Beatles fans might have to get their hands on a John Lennon must-read

The Beatles are forever music icons but there’s just something extra special about the late and unforgettable John Lennon. Whether it was his life coming to an unexpected end and Yoko marriage or the pursuit to go the solo route, Lennon always had people keeping tabs on him. So of course a new book about his ties to the mob? Must-read, of course.

Lennon, the Mobster & the Lawyer - The Untold Story seems like a no-brainer and goes all the way back to the 70’s as author-attorney Jay Bergen draws from his own personal experience as John’s lawyer to uncover the dramatic under-the-radar courtroom battle in 1975-76 when Lennon was sued by a notorious mobster/music mogul.

1, 2022; U.S. $28.95; Softcover) relates the true story where Mafia-connected owner of Roulette Records, Morris Levy, released Roots, a bootleg version of a rock ’n’ roll oldies album John had been producing. Capital Records' quick release of John Lennon Rock ’n’ Roll, the official album, resulted in two Levy lawsuits against John—and John’s counterclaims against Levy. The attempted shakedown led to a high stakes battle in US District Court where Bergen, partner in a prestigious NYC law firm, represented Lennon over the rights to his own recording. Millions of dollars were on the line. 

Using John’s own words pulled from the trial transcript, Bergen recounts detailed strategy sessions where the two mapped out John’s testimony, including:

• How John explained his recording process in poetic, exacting terms for a judge who knew little about The Beatles

• John’s expertise in the recording studio; how he produced his records

• Why John chose to do an album of ’50s rock songs he didn’t write

• Detailed testimony in John’s own words revealing remarkable insights into the creative process of an acknowledged genius of rock music