La cosa nostra is back on Good Time Music!
American Mafia is a musical partnership between guitarist Thomas Jude Innamorato and bassist Freddy Villano that has evolved to include a rotating cast of singers, drummers, and keyboard players. The two began collaborating in the late ’80s under the Holy Water moniker, leaning heavily on the duo’s blues-based ’70s rock influences, such as Free, Bad Company, Humble Pie, Whitesnake, and Foreigner.
Collectively, the aim of the American Mafia/Holy Water collaboration is to bring forward strong melodies, articulate song-writing, and powerful productions. To date, Innamorato and Villano have released Holy Water‘s ‘The Collected Sessions‘ (Perris Records, 2009), American Mafia‘s ‘Rock N’ Roll Hit Machine’ (Grooveyard Records, 2014), and the American Mafia EP, ‘Made in New York‘ (Lions Pride Music, 2017).
Thomas Jude Innamorato (Tom Jude):
Innamorato cut his teeth at iconic New York clubs like L’Amour Brooklyn and February’s in Elmont, NY, with the regionally acclaimed Judas Priest tribute band Kingdom. He formed Warhead and helped spearhead the then-burgeoning thrash metal movement alongside Metallica and Anthrax and could quite possibly have turned the Big Four into the Big Five had they stayed together. Instead, Warhead morphed into a project with singer Shmoulik Avigal (Picture), bassist Craig Gruber (Rainbow), and drummer Carl Canedy (The Rods). Though short-lived, the sessions resulted in a cult-classic, four-song demo under the name Vision that ultimately paved the way for the formation of the more AOR-friendly Holy Water with Villano and singer David Knight. Innamorato also toured with Doro Pesch, formed Dirt Water Dawgs with singer Jimmy Driscoll (Trouble Tribe), and, along with Yael “DrumAddict” Rallis (Meanstreak), led the grunge-infused Tung into the upper-echelon of NYC’s bustling ’90s metal scene. He teamed up again with Villano in 2008 to record unfinished Holy Water material from the late ’80s/early ’90s and American Mafia was (re)born. Innamorato counts Jimi Hendrix, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, and Glenn Tipton among his main influences.
Freddy Villano:
Villano grew up on Long Island playing Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Dio, and Ozzy covers with the band Lazarus. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of sixteen with the band Redline and honed his chops at legendary clubs like Gazzarri’s, Troubadour, The Roxy, and Whisky a Go Go during the height of the wildly explosive music scene on Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Strip. He returned to New York, formed Holy Water with Innamorato, and played on a string of demos with guitarist Gari Saint (Tangier) before moving back to LA to attend the prestigious Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. After graduating, he returned to New York and joined Widowmaker, featuring Dee Snider (Twisted Sister). He subsequently toured with Quiet Riot and recorded with guitar legends Earl Slick (David Bowie) and David “Rock” Feinstein (Elf/The Rods), among others. Villano has co-written, produced, toured, and recorded with countless indie bands, including Altered Minds, Awaken, Geezer, and Red56, to name a few. He currently records and tours with ’80’s metal luminaries The Rods. With American Mafia, Villano gets to channel his Boz Burrell, Andy Fraser, and John Paul Jones influences.
‘Partners in Crime‘ is a compilation record available (soon!) on Good Time Music featuring different eras of the American Mafia/Holy Water catalogue and illuminating the scope of Tom Innamorato and Freddy Villano‘s musical collaborations.
Songs one through five, ‘Superstar‘, ‘Gistified‘, ‘Ride On Through‘, ‘Lead the Way‘, and ‘When London Sleeps‘, were originally released by Lions Pride Music in 2017 on the five-song EP ‘Made in New York‘ (review here). The line-up features singer Don Chaffin (Riot Act) and drummer Bobby Marks (Humble Pie).
Recently remixed by Michael Harmon of Studio Crash in Philadelphia for Partners in Crime, these five songs are now adorned with all of Chaffin‘s original ornamental backing vocal parts (as the singer initially intended) and include newly recorded keyboard embellishments by David Easton, sonic elements that provide the material with a fresh, melodic sensibility. Stacy Odell did the mastering.
Songs six, seven, and eight, ‘I’m Not Worried Anymore‘, ‘If I Knew Then‘, and ‘Some Things Have to Happen‘, were originally part of the highly regarded, now-mythic bootleg demo ‘The Green Machine Sessions‘, produced by Foreigner keyboardist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Al Greenwood and Rockin’ Reel Recording Studios owner/engineer Dave Greenberg. Innamorato also co-produced, and along with Villano released this material officially in 2009 as part of ‘The Collected Sessions‘ under the Holy Water banner on Perris Records. In addition to Innamorato, Villano, and Greenwood, the line-up features David Knight on vocals and drummer Chuck Bonfante (Saraya). Had grunge not come along, these three songs “easily could have catapulted them into Top 10 status,” championed Derric Miller of hardrockhaven.net. Stacy Odell re-mastered the three tunes, reinvigorating them with new-found heft for Partners in Crime.
Songs nine and ten, a unique spin on the Starship classic ‘Jane‘ and a re-recording of the Holy Water tentpole, ‘I’m Not Worried Anymore‘, are exclusive to Partners in Crime, and feature a lineup that includes Michael Santarsiero on lead vocals, Vic Pullen on drums, Grammy winner Lonnie Park on keyboards, and a guest appearance by Paul Kayen (Rhett Forrester/Aldo Nova) on additional lead and rhythm guitars. Mixed and mastered by Stacy Odell, these two fiery performances are the latest entrants into the American Mafia catalogue.
‘Partners in Crime‘ album cover artwork by Mark Rizzo
Photos by Sofia Innamorato and Paula Murray Cole
Photo editing by Freddy Villano
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