Frank Dileo Dead at the age of 63

Frank DiLeo died today (August 24th 2011) due to complications from heart surgery in March. He was 63.  Frank Michael DiLeo (born October 23, 1947) was an American music industry executive and actor, known for his portrayal of gangster Tuddy Cicero in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas and at one time being Michael’s manager.

DiLeo, an Italian American, is a native of East Liberty, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began his career in the music industry in the late 1960s, shortly after high school, as a rack jobber (distributing records to retail stores) in Pittsburgh. Following a number of brief, higher-profile jobs, he was hired as a promotion staffer in Cleveland by CBS Records subsidiary Epic Records in 1968. He promoted albums by The Hollies, Donovan and Sly & the Family Stone to local radio stations, and was later promoted to the company’s regional office in Chicago. Circa 1969 he was “headhunted” by RCA Records in New York, followed by a stint at Bell Records. After a year with Bell he “retired” from the music business and moved back to Pittsburgh. His return to the music industry was prompted by an “electrical fire” which destroyed his Pittsburgh home, for which his insurance carrier reportedly refused to pay out.

In 1979, CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff hired his old friend DiLeo to work for Epic Records in New York as Vice President of National Promotion. Overseeing a staff of 65 people and a multi-million dollar budget, Frank helped guide Epic Records from a small $65 million dollar company to a $250 million dollar powerhouse; during this period Epic outperformed its sister label Columbia Records for two years running. Artists signed to Epic included Quiet Riot, REO Speedwagon, Ozzy Osbourne, Gloria Estefan, Luther Vandross, Meat Loaf, Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club and Michael Jackson, among others. He was voted executive of the year for Epic Records, received over 80 gold and platinum awards, and was credited for taking Epic Records from the number fourteen label in the U.S. market to number two.