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[GuitarMan66]

The Memphis Mafia were a group of friends and associates who were employed by Elvis from 1956 until the day he died.
Around 1960, the media dubbed the employee entourage "The Memphis Mafia." This nickname originated as an ironic reference to their image. According to one account, a crowd of people in front of the Riviera Hotel watched as two big black limousines arrived. Elvis and his friends got out of the two cars dressed in black suites and someone in the crowd yelled, "Who are they, the Mafia?" and a newspaper reporter picked up the story. The Memphis Mafia members themselves say on their website that Elvis liked the name and it stuck. However, in her 1985 book Elvis and Me Priscilla wrote that Elvis didn't like the name because of a frightening Mafia connotation which the general public was then unaware of. Priscilla wrote that members of organized crime had attempted to take over Elvis' career, something reported as having happened earlier to singer Frank Sinatra,though nothing has ever come to light as regards to Elvis.
When Elvis emerged as a major celebrity in 1956 he was constantly besieged by adoring fans and the press, making a normal lifestyle impossible. He would pay the cost of renting a movie theatre to watch a film or rent an entire Memphis amusement park to ride a roller coaster. At the time professional handlers and celebrity security experts hadn't yet evolved. Elvis faced repeated threats of physical violence from outraged moral extremists and death threats from fanatics (as would later happen when he performed in Las Vegas). These threats were kept out of the press for fear of triggering even more (the danger of crazed stalkers and the like later entered public consciousness in 1980 when Mark Chapman murdered John Lennon).
For both his security needs and touring support Elvis hired people chosen from among those he could trust and depend on to manage his public appearances. This entourage (the Memphis Mafia) included first cousins and several of Presley's friends from his boyhood in a poor Memphis housing project plus junior and senior high school friends and early employees from Memphis such as Alan Fortas, nephew of U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Abe Fortas. Many people were employed with the group through the years but some of the more prominent members were Joe Esposito, Lamar Fike, Alan Fortas, Larry Geller, Charlie Hodge, George Klein, Marty Lacker, Bitsy Mott, Jerry Schilling, Billy Smith, Gene Smith, Red West, Sonny West and Patty Perry (the only female member).
Each employee had specific duties and reported to road manager Joe Esposito. Red West was responsible for security at Elvis' concerts. West was one of Presley's earliest friends from their school days in 1954 he had acted as a driver for Elvis, Scotty Moore and Bill Black when they first toured the American South performing as the "Blue Moon Boys." In her book, Priscilla Presley said these employees were paid an average of $250 per week during the 1960s, which rose to $425 per week in the 1970s. Each Christmas all of Elvis' employees received bonus checks. Some members of this inner circle became close friends who served as replacements for a lack of normal everyday friendships Elvis' fame would not allow. Known for his generosity (attributed by Elvis himself to an impoverished childhood), he bought some of these employees homes as wedding gifts and frequently bought new Cadillac automobiles for employees, relatives and friends.
In his book, ''Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, Peter Guralnick writes that Elvis spent all day and night with the members from the Memphis Mafia. "For Elvis and the guys," the reputed Elvis biographer says, "Hollywood was just an open invitation to party all night long. Sometimes they would hang out with Sammy Davis, Jr., or check out Bobby Darin at the Cloister. Nick Adams and his gang came by the suite all the time, not to mention the eccentric actor Billy Murphy, longtime friend of John Wayne and Robert Mitchum ..." Guralnick adds that Elvis and his guys were all "living on speed and tranqs." For Joe Esposito, "it was a party like you wouldn't believe. Go to a different show every night, then pick up a bunch of women afterwards, go party the next night. Go to the lounges, see Fats Domino, Della Reese, Jackie Wilson, the Four Aces, the Dominoes - all the old acts. We'd stay there and never sleep, we were all taking pills just so we could keep up with each other."
In 1976 after various complaints about heavy handed tactics against fans Elvis fired Red West, Sonny West and Dave Hebler this resulted in the 3 writing a tabloid style scandal book 'Elvis What Happened ?'
The book was published just 2 weeks before Elvis' death in August '77.
After Elvis' death the members of the mafia all went there seperate ways finding various forms of employment, Joe Esposito became the manager of the Bee Gees, George Klien continued as a local DJ in Memphis and Red West turned his hand to acting.
However nowadays the survivng members tend to earn their wage on chat shows, at conventions or writing books about their amazing times with Elvis.
Below:First picture....Red West,Charlie Hodge (front),Larry Geller(back) and George Klein.
Second picture left to right...Billy Smith, Mayor Bill Morris, Lamar Fike, Jerry Schilling, Sheriff Roy Nixon, Vernon Presley,Charlie Hodge, Sonny West, George Klein, Marty Lacker.Kneeling to Elvis' left is Red West and right Dr. George Nichopoulos.

[elvisfan57]

thank's for posting the pictures of the 6 volumes. i have seen volume 4 and hopefully will see the rest one day. i think this is a great series and highly recomend this set to anyone. [img]style_emoticons/default/cheers.gif[/img]

[songs4u]

Thanks Eve for the post.

I had no idea there were that many volumes.

I have seen at least one of those maybe, two.