Jerry Masucci Name: Jerry MasucciDate of birth: (October 7, 1934 – December 21, 1997) Affiliation: Co-founder of Fania Records. Masucci was born October 7, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York to Urbano and Elvira Masucci. His brother is Alex Masucci (born November 11, 1949). Masucci moved to a home on the Upper East Side of New York, eventually owning homes in Paris, Ibiza, Uruguay, Havana, and Miami. Masucci was a high school dropout who earned his high school diploma while serving in the United States Navy at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, during the Korean War. He became a member of the New York City Police Department. After attending college at night, Masucci took a leave of absence and attended City College of New York, where he played halfback on the college football team, and earned a degree in Business Administration, majoring in foreign trade. He graduated first in his class with cum laude honors. He then returned to the Police Department as a plainclothes policeman and attended New York Law School during the day. Graduating in 1960 with a Doctor of Law Degree, he resigned from the Police Department and worked in Havana, Cuba as assistant to the Director of Public Relations in the Department of Tourism. Career Masucci became a partner in the law firm Pariser & Masucci. Masucci met Johnny Pacheco in 1962 when his firm handled Pacheco’s divorce. In 1964 Masucci and Pacheco established Fania Records. They started out selling records out of the trunk of cars on the streets of Spanish Harlem, signing up young artists, creating new sounds, and eventually having hit records. Throughout his tenure as an impresario of the so- called salsa genre, Masucci was reportedly generous, sponsoring lavish parties and buying everyone lunch at rehearsals, while popularizing salsa among Latin Jazz listeners. Over the next 15 years, Fania Records helped define the sound, culture, and language associated with the salsa genre, a musical movement that arose partly from the unavailability in the United States of music produced in Cuba.[1] Masucci became a feature film maker, producing Our Latin Thing, Salsa, Vigilante, and The Last Fight. He became sole owner of the Fania Records label in 1977, and would own ten other recording companies, as well: Vaya, Cotique, Tico, Alegre, Mardi-Gras, Sonido, Éxitos, International, Bronco, and Karen. He was also a part-owner of the “Fame” modeling agency. Masucci had Pacheco directing stage shows and Larry Harlow directing in the studio. Alex Masucci was at the helm of the New York-based Fania Records for many years. Masucci first produced a concert at Yankee Stadium. The event, featuring his Fania All-Stars, was attended by 45,000 people, and was included in the second set of 50 recordings in a list preserved in the National Recording Registry. Massucci ventured into the world of boxing with Don King, with whom he promoted a Heavyweight Championship bout fought between Muhammad Ali and Jean-Pierre Coopman in Puerto Rico in 1976. In 1993, inspired by the many rock band reunions and country supergroups attracting attention at the time, Chino Rodríguez lobbied Jerry Masucci and Ralph Mercado for a Fania All-Stars reunion. Chino was already managing most of the iconic Fania artists and knew how eager they were to get back to playing regularly in front of larger audiences. Chino Rodríguez (an ex-artist himself and a booking agent) had already booked Larry Harlow as a solo artist at New York City venues like SOB’s, Broadway II, and the old Club Broadway on 96th Street, and Jerry had been visiting during these events. Chino was managing and booking most of the former Fania All-Stars including Ismael Miranda. Prior to Masucci’s death and the sale of Fania Records, Chino Rodríguez and Ismael Miranda convinced Larry Harlow and Ray Barretto to create the smaller supergroups called the Latin Legends of Fania and Salsa Legends, whom Chino booked at SOB’s in New York City. Barretto had been considering such a group for years but never was able to ask Masucci for temporary rights to use the name. The first Latin Legends show sold out. “No one thought it would work but Chino Rodríguez”, Harvey Averne said in an interview. “Even I didn’t think it would work. He taught all of us that night, including Jerry.” Daniel Amar siad Berber born from Azazga Swedish citizen personal assistant to Jerry Masucci from May 1993 to 1997 was the President and owner of Pyrales Music S.A Panamanian Co. (Nueva-Fania) who produced all the Cuban artists.Assisted him organizing several (concerts in Puerto Rico,Colombia, Venezuela, Paris and Madison Square Garden) Paulito FG, Khuan Carlos Alfonso.Dandan, Pedro Jesus, Pedro Dikan, Shira, LM Sobre dosis . Mr Amar siad (Daniel) was the co founder of group Havana all stars together with Samuel Formel the drummer and song writer of Los Van Van, son of Juan Formell. He give the Group as donation to the UNEAC, the Union Artist of Cuba under the President Harold Gramatges whom Fidel Castro made the first ambassador to France 1961(Great classic music composer)who