A cover story in this week's "Village Voice" alleges that one of the Wu-Tang Clan's managers, Michael Caruso (a.k.a. Lord Michael), is a government informant that has been hiding his "snitch" past from the rap outfit.

Caruso, described in the story as Cappadonna's personal manager, was a star witness in the drug conspiracy trial of New York City nightclub kingpin Peter Gatien, who was eventually acquitted on the charges even after Caruso testified.

Caruso turned state's evidence back in 1998, confessing to a string of crimes, including extortion and drug trafficking, during the trial of Gatien, for whom Caruso had worked at the Manhattan nightclub Limelight.

Lord Michael is still working for government prosecutors, and he is currently a witness in the pending racketeering trial against Chris Paciello, a Miami-based club operator and one of Caruso's former friends. Caruso is expected to take the stand and testify about Paciello's alleged mob connections

when the trial begins in September.