The Starlight Club 8: Elvis

Also by Joe Corso

The Starlight Club series

The Time Traveler series

The Lone Jack Kid series

Engine 24 Fire Stories series

The Old Man and the King

The Revenge of John W

Shootout in Cheyenne

The Time Portal

Lafitte’s Treasure

Tommy Topper and the Pixie Princess

The Comeback

Every time I think that I'm getting old, and gradually going to the grave, something else happens.

Elvis Presley

A special thanks to Giuseppi Maninno and Nicola Nasca, owners of Jacaranda Italian Restaurant, for allowing the use of their names.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Also by Joe Corso

Authors Note

Prologue

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Four

Epilogue

Books by Joe Corso

AUTHORS NOTE

I originally intended for The Starlight Club series to end with the seventh book, but three factors convinced me to continue writing the popular series.

In the prologue of the first book, Bobby now an old man, and his daughter Lynn visited the site of the original Starlight Club in Corona, Queens, NY. They found a Spanish Deli. If the club existed in the first book, then instead of an empty lot in the seventh book a structure should have existed at this location. When the father and daughter visited the site, that was not the case. This discontinuity called for an eighth book.

The second factor was the inordinate amount of emails I received from fans who wanted the Starlight Club series to continue. Either of these two factors would have been enough to convince me to write an eighth book, but there was another more provocative incentive that convinced me to continue the series.

I experienced three situations concerning Elvis. The first occurred in 1980 and the last in 2016. One evening in 1980 two men entered the video equipment rental store in South Florida I managed. They introduced themselves as Steve Chantzes and Steve Crown. They were interested in renting a video camera and recorder. Back then the camera and recorder were two separate items which were rented individually. Chantzes paid me the rental fee and told me he was videotaping a celebrity. He asked if I would be interested in doing the filming. Sure I said I would love to videotape a celebrity. He nodded and said he’d speak to his client and get back to me. I was disappointed when he didn’t call me that night, but the next day when they returned the equipment, Chantzes apologized for not calling me. He said the celebrity didn’t want anyone to do the taping but him and his associate, which I could understand. Steve noticed my disappointment and asked if I was an Elvis fan. When I told him I was a huge fan, he proudly said that he was the president of the largest Elvis fan club in America.

He asked if I had an audiocassette tape recorder, saying he had a tape he wanted me to hear. We went to my office and we played the tape. As soon as I heard the voice I was certain it was Elvis, then I was surprised when in the middle of a song the singer stopped singing, paused a moment and then said in a clear steady voice Someone just told me that President Regan has been shot. I hope he’s not hurt badly.

I could tell Steve appreciated my interest in a subject that was so important to him. But the audiotape was just the beginning because Steve had another surprise for me. He opened his attaché case and removed a VHS videotape which he held tauntingly in front of me. This is the video we shot last night. Would you like to see it? I was hooked, and it seemed to me that he was enjoying himself at my expense. Was he kidding? Of course I wanted to see the tape, so we hurried to the showroom, fired up a recorder, inserted the tape and pressed play.

The lighting wasn’t great and the celebrity was sitting in a chair facing Steve Chantzes who sat on a low couch looking up at him. Steve Crown filmed the celebrity from behind. I couldn’t see the celebrity’s face, but the eager expression on Steve Chantzes face left no doubt in my mind that he was staring at a major superstar. I just wished Steve could have filmed the celebrity from the front so I could have seen his face. The celebrity’s voice convinced me that the person with his back to the camera was Elvis, but over the years doubt set in and I put it aside. Before Steve left that night in 1980 he gave me a signed copy of his well-written and very interesting little book Elvis Where Are You? which I’ve used as one of the three reference sources for this book.

The other two reference sources are Gail Brewer Giorgio’s Is Elvis Alive Published by Tudor Publishing, and the gripping documentary Elvis Found Alive, Directed and Produced by Joel Gilbert.

In 1984 I hired two young men from Memphis as salesmen in a company I started. During a conversation, in my office, the subject turned to Elvis. My salesman proudly told me that Elvis had given him one of his guns. I told him that I was sorry Elvis died so young. He laughed and said, Elvis isn’t dead. That was a wax figure in the casket and I know the man who made it. He added that Elvis told him that when they open the coffin and find it empty, he’ll hold a press conference and explain what he did and why he did it. His remarks made me gasp. Was what he said true? Maybe, maybe not, but at the time it sure was convincing.

