Tyrone DeNittis
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Tyrone DeNittis (born 1935) ran the Tyrones, a popular Philadelphia rock and roll group of the 50s that recorded several hit songs including "Blast Off" and "I'm Shook" and appeared singing "Blast Off" in the film Let's Rock. Part of Bill Haley's talent and booking stable, the Tyrones recorded a number of Haley-published songs. It is also believed that several Comets including Frank Beecher took part in the recording sessions, which were later "cleaned up" by Johnny Grande and Billy Williamson. DeNittis' brother, Al Dean, briefly joined the Comets as sax player in 1960. He may also have recorded with the Tyrones. Several Tyrones classics were used a few years ago on the soundtrack of the animated film The Iron Giant.
Later on, 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.
In 1997, a lawsuit was filed against Tyrone DeNittis and several others, who had been hired by Green Tree Financial Corporation to serve as contractors in a home improvement scheme that resulted in no actual work performed by the contractors or the work being performed in an unsatisfactory manner. The lawsuit was appealed by the United States District Court in 1999.
