee Joe “Pepe” Sinni's 70th birthday party, circulating nominating petitions for Anastasio. Dougherty did not return a call by press time.

Meanwhile, at The Plough & the Stars in Old City, Fumo hosted a joint fundraiser for DiCicco and Councilman Jim Kenney that was organized by John Hawkins, legislative director for Fumo and Kenney, and Christian DiCicco, son of the Councilman.

The well-attended confab raised over $40,000, according to Hawkins, and was geared toward a young crowd.

Andrew Hohns, who challenged Babette Josephs in last year's primary, attended despite rumors that he was supporting Anastasio.

"I am not anybody's puppet," said DiCicco when asked to respond to Michael Fera's remarks.

"Mike used to thank me for all my support when the stadium issues were going on. His union got jobs," said DiCicco.

DiCicco, a 57-year-old South Philly "lifer" who first took office in 1996 after Joe Vignola resigned to go to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, enumerated some of his top accomplishments in the district.

DiCicco said that Anastasio was taking credit for the revitalization of the Italian Market. Of his own tenure as head of Fumo's constituent services, DiCicco said, "Sen. Fumo was the one who first planted the seed money for the long-needed renovations for the Italian Market in the late 1980s."

"I followed up after I became elected, although the project took years," he added.

DiCicco said that he secured a plan with the Streets Department to provide new gas lines and street upgrades in the Market. "I worked with the merchants on a plan so that they would not be inconvenienced during this phase," he said. "The repairs were done block by block and they would move temporarily to another block during that time so there would be the least amount of disruption." He said he worked with the city's Commerce Department to reconstruct the sidewalks and decide on the new canopies. Visible, smelly Dumpsters were removed and replaced with cleaner trash receptacles that are picked up daily. The last phase was the creation of mercato Sundays, a monthly daylong Italian festival.

DiCicco said the $4.5 million for the project came from a grant from the Commerce Department and state money secured by Fumo.

"I also worked on getting tax abatements for homeowners and developers," said DiCicco.

"I am for lowering the wage tax and I fought with the mayor on this. His tax increases are offensive. The unions are for the mayor, they want to take over, and I will not be John Street's "yes man.'"

As for Anastasio, DiCicco said, "We had lunch last summer and Vern stood up and shook my hand and said, "You are a doing a good job and I am not going to run against you.'"