Claire Thompson
Bruce Springsteen's Atlantic City is a song about a young couple's romantic escape to the seaside resort of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The opening line, They blew up the Chicken Man in Philly last night, refers to a real-life event: the assassination of Philadelphia mob boss Phil the Chicken Man Testa, who was killed by a nail bomb planted by a rival gangster. Springsteen's song wrestles with the inevitability of death and the hope of rebirth, reflecting the attempted mob takeover of Atlantic City and the government's efforts to legalise gambling.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Philip Testa |
| Nickname | Chicken Man |
| Profession | Mob boss |
| Business | Poultry business |
| Location | Philadelphia |
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What You'll Learn
The opening line of the song
Atlantic City is a song by Bruce Springsteen that first appeared on his 1982 solo album Nebraska. Springsteen wrote, recorded, and performed vocals, guitar, harmonica, and mandolin for the song.
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![Atlantic City [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81h8V8D5IfL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Who is the Chicken Man?
"Atlantic City" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on his 1982 solo album Nebraska. Springsteen's lyrics in the song refer to a "Chicken Man" in Philadelphia who was "blown up" along with his house. The "Chicken Man" was a reference to Philadelphia crime family boss Phil "the Chicken Man" Testa, who was killed by a rival gangster who planted a nail bomb in his house in March 1981. Testa was involved in the poultry business, which is where his nickname came from. Born to Sicilian immigrants, he was raised with old-school values of loyalty and family, and a strict silence code. Springsteen's song "Atlantic City" depicts a young couple's romantic escape to the New Jersey seaside resort of Atlantic City, where the man in the relationship intends to take a job in organized crime upon arriving in the city. The song wrestles with the inevitability of death and the hope of rebirth, reflecting the attempted mob takeover of the city and the state government's efforts to implement casino gambling.
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The Chicken Man is Phil Testa
"Atlantic City" is a song by Bruce Springsteen that was first released in 1982. The opening line of the song goes, "Well, they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night/Now they blew up his house, too". This line was inspired by a newspaper article about a mob hit in Atlantic City.
The "Chicken Man" referred to in the song is Phil Testa, the number two man in the Philadelphia Mob under Angelo Bruno. Testa was involved in the poultry business, which is where his nickname came from. Born to Sicilian immigrants, he was known for his old-school values of loyalty and family. However, he was also involved in the dangerous world of narcotics.
After Bruno was murdered, Testa was assassinated by his own underboss, Peter Casella, using a nail bomb placed under his front porch. Nicky Scarfo orchestrated the hit so he could control the new Atlantic City gambling rackets. The song "Atlantic City" depicts a young couple's romantic escape to the seaside resort of Atlantic City, where the man intends to take a job in organized crime. It wrestles with the inevitability of death and the hope of rebirth, reflecting the attempted mob takeover of the city and the state government's efforts to implement casino gambling.
Through its powerful lyrics and depiction of a couple navigating love, desperation, and the allure of easy money, "Atlantic City" has become an iconic song that continues to resonate with listeners and leave an indelible mark in the world of music.
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Why was he called the Chicken Man?
"Atlantic City" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on his 1982 solo album Nebraska. The song opens with the line, "Well, they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night/Now they blew up his house, too".
The "Chicken Man" in Springsteen's song was a reference to the mob boss Philip Testa. Testa was involved in the poultry business, which is how he earned the nickname "Chicken Man". Springsteen's song is based on a true story, as Testa was indeed killed when a bomb was placed under his front porch.
The song "Atlantic City" is about a young couple's romantic escape to the New Jersey seaside resort of the same name. The man in the relationship intends to take a job in organized crime upon arriving in the city. The song wrestles with the inevitability of death and the hope of rebirth. It is considered one of Springsteen's most dour songs.
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The Chicken Man was blown up
"The Chicken Man was blown up" is the opening line of Bruce Springsteen's song "Atlantic City". The song was written and recorded by Springsteen and first appeared on his 1982 solo album Nebraska. The line refers to the real-life mob hit of Philadelphia crime family boss Phil "the Chicken Man" Testa, who was killed by a nail bomb planted by a rival gangster, Peter Casella, in March 1981. Testa was the number two man in the Philadelphia Mob under Angelo Bruno, and his assassination was part of the wider Mafia violence and in-fighting in the city at the time.
Testa's nickname, "the Chicken Man", came from his legitimate poultry business. He owned distribution companies, which helped him stay under the radar as he slowly rose to become Philly's top crime boss. Springsteen's song depicts a young couple's romantic escape to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where the man intends to take a job in organized crime. The opening lines refer to the Mafia violence in nearby Philadelphia, with Springsteen singing:
> Well, they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night/Now they blew up his house too/Down on the boardwalk, they're getting ready for a fight/Gonna see what them racket boys can do.
The song "Atlantic City" has become well-known, with various covers by artists such as The Band, Hank Williams III, and John Anderson. It has also been featured in popular culture, including an episode of the TV show Cold Case and an episode of Billions.
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Frequently asked questions
The "Chicken Man" in Springsteen's Atlantic City is Philadelphia crime family boss Phil "the Chicken Man" Testa.
Testa was involved in the poultry business, which is where his nickname originated.
The "Chicken Man" was killed by a rival gangster, Peter Casella, who planted a nail bomb in his Philadelphia rowhouse in March 1981.
Springsteen's Atlantic City depicts a young couple's escape to the New Jersey seaside resort of Atlantic City, where the man intends to take a job in organized crime. The opening lines of the song refer to the then-recent Mafia violence in Philadelphia.
