Recap of Part I: Life long Philadelphia resident and former Gamble and Huff songwriter Frankie Smith pens the funky novelty song Double Dutch Bus. Laid off from Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International Records, Smith pitches his song to WMOT Records with no inkling that WMOT is a money laundering front for The Yuppie Conspiracy that supplies most of the eastern coast of United States with cocaine. The Yuppie Conspiracy is headed by twenty-seven year old dentist Larry Lavin, his financial adviser Mark Stewart and a cabal of dentists and other University of Penn alum.
U.S. Route 30, also known as Lancaster Avenue, links the old money western suburbs of Philadelphia. The locals call it the “Main Line”. The Main Line communities of Villinova, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Devon and Malvern are some of the most affluent in the United States. Retired Brigadier General John Eisenhower, son of President Dwight Eisenhower, and his wife Barbara lived on Timber Lane in Devon.
Most of the Timber Lane residents were the usual fare–doctors, lawyers and members of the corporate elite, middle aged, retired or soon to be retired. The Eisenhower’s neighbor across the street was a retired admiral and a practicing dentist. Their tall, lanky, puppy-dog-like next door neighbor, Larry, was also a dentist, though you wouldn’t think it. He and his wife, Marcia, were all of twenty-seven years old. The Lavin’s.
Of course, when Larry and his wife, that’s the way most of the neighbors described her, (she was very reserved and rarely spoke unless spoken to) first moved in they caused a bit of a stir. They were so young.
There were nods and waves. A few hellos. They seemed nice enough.
Weeks turned into months–plenty of time for them to have everything unpacked and put away–and, yet, there was Larry, always manicuring the yard are puttering around the garage. Soon they were making renovations to their home, putting in a pool and a solar light system. Neither he nor Marcia left for work in the mornings.
Inevitably, Larry wandered over to the Eisenhower’s yard and they got acquainted. He was very friendly and helpful, always offering to assist with a yard chore or a small home maintenance job. He and Marcia were generous with the neighborhood children too. The Eisenhower’s grandchildren excitedly showed off full sized Snicker bars the Lavin’s handed out at Halloween.
Larry told his neighbors that he had gotten into managing rock bands in college as a fluke. He had unexpected success which led him into the recording business and a financial windfall.
Always gregarious, he invited neighbors into his home to see the renovations and decor. During the tours he proudly showed off the encased gold record that hung in his den: The Double Dutch Bus, Frankie Smith, WMOT Records.
Barbara Eisenhower was especially impressed with Larry. It showed good character for him to finish dental school even though he was making so much money in the music business. Larry explained that he was waiting for the right opportunity to practice dentistry. He wanted to buy an established practice that catered primarily to the underprivileged and undeserved. It was his way of giving back.
∼
The year 1982 was shaping up to be a good one for Frankie Smith and his mother. They made some modest purchases for their home, things that would go with Frankie’s gold record that hung in the small living room above the piano that his mother had bought for him by squirreling away ten to twenty dollars at a time. There was plenty of money to pay the bills now, and then some, since Frankie was the opening act for the Kool and the Gang and Rick James tours. He made appearances on Soul Train, American Bandstand and The Merv Griffith Show and, on a particularly memorable evening he preformed on The American Music Awards. His mother was very proud that night. She cried.
Frankie Smith had arrived thanks to a Double Dutch Bus that he rode all the way to #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and to #30 on the Billboard Top 40 chart. The single sold well over a million copies.
There was just one problem. He hadn’t received a dime from royalties. Smith found that especially galling.
For years he had dreamed of writing a hit song. He had worked diligently, patiently and more than once was on the cusp of his dream. Now he had achieved it. Every time he heard Double Dutch Bus on the radio he felt like a proud papa, but in his songwriter’s mind he had yet to see his baby. In his songwriter’s mind, he was covering his own song.
After months of waiting for a check he called the WMOT booking keeping office. “I’m calling about my royalties,” he told the bookkeeper. She put him on the the line with Mark Stewart.
∼
Mark Stewart was an enigma to the artists at WMOT. Roaming the halls with his face frozen in a scowl, he had few words for anyone. And when he did speak it was obvious that he knew virtually nothing about the record business. He wasn’t into Funk, he was in a funk–a perpetual one at that.
There was a good reason for Stewart’s surliness. Bad investments and over reaching had driven him to the brink of financial ruin. It was desperation that pushed him over the line of shady real estate deals and boxing promotion and into a full fledged life of crime with coke dealer Larry Lavin.
Lavin’s money was like a god send, propping up some of his ill advised investments. He poured over 500 thousand of Lavin’s cash into money laundering ventures like WMOT Records, The Philadelphia Arena, which he renamed The Martin Luther King Arena and a minor league basketball team, The Lancaster Red Roses.
