You know all those crazy stories over the decades you've heard about Chuck Berry? I believe they're all true! Damn, never **** with chuck! That's the way I always heard it!
During 1973, when I was on the job for NYPD, I was offered some sidewalk for an evening, as an escort for a R&R guy, after one of his shows at Brooklyn College. I was told the job was to keep him out of trouble. The job was supposed to be for four hours, it ended at 6 in the morning when I got that guy back to his hotel. The guy was Chuck Berry. At first he was quiet, almost snooty, and after some dinner at El Faro's, a terrific Spanish restaurant, and a few drinks, he turned on the charm. First time he had been to El Faro's, and the food was great, the place had been open since 1927 on Greenwich St on the edge of the west village. We talked about how he worked 365 days a year, at each venue different pickup musicians to back him up. He turned down no work because he was broke, in debt to the IRS, and others. Damn bitter about lawyers, agents and managers. He was now managing himself. His career was on the upswing but he received no royalties on prior work, claiming the agents, managers and lawyers had stolen all rights. In the course of the night we must have hit about 20 clubs, he knew people at each who would pick up the tab, some high end, some downright scary after hours places. The ladies were all over him. Twice I had to drag him away from craps games in the alleys behind two different places. He never acted belligerently, unless I suggested we get back to his hotel, and just gentile talk. I was paid a $100 for the job. Good money at the time. Finally, he collapsed, I drove him back to his hotel, and carried him to his bed, took off his shoes and let him sleep.
The next evening my wife received a bouquet of white roses, a note thanking her for the loan of her husband, and a $200 gratuity for me.
The incident with Bob Koester occurred after he finished his 2nd prison term. Koester had sold their club off while Berry was in prison, refused him his share. Koester also sold off Berry's interests in other clubs, with forged documentation, and refused Berry what he was due. After the first attempt on his life, Koester settled with Berry. I heard that entire story from Jack Adatto, another low life in the industry, who used multiple pseudonyms to rip off artists, especially the Spanish speaking in NYC. I had popped Adatto for running an underage prostitution ring, girls picked up at the Port Authority Bus terminal. Facing a hard 15, he started ratting for a deal, tried to implicate Berry as a partner because of the history, failed because Berry was playing it completely straight. Then we found out Adatto's real name was Joseph Greenberg, wanted for two murders in Newark, one a made guy. He was in deep, sang like a canary to avoid extradition, but ended up in NJ anyway because he told so many lies. He died in prison in NJ, serving life, but shortened by an "accident." The Koester story was verified by an interview with Clive Davis, in Rolling Stone. He was complaining he couldn't get Berry to sign with him because Berry didn't trust anyone.
Nixon's contingent claimed he and his party machine were bought by Joe Kennedy. I could never forget him. I laughed, he was wealthier than Joe Kennedy, didn't need his money. He owned the Chicago meat markets. But they were two of a kind.