Backbeat Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Rock Music

by Jeffrey Sussman

Overview

In the 1950s, when rock and roll music burst upon the scene, the major established record companies thought that the new music was a passing teenage trend, but mobsters pounced. Backbeat Gangsters includes the stories of the most sinister people who took control of the record business during the early days of rock and roll, as well as those of the mob’s victims, especially numerous young performers who were exploited and never received the compensation that record companies owed them. The Mafia used intimidation and violence to achieve their ends, and corporate executives sacrificially ended the careers of various legitimate members of the music community, relying on the protection of political allies. The mob made millions from the careers of young performers who had dreamt of stardom and instead suffered from the indifference of those who could have helped them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538190265
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/15/2025
Pages:	190
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jeffrey Sussman is the author of 18 non-fiction books. He has written several books about organized crime and has been recognized as one of America’s leading authorities on the subject. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs and podcasts and participated in several documentaries about organized crime. His most recent books about organized crime are Big Apple Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in New York; Sin City Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Las Vegas; Tinseltown Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Hollywood; and Boxing and the Mob: The Notorious History of the Sweet Science.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Jukeboxes and Rock & Roll

Chapter 2: Morris Levy: The Godfather of Rock & Roll

Chapter 3: Alan Freed: Rock & Roll’s Broadcast Wizard

Chapter 4: Vincent “the Chin” Gigante: The Godfather’s Godfather

Chapter 5: Jimmie Rodgers: A Star is Born and Reborn

Chapter 6: Frankie Lymon: Sweet Voice Junkie

Chapter 7: Sal “The Swindler” Pisello: The Great Cut Out Swindle

Chapter 8: Drugs, Music, and the Mafia

Chapter 9: The Return of Payola

Chapter 10: Pop to Doo Wop to Hip Hop

Chapter 11: Scalping and Skimming

Appendix: List of Murdered Hip Hop Performers