Without a trace

NEWS

It's been nearly three weeks since a local man and his girlfriend disappeared from a South Street restaurant.

By Lorraine Gennaro

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Mar. 10, 2005

Richard Petrone Jr. always loved attending rock concerts, said childhood friend Thomas Romantini.

Last weekend, Petrone had a doubleheader planned with Motley Cr�e on Friday and Slipknot on Saturday, both at the Wachovia Spectrum.

But he wasn't at either show.

Petrone, 35, from the 1600 block of Snyder Avenue, and girlfriend Danielle Imbo, 34, of Mount Laurel, N.J., disappeared nearly three weeks ago.

The pair was last seen leaving Abilene, 429 South St., on Feb. 19 after meeting friends for cocktails, police said.

The couple left the nightspot around 11:45 p.m., ahead of their friends, said Sgt. Tim Cooney of South Detective Division. They had been traveling in Petrone's black and silver 2001 four-door Dodge Dakota pickup, the sergeant added. The vehicle's license-plate number is YFH 2319.

Mount Laurel police are assisting South Detectives with its probe, said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Joseph Fox.

The mystery is baffling authorities on both sides of the river.

Investigators have searched airport parking lots, bus terminals, railroad stations and hospitals, Fox said at a news conference last week.

"As of now, we have absolutely nothing. There's still no credit-card or cell-phone activity," said the chief inspector. "We have absolutely no direction or leads. It's as if they've dropped off the face of the earth."

AS DAYS PASS with no sign of Petrone or Imbo, fears are mounting among the couple's family and friends both here and in Jersey.

Romantini, who works for Verizon and lives in Swedesboro, N.J., with his wife and children, has known Petrone and his family since first grade, when the two attended St. Monica School. The pals kept in touch after the Petrones moved from 17th and Wolf streets to Cherry Hill, N.J., when Richard was in fifth grade.

Romantini, who grew up at 18th and Ritner, has visited his friend's family to lend support in recent days.

"My heart is broken about it, but the parents are much worse," he said.

The friend said he thinks there is "definitely foul play" involved in the couple's disappearance, but declined to speculate. He would not say whether Petrone's family agreed with his conclusion.

In describing Petrone, Romantini vacillated between the past and present tense.

"He was just a happy-go-lucky guy," he said. "He didn't make enemies. He was not an aggressive person. There is not a chance that they ran away. There is not a chance that they got married. I'd bet my life on it."

Petrone would never willingly leave the area without making contact because he is very close to his family and 14-year-old daughter, Angela, from a previous relationship, Romantini said.

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