Genovese Family and the Music business 1960s

[Juice Terry]

Recently watched an interesting documentary: Bang! The Bert Berns Story, about the legendary 60s songwriter and producer (wrote Twist & Shout and Piece Of My Heart amongst others and discovered Neil Diamond)

Carmine "Wassel" DeNoia is one of the interviewees. Genovese associate, with the Paganos, who seemed to have sort of job at Universal Music (that apparently involved hanging a DJ from the 7th floor for refusing to play his client's records and smacking Van Morrison over the head with a guitar). He became very close to Berns, siding with him when Berns went to war with Jerry Wexler over ownership of Berns' spin-off company, Bang! Records.

Berns had become close friends with Tommy Eboli, via their combined love of boats. When Wexler called in Maurice Levy to put the squeeze on Berns, Berns called in Eboli, who, along with Patsy Pagano and Wassel, personally paid Levy a visit. According to one interviewee, Levy shit himself and Wexler was done, lucky not to be whacked according to Berns' widow.

Berns, who had a serious heart condition, died young, aged 38 I think. The day he died, an hour or so after his wife found him she got a knock at the door and found a very worried Tommy Ryan asking if Berns was OK? Turns out he'd had a dream that day where Berns was asking him for help. An hour later Berns was dead.

Anyway, saw it on Amazon Prime. Great watch if you love 60s music.

[Wiseguy]

You Jew cocksucker, you buy those two pieces of property or I'll bury you.

[NorthBuffalo]

Thanks for the tip - this was a good watch. I've been waiting to read Eboli's sons book where I believe Berns is mentioned several times but may be wrong.

[Antiliar]

Morris Levy was hooked up with Sonny Franzese too.

One music producer I'm curious about was Stan Polley, who managed and stole so much from Badfinger that one of the band members took his own life. I did a quick Google search, but it didn't say who Polley was associated with. Apparently he was brought before a Senate hearing, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

[Juice Terry]

Morris Levy was hooked up with Sonny Franzese too.

One music producer I'm curious about was Stan Polley, who managed and stole so much from Badfinger that one of the band members took his own life. I did a quick Google search, but it didn't say who Polley was associated with. Apparently he was brought before a Senate hearing, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

Unbelievably, two members of Badfinger, Pete Ham and Tom Evans, committed suicide due to the financial problems of the band. In his suicide note, Ham wrote: "Stan Polley is a soulless bustard. I will take him with me".

[sdeitche]

I was recently on a podcast, Who Cares About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where I spoke a bit about mob influence in rock music and the Hall (also discussed what metal bands belong in the Hall).

The host told me that he interviewed the legendary Seymour Stein and that Stein mentioned how the late Philly DJ Jerry Blavat, who worked directly for the Hall in its early years, was super mobbed-up. He was close to Angelo Bruno and Nicky Scarfo.

[Juice Terry]

I was recently on a podcast, Who Cares About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where I spoke a bit about mob influence in rock music and the Hall (also discussed what metal bands belong in the Hall).

The host told me that he interviewed the legendary Seymour Stein and that Stein mentioned how the late Philly DJ Jerry Blavat, who worked directly for the Hall in its early years, was super mobbed-up. He was close to Angelo Bruno and Nicky Scarfo.

No so friendly with Ligambi, according to Bent Finger Lou. He claimed that Ligambi wanted Blavat dead at one point...

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/ne ... ry-blavat/

[sdeitche]

I was recently on a podcast, Who Cares About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where I spoke a bit about mob influence in rock music and the Hall (also discussed what metal bands belong in the Hall).

The host told me that he interviewed the legendary Seymour Stein and that Stein mentioned how the late Philly DJ Jerry Blavat, who worked directly for the Hall in its early years, was super mobbed-up. He was close to Angelo Bruno and Nicky Scarfo.

No so friendly with Ligambi, according to Bent Finger Lou. He claimed that Ligambi wanted Blavat dead at one point...

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/ne ... ry-blavat/

great article

[Juice Terry]

Anybody here read John Pearson's One Of The Family: The Englishman And The Mafia? It's a biography of English criminal and ex-manager of Black Sabbath, Wilf Pine.

