Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy are just some of the nicknames for Sean John Combs. An entrepreneur, he lived his early years on the hard streets of Harlem, New York City where he would eventually attend Howard University, drop out, work his way up in the music industry and eventually form his own record label, Bad boy Records.

Despite having an estimated financial worth of around a billion dollars according to Forbes Magazine, Combs has had his fair share of legal issues and controversy. These include getting into an argument with a patron at a bar and having a member of his entorouge be found guilty of a shooting at a bar. Several allegations of sexual assault by various women including one from long term girlfriend Cassie Ventura which was quickly settled out of court.

Combs also suffered from tragedy in his life, a long term girlfriend and mother of his children died in 2018 and his own father was murdered on the 1970’s mean streets of New York City.

Melvin Combs was a drug dealer in a heroin dealing operation and was an associate of famous Harlem Drug Lord Frank Lucas (who was portrayed in the movie “American Gangster” by actor Denzel Washington).

New York Law Enforcement believe that Combs was killed by members of a heroin drug dealing syndicate. Combs had been previously arrested in possession of heroin and around forty five thousand dollars of cash. A New York Times article stated a member of this drug dealing gang was raided after Combs arrest. Combs was shot to death as he sat in his car in the area of Central Park West in 1972. There has never been any proof that indicated why Combs was murdered and it is believed the case was never thoroughly investigated. Several associates of this drug dealing gang that Combs was involved with were eventually convicted and served time for their role in the illegal distribution of heroin. Frank Lucas was quoted in a New York Post article stating that he believed that Combs was not a police informant and most likely killed for other reasons.

To this date though, the murder of the 33 year old US Air Force Veteran remains unsolved and the killers at least unknown to the general public. However, even decades later…. the streets still talk.

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/1973/02/24/archives/ten-found-guilty-of-heroin-charge-convicted-of-taking-part-in.html

https://nypost.com/2010/06/07/druglord-gangster-fashion-victim/