Hot 97 announced on Sunday that it has parted ways with longtime executive Paddy Duke, real name Pasquale Raucci, over allegations made in the HBO documentary, Yusef Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn. In the doc, Raucci is accused of being part of the group of white men responsible for the murder of Hawkins, Complex reports.
In a tweet posted to Twitter, the station said, “after watching HBO’s Storm over Brooklyn, HOT97 was shocked and took swift action. Paddy Duke is no longer employed by HOT97. The march for social justice continues.”
The documentary, directed by Muta’Ali Muhammed, tells the story of Yusef Hawkins, 16, who was shot and killed on August 23, 1989, by an angry mob of 30 to 40 white people in Brooklyn. In the incident, Hawkins went to go check out a car that was listed for sale in Bensonhurst when he and a group of friends were confronted by a mob, some wielding baseball bats, looking to kill a group of Black people. The crowd was reportedly angry over claims that a black boy was said to be dating a white female that had previously rejected a member of their group.
The boys were unaware of the racial tension that existed in the neighborhood or that the locals were preparing racist attacks against black youth. After Hawkins’ death, police said he was in no way involved with any girls from the neighborhood.
Raucci was cleared of murder charges but was convicted on eight lesser charges, including false imprisonment. He began working at Hot 97 just five years later, according to his LinkedIn page.
https://twitter.com/HOT97/status/1297594552992313351?s=20
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