But the cash infusion couldn’t save the arena or the Red Roses. Stewart eventually hired Pagan motorcycle gang member James “Horrible” Holt to burn down the arena in an insurance scam. Only WMOT Records proved profitable and that, in large part, was due to Frankie Smith’s hit record, Double Dutch Bus.
Stewart didn’t know much about Smith, he couldn’t care less about the artists at WMOT, but he did acquaint himself with a few details he viewed as essential, namely zip code and education. Smith’s address of 51st and Dearborn told him everything he needed to know.
So when he was informed that Smith was on the line inquiring about his overdue royalties, Stewart was nonplussed. There were much bigger things on his plate to be worried about. He picked up the phone.
“Mr. Smith, I’ve been meaning to call you,” he said. “I’ve got a check here with your name on it for twenty thousand dollars.”
To be continued…
Great stuff, Pam. Have you thought of writing a novel? You are so talented!
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You are too kind, Cindy. Thanks. Yes, I completed my first novel about a year ago. I got some back and forth from a few agents, but ultimately they turned me down. I’ve trunked it for the time being. I started another novel too, but haven’t worked on it in awhile. I preparing to go back to school.
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That is cool. What are you going for?
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I’m interested in being a physical therapist assistant or a surgical tech. They require an associates degree so I’ll just have to go two years.
I’ve been self employed for years. I work with my husband in our business, but I’m ready for something different now.
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I believe it is great to reinvent yourself.
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Agreed. Thank you.
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Great story. I was going to ask you if you wrote for a living because you are a real writer…
I wonder what percentage of people dealing coke in the 70s and 80s actually made their fortune and got out before it was too late?
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Thank you. That’s very kind of you.
To answer your question, I would say very, very few. It’s kind of like with my experience with strippers–there were a few who had ambition and wanted to save their money for school or something that was worthy, but I never saw it happen. They spent their money and most of them got hooked on…yeah, you guessed it, cocaine. You know what they say, “easy come, easy go.”
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That says it all. I knew one dealer really well…owner of a bar we performed out. Got hooked and lost everything.
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Typical. I have some sympathy for those who came up hard with little opportunity and get into “the business”. But those who have an education and “blah-blah” opportunity and privilege and they get into it for a chance quadruple their money…No. I’ve got no sympathy for them. I’ve known a few of them. I’ve even liked a few of them, but you reap what you sow.
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I have a stripper story I should tell you about,one of the unique experiences in my life.
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Do tell…Ha!
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I really love how you have taken real events, and made them read like a crime novel.
I have been tempted to read more about the Lavin case as a result, but I didn’t want to spoil my enjoyment of this story.
Best wishes, Pete.
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What a particularly nice compliment! That makes me feel good. Thank you.
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Nothing more corrupt than the music business!!!
It’s really insane how many copies of that record was sold, it got many a repress too. I don’t know the story so it’s very exciting to read how it all pans out. Right now I’m sat here twiddling my thumbs on the edge of my seat waiting for the next part….. Get on with it LOL. Only joking.
“He wasn’t into Funk, he was in a funk” classic, I love that.
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Thanks. I kind of liked that too. Best line in the whole piece. So far. Ha!
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Enjoyed this second installment, Pam. I like your handling of true crime events and am looking forward to the next part.
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Thanks for reading…And commenting. Always a pleasure.
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Great post 🙂 Can’t wait to hear more 🙂 Yes, I am still working on my epic review. I took a break these past few days, but that was mainly because of work and getting ready for Thanksgiving 🙂 I find it interesting that you want to be a physical therapist assistant or one in surgical tech. I do hope you can one day get your book published, but that is neat that you want to go back to college for 2 years 🙂 Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂
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Thank you John. Yes, I’m ready for a change in direction. We will see how things go. I hope to be published one day also. I’m not giving up on that.
I’m very tempted to ask about the subject of your post, but I won’t. I know you wouldn’t tell me anyway. Ha! Looking forward to it. Happy Thanksgiving.
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I’m hooked on YOU!
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Thanks Jay. Likewise. Ha! In reverse, of course.
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This is a fascinating post. The music industry at the time, and maybe even today, was a cesspool for drug dealing. Looking forward to the next chapeter! And Pam Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
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Thank you John. Happy Thanksgiving to you too. And thanks for reading.
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Fascinating! My sister-in-law and her family live right off the Main Line, so I am very familiar with this area (even considered buying a house there at one point). Love finding out about this kinda stuff!
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Thank you. I’m looking forward to reading your book. Congratulations on your publishing.
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Thank you! Looking forward to reading the next installments on the this case…
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