Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Billy Amato


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was   delete. Cirt (talk) 00:31, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Billy Amato

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Fairly complex, questionable hoax. It would appear as if someone is attempting to re-write the history of Studio 54 with NO sources, references or corroborating evidence. In addition, the editor responsible has refused all communication, even after being blocked. "Billy Smith" in the Studio 54 article was changed to Billy Amato a few days ago. For the full timeline, please see the following links:
 * recent attempted edits on article Studio 54
 * edits performed under named account now blocked
 * edits of user under anonymous account (same grammatical mistakes in information)
 * same information added by another blocked anonymous account (grammatical mistakes and all)

There is a claim of a legal name change, for which there are no sources provided. If it is determined this information is NOT correct, this article should be deleted as a hoax. Several other similar articles attempting to introduce this information have already been deleted, including Billy Smith, Studio 54 and Billy Smith/Amato, Studio 54.  O liver  T wisted (Talk) (Stuff) 03:33, 14 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Comment I found this - Being born 1945, in 1957 he should be like 12, exactly the age for graduating from an elementary school. Considering there is unlikely to be two people who both had two surnames "Smith" and "Amato", I think they are the same person. Thus, the legal name change is true. Blodance (talk) 08:54, 14 January 2010 (UTC)
 * This also. 6 years passed and he graduates from high school. I think we can now at least say that there was a person named Billy Amato aka Billy Smith indeed. Blodance (talk) 09:01, 14 January 2010 (UTC)
 * And this is his own website. He says he was "Being born and raised in Pelham Manor, New York", matching the classmate records I linked above. He also mentioned Studio 54. So, no, the article is not a hoax, as far as I can see. But I failed to establish his notability, as such, I'm going Weak Delete on this article, for failing WP:BIO. Blodance (talk) 09:10, 14 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Last time I checked, Classmates.com was not a WP:RS. All legal name changes must be published, except in cases of domestic violence, so there should be a source for this information. --  O liver  T wisted (Talk) (Stuff) 03:50, 19 January 2010 (UTC)
 * I'm not familiar with the situation in the US - no such requirements here. (I've !voted delete anyway, but I must say that I'm pretty convienced that they are the same person, even if the source is not reliable.) Are there any exceptions?  Blodance  the   Seeker   09:42, 19 January 2010 (UTC)
 * There are more than likely exceptions to this rule (domestic violence, witness protection), and the subject in question may have "informally" changed his name. The problem extends beyond the notability per WP:BIO or WP:MUSIC of Billy Amato and the "alleged" name change. If the subject "Billy Smith", "Billy Smith Amato" or Billy Amato himself is editing the article (and vandalizing my userpage), we have a WP:COI. If it is not, then where is the authoring editor getting this information? There are no sources to establish notability of anything. If it is available to the general public, why can't it be produced? In addition, the existing information about Studio 54 mentions a "Billy Smith" which is a pretty common name. My concern was the production of 1) a reliable source establishing the name change from "Billy Smith" to "Billy Amato" and/or notability independent of it, as "Billy Amato"; 2) a reliable source proving Billy Amato "launched the career of Madonna" and 3) attempting to get the author of this article to communicate with the community about where this information is originating, in a way other than vandalizing my userpage and the Studio 54 article and talk page. From my perspective... beginning with the changes to the Studio 54 article, moving to the deleted articles (referenced in nomination above), and the 2 user accounts (the author, and then after being blocked, an anonymous account) being used to attempt to change who the founders of the club were, and who launched the career of Madonna (both accounts are now blocked for persistent disruptive editing), we are dealing with a persistent and concentrated hoax effort. --  O liver  T wisted (Talk) (Stuff) 10:09, 19 January 2010 (UTC)
 * I don't think its Amato himself... it could be a friend of him, but if it was himself, I think he would have mentioned the name change on his personal website. In any case, let's pwn delete this article, unless notability is proven.  Blodance  the   Seeker   11:54, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

 Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Tim Song (talk) 01:53, 21 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion so consensus may be reached.
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

Ok guys - i am Billy Amato, i change my name back to my family name back in 1985 when i was still at Studio 54. Yes it was Billy Smith. Because names are very much a part of your heritage and family name change is very common in the USA. my web site is www.BillyAmato.com. Go to it, It is all true and I am now 65yo born in 1945. Also the infomation you have on the Studio 54 page is so wrong, well 96% of it is. I happen to be (was) Steve Rubell best friend and buddy since 1974. I lived with him and party with him durning the summers of Fire Island, NY during all of the Studio 54 days 1977-82 than we moved to East Hampton 83-85 - if you have a qustions e-mail me. Also we did launched the career of Madonna at Studio 54. There is a great story about that night when Steve Rubell walk in from the back door on west 53 Street with his friends - but that's another story i have in my book to be coming out the end of next year, I have over 1500 stories about Studio 54. - Your more than welcome to e-mail be at Billy@BillyAmato.com. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.244.17.196 (talk) 05:46, 10 February 2010 (UTC)