Joe Isgro

Joseph Isgro (born 1948) is an American Academy Award-nominated producer known for Producing the Academy Award Nominated film "Hoffa". He is a recipient of a Purple Heart Medal, and a Vietnam War veteran. Isgro, whose powerful independent promotion team controlled the radio airwaves for much of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, is integrally responsible for launching and promoting the careers of some of the biggest names in music history including Michael Jackson, Elton John, Billy Joel, Madonna and countless musicians. Isgro has infamously been tied to organized crime and was indicted for alleged payola in the biggest scandal in music history. Isgro is allegedly a member of the Gambino crime family of New York City and an associate of the Los Angeles crime family primarily involved in shylocking. He was featured in the book Hit Men by Fredric Dannen and was reportedly a part of late Gambino capo Joseph Armone's crew under boss John Gotti, whom he knew and met on at least one occasion. [u]Early Life[/u] Isgro was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and enlisted in the US Marine Corps. At the age of 19, he was presented with a Purple Heart for his bravery and wounds received during combat in the Vietnam War. His term with the Marines ended in 1968. [u]Career In L.A.[/u] Isgro's career began as local promotion director for Decca Records (which later became MCA Records). His responsibilities included record promotion of various artists for the Pennsylvania and New Jersey territories. In 1970, Isgro went to work for Paramount Records as the regional promoter, working with such artists as Billy Joel, Dave Mason and The Crusaders. Isgro then went to work for Schwartz Bros., the largest independent record distributor whose clients included Motown, A&M Records, RCA Records, Chrysalis Records and Arista Records. In 1974, Roulette Records hired Isgro as the National Director of Promotion. Isgro led the promotional staff and oversaw the company's publicity and advertising department. Motown Records hired Isgro in 1976 as Regional Director of Promotion. He was responsible for the promotion and development of Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Lionel Richie, The Jacksons, The Commodores, Thelma Houston and Teena Marie. Joe was then promoted to National Director of Promotion, which brought him to California, and then to Executive Vice President of Promotion. After several years with Motown, Isgro left and became involved in the formation of EMI Records, a division of Capitol Records. Isgro was brought onto EMI to handle the promotion staff of the new label on the West Coast. In 1979, he formed Isgro Enterprises, Inc., an independent record promotion and consulting company. Isgro promoted releases for several major labels including records by artists including Michael Jackson, Culture Club, Neil Diamond and many others. Isgro then developed Los Angeles Recording Company (LARC), distributed through MCA Records. Soon after the formation of LARC Records, Isgro established a second label, Private I Records, distributed through Columbia Records. The first release of Private I Records was Matthew Wilder’s "Break My Stride", which peaked at number one on the US chart position. It would be the first of Private I's 27 number-one singles. In 1992, Isgro produced the film Hoffa, starring Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito and Armand Assante. It was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Currently, Isgro is a producer at Raging Bull Productions. His projects include the films Lucky Luciano, Pablo Escobar and The Stone Pony. Isgro secured the rights for the Luciano story in 2007 and the film is currently in pre-production. [u]Arrests[/u] In September 1990, Isgro and two other defendants were prosecuted for 57 counts of payola-related offenses, including racketeering, mail fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice. The case was dismissed by a federal on grounds of "outrageous government misconduct". On March 25, 2000, FBI agents and the Beverly Hills Police Department arrested Isgro and charged him with a federal felony complaint of extortion. According to an FBI affidavit, Isgro and a crew of collectors and enforcers extorted hundreds of thousands of dollars from scores of victims, charging interest rates of up to 5% a week. The loan sharking operation had been going on since 1994, the FBI said. According to criminal complaints filed in the case, a Rancho Palos Verdes, California, man, Bernard Beyda, complained to Beverly Hills police that he was threatened after he had difficulty making "loan" payments, which included 5% in weekly interest, to one of Isgros enforcers. In addition to this, Isgro has been repeatedly identified in organized crime charts as a member of the Gambino crime family with his base of operations in Los Angeles. In July 2014, a new indictment was brought against Isgro for running a mob-linked gambling operation. He allegedly conspired with Joseph Giordano, a Gambino capo and bookmaker, to set up an operation that used offshore wire rooms in Costa Rica, under the names Elite and Cristal, and took bets from people in the United States.