Fever Records

SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY

Sal's dedication to the community has been the focal point of his life and to this day he continues to contribute to community charities and fundraisers.

In a short time after SKATE FEVER was open, Sal along with some youths of the community, established The Macomb's Youth Association. The Macomb's Youth Association, was a day recreation center held right in the skating rink, to all children of the surrounding area. They set up historical, camping, and educational trips. They had numerous benefits to restore and rebuild the neiborhood, but Sal's most proud achievement was the restoration of a city park and playground that was rundown and abandon for over seven years. That year Sal was awarded The Bronx Citizen of the Year award by Bronx Bourogouh President Stanley Simon.

Sal and Mandingo (RIP)

Abbatiello was never biased when it came to hiring his employees. He has been known to employ people with little or no experience and most of his were directly from within the community. At one time, in 1983 he employed over 130 people making him one of the biggest employers in the Bronx. Sal Abbatiello, a family man, and married since 1980 is a proud father of 3 children, has been actively involved with charity and community work since the early 80's.

In the early 1980s FEVER ENTERPRISES had raised over $60,000 for the United Negro College Fund. In 1983 People Magazine, Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, Village Voice, NBC, ABC, CBS and every other major media news people, were telling the world how Disco Fever and Hip Hop music had influenced the birth of a new culture.

In 1984, Sal along with WBLS FM in New York, Coca-Cola, and his friend Charles Stettler, promoted the first citywide rap show and talent contest at Radio City Music Hall. All 6,000 seats were filled with city wide urban kids and their parents, free of charged and Sal Abbatiello participated as one of the judges. That evening the FAT BOYS were discovered and won a recording contract. Incidentally, one of the Fat Boy's biggest hits, "Jail House Rap," off their double platinum album, was co- written by Sal. Also that year Sal helped put together a city wide Break Dancing Against Graffiti Contest along with WKTU in New York and the ABC network. It became a one hour TV special on ABC with many major television personalities as judges including Sal, himself. In 1984 Sal along with Kurtis Blow were awarded Certificates of Merit by Mayor ED Koch for their efforts.

Fat Boys on the set of Krush Groove

In 1985, "THE FEVER" was internationally known in accordance with the lifestyle of Hop Hop music. Because of the great impact and new life style that Hop Hop had on the world, Warner Brothers came to the South Bronx and in 1985 the movie "Krush Groove" was released, the movie being shot in the South Bronx, show cased "The Fever" as the place where Hip Hop found its first home, Abbatiello a character in his own personality, had his acting debut by playing himself in the movie. Sal donated all the proceeds he received from the movie to the Bronx Special Olympics.

In the last ten years he has been a board member of the Hillcrest Lakers Community Club in Yonkers and he helped start its basketball program in 1994 with just 10 kids to over 400 at present, for years the club had to meet in peoples houses and various places, now Hillcrest has its own new building and brand new regulation little league field, even though Sal's children did not get the chance of playing on that field, many other lucky children will.

Coaching little league baseball, basketball and soccer for the last 14 year's has built a bonding relationship with his 2 boys and his daughter, but most of all has brought the spirit of donating quality time, in your community, for the purpose of helping others. Sal's time with his oldest boy Allie has paid off because he just broke the all time Eastchester Basketball High School record in points scored and has been awarded a baseball scholarship at Iona College for the fall of 2004.

In May of 2003 he started the Ed Ryan Memorial Scholarship Award which is an award for a boy and girl varsity high school player in memory of a fellow neighbor who was a victim of the world trade center the proceeds go to fund the award each year and renovate the sport facilities at the high school. In 2004 the weight room, which was in need of a new make over, received all new weight equipment. With the proceeds from the 2004 benefit, Sal will finish off the weight room and put up a plaque in honor of Ed Ryan.

FEVER RECORDS Community & Charity Work