[1] His career in the music industry spanned the latter half of the 20th century, and his Pittsburgh-based company, DiCesare Engler Productions, was at one time one of the top-grossing businesses[2][3][4][5] amongst US concert promoters.
He left his job just months later to work as a record distributor for Tim Tormey, a concert promoter and talent agent in the Pittsburgh area1.
As a teenager, DiCesare wrote songs and performed in a doo wop band with a group of friends called "The Penn Boys".
At the time he worked as a record distributor for his mentor, Tim Tormey, who was a concert promoter and talent agent in the Pittsburgh area10.
DiCesare worked with him on his "Shower of Stars" concert series that featured several headline acts booked together to sell out large venues.
[14][15][16] When Tormey left Pittsburgh for Hollywood to work with Dick Clark Productions1, DiCesare continued to promote concerts on his own1 11.
In the early 70s the Civic Arena continued to eclipse yearly attendance records due largely to the "new" phenomenon of the rock concert.
[17] Some Pat DiCesare Production sellouts at the Civic Arena in 1971 included 3 Chicago shows, Grand Funk Railroad, The Who, Black Sabbath, and Jesus Christ Superstar.
[18] In 1972, Pat DiCesare Productions also set and then reset the attendance record at that time for a rock concert in Pittsburgh with Three Dog Night and then Alice Cooper.
Earlier that same year, Pat DiCesare and Rich Engler received the Variety Club entertainment award [27] for "Bringing Broadway back to Pittsburgh."11.
In 1984, DiCesare-Engler signed a 10-year agreement with the Syria Mosque in Oakland (Pittsburgh), where they assumed management and continued promoting rock and Broadway shows as they did at the Stanley Theatre.
[29][30] In 1986, DiCesare purchased almost 500 acres (2.0 km2) of land near Cranberry Township just north of Pittsburgh with plans to build a major recreational center that would include an indoor mall, waterpark, children's theme park, and a $10 million outdoor amphitheatre with 7,500 covered seats and room for 12,500 lawn spectators.
While trying to rezone his Jackson Township property, Pace Concerts of Houston, Texas broke ground in Burgettstown – located in Washington County, Pennsylvania about 45 minutes West of Pittsburgh.
[35]" He had subsequently announced plans to build a $250 million, 2100 unit development[36][37] on his Adams Township property, which some referred to as "DiCesare City.
They remained in the top 20[40] in gross sales amongst US concert promoters thanks to the success of their smaller venues such as the AJ Palumbo Center, Syria Mosque, IC Light Amphitheatre, and their 1992 venture with Electric Factory Concerts to build the 4000 seat Bud Light Amphitheatre at Harveys Lake just 5 miles (8.0 km) outside of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
[41] DiCesare-Engler also continued their usual volume of sales at the Civic Arena and Three Rivers Stadium in addition to their new association with Pace Concerts in booking shows at Starlake Amphitheatre.
[42] In 1997, when the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first released their list of the "Top 50 Culture Brokers", Pat DiCesare and Rich Engler ranked 3rd.
[60][61] Topics so far have included The Beatles, The Del-Vikings, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, and the Pittsburgh Civic Arena.