Also this issue:

A New D-Hole
Artist and activist Albo Jeavons takes on the Disney divot.
-Daniel Brook

Ring Up the King
There are thousands of names in the Philadelphia phone book. One of them is Elvis Presley.
-Jenn Carbin

Failing the Test of Fairness
Institutional racism and the SAT.
-Tim Wise

Chow, Fun
-Mary F. Patel

Commissioner Gordon
Surprising many, Inquirer editor puts insider Anne Gordon in charge of policing the paper’s operations.
-Deborah Bolling

August 15-21, 2002

city beat

Made Music Man

The Philadelphia confluence of gangsters and gangstas.

by Brendan McGarvey

Two weeks ago cops from Philly’s organized crime unit stumbled upon an interesting scene at the Penrose Diner in South Philadelphia.

According to several law enforcement sources, the cops spotted Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi, the reputed boss of the local Cosa Nostra, meeting with a Manayunk restaurateur and an alleged longtime mob associate who is heavily involved in the rap music business.

Police lost track of Ligambi and the Manayunk man after they left the diner, but were able to pull over Tyrone DeNittis. Sources say DeNittis was angry, though neither he nor Ligambi could be reached for comment.

Underworld sources claim that DeNittis is representing a rising young rapper from North Philadelphia who recently signed a deal with a major record label.

Tyrone DeNittis was listed in the 1980 Pennsylvania Crime Commission report as a mob associate of crime boss Angelo Bruno. According to the Crime Commission, DeNittis was the owner of a South Philadelphia talent agency which booked acts at various bars and clubs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

At the time of the report, DeNittis counted among his employees Harry "The Hunchback" Riccobene and his half brother Mario. The FBI claimed that Harry Riccobene, a powerful, old-time Mafia member, was using the talent agency business as a front for his gambling and loan-sharking business. In the late 1970s, FBI wiretaps in the DeNittis Talent Agency recorded several meetings between Harry Riccobene, mob underboss Philip "Chicken Man" Testa and Atlantic City mobster Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo.

In its 1990 report, the Crime Commission noted that DeNittis had acted as Scarfo's front man in a video jukebox business in New Jersey in the early '80s.

Police aren't sure why DeNittis was meeting with Ligambi two weeks ago . But one source told City Paper that the Manayunk businessman who was also present represents a group of legitimate investors -- dentists, doctors and businessmen from the Main Line -- who put up money to invest with DeNittis in the rap music business.

The source said, "It's confusing because it is legitimate money and legit people involved but DeNittis is also friendly with the mob, so it looks like he might be representing two different groups in this rap music venture. If the legitimate investors found out the mob was putting their money into the same project they could have one of two reactions. Either the legit guys would be so scared they'd pee themselves, or they'd feel reassured because they'd figure no one is going to mess with the mob so their money is definitely safer than on Wall Street right now."

One source familiar with mob involvement in the local rap music scene told City Paper that "both Ralph Natale and Joey Merlino invested in rap musicians. Rap and hip-hop are big business and Ralph and Joey were backing various rappers from North and West Philadelphia 'cause they were hoping that one of the acts would strike gold. A real deal rap star would make a lot of money for everybody."

But it's not just the mob that's investing in the rap music scene. Law enforcement sources claim that investigators from the Philadelphia Police Department's Narcotics Unit have found evidence of several violent African-American drug gangs financing various rap groups.

In addition, law enforcement sources allege that black Muslims who run one of the largest prison gangs in Pennsylvania have begun to back several local rappers.

In one instance, according to both law enforcement and underworld sources, members of the Philadelphia Mafia and a Muslim prison gang have met to broker a deal to back one local rapper who is poised to make a big-time record deal. These sources say the rapper was trying to break away from his drug gang backers, and ironically needed the help of bigger gangsters in the Mafia and the prison gang to start fresh.

Sources claim the rapper is in negotiations with a major label and is very close to signing an extremely lucrative contract.

"Show business is big business," one Underworld source said. "And right now, the biggest thing in entertainment is rap music. It's a multimillion dollar business. Whether you're a gangbanger or a legit guy with some money to invest, rap music is the next big thing. And everybody wants a piece of that pie!"