Pine was very close friends with Joe Pagano, whom he met through the music business. In fact Pagano was even Best Man at Pine's wedding. Pine could be regarded as an associate of the Pagano crew. He was a messenger for Joe, travelling around the country delivering envelopes etc.

There's an incident in the book in which Pine supposedly saves infamous British music manager Don Arden, the self-styled 'Al Capone of Pop' from being killed by Pagano.

Arden had been in negotiations with one of Pagano's crew over a music-related deal. The meeting got a bit heated and Pagano's name was mentioned. Arden: "Whose Joe Pagano? Fuck him! He's a faggott!...etc" Next thing you know Pine, who was in NY, is getting a call from a furious Pagano wanting to know who this Arden is, and telling Pine to bring him to a certain restaurant in Manhatten the next day.

Pine gives Arden the message, and the next day Pine, Arden and Arden's son turn up at the restaurant, only to find it closed. Straight away Pine starts to get a bad feeling. They are let into the empty restaurant and take seats. After a short wait, the doors burst open and in strides a very angry Pagano and a few of his crew, including a notorious Genovese hit man, who proceeds to stand right behind Arden. Pagano immediately starts on Arden: "You call me a fuckin faggot?!!". Arden is lost for words and his son is visibly shitting himself. Pine, knowing what is about to go down, pulls Pagano to one side and explains that Arden is an idiot loudmouth but a good earner. He can make Joe a lot of money if he let's him apologise.

Such was Pagano's respect for Pine that he let it slide and, eventually he and Arden became business partners and good friends.

It's been a while since I read the book but I believe that's how it went down. Pine is no longer with us but he was also friends with Danny Pagano, whom he visited a number of times in jail.

Don Arden, an ex-wrestler, managed the Small Faces, ELO and Jerry Lee Lewis amongst others. He employed underworld tough guys to make sure his acts got paid and that their records were played on the radio. Peter Grant, the notorious manager of Led Zeppelin, was his one-time bodyguard and driver, as was Pine. He once threatened to throw the Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood out of a high-rise window after Stigwood tried to poach the Small Faces from him. The surviving Small Faces believe Arden ripped them off big time.

[NYNighthawk]

Great book is Me, the Mob and the Music about Toomy James and Morris Levy!

[ng]

Great book is Me, the Mob and the Music about Toomy James and Morris Levy!

Thanks you read my mind haha!

On a side note- I would love to know more about Diddys Italian contacts in the business. Apparently him and who was it Andy Campo(?) grew up together

[Aunt+Baby]

Most notable is Big Ernie’s old man putting on Tony Bennett. Nerdu goes into detail on it in his Ernie vid

[NYNighthawk]

Great book is Me, the Mob and the Music about Toomy James and Morris Levy!

Thanks you read my mind haha!

On a side note- I would love to know more about Diddys Italian contacts in the business. Apparently him and who was it Andy Campo(?) grew up together

They played football together at Mt. St, Michael's HS in the north Bronx. Campo was the quaterback and very tight with Greg DePalma and Frankie Locs. Diddy was a linebacker or tight end.
Campos – who played high-school football with future rap star Sean “P. Diddy” Combs at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx — previously pleaded guilty in 2005 for his role in a massive, $500 million scam involving porn websites and 1-800 phone lines offering sex talk, horoscope readings and dating services.

[Pmac2]

Morris levy owners of the strawberries music chain huge in the northeast was fat tonys then chins guy. he gifted chins girlfriend the upper Eastside townhouse. think he had a horse farm next to fat tony. died in jail I think late 80tys taxes

[ng]

Great book is Me, the Mob and the Music about Toomy James and Morris Levy!

Thanks you read my mind haha!

On a side note- I would love to know more about Diddys Italian contacts in the business. Apparently him and who was it Andy Campo(?) grew up together

They played football together at Mt. St, Michael's HS in the north Bronx. Campo was the quaterback and very tight with Greg DePalma and Frankie Locs. Diddy was a linebacker or tight end.
Campos – who played high-school football with future rap star Sean “P. Diddy” Combs at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx — previously pleaded guilty in 2005 for his role in a massive, $500 million scam involving porn websites and 1-800 phone lines offering sex talk, horoscope readings and dating services.

He went in a tight end but now he's a wide receiver