There are all kinds of shady and dangerous creatures lurking in the music industry. Since about the mid-20th century, the mob has found ways to extract money by getting involved in record labels, radio stations, artist management, and live music venues.
Although things aren’t what they used to be, the mob’s involvement played a key part in the development of the music industry for decades.
One of the key figures in all this ran a New York–based label called Roulette Records, which started business in 1957. One of the co-founders was Morris Levy, who got his start in jazz clubs.
At his peak, Levy headed 90 companies employing over 900 people, spanning music publishing, the independent record label game, record stores, record-pressing plants, tape-duplicating facilities, artist management, and a music distribution company.
Some called him an “entrepreneur,” but the truth was that Morris—“Mo” or “Moishe” to his friends (and a few enemies)—was a crook who controlled far more of the industry than people realized. Much of his business was connected to organized crime.
He’s gone now, but while he was alive, he was probably the most mobbed-up music man in history. A lot of people were ripped off for tens of millions of dollars, and more than one person got hurt.
I’m AC, and this is episode 47 of Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry.
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