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“It was a courtroom drama with two towering protagonists. In one corner stood a record mogul with a history of violence and Mafia links who was notorious for stealing musicians’ work. In the other corner stood a Beatle.

“The battle between John Lennon and Morris Levy, the boss of Roulette Records and inspiration for a ruthless music mogul in ‘The Sopranos,’ played out over several months and culminated in 1976 in New York’s district court.

“It attracted little attention at the time, but now the lawyer who represented Lennon at the hearing has told the inside story of the case, revealing details of how his client prepared for the trial and his determination to stand up for fellow musicians who had been cheated out of their royalties.”

The above is an excerpt from an article by Dalya Alberge in the Sunday, April 10, 2022 issue of the British newspaper, The Guardian. Rolling Stone magazine published an excerpt from Bergen’s book in the April 18, 2022 issue.

Jay Bergen, a trial lawyer in New York for 45 years, has written “Lennon, the Mobster & the Lawyer,” a fascinating account of his and Lennon’s preparations for the trial and his testimony.

Lennon was deadly serious about holding Roulette Records’ Morris Levy to account for years of stealing royalties from countless songwriters and musicians. So he refused to settle.

Bergen will sign copies of his new book at the Book Shelf (next to The Bottle) from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on May 27 during Fourth Friday festivities. Don’t miss this opportunity to talk to the man who knew Lennon.

 

Submitted by Julia Calhoun