Expert: Tony Trout - 11/5/2009

Question
QUESTION: hi tony i have a question that im trying to figure out. i read in time magazine elvis was sued by joe esposito over a racquet ball court? can you please explain. thank you

ANSWER: Jesse,


The racquetball story goes like this from Marty Lacker in "Elvis Aaron Presley - Revelations From The Memphis Mafia":

"That April (of '76), when Elvis was on tour, they broke ground for Elvis Presley Center Courts, Inc., in Memphis.  This was supposed to be the first of a franchised chain of racquetball courts.  Dr. Nick talked Elvis into it - he and Joe.  

Presley Center courts was going to be fifty courts nationwide.  And Elvis was supposed to underwrite it for $1.3 million, which would have taken forever to make back.  He was getting 25 percent of the stock.  

But, see, Elvis didn't understand that.  He thought he was just lending his name to the project, even though he signed the contract.  Elvis said later that he did it as a favor to Nichopolous.  He probably figured he could get whatever (drugs) he wanted from Nick if he did it.  Anyway, Elvis didn't realize he had to put up all this money, and pretty soon, they came asking for $80,000.00, as a starter, and Elvis backed out of the deal.  

From Lamar Fike in the same book:

Tere were all kinds of problems.  Number one, Elvis had never endorsed anything in his life, except Southern Made doughnuts in an early radio jingle.  You can imagine what Elvis's endorsements would've cost.  Bou the Colonel went ballistic!  If the Colonel had been a moon shot, he'd have gone to Mars!  This was about July, I think.  And we got on the plane and flew to Palm Springs, and Elvis fired everybody.  He said, "***** the SOB's!  Get rid of the wop, and get rid of the doctor.  I never want to see 'em again in my life.  They conned me."

As an aside, he fired Joe Esposito over that deal - but, unfortunately, he later took him back.  

Joe tends to act like he was around Elvis the entire 17 years he worked for Elvis - but he keeps forgetting this incident and another incident in the sixties where Elvis fired him for snitchng to the Colonel about something.

Hope that helps!!

Take Care,
Tony


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks alot tony i appreciate you taking the time to answer me. i was wondering what makes you an elvis expert and how do you know so much about him. one more question: who was elvis's best friend? i always thought that joe esposito was his right hand man and best friend and was the co captain of the memphis mafia (elvis being captain) but then i found out about the whole racquet ball incident. after i read jerry schilling's me and a guy named elvis i thought mayb jerry was elvis's best friend or from what it seemed mayb even charlie hodge?

Answer
Jesse,

In my opinion, Joe Esposito was the farthest thing to a true friend that Elvis had.  Joe was nothing but a snitch for Colonel Parker in the 60s and he reported Elvis's every move right back to the Colonel and Elvis finally fired him for doing so - but, unfortunately, took him back.

The only best friend, in my opinion , that Elvis ever had (besides his mother, of course) was Billy Smith - especially in the last 18-24 months of Elvis's life.  

Hope that also helps!!

Take Care,
Tony