Partners in Crime is a compilation record featuring three different eras of the American Mafia/Holy Water catalog that illuminates the scope of guitarist Thomas Jude Innamorato and bassist Freddy Villano’s musical collaborations.

Songs one, two, and three, “I’m Not Worried Anymore,” “If I Knew Then…,” and “Some Things Have to Happen,” were originally part of the highly sought-after, now-mythic early ’90s bootleg demo,The Green Machine Sessions, produced by Foreigner keyboardist and recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Al Greenwood and Rockin’ Reel Recording Studios owner/engineer Dave Greenberg. Innamorato and Villano released this material officially in 2009 under the Holy Water moniker, as part of The Collected Sessions compilation on Perris Records. In addition to Innamorato, Villano, and Greenwood, the lineup features David Knight on vocals and drummer Chuck Bonfante (Saraya). These three songs “easily could have catapulted them into Top 10 status,” championed Derric Miller of hardrockhaven.net. Stacy Odell remastered the three tunes for Partners in Crime.

Songs four through eight, “Superstar,” “Gistified,” “Ride On Through,” “Lead the Way,” and “When London Sleeps,” were originally released by Lions Pride Music in 2017 on American Mafia’s five-song EP, Made in New York. The lineup features singer Don Chaffin (Riot Act) and drummer Bobby Marks (Humble Pie). Mark Diggins of therockpit.net called this original release, “five flawless tracks of classic rock perfection.” Recently remixed by Michael Harmon of Studio Crash, these five songs are now adorned with all of Chaffin’s original ornamental backing vocal parts (as the singer initially intended) and include newly recorded keyboard embellishments by David Easton. These updated sonic elements provide the material with more melodic sensibility. Stacy Odell did the (re)mastering.

Songs nine and ten, a unique spin on the Starship classic “Jane” and a re-recording of the Holy Water tentpole, “I’m Not Worried Anymore,” are exclusive to Partners in Crime, and feature a lineup that includes Michael Santarsiero on lead vocals, Vic Pullen on drums, Grammy winner Lonnie Park on keyboards, and a guest appearance by Paul Kayen (Rhett Forrester/Aldo Nova) on additional lead and rhythm guitars. These two fiery performances were mixed and mastered by Stacy Odell.

American Mafia

American Mafia is a musical partnership between guitarist Thomas Jude Innamorato and bassist Freddy Villano that has evolved to include a rotating cast of singers, drummers, and keyboard players. The two began collaborating in the late ’80s under the Holy Water moniker, leaning heavily on the duo’s blues-based ’70s rock influences, such as Free, Bad Company, Humble Pie, Whitesnake, and Foreigner.

Collectively, the aim of the American Mafia/Holy Water collaboration is to bring forward strong melodies, articulate songwriting, and powerful productions. To date, Innamorato and Villano have released Holy Water’s The Collected Sessions (Perris Records, 2009), American Mafia’s Rock N’ Roll Hit Machine (Grooveyard Records, 2014), and the American Mafia EP, Made in New York (Lions Pride Music, 2017).

Freddy Villano

Villano grew up on Long Island playing Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Dio, and Ozzy covers with the band Lazarus. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of sixteen with the band Redline and honed his chops at legendary clubs like Gazzarri’s, Troubadour, The Roxy, and Whisky a Go Go during the height of the wildly explosive music scene on Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Strip. He returned to New York, formed Holy Water with Innamorato, and played on a string of demos with guitarist Gari Saint (Tangier) before moving back to LA to attend the prestigious Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. After graduating, he returned to New York and joined Widowmaker, featuring Dee Snider (Twisted Sister). He subsequently toured with Quiet Riot and recorded with guitar legends Earl Slick (David Bowie) and David “Rock” Feinstein (Elf/The Rods), among others. Villano has co-written, produced, toured, and recorded with countless indie bands, including Altered Minds, Awaken, Geezer, and Red56, to name a few. He currently records and tours with ’80’s metal luminaries The Rods. With American Mafia, Villano gets to channel his Boz Burrell, Andy Fraser, and John Paul Jones influences.