The Disturbing Tale of Ed Savitz
Ask any Philadelphian about the nicest area of the city and they will undoubtedly mention Rittenhouse Square. Known for its upscale restaurants, luxurious and ridiculously pricey residencies, and its sheer beauty during the holiday season, Rittenhouse Square is the polar opposite of those parts of North and West Philadelphia where most of the citys crime takes place. The disturbing and upsetting tale of Ed Savitz is unique in that it transcends the barriers of neighborhood, economic status, race, gender, and ethnicity and is part of Philadelphia rich and colorful criminal history.
Ed Savitz seemed destined for greatness. In high school he was voted most likely to succeed and graduated at the top of his class. Savitz was awarded a full scholarship to University of Pennsylvania, but dropped out soon thereafter. A few years later, Savitz also dropped out of Temple. Despite failures in college, Savitz succeeded as a businessman in Philadelphia and lived in an upscale residence in Rittenhouse Square.*
As the 1970s progressed, rumors began to spread among Phillys youth (particularly those who lived in Greys Ferry) about a man who called himself Uncle Ed. The story went that Uncle Ed was willing to pay good money to area youths, as long as they did certain favors for him. It was then that the dark underbelly of a successful and respected businessman began to appear.
For many years, Ed Savitz would provide money, concert tickets, and football tickets to area youths in exchange for their soiled underwear. Savitz would encourage the young boys to eat cheese to make their feces (which he stored in pizza boxes throughout his apartment) smell better. Even worse, Savitz would also provide compensation to the boys to engage in acts of oral/anal sex, penis sword fights, urinating/defecating in his mouth, and slamming his penis in doors.*
Savitz served various sentences in prison from 1978 and 1992. Despite this, Savitzs indiscretions continued. In early 1992, Savitz was taken down for good when police (who had been tapping his phones and monitoring his activities for a few months) entered his apartment and found over 5000 photographs of boys and 312 bags of soiled underwear. It was also revealed during this time that Savitz had tested positive for HIV, which subsequently served as a catalyst for Philadelphias AIDS scare during the early 90s given the time period and the countless number of males Savitz had contact with over the years. This troubled life would come to an end when Savitz died in prison of AIDS in 1993, leaving behind a horrific legacy as one of Philadelphias most morbid, despicable, and notorious criminals.