Hot 97 announced Sunday that it cut ties with Pasquale Raucci, also known as Paddy Duke, amid accusations made against him contained within the HBO documentary Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn. "After watching HBO's Storm over Brooklyn, HOT97 was shocked and took swift action. Paddy Duke is no longer employed by HOT97," the station's tweet reads. "The march for social justice continues."
The Muta'Ali Muhammad-directed documentary, which debuted earlier this month, recounts the murder of Hawkins, who was shot and killed in 1989 by a large mob of white men. Hawkins was 16 years old when he traveled with three friends to Bensonhurst to check out a 1982 Pontiac on sale. They were confronted by the mob, who were looking to attack a group of Black people that included someone believed to be dating a white girl they knew.
Hawkins and his friends were surrounded by the white men, some of which were carrying baseball bats. As the confrontation escalated, Hawkins was fatally shot by someone in the mob, causing everyone to retreat. Raucci was later cleared of murder charges for his involvement in the shooting and convicted on a lesser count.
Raucci's LinkedIn page reveals he would go on to work for Hot 97 for decades, and was employed by Emmis Communications in 1994, a mere five years after Hawkins' death.
