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Mario Cipollina Busted
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Joe
Aug 3, 2006, 2:10:14 PM8/3/06
to
Former Huey Lewis bassist arraigned on drug charges
Gary Klien
A founding member of Huey Lewis and the News was arraigned in Marin
Superior Court on Wednesday on felony counts of heroin and
methamphetamine possession, charges that could bring him more than
four years in prison.
Mario Carlo Cipollina, the former bassist for the band, is being held
without bail at the county jail. He is scheduled to enter a plea
Friday.
Cipollina, 51, was arrested Tuesday after sheriff's investigators
conducted a random probation search at his residence in Santa Venetia.
Because he is on probation for petty theft and burglary, Cipollina and
his home can be searched with or without cause, day or night.
"His probation officer advised that he might need to be checked, so we
went over and did a search on him," said sheriff's Sgt. Jerry Jones, a
member of the county's probation enforcement squad. "He had a little
bit of meth and a little bit of heroin in his pocket, just enough for
personal use."
Cipollina was arrested without incident. His defense attorney, Douglas
Horngrad, said Cipollina "accepts responsibility for his drug abuse."
"Mario has some addiction problems in the past, and he's relapsed,"
Horngrad said. "He knows this, and knows he needs to go to a treatment
program as soon as he can. ... He knows he's a drug abuser."
Cipollina faces up to four years and four months in prison if
convicted, said Deputy District Attorney Linda Witong.
Cipollina, a San Rafael native, was among the local musicians Lewis
tapped in the late 1970s for
regular Monday night jam sessions at Uncle Charlie's in Corte Madera,
according to "San Francisco Rock," a history by Jack McDonough. They
formed a band called American Express, later changing the name to Huey
Lewis and the News, and made their first album in 1980.
In 1989, Cipollina won a Bay Area Music Award, or Bammie, for best
bassist. He left the News in 1994 and played with other groups,
including Quicksilver Gold.
Cipollina's arrest this week is the latest in a string of legal
problems for the musician. In September 1996, he was arrested after
Novato police stopped his car and found 4.5 grams of heroin, 2.5 grams
of meth, a knife and a Smith and Wesson .44-caliber revolver in his
car.
In August 2004, he was arrested on suspicion of stealing about $5,500
worth of radio control cars from a store in San Anselmo. While serving
a warrant at his San Rafael residence, police found an M-60 firearm
and a 1920s-era submachine gun.
His probation in the latter case was due to expire in December 2008,
according to court records.
Gary Klien
A founding member of Huey Lewis and the News was arraigned in Marin
Superior Court on Wednesday on felony counts of heroin and
methamphetamine possession, charges that could bring him more than
four years in prison.
Mario Carlo Cipollina, the former bassist for the band, is being held
without bail at the county jail. He is scheduled to enter a plea
Friday.
Cipollina, 51, was arrested Tuesday after sheriff's investigators
conducted a random probation search at his residence in Santa Venetia.
Because he is on probation for petty theft and burglary, Cipollina and
his home can be searched with or without cause, day or night.
"His probation officer advised that he might need to be checked, so we
went over and did a search on him," said sheriff's Sgt. Jerry Jones, a
member of the county's probation enforcement squad. "He had a little
bit of meth and a little bit of heroin in his pocket, just enough for
personal use."
Cipollina was arrested without incident. His defense attorney, Douglas
Horngrad, said Cipollina "accepts responsibility for his drug abuse."
"Mario has some addiction problems in the past, and he's relapsed,"
Horngrad said. "He knows this, and knows he needs to go to a treatment
program as soon as he can. ... He knows he's a drug abuser."
Cipollina faces up to four years and four months in prison if
convicted, said Deputy District Attorney Linda Witong.
Cipollina, a San Rafael native, was among the local musicians Lewis
tapped in the late 1970s for
regular Monday night jam sessions at Uncle Charlie's in Corte Madera,
according to "San Francisco Rock," a history by Jack McDonough. They
formed a band called American Express, later changing the name to Huey
Lewis and the News, and made their first album in 1980.
In 1989, Cipollina won a Bay Area Music Award, or Bammie, for best
bassist. He left the News in 1994 and played with other groups,
including Quicksilver Gold.
