Steel Mill Retro - Band Members

Eddie Piersanti Bass	Ed Piersanti was born in New Brunswick, NJ and has been playing bass since he was 12 years old. He played in his share of garage bands until hooking up with banjo phenom Richie Gulya. They formed the Smokey Mountain Ramblers, a traditional bluegrass band, in which Ed played acoustic bass. He went on to play in the country rock band Renegade, and the southern rock bands Badlands, The Bad Land Band, and the top 40 band Street Lights. He has played and recorded with some of the tri-state area’s top musicians and is “happy as hell to be playing with these guys”.
John Galella Guitar	John is a veteran of various NJ based cover and original bands including the Albert Miller Group (with former members of the Critters (Mr. Die-ingly Sad), Simply Shania (tribute), and few original projects like the Stock Boys and Probably Taken. John writes as well, and had interest from a NYC jazz label in the mid 80's. John was a very close friend to our previous guitarist, Bernie, his guitar mentor.
Vini "Maddog" Lopez Drums	Vini "Maddog" Lopez has been involved in the music field for over forty years. He first played a valve bugle in a drum corp., not drums as one would expect. When Vini met Buzzy Lubinsky, who played drums along with records, Vini became hooked. Buzzy helped him with the drums and within a year, Vini joined SONNY AND THE STARFIRES. Playing with Sonny for a few years gave him the experience and knowledge of how rock n' roll worked. Soon after Vini and Danny Federici were looking for a guitar player who could sing, when they encountered Bruce Springsteen. Bruce joined their band where things evolved from there, such as Steel Mill and eventually the E STREET BAND. Vini played on Bruce's first two albums, 'Greetings from Asbury Park' and 'The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle'. Since then, Vini has played songs on Bruce's 'Tracks', '18 Tracks' and 'The Essential Bruce Springsteen'. Vini went on and played with many shore area bands (see Band Chronology) as well as his own band THE DISCO REJECTS. Vini had the idea of performing and recording the STEEL MILL songs for a while as no one has performed these songs live for over thirty years. Bruce has given him permission years ago to perform the STEEL MILL but to be sure, he met backstage with Bruce at the Meadowlands show on July 21, 2003 and approval was given to perform and record STEEL MILL songs. After that Vini played Spirit in the Night with the band. Vini is now doing just that with his band STEEL MILL RETRO and let's hope the rest is history.
	Boccigalupe - Vocals, Keyboards & Actor . Born in Asbury Park, New Jersey, he is truly an Asbury musician and the baby of the Upstage Gang, which included Margaret Potter, Big Bobby Williams, Vini "Maddog" Lopez, Sonny Kenn, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven Van Zandt, Southside Johnny and most of the E Street Band. Bocci, started his music career at age 7 playing drums, with Ringo Starr and Dino Donnelly as his influences. At 11 he started playing with some of the local band and found his calling in life, MUSIC. At age 13 it was time to start a band of his own, centering on Rock N' Roll, the band also had a female singer too, a little red head little thing. It wasn't until 15 years later, he found out it was Patti Scialfa. Hanging at Upstage was the high point of the day, well, when his father didn't catch him there, it was hard because his father was the accountant of the owners of the Upstage and the owners parents who owned a beauty salon next door. By the time he was 16 the drums were boring, he needed something new, it was like an identity crisis, (like somebody else he knows ???) then hit him that sound, that music, that screaming, growling ! - The Young Rascals - That was it !!!! - The Hammond B-3 organ, the ticket to ride. Ever since then, Boccigalupe has been playing with Local and National acts like Gary US Bonds, Clarence Clemons and a host of others just to keep himself busy. And now he presents to you his own project, Boccigalupe and The Badboys. Oh, the name Boccigalupe means: off centered, a little crazy or kind of Nuts, he received this title from Bruce & Little Steven and it Stuck. Performed with : Ecstasy, The Clique, Nicky Don & Co. The Brothers & Sisters, Dzae, Cahoots, Cold, Blast & Steel II, The Z - Band, George Theiss, Bee Gees, Big Danny & The Boppers, Hot Romance, Clarence Clemons & The Red Bank Rockers, Bill Chinnock, Gary US Bonds, Bruce Springsteen, Steel Mill Retro and on and on. Boccigalupe is also in a supporting role in the movie "Backstage Pass" with William Katt a Carman Production Film to be released in December of 2004 And Now, Back to STEEL MILL