Recently I watched the compelling documentary Elvis Found Alive, produced by Joel Gilbert, President of Highway 61 Enterprises. That movie reignited the spark of doubt that had lain dormant in the inner recesses of my consciousness. Gilbert’s film together with the first two incidents convinced me to write this book. I thought it would be fun to speculate on whether the great entertainer did or didn’t fake his death.

I was convinced then in 1980 that Elvis had faked his death and if I was right, then as of this writing he may still be alive. After all, having been born a month earlier than me he was my age and I’m still alive, so if he faked his death then why couldn’t he still be alive?"

One final note. Elvis didn’t like gangsters or criminals, so I apologize for associating him in this book with Big Red and the rest of the Queens mob.

Joe Corso

Author

PROLOGUE

The weather broke, the snow stopped, and the sun’s radiant heat caused the ice on the streets to melt. Bobby looked out the den window at the diminishing snow. He was glad that the snow stopped and now it looked as if he could make the drive back to his home in Fort Lauderdale. But that depended on the sun and the weather co-operating with him. If the weather remained clear and the sun warmed up enough to melt the remaining snow, then he’d have no trouble driving back. How’s the weather look dad? Bobby turned to see his daughter Lynn holding a tray with an espresso pot on it. two small espresso cups and a bottle of Sambuca to sweeten the strong Italian coffee. Here you go dad. This time I’ll join you even if you don’t have any more Starlight Club stories to tell me.

Bobby smiled lovingly at his daughter which caused his eyes to twinkle mischievously, and his daughter picked up on it, What’s that look you’re giving me dad?

Well to tell you the truth I remembered another story concerning Big Red and the boys that may interest you. Lynn’s eyes lit up. Another Starlight Club Story dad?

Yes, but to tell this story we have to move the story ahead a few years to 1977. But before I get to that I’ll start the story at the time when Red had to make a decision of what to do about wrecked remains at the old Starlight Club location.

That’s great dad. I can’t wait to hear this story.

Do you have time to hear it now Lynn? Or if you have something you have to do, the story can wait. I can always tell it to you later.

You just sit right there dad and enjoy your coffee. I’ll finish up in the kitchen and I’ll be right back. I can’t wait to hear this story.

Ten minutes later Lynn stepped into the den and sat down opposite her father. Dad I have the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon to hear the story.

All right Lynn. The main part of this story takes place between 1967 and 1977, but it extends beyond those years. I’m going to begin the story in 1967 because the property where the Starlight Club used to be had become an eye saw over time. That’s when Big Red hired Nicky, his builder friend to build the Starlight Lounge. Something happened in Las Vegas but Trenchie handled it. Then nothing much happened until 1977 and that year an amazing story emerged. Bobby placed his coffee cup

on the tray and slapped his thighs lightly. "All right, get comfortable because this story concerns a very famous

entertainer and it’s going to take a while to tell."

A famous entertainer? Who?

Bobby smiled and an eyebrow lifted when he answered the question his daughter had asked.

It was Elvis.

Lynn stared at her father dumbfounded and sat back heavily in her chair not believing whose name her father mentioned. She repeated the name in a voice that was just above a whisper. Elvis?

ONE

Queens, 1967

Big Red stood rooted to the spot under the lamplight looking at the empty lot where the world famous Starlight Club once stood. The remains of the legendary Club remained looking for a long time like a bombed out building during the big war. A silent sentinel, an eye saw that the city was tired of looking at. The site would have remained that way if not for the city inspectors who began to issue Red Fortunato a multitude of daily violation orders. He knew he deserved them but he hadn’t wanted the ruble removed until he had made up his mind what to do with the property. I guess he didn’t want the last few pieces of the Starlight Club to be removed from sight or memory. But Big Red was a realist. He knew that he had to do something constructive and soon if he didn’t want the violation orders to be converted by the city into large fines. He knew it was time to give his friend Nicky who owned a construction company a call. In fact Nicky’s company built the Spanish and the Ford pavilions at the 1965 World’s Fair for Big Red.

