John Griffin grew up on Park Avenue and Dauphin Street. He learned to swim at Temple’s swimming pool on Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Growing up, Griffin would go to The Uptown Theater and watch stage shows.

In elementary school, Griffin started writing. This would be mostly poems for his mother, and later, his wife.

Griffin, known as one of the leaders of the Philadelphia Black Mafia, is acquitted for “one of the most heinous crimes of the 1970s,” according to the book’s press release, known as the “Hanafi Muslim Murders,” but has been behind bars for the last 40 years.

“After coming to prison, I would write letters and poems for other prisoners to send to their loved ones,” Griffin said in a letter to The Temple News.

Today, Griffin is a contributing author to a new book series titled “Gangster Chronicles,” where he hopes to “uplift today’s troubled youth,” according to the novel, “Sequence of Protocol.”

As a teenager, Griffin said he began listening to H. Rap Brown and Malcom X and was drawn to join The Nation of Islam. Griffin said it was through The Nation of Islam that he would “associate with brothers who would become known as The Philadelphia Black Mafia, though we never referred to ourselves by that name.”

Griffin said he feels obligated to “de-romanticize the thug lifestyle” attracting youth with his writing.

“So many of us have failed them by not being in the community to aid in their growth and development,” Griffin said. “If the transformation from boy to man is tampered with by the ills of society, the man will not develop.  He will be a male but not a complete man. Many of us now in prison could have made a great contribution to our communities.”

He said his goal in his contribution to “Gangster Chronicles” is to teach youth the importance of studying history and sharing it.

“If we allow others to tell our story, we will be defined by their interpretations,” he said. “I also hope I have inspired some of our young brothers and sisters to write their stories and to create and convey them in a respectful manner.”

“Sequence of Protocol” was written with Griffin still in jail. He said writing in prison has proven to be equally freeing and difficult ­– the stress he deals with is often times released through the characters he is creating.

“‘Sequence of Protocol’ differs from other novels written about black gangsters by showing the characters as multi-dimensional,” he said. “These men are family, religious and business oriented. They are not simply concerned with money, fancy cars and women. Although written in historical fiction, it’s based on the lives of real, black men of principle.”

Griffin said beyond inspiring youth, he hopes to earn back “the respect and appreciation of others, especially family and friends.”

The Hard Rock Cafe will allow patrons to take to the stage in exchange for a free burger on April 17 with the restaurant’s annual “Sing for Your Supper” event. Customers who take to the stage and sing with the performing band from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. will receive a complimentary Local Legendary Burger.

Hard Rock Cafe is located on 1113 Market St.

Namas Day, a bi-annual festival presented by Philly Area Yoga, will take place on April 18. Philly Area Yoga is an online directory for yoga and wellness resources in the area. The festival aims to bring together the yoga community with workshops and master classes by local instructors and wellness professionals, as well as fun activities. Workshops will include things like a therapeutic backbending class from Mariel Freeman and “physical origami” taught by Johnathan Raiss, as well as presentations from acclaimed teachers like Dana Trixie Flynn, known as the “Janis Joplin of Yoga.”

A full-day pass is $125 while a half-day pass goes for $75.

Quince Productions, a nonprofit theater company dedicated in challenging stereotypes, is bringing back its 2014 show, “Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays” for two benefit shows on April 19 and 26. The production is a collection of stories looking at the topic of same-sex marriage from a variety of perspectives from the likes of contemporary writers like Paul Rudnick, Neil LaBute, Moisés Kaufman and José Rivera. Proceeds from the two shows will go toward benefiting Quince Productions’ annual GayFest!, the LGBTQ story archive “I’m From Driftwood” and LGBTQ organization Equality PA.

Both shows will be held at the Walnut Street Theatre, at 7 p.m., with a $25 admission price.

Dilworth Park is hosting a Philly Tech Week Kickoff event on April 17 from 6-9 p.m. The event features the App Arcade with games from PHL Collective, the Entrepreneurial Game Studio at Drexel University and more. Live performances from Pixel8ter and Dj CUTMAN will entertain guests and additional programming from event organizers Technical.ly will round out the event. The kickoff event is free, but an online RSVP is suggested.

For five more days, Eastern State Penitentiary’s third annual “Pop-Up Museum” will continue to be on display until April 12. The 2015 theme is escapes, so the exhibit features some of the Penitentiary’s historic memorabilia that are usually stored in the archives, ranging from inmate-written magazines to shanks. The “Pop-Up Museum” is included with a $14 general admission, or $10 with a student ID.

Clover Market, a seasonal open-air vintage bazaar, will return this month to Chestnut Hill and Bryn Mawr. The outdoor market offers goods from more than 100 high-end vendors with antiques, collectibles, handmade clothing, jewelry, home goods and other vintage items. The event also features food trucks and vendors like Bonjour Creperie, Foolish Waffles, Say Cheese Philadelphia and more. The market will run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m on April 12 in Chestnut Hill, and April 26, May 17 and June 7 in Bryn Mawr.