Who’s the Chicken Man?
When Springsteen sings that “they blew up the Chicken Man in Philly last night” in his song “Atlantic City,” he’s referring to a man named Phil Testa. He was the underboss of Philadelphia’s crime family under Angelo Bruno. Bruno was murdered in 1980, and Testa succeeded him as the don of the family. The nickname Chicken Man came from his involvement in a poultry business.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Photo By Joe Papeo/Shutterstock
His nine-month reign as a mob boss ended when conspirators in the family placed a bomb under his porch and detonated it as he walked out the front door.
Speaking of unwholesome business, here’s a fun fact: “Kitty’s Back” was inspired by a Jersey Shore strip club. The of “Kitty’s Back,” from The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle album, was inspired by a neon sign that Springsteen saw, promoting the return of popular stripper at a Jersey Shore club.