Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Thoughtful of them.
  

    
Wish they would have told me.
  

    
Just through chapter 1 and the first question is:How deep was the mob
into  Warhol's Factory?
  

    <scribbled by gerry Fri 5 Apr 13 16:20>
  

    
Nice to see you here, Joel.

> ... trace back to the beginning the complicated relationship between
the Mob and the music business. Certainly in NYC during the '40s and
'50s...

That brings to mind something from an earlier era: Louis Armstrong
during Prohibition.  In Chicago he was duped into signing conflicting
agreements with mobsters and later exiled himself to Europe because
his life was in danger.  Joe Glazer, an associate of Al Capone,
eventually straightened everything out and became Armstrong's manager
(on a handshake).
  

    
Inquiring minds want to know if Dick Cami founded the chain of "Crabby
Dick's" restaurants - he mentions that's one of his nicknames.  If so,
I'm going to have to buy a T-shirt.
  

    
Dick Cami found us. He's been trying to get this made into a movie for
years and decided to try a book for a change. I don't think that's his
restaurant chain, although I can personally vouch that he can be
crabby. Morris Levy is all over the Peppermint Lounge story, as is
Ronnie Spector, whose first gig in show business was dancing at the
club. The movie shot at the club, "Hey Let's Twist," did star the house
band, Joey Dee and the Starlighters, but, sadly, no Ronettes. I used
footage from the trailer for the film for the book's trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MBAwsbc37w
  

    
Wow, that is a fabulous trailer.  
  

    
I hate to disagree with my co-author but yes, Crabby Dick's was Dick
Cami's place. He had a bunch, okay a few, other restaurants after Top
of the Home, which he founded after the Peppermint Lounge. 
  

    
And that there is our co-author, John Johnson, Jr. who, by way of
introduction, wrote:

"I wrote for the LA Times for years, worked in D.C. in the Reagan
Admin. Have written one other book, about the Menendez killings, which
was made into a not-too-embarrassing TV movie. Jill Clayburgh was in
it, which was a thrill for me. Have a son, a lawyer who thank God
managed to get a job, and live in Long Beach, Ca."
  

    
So now that the gang's all here, so to speak, we should add that
non-Well people wanting to ask questions here should just fire off an
e-mail to inkwell [at] well [dot] com, and we'll post 'em immediately. 

John, did your beat at the Times specialize in organized crime? Tell
us a little -- both of you -- about how the story here came to you.
  

    
That trailer is great!  Thanks, Joel.  And hello, John.
  

    
Thanks, Mr. Johnson for the answer on Crabby Dick's, and for the
portrait of Matty "The Horse" Ianniello and his role (or non-role) in
Joey Gallo's murder and in Times Square vice.

I am not a mafia history geek, exactly, but I like to understand the
basic landscape of 20th century organized crime and that was a missing
puzzle piece.
  

    
 John, Joel, welcome. reflecting on the comment above "..how huge the
twist was ... It wasn't just a "dance craze," it was huge...."
Exactly right!
 
  I was perhaps seven at the time and I recall my grandmother saying
with a grandmotherly wink in her eye, that people were dancing "that
twist" at the Peppermint place but I wasn't allowed to go there at my
age. However, at the time she knew more about the twist than anybody
else in my family.

   I have the book on order and want to add a link about the movie

         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNeeNGOJj5s

 A question for you - Where does Chubby Checker fit into the  story?
  

    
This is germane to this subject

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/a_true_spine_tingler_isolated_vocals_tracks
_from_the_ronettes_baby_i_love_y
  

    
Wow!
  

    
Too bad this topic has languished.  I just finished the book and I
thought the final chapter on the present Chubby Checker was apropos. 
It reminded me of seeing Bo Diddley back in the early '80s at a county
fair here in TX where we were 3 of the 4 people standing in the field
listening.
  

    
The authors disappeared. I guess they got bored. Sorry to all who were
expecting something. We'll do better next time.
  

    
Yeah, kinda sucks because the book is great.  And that's a sad story
about Bo Diddley.
  

    
Yeah, I would've walked several miles to see Bo.  So, any idea why
there were only 4 people?  A guy I knew told me about going to see Ella
Fitzgerald many years before at a nightclub.  Due to some terrible
weather event, only a handful of people showed up.  He said it was the
best performance he'd ever seen.

I haven't yet read the book, but am looking forward to reading it when
my schedule lightens up a little.  
  

    
Who would go to a county fair to see Bo Diddley? His "management"
probably had him as the low guy on their roster, and nobody gave the
event any publicity. Very sad, because the last time I saw him, he had
a great show.  
  

    
Can't recall if the county was Travis(prolly not) or one of the less
populous close by.  I think it was to see Bo that Jane and Jimmy and I
made the drive.  There was about 30 square yards of fenced in field a
ways away from the fairway lights and a stage across one end with maybe
4 spots.  He put on a good show.  It was later that Geo. Thorogood put
him back(however briefly) in the spotlight.  Can't remember if it was
a Thursday or a Friday or Saturday night which could easily make a
difference in attendance in a country county.  I recall Jane bitching
about it after the show as we got in the truck. 
  

    
Oh, and I recall the field being muddy so it had probably been raining
which would hold down fair attendance.
  

    
I once saw Little Richard in a revival tent show on the outskirts of
Minneapolis.  It was weird mingling with the crowd and it was in what
is now Michelle Bachmann's district.  Richard was a little subdued, but
what a great gospel voice.  What a great voice period.

<gerry> also saw Larry Harlow at the Minnesota State Fair which was
great for me.  I don't know how the rest of the audience reacted.  They
were polite and I guess they abided.