It was quite valuable and if he sold it, he would realize a profit in the millions. But money wasn’t important to Red. His many properties were worth millions. Besides his properties and the millions he had stashed in banks. he also had millions in cash hidden in locations known only to him. Uncertain as to what he would do he turned and walked back to the Corona Gentlemen’s Club.

When Red hung up the phone Nicky put all business aside and the following day he began to remove the last remnants of the Starlight Club. Red watched impassively as Nicky’s crew cleared the wreckage and debris that littered the large yawning plot of land on 111th Street and 43rd Avenue in Corona, Queens. Red thought that the neighborhood looked naked without the famous landmark, but he was still unsure what he would do with the property.

He could rebuild the club or he could build another type structure on the site… or he could sell the property. After the Starlight Club was destroyed by federal agents.

Red ran his crime family from the Corona Gentlemen’s Club. And while the drab unappealing club had none of the charming ambiance of the famous Starlight Club, it was suitable for running his family businesses, just as his Uncle Yip, the prior head of the family had done for decades. But the question remained; what to do about the charred remains of the Starlight Club? Should he rebuild it? Or should something else be built in its place? If he chose the latter then he could concentrate on his movie studios in Los Angeles, and his Casino’s in Las Vegas. Red learned early on that you never make a decision based on emotion. Whatever he decided, it would be based on pure logic. He decided to sleep on the problem and then after careful thought, he would know the best thing to do with the property. The Starlight Club had been his hobby, his joy and as the years went by, the club and its legend grew exponentially until it became world famous as an international landmark. But if he decided to rebuild the club, it would demand his constant attention, and at this juncture in his life he wanted to wind down his efforts and live a more sedentary life with his beautiful wife whom he missed more than he cared to admit. He called her every evening without fail. Even though he spoke to her every evening it was difficult to get away weekends to see her. Leaving Queens wasn’t easy for a man in his profession, and he was discovering that the flights to California were becoming a chore. He knew he had to give some serious thought into how best to remedy the situation. During a night of restless sleep, a fleeting thought passed through his mind. When he woke the next morning, he had to pause a moment to remember the fragile thread before it disappeared like a puff of smoke and became irretrievably lost to him. He opened his eyes and forced himself to remember the solution to his vexing problem which came to him in a dream last night. He dreamed about the old silent picture studios that were located between 35th, 36th Avenue, and 37th Street, in Astoria, Queens, New York City and the many silent pictures that were made there. The Marx Brothers made their first two films there Coconuts in 1929 and Animal Crackers in 1930, and the first Sherlock Holmes sound picture in 1929, The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

It was quite valuable and if he sold it, he would realize a profit in the millions. But money wasn’t important to Red. His many properties were worth millions. Besides his properties and the millions he had stashed in banks. he also had millions in cash hidden in locations known only to him. Uncertain as to what he would do he turned and walked back to the Corona Gentlemen’s Club.

When Red woke up in the morning he turned the idea around in his mind. Maybe he too could make movies in Queens.

If it worked for them back in the days of the silent pictures, then why wouldn’t it work for him too? The idea of building a studio in Queens excited him.

Maybe he could build a studio somewhere in Queens and if he did then he could make pictures here. He’d have to give the idea a lot of thought. But if it were possible and he was sure it was, then he would bring his wife to New York where she could make movies here during the day and be with him at night. The thought that he’d be with his wife when she was free in the evenings comforted him and brought an early morning smile to his usually dour, pre-coffee face. Red owned property in College Point in a remote unpopulated section off the main road not far from Northern Boulevard. He also owned junkyards on Roosevelt Avenue near Flushing with enough vacant land to build a studio. He had a large section of property with warehouses in Maspeth, which he could also use.

The Maspeth location was situated nearer to Brooklyn than New York City. He didn’t dismiss that property as a viable movie studio location instead he put it on the back burner and would reconsider using it if the other two didn’t work to his advantage. Any of the three properties he owned would work, but he preferred to be nearer to the city and mass transit, so that ruled out Maspeth and left his Flushing and the College Point properties as viable entities. Red lifted the cover of his humidor, pulled out a Cuban Monte Christo and lit it. Then he sat back in his comfortable leather desk chair and thought about the two remaining locations. The College Point location offered him a larger area to grow.

