Jeffrey Sussman's 'Backbeat Gangsters' Tells the Story of Rock 'n' Roll and the Mob

Jeffrey Sussman, author of the new book “Backbeat Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Rock Music,” will speak about his book at five libraries on the East End in the coming weeks.

On Saturday, May 3, at 3 p.m. Sussman will be at the Hampton Library, 2478 Main Street, Bridgehampton; on Saturday, May 10, at 2 p.m. he will be at the East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street, East Hampton; on Sunday, May 11, at 2 p.m. he will be at the John Jermain Memorial Library, 201 Main Street, Sag Harbor; on Saturday, May 17, at 1 p.m. he will be at the Hampton Bays Public Library, 52 Ponquogue Avenue, Hampton Bays; and on Saturday, May 31, at 3 p.m. he will be at the Amagansett Free Library, 215 Main Street, Amagansett.

“Backbeat Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Rock Music” is the latest of Sussman’s series of “Rise and Decline” mob books. Others have dealt with Hollywood, Las Vegas, boxing, and New York City. “Backbeat Gangsters” is a shocking expose of the early days of rock ’n’ roll when the mob used intimidation and violence to achieve their ends and made millions from denying royalties, stealing copyrights and trademarks, bribing DJs, and numerous scams like flooding the market with counterfeit records which didn’t have the burden of paying royalties.

“Jeffrey Sussman exposes how the mob controlled much of the music business and shaped much of American culture,” wrote Nicholas Pileggi, author of “Casino” and co-author of “Goodfellas.” “It will fascinate anyone interested in organized crime, rock ’n’ roll and American history.”

Jeffrey Sussman is the author of 18 nonfiction books and has been recognized as one of America’s leading authorities on the role that organized crime has played in commerce and culture.