He Robbed Don King of $600k & Scammed Diddy for $1M… While SMASHING His Mom
When you talk about Harlem legends, you might think of hustlers, pimps, or even rap moguls. But only one man can say he robbed Don King for $600,000, scammed Diddy out of a million, and was smashing Diddy’s own mom while doing it all. This is the wild, untold story of Eric Vonzip—a man whose influence stretched from the streets of New York to the heart of hip-hop, boxing, and beyond.
Welcome to Zip’s World: Where the Hustle Never Stopped
If you ever stepped foot in Harlem’s legendary Zip Code club (formerly Jimmy’s Uptown), you knew you were on Eric Vonzip’s turf. Whether you called him Big Zip, Vonzip, or just “the man behind the curtain,” his name always came up in the wildest stories from the East Coast to the West. Born on October 10, 1960, on 118th Street between 8th and St. Nicholas, Eric Vonzip was Harlem royalty—raised in the underworld, mentored by none other than Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, and destined to become a kingpin in his own right.
But Vonzip wasn’t your average street hustler. He was a gentleman gangster, a mastermind who played both sides—corporate and criminal—with equal finesse. He had his hands in everything: drugs, clubs, music, boxing, and, most infamously, the East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop war that left Tupac and Biggie dead.
The Gentleman Gangster: From Harlem’s Streets to Hollywood’s Suites
Vonzip’s rise was classic Harlem—he started with nothing but hustle, street smarts, and a dream of controlling both coasts. He wasn’t just a neighborhood figure; he became an international dealmaker, managing Mike Tyson at one point and co-owning the Black Rock music label, which even had the late Aaliyah on its roster. In the clubs, he was a legend—ordering rounds of champagne, carrying bags of cash, and giving away money like it grew on trees. Everyone from Stevie Wonder to Foxy Brown wanted to be in his orbit.
But Vonzip’s real magic was in the way he moved—always one step ahead, always in control. According to comic TK Kirkland, Zip would switch cars 20 times before even getting into his main ride. He drove a bulletproof Mercedes, never slept without a shotgun, and kept his business so tight that law enforcement could never pin him down.
Diddy’s Mom, the East Coast/West Coast War, and the Art of the Rip-Off
Now, let’s get to the juice: Eric Vonzip wasn’t just Diddy’s street connect—he was family. Literally. For a time, he was dating Diddy’s own mother, Janice Combs, making him not just a mentor and a plug, but also “Uncle Zip” in the most awkward way possible. He was so close to the Combs family that he became godfather to the Notorious B.I.G.’s son.
But Zip’s reputation in the streets was as a “ripper”—a man who could talk you out of your money and leave you with nothing but a smile and a handshake. Even Mike Tyson has stories. The champ once revealed that Don King showed up with $600,000 in cash to do a deal. Zip took the money, walked Don right out the door, and that was that. “Zip took like $600,000,” Tyson laughed. “He just took it from Don. He came in with the money, and Zip just… took it.”
And if you thought robbing Don King was wild, wait until you hear about how he played Diddy.
How Zip Scammed Diddy for $1 Million After Tupac’s Murder
Vonzip’s biggest hustle might be the one that changed hip-hop history. During the infamous East Coast vs. West Coast beef, Diddy (then Puffy) needed protection. Zip, with ties to Harlem and the Southside Crips in Compton, made the introduction to Keefe D, a notorious Crip leader. Through Zip, Diddy started rolling with serious street muscle, even renting cars from Keefe’s crew for Usher’s music videos and paying extra when things got damaged.
But as the beef escalated, so did the stakes. After Suge Knight’s friend Big Jake was murdered in Atlanta, Suge blamed Diddy, and tensions hit a boiling point. Puffy, feeling the heat, allegedly asked Keefe D for help with his “problems”—namely, Tupac and Suge. According to Keefe D, Diddy offered a cool million to make the problem go away. The plan was set in motion.
After Tupac was shot in Vegas, the story goes that Diddy handed the money over to Zip, who was supposed to pay Keefe D and his crew for the hit. But here’s the twist: Zip kept the whole million for himself. Keefe D claims he didn’t even know he’d been stiffed until the FBI told him years later. Talk about a double-cross for the ages.
Master of Paranoia: How Zip Stayed Untouchable
What made Vonzip different from every other gangster, hustler, or mogul? It was his paranoia and planning. He never stayed in one place, never used the same car, never let anyone get too close. Even when Keefe D flew out to New York with LAPD detectives, wearing a wire to try and catch Zip admitting to the conspiracy, Vonzip slipped away—too smart, too slick, too careful.
In the end, the feds could never make anything stick. Vonzip ran criminal networks from Harlem to Miami, LA to Atlanta, moving product, money, and influence with a level of sophistication that left even his enemies in awe. He sold liquid PCP by the gallon, doubled his money on coke by shipping it from coast to coast, and made sure everyone in his circle ate—if they played by his rules.
The Harlem Godfather: Bigger Than the Law, Feared by All
Vonzip wasn’t just a hustler—he was the black Al Capone, the Godfather of Harlem, a man whose empire touched every corner of the game. He mentored, manipulated, and maneuvered his way through the music industry, the boxing world, and the streets, using artists, labels, and gangs like chess pieces. He had politicians in his pocket, cops on his payroll, and enemies everywhere.
He didn’t just want to be rich—he wanted to be better than everyone else. And for a while, he was. His funeral in 2012 was a who’s who of boxing, rap, and hustling royalty, a final salute to a man who never got caught, never went down, and took most of his secrets to the grave.
The Legacy: Secrets, Power, and the Game That Never Ends
Eric Vonzip left behind two sisters, seven children, and a legend that still echoes through Harlem and hip-hop. He outlasted most of his peers, staying relevant from the 1970s to the 2010s. He never faced trial for any of his alleged crimes, never spent serious time behind bars, and never lost his edge.
He was the man who could rob Don King, scam Diddy, and romance Diddy’s mother—all while running criminal empires coast to coast. In the end, Vonzip was more than a hustler—he was the ultimate survivor, the man who played the game better than anyone else.
So next time you hear a story about the East Coast/West Coast war, the murder of Tupac, or the rise of Bad Boy Records, remember the name Eric Vonzip. Because in the shadows of hip-hop’s wildest era, he was the man pulling the strings—and getting paid, no matter who lost.
Rest in power, Zip. Harlem’s last kingpin, and the man who always got the last laugh.