Tony Lip
Posted on 01/06/2013 6:30:34 AM PST by AtlasStalled
Tony Lip, a nightclub-employee-turned-charactor-actor known for his mob roles who appeared in The Godfather among other films, has died at 82 in Paramus, NJ as reported by Evonne Coutros for The Record.
Lip worked in a string of mobbed-up Times Square joints including as a bouncer at The Wagon Wheel and Peppermint Lounge which were secretly owned by Genovese capo Johnny Biello, and then at the Copacabana where he eventually became general manager and was discovered by director Francis Ford Coppola and casting director Louis DiGiamo.
The Wagon Wheel in the mid-1960s allegedly was a gay hustler bar which "seemed to court trouble," and historian and playwright Martin Duberman recounts the rough trade there in his 2002 memoir Cures: A Gay Man's Odyssey:
"Only the front bar was considered hustler territory, and even there the mix was uncertain and volatile; the tough young hood sweet-talking an older man one minute might the next disappear with some stringy-haired blonde woman into the straight dancing area at the back of the bar and spoon away the night. If the unlucky older man experienced disappointment, he could console himself by remembering the beatings and robbery rumored to befall 'lucky' patrons who succeeded in bringing one of the young toughs home."
According to Duberman dates between hustlers and johns at The Wagon Wheel were arranged by "a curly-haired young Italian guy," and he writes:
"It turned out he got his kicks in life, and part of his income, from fixing people up. He combined the tastes of a madame and an entrepreneur and, not incidentally, got the side pleasure of enticing some of the more reluctant studs into his own bed, free of charge, by promising to fix them up with prosperous older men. 'Clearly,' he said, with a winsome grin, 'you aren't an older man -- at least not old enough to be prosperous enough. Unless you got some inherited money. Do you?' I explained my limited means, gave him an ingratiating Tom Sawyer account of my life as a struggling writer, and kept mum about my academic credentials. He excused himself for a few minutes and then reappeared with 'Ned' in tow. * * * Ned, at first glance, was no more than eighteen, and since physical culture was not in the sixties an established art form, I couldn't imagine at which temple of the imagination this astonishing-looking young man burned his devotional candles."
The Peppermint Lounge of course was an early rock 'n' roll venue where the popular dance the Twist was created, and is the subject of a new book Peppermint Twist by John Johnson Jr. and Joel Selvin as plugged by the authors for The Huffington Post: "the tale follows the strangest crew of thugs and hustlers to ever run a rock and roll club," and "behind it all was Johnny Biello, the gentleman mobster trying to navigate his way into a quiet, peaceful retirement from the organization that he'd grown to despise as a bunch classless thugs."
Genovese capo Matty Ianniello later took control of the Peppermint Lounge, and was convicted in 1985 with several associates for skimming profits out of that club and several others including gay hustler bar the Haymarket.
Apparently folks never tired of hearing Lip's stories from the club days: "Lip said at his 80th birthday party in August 2010 that people craved hearing about the celebrities he met while working at the Copa — especially if they were gangsters or touched by scandal."
Ummmmmmm. That’s an odd obituary.
Tony Lip
hmmm...colorful...was he gay too? Doesn’t mention anything about a wife or children
His wife Delores died in 1999, he had two sons, Nick & Frank.
His wife Delores died in 1999, he had two sons, Nick & Frank.
His wife Delores died in 1999, he had two sons, Nick & Frank.
His wife Delores died in 1999, he had two sons, Nick & Frank.
His wife Delores died in 1999, he had two sons, Nick & Frank.
Sorry...ipad glitch
I believed you the 1st post. :~ )
“hmmm...colorful...was he gay too? Doesn’t mention anything about a wife or children”
No, he wasn’t gay. Had a wife and kids. Although The Wagon Wheel and The Peppermint Lounge at various periods over their histories had a gay trade the owners, management and staff during these periods invariably were straight. Indeed, there may not have even been a gay customer base at either The Wagon Wheel and The Peppermint Lounge during the specific periods when Lip may have worked as a bouncer.
Guess his middle name was ‘DA’?
RIP.
When people ‘griped’ about “The Soprano’s” I used to muse, that, in order to be PC, they should have used the same actors then just named them O’Reilly, O’Donnell, Kelly etc etc etc.
Then 2 cultures could either be proud or weeweed off.....
Strange obit - doesn’t mention them.
Over 40 years ago, I worked for a company that built disco equipment, neon dance floors, color organs, strobes, etc.. We did a trade show in NYC. I built everything,,, miles of wiring,, digital controls, etc.. In NYC, I wasn’t allowed to touch anything! Stoopid unions.
Anyway,, at the end of the show, two tough-looking guys in shiny suits came up to my boss. “Youse wanna sell that stuff?” Boss says “Sure!” Transaction was carried out in a hotel room. Old suitcase full of used bills. Install was on Cape Cod. It was a gay club. Worst job ever! If I hadda take a leak, I went across the street to McDs!
RIP.
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