In the early years of hip hop DJs reigned supreme, the masters of ceremonies who were the stars in a distinctive street sound that was played, quite literally, on the streets. Disco King Mario was a founding member of this new royal family, straight out of the Bronxdale Housing projects and a member of the notorious Black Spades. Along with his protégé Afrika Bambaataa, Mario ruled the southeast Bronx and was renown for the quality of his booming sound system. From his infamous block parties to performances at Rosedale Park, Mario and his Chuck Chuck City Crew forged a hip hop culture that would influence the likes of Busy Bee Starski, DJ Jazzy Jay, and a whole generation of rap performance artists.