left a politics dedicated he’s times for art and music.After Jerry Masucci death ,the new team from Sonido Inc . Under Victor Gallo and Melissa Gosnel sold Fania records To Company Named V2 that belongs to Virgin, without considering to pay the rights of several artist that belongs to Pyrales Music include the last CD Fania Bravo half of the songs belong to Pyrale Music .Just to make a history true Mr. Siad decide not sue nobody,whatever money comes out all of this he hopes that virgin give it to the charity. Wishes haven to he’s friend Jerry Masucci that he‘s resting in Peace He will be always remembered as Great Latin hero More info about Fania all stars. Masucci agreed to Chino’s proposal and started with three Return of Fania All-Stars concerts in 1994 in New York and Puerto Rico, the first taking place at Madison Square Garden, with Chino acting as exclusive booking agent with Jerry’s approval. With the Fania All-Star reunion show going on every 3 to 4 months Jerry had thought about re-vamping the Fania company. He started talking to some of the major labels and was fielding offers from Sony and Universal. Masucci had decided to have shares of Fania Records issued on Friday, December 19, 1997; Fania was going public. He had a master plan that would make those offers become more of a desire from the major labels to buy or take over Fania Records, with the Fania All-Stars performing every 3 to 4 months all over the world again. Jerry was feeling as if he had stepped back in time and his beloved Fania was once again becoming the leader in the Latin Music world. When Jerry Masucci died over the weekend of December 19, 1997 everything just stopped and the Fania Records shares were never offered. Chino Rodríguez had said “Miles Kahn, Esq. (Larry Harlow’s son) showed me the prospective and it looked fantastic. It seemed like a share of Fania stock would have cost about the same amount as Universal or Sony at that time.” Death Jerry Masucci had moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1997. On December 21, of that very year, Masucci died in said city. He left as survivors three daughters, namely, Darlene, Misty, and Corrine, with three different women: Marlene Masucci, Rachel Ann Butler, and Melissa Gosnel.[1] His personal assistant, Daniel Amar Siad, was with him the weekend he died. He flew in from Cuba when he heard the news. Masucci had complained in the weeks before his death of headaches and stomach pains, but did not seek medical advice. On Friday, December 19 he experienced further stomach pains while playing tennis. Two days later he died on the operating table during exploratory surgery. The cause of death was a brain aneurysm. The following week his body was flown to New York City for a service at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home; the body was cremated after the service. Videos: Credits: Year Album Artist “Live” In Puerto Fania All- 2012 Producer Rico: June 11, 1994 Stars Fania All- 2012 Anthology Composer Stars Leyendas De La Fania, 2012 Composer Vol. 3 [2012] Fania Records 1964-1980: The 2011 Composer Original Sound of Latin New York Fania All- 2011 Live in Africa Producer Stars Ponte Duro: The Fania Fania All- 2010 Quotation Author All Stars Story Stars Executive Fania All- 2009 San Juan 73 Producer, Original Stars Recording Producer The Complete Studio Executive 2009 Héctor Lavoe Albums, Vol. 2 Producer, Producer The Soul of Spanish 2009 Producer Harlem Campeones: A Band and Fania All- 2008 Composer Their Music Stars Year Album Artist 2008 Fania DJ Series DJ Muro Composer Global Village, Vol. 2008 Producer 2 2008 In the Naked City Executive Producer Leyendas de La Fania, 2008 Composer Vol. 8 The Complete Studio 2008 Héctor Lavoe Executive Producer Albums, Vol. 1 Under the Original Session 2008 Streetlamps: Joe Bataan Producer Anthology 1967-72 Audio Production, Asalto Navideño, 2007 Héctor Lavoe Executive Vols. 1-2 Producer, Producer Julio Castro y La 2007 Julio Castro Executive Producer Masacre Ismael 2007 La Herencia Composer Quintana La Historia: The Hit 2007 Willie Colón Producer List 2007 Latin Soul Man Ray Barretto Producer The Essential Ray 2007 Barretto: A Man and Ray Barretto Producer His Music Urban Salute to 2007 Producer Hector Lavoe Monguito Executive 2006 Blackout Santamaria Producer, Producer 2006 Cali Concert Rubén Blades Composer 2006 Homenaje a Beny More Celia Cruz Producer 2006 Siempre Santitos Santos Colon Producer Year Album Artist Live at Yankee Fania All- 2004 Producer Stadium Stars 2004 The Best Larry Harlow Producer 2004 The Best… Joe Bataan Producer The Greatest Live Fania All- 2004 Recordings of Fania Producer Stars All Stars 2003 Acid/Head Sounds Ray Barretto Producer 2002 Pinero Producer Associate Arranger, Que Pasa?: The Best Fania All- 2002 Associate of Fania All-Stars Stars Producer, Composer, Producer 2002 Super Exitos Charanga Power Composer La Salsa 2001 Clasicas de la Salsa Composer Clasica 2001 Legends of Salsa Celia Cruz Original Concept Executive 2001 Tu Bien Lo Sabes Héctor Lavoe Producer, Producer Artistas Changüi, 2000 Composer Vol.