When Tonny Bennett was under scanner for underworld ties

Tonny Bennett was one of the well-known faces of the music industry but he was once under the scanner for his early career associations with the organized crime.

In 2011's book All The Things You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett, author David Evanier claimed to unearth a connection between the jazz star and his underworld benefactors.

The novelist alleged the late singer's initial foray into show business was backed by the mob figures who owned New York nightclubs.

The biographer claimed that the 96-year-old's involvement in the underworld was not by choice; however, the writer added he was "not Snow White, but no one is."

To cut ties with the mafia, the Rags to Riches crooner paid a hefty sum of $600,000 in the 1960s, according to Nicki Swift.

The 76-year-old book also hit low with the singer's family, who was unhappy over the mob connections claims, per the Daily News.

The report added one of the singer's "reliable associates" also confided to Evanier that the infamous hitman Tony Spilotro had locked horns with Bennett in the '70s after the latter was reportedly linked to his girlfriend.

On Friday, the New York crooner breathed his last at 96.

The jazz singer's Instagram account shared, "Tony left us today, but he was still singing the other day at his piano, and his last song was Because of You, his first #1 hit.

"Tony, because of you we have your songs in our heart forever."

Bennett's cause of death is unknown; however, he had Alzheimer's disease since 2016.