In the new TV season, NTV will show the series "Vocal-criminal ensemble", which will unfold in the USSR in the 70s. The country was seized by a wave of crimes related to the export of historical values abroad. The main suspect is a popular singer who leads the group. To catch the Artist and penetrate his criminal network, a young lieutenant Zhukov (Nikita Volkov) creates a VIA from the current employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The story sounds far-fetched, but such twists and turns are not only in the movies. Our material contains the names of celebrities associated with the underworld.
Frank Sinatra
Singer and actor, 1915-1998
Hollywood legend Frank Sinatra was a star not only in show business, but also in criminal circles. For example, in 1947, the artist was noticed in Cuba along with the brothers Joe and Rocco Fischetti - relatives and members of the famous Al Capone's gang. Later in Havana, Sinatra met with Charlie Luciano, "the father of the modern mafia." After that, an investigation by journalist Lee Mortimer appeared in the New York newspaper Daily Mirror. The reporter claimed that during a visit to Havana, the Fischetti brothers brought Luciano two million dollars with the help of "a certain singer." Interestingly, Sinatra also worked for the CIA, taking part in transporting people.
Tupac Shakur
Rapper, 1971-1996
Tupac has been part of the criminal world since birth. His mother, an activist of the left-wing radical group "Black Panthers", blew up police stations. Already pregnant with her son, Afeni Shakur was charged with "conspiracy against the government," but was released a month before Tupac was born.
Tupac's godfather was convicted of murder in an attempted robbery, his stepfather was imprisoned for armed robbery with victims, and Tupac's aunt was sentenced for killing a police officer, but escaped from prison.
Tupac himself actively participated in the so-called East-West Coast War. In 1995, Shakur was sentenced to 4.5 years for gang rape, but he spent less than a year in prison. The rapper was helped to solve the problem by the owner of his music label, Sug Knight, who was also the leader of the group. The following year, after leaving prison, Shakur was killed in a shootout.
Joseph Kobzon
Singer, 80 years old
Journalists started talking about Kobzon's connections with the underworld in the early 90s, and in 1994, the editorial board of Kommersant named the artist the "Authority of the Year". A year later, the United States permanently refused Kobzon a visa, suspecting him of having links with a number of well-known Russian criminals. However, there is still no direct evidence that Kobzon is part of the gangster community.
Mikhail Krug
Musician, 1962-2002
The famous chansonnier sang about the fate of a thief and a fortune, although he himself never broke the law. But, unlike his colleagues, Krug did not hide the fact that he closely communicates with the heroes of his songs and has an idea of real "gangster romance". The hit of the Circle "Vladimirsky Central" is dedicated to the thief in law Sasha Sever, a close friend of the artist. Ironically, the Circle fell victim to those to whom it dedicated your work. In the summer of 2002, unknown persons killed Krug at his home in Tver. According to the current version of the murder, Krug was attacked with the aim of a banal, but poorly planned robbery, and then their “colleagues” dealt with the bandits for fear of revenge from the crime bosses for the death of the musician.
Grigory Leps
Musician, 55 years old
Grigory Lepsveridze began his career in his native Sochi - he sang in city restaurants. Local crime bosses came to listen to him, among whom were the relatives of the novice artist. For example, Sergei Chkhetiani, a great-uncle of Leps. Later, the singer came under the patronage of the Moscow authority, thief in law Vyacheslav Ivankov - Yaponchik. In 2013, the United States permanently refused Leps entry - due to suspicions of links with the Brothers Circle group, allegedly dealing with the sale of drugs around the world. Leps called these statements ridiculous.
Keti Topuria
Soloist of the group "A'Studio", 31 years old
Keti herself was never involved in criminal scandals, but her father Andro Topuria was a major Georgian authority. In July 2010, he received three years for possession of drugs on an especially large scale. A few months later, Andro died in the colony - the body was found in his cell. The cause of death was an overdose, but who and how brought the drugs to Topuria is unknown.