The Flushing site was suitable because it was located near the Queens Plaza to Flushing train station. He stepped out of his office and motioned to Tarzan. "Let’s take a ride to the junk yards. I want to take a look at how much property I’ll have left over after I build a large back lot. Then we’ll drive to College Point and take a look at that site.

TWO

Corona Gentlemen’s Club:

Following morning

Red, have you made up your mind which of your properties you’re going to build your movie studio on? Trenchie asked. Before answering Red motioned to Piss Clam. Yes boss?

Ask Tarzan to join us. I want you to put on a pot of espresso and when its ready bring the coffee and a bottle of Black Sambuca here. We might as well enjoy some coffee at our meeting. Red opened his humidor, removed two cigars and handed one to Trenchie. Red lit his cigar and extended the lighter so Trenchie could light his.

Tarzan entered the office and took a seat wondering why Red wanted to see him. Piss Clam walked in and put the tray with the coffee and Sambuca on a corner of the desk. Coffee was already made. Tarzan made the coffee he said.

Piss Clam was about to leave but Red stopped him. Stick around Piss Clam I want you to hear what I have to say.

Red looked at Tarzan and lifted his cigar. Would you care for one while I discuss my plans with you guys?

Tarzan dismissed Red’s offer of a cigar with a wave of his hand. Cigar no, but I’ll have a cup of espresso with some Sambuca instead of sugar. Piss Clam poured the coffee for Tarzan and poured a cup for himself. Then he sat back down.

Red took a drag on his cigar, waving the smoke away as he spoke to his men. I’ve decided to build a movie studio on my property in College Point and another bar on the Starlight Clubs site. It will just be a plain bar and not a rebuild of the Starlight Club. I called Doc earlier. Red checked the time on the gold Rolex he wore on his wrist. "He’ll be here shortly. I’ll need Doc’s help to move the permits along. I don’t want the permits held up because of bureaucratic red tape. I learned my lesson last year when the Boston crowd tried to take over Queens.

I can’t move the family businesses out of Queens because I wouldn’t be able to control our business interests we have here from out of town. So if I can’t bring our Vegas casinos here, and I can’t bring all of our movie interests here, I’ll bring part, maybe more than a part of our movie business here. The businesses I can’t bring to Queens, I’ll leave with men I can trust to oversee the businesses. I’m still giving a lot of thought to what type of bar I’ll construct on the Starlight Club’s site. It won’t be the Starlight Club. But I’m thinking of rebuilding the front bar as a neighborhood family bar and leave it at that.

How are we fixed with the law Red? Tarzan asked. "For the time being the feds are leaving us alone.

After the Zintera fiasco they realize that we’re no problem to them. We keep a low profile, we keep crime down in Queens and we employ a lot of people in our legitimate businesses.

As for the other aspects of our business, we stay away from drugs and prostitution. Our numbers and bookmaking business although very profitable, pose no threat to law enforcement. We supply a need.

People who work all day and can’t get to the track can place bets at our newsstands and our tobacco shops and the other shops we run numbers out of. They know that when they win we always pay off, and that gives them the confidence to bet with our people."

I received word from my contact in the police department that James Crimmins, the agent who took over Zintera’s job as head of the FBI Task Force has assigned a team to monitor our activity. From what I’ve been told, this is a direct result of special agent Aldo Zintera’s negligence when he disregarded the vacate orders posted on the doors by the building department which resulted in the deaths of eleven members of his team when they broke into the Starlight Club.

Trenchie tapped a cigar ash into the ashtray on Red’s desk and asked him. Now that the Captain of the 10th precinct has retired, is the new Captain cooperating with us?

Red took a drag on his cigar and nodded. "Captain Lozano is the new guy in charge. I invited him to dinner at Tuffaro’s restaurant as my guest and I told him I wanted to talk to him, and for him to come alone and not to bring his wife. He got the message and I guess he was curious as to what I wanted to see him about. I had met him previously two or three times but we never discussed business. He seemed kind of straight laced and