"All Mobbed Up"

When I saw that Tommy James had written a book called, "Me, the Mob, and the Music", I knew I was going to have to read it.

Tommy, for those of you who didn't come of age in the 60's or 70's, was a hit maker extraordinaire. He and the Shondells charted a slew of number one records like, "Mony Mony", "I Think We're Alone Now", "Crimson and Clover", Crystal Blue Persuasion" and the one that started it all---"Hanky Panky". From the obscurity of Niles, Michigan to the rock n' roll bigtime this is the story of Tommy's show business education. It ain't pretty.

For years the radio and record industry was full of shady characters and even shadier deals. Lots of records that weren't so great became hits because record labels provided ""consideration" to program directors and disc jockeys for airplay. The guys who ran the record companies had legions of promotion people who were paid to make sure that the artists under contract to the label got plenty of exposure on pop music stations in all the key markets. Whatever it took...cash, booze, babes, dope, there was no shortage if it got the records on the air. There was a ton of money in rock n' roll and often times the artists were last in line when it was passed out.

In 1966 a Pittsburgh DJ started playing "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James and the Shondells and got a tremendous response. Tommy had recorded it a couple of years before when he and the Shondells were just a regional band in Southern Michigan and the song had died as a minor regional hit. The Pittsburgh resurrection changed all of that. Soon Tommy found himself in the offices of Morris Levy the president of Roulette records in New York City and that's where his music business tutorial began.

Morris Levy

In a sleazy industry Roulette records and Morris Levy stood out. Morris was a tough guy from the Bronx and he was in business with the mob. Guys like "Vinnie the Chin" Gigante, Gaetano "Corky" Vastola, Tommy Eboli, Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo, and Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno all of the Genovese crime family were his partners and friends. This was not a great situation for a nice boy from the Midwest. Naturally, Tommy signed with Roulette. The book is the story of the wild ride that followed.

If you grew up thinking that the hits you listened to on Top 40 radio got there because they were legitimate hits, this book should open your eyes. If you worked in the radio and record industry, you'll find yourself saying...."Hey, I know that guy!"

"Vinnie the Chin" says, "I think you'll like this book, or else!"