Cipollina's arrest this week is the latest in a string of legal
problems for the musician. In September 1996, he was arrested after
Novato police stopped his car and found 4.5 grams of heroin, 2.5 grams
of meth, a knife and a Smith and Wesson .44-caliber revolver in his
car.
In August 2004, he was arrested on suspicion of stealing about $5,500
worth of radio control cars from a store in San Anselmo. While serving
a warrant at his San Rafael residence, police found an M-60 firearm
and a 1920s-era submachine gun.
His probation in the latter case was due to expire in December 2008,
according to court records.
Dave Kelly
Aug 3, 2006, 4:04:33 PM8/3/06
to
Huey Lewis was never ther same after Mario Cippolina
left the organization. He was the soul of the band.
( hey bass-boy...you OWE me some dust for this, baby!)
left the organization. He was the soul of the band.
( hey bass-boy...you OWE me some dust for this, baby!)
Joe
Aug 3, 2006, 6:42:12 PM8/3/06
to
The hell with him being in Huey Lewis and the News. We're talking about
John Cipollina's brother here.
He was at that QMS anniversary show a few weeks back, and I thought he
looked even more weirder or odder than usual. I guess I now know why. And
also why Quicksilver Gold broke up. Too bad...
Joe
BVT
Aug 3, 2006, 10:06:25 PM8/3/06
to
Heh...John was a junkie too, on top of his sickly asthmatic condition.
Runs in the family i guess...pity, you;d think by now Mario would know
what a dead end street he was riding up:(
Runs in the family i guess...pity, you;d think by now Mario would know
what a dead end street he was riding up:(
barking pumpkin
Aug 4, 2006, 1:53:50 AM8/4/06
to
Joe wrote:
> Cipollina's arrest this week is the latest in a string of legal
> problems for the musician. In September 1996, he was arrested after
> Novato police stopped his car and found 4.5 grams of heroin, 2.5 grams
> of meth,
I'm no expert in this field, but isn't 4.5 grams of smack a bit much?
I'm sure any junkie would want to stock up, but why have it on you
unless you were returning home from your dealer?
As far as the knife and the gun, who cares?
Subsequent posts answered my other question - he was John Cipollina's
brother. Didn't do much to help the News, IMO
NickyName
Aug 9, 2006, 5:08:38 PM8/9/06
to
Was this the real reason he left HLN?
Joe
Aug 22, 2006, 11:09:37 AM8/22/06
to
MARIN COUNTY
Former '80s rock band member pleads guilty to heroin possession
Peter Fimrite, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
One of the founding members of the rock band Huey Lewis and the News
pleaded guilty Monday to a felony charge of possessing heroin and
asked a Marin County judge to help him get treatment for drug
addiction.
Mario Cipollina, 51, was arrested Aug. 1 after Marin County sheriff's
deputies found small amounts of heroin and methamphetamines in his
pocket during a random search at his home in San Rafael's Santa
Venetia area. The felony count of possessing methamphetamines was
dropped.
Cipollina, who was on probation for burglary when the narcotics were
found, admits he is addicted to drugs and needs help kicking the
habit, said his lawyer, Douglas Horngrad.
"Mario has a drug problem," Horngrad said. "We would like him to get
long-term residential treatment, which is what he needs. That is the
next step for Mario. He wants to go to treatment right away."
Superior Court Judge Faye D'Opal ordered the probation department to
evaluate Cipollina's suitability for drug court, the county's
treatment program. He is scheduled to return to court Sept. 18 for
sentencing.
Cipollina has been in and out of trouble since he left Lewis' band in
1994. The bassist was arrested in 1996 after Novato police found
heroin, methamphetamine, a knife and a pistol in his possession during
a traffic stop.
Two years ago, he pleaded guilty to two felony counts of burglary
after he stole more than $5,000 worth of radio-controlled cars from a
San Anselmo store. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three
years' probation for that offense.
Cipollina was the original bassist for Huey Lewis and the News when it
first came together more than 26 years ago for Monday night jam
sessions at a Corte Madera nightclub. He played for the band during
its heyday in the 1980s, when it had 17 Top 10 hits, including "The
Power of Love," "Hip To Be Square" and "I Want a New Drug."
His older brother was Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist John
Cipollina, who died of respiratory problems in 1989 at age 45. His
mother was an opera singer and a protege of classical pianist Jose
Iturbi.
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