A seemingly far-fetched story Fat Joe shared over a year ago about a man who claimed to have been an accomplice to O.J. Simpson may turn out to be true after all.
An article by Mike Baker and Tim Arango in The New York Times about a secret informant linked to Simpson referenced an anecdote previously shared by the rapper, lending support to certain aspects of the report.
The article centers on Joseph Ippolito, whom The New York Times describes as the son of a member of the DeCavalcante crime family. Following in his father’s footsteps, Ippolito became a mafia associate, a serial felon and a prison escapee.
Ippolito also formed a friendship with Simpson through his close friend Al Cowlings. He may have had connections to the 1994 murders of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Simpson, and her boyfriend, Ronald Goldman. Simpson was famously acquitted of the murders in his criminal trial but was later found liable for both deaths in a civil case.
After remaining sealed for three decades, documents concerning Ippolito were obtained by The New York Times. Prosecutors had described him as a “remarkable source of information.”
Ippolito reportedly provided New York prosecutors with information about “his disposal of the murder weapon” used to kill Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Although the information was shared with prosecutors involved in O.J. Simpson’s trial, it came too late for them to use it.
The informant’s brother initially told The New York Times that Ippolito went to help O.J. Simpson on the night Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered. According to the brother, Ippolito later returned to their shared apartment with blood on his hands. However, the brother, Sam, has since attempted to retract those claims.
During an August 2025 episode of the Joe and Jada Podcast, Fat Joe recounted a story about a man he called Joe Bentley, explaining that the nickname came from the fact that he “owned so many Bentleys.” Joe Bentley was reportedly an alias used by Ippolito.
According to Fat Joe, “Bentley” told him that while Simpson was attempting to flee in the infamous white Ford Bronco, he was waiting at the airport with a private jet.
The rapper also shared another story involving a birthday celebration for Ippolito’s wife. When it was time to cut the cake, Fat Joe recalled, the former criminal handed Simpson a machete and jokingly told him, “You did it.” Simpson then playfully chased Ippolito around the house with the machete.
