Tommy James came up during a time when the music industry was in part controlled by New York’s Italian mafia. And for a period in the 1960s, that power was centralized at Roulette Records. The record label was run by convicted extortionist Morris Levy and operated in partnership with the Genovese crime family. Tommy James’ hits were sanctioned by the mob, the same mob that would threaten not only his career, but his life.

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This episode was originally published on August 17, 2021.

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Tommy James came up during a time when the music industry was in part controlled by New York&rsquo;s Italian mafia. And for a period in the 1960s, that power was centralized at Roulette Records. The record label was run by convicted extortionist Morris Levy and operated in partnership with the Genovese crime family. Tommy James&rsquo; hits were sanctioned by the mob, the same mob that would threaten not only his career, but his life.
To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at&nbsp;<a href="https://disgracelandpod.com/">⁠www.disgracelandpod.com⁠</a>.
This episode was originally published on August 17, 2021.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at&nbsp;⁠<a href="https://disgracelandpod.com">disgracelandpod.com</a>
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - <a href="https://mailchi.mp/doubleelvis/disgraceland-email-newsletter">⁠GET THE NEWSLETTER⁠</a>
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
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<a href="https://twitter.com/disgracelandpod">⁠X⁠</a> (formerly Twitter)&nbsp;
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&nbsp;

DISGRACELAND is an award-winning music and true crime podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. Jerry Lee Lewis's 5th wife? Dead. Sid and Nancy? Both dead. Why? Because musicians are insane, and insane things happen to them.

Why did we lose Amy Winehouse at 27? Was Debbie Harry really abducted by Ted Bundy as she claims? Is Patti Smith not just the "Godmother of Punk", but also the "Original True Crime Girl"? What really happened the night of the Jay Z nightclub stabbing? What do the Diddy indictments truly reveal? All these stories and more, on artists from every genre and their true crimes, in our massive 260-plus story archive. The Dead, the Stones, Johnny, Willie, Frank, Kurt, Courtney, Gaga, Lana, Taylor, and too many to name.

DISGRACELAND is music history come to life through audio storytelling as you've never heard it before, with revealing facts: yes, assassins are the real reason the Beatles quit touring—reclaimed myths: no, Mama Cass didn't die from choking on a ham sandwich––and constant reckoning between art and artist––all told through the lens of true crime.

This is the podcast for the self-proclaimed "Disgos", the musically obsessed and the true crime heads; the outsiders, the independent thinkers who know that the best history is the history that gets buried. DISGRACELAND is where host Jake Brennan tells the stories they didn't want told. The kind you'll end up telling someone else. Get ready to uncover hidden truths and buckle up for truly edge-of-your-seat storytelling.

New, fully scripted, sound-designed episodes are released every Tuesday. Bonus chat-style episodes where Jake responds to voicemails, texts, and emails from Disgos hit on Thursdays, and "Rewind" episodes from our archive drop on Sundays.

DISGRACELAND is not a journalistic podcast. It's an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. Certain dialogue and scenes are dramatized, as is common in scripted entertainment based on real stories. Sources and credits for each episode are available at www.disgracelandpod.com.

To unlock ad-free listening, exclusive content, and connect with your fellow Disgos, go to www.disgracelandpod.com to become an All Access member. 

Rocka Rolla.

 

DISGRACELAND is an award-winning music and true crime podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. Jerry Lee Lewis's 5th wife? Dead. Sid and Nancy? Both dead. Why? Because musicians are insane, and insane things happen to them.
Why did we lose Amy Winehouse at 27? Was Debbie Harry really abducted by Ted Bundy as she claims? Is Patti Smith not just the "Godmother of Punk", but also the "Original True Crime Girl"? What really happened the night of the Jay Z nightclub stabbing? What do the Diddy indictments truly reveal? All these stories and more, on artists from every genre and their true crimes, in our massive 260-plus story archive. The Dead, the Stones, Johnny, Willie, Frank, Kurt, Courtney, Gaga, Lana, Taylor, and too many to name.
DISGRACELAND is music history come to life through audio storytelling as you've never heard it before, with revealing facts: yes, assassins are the real reason the Beatles quit touring&mdash;reclaimed myths: no, Mama Cass didn't die from choking on a ham sandwich&ndash;&ndash;and constant reckoning between art and artist&ndash;&ndash;all told through the lens of true crime.
This is the podcast for the self-proclaimed "Disgos", the musically obsessed and the true crime heads; the outsiders, the independent thinkers who know that the best history is the history that gets buried. DISGRACELAND is where host Jake Brennan tells the stories they didn't want told. The kind you'll end up telling someone else. Get ready to uncover hidden truths and buckle up for truly edge-of-your-seat storytelling.
New, fully scripted, sound-designed episodes are released every Tuesday. Bonus chat-style episodes where Jake responds to voicemails, texts, and emails from Disgos hit on Thursdays, and "Rewind" episodes from our archive drop on Sundays.
DISGRACELAND is not a journalistic podcast. It's an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. Certain dialogue and scenes are dramatized, as is common in scripted entertainment based on real stories. Sources and credits for each episode are available at<a href="http://www.disgracelandpod.com"> www.disgracelandpod.com</a>.
To unlock ad-free listening, exclusive content, and connect with your fellow Disgos, go to<a href="http://www.disgracelandpod.com"> www.disgracelandpod.com</a> to become an All Access member.&nbsp;
Rocka Rolla.
&nbsp;

DISGRACELAND

Tommy James and the Shondells: Mony Mony and Mafia-Sanctioned Hits

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7cc5b40d-21fc-470c-a55a-b41a013a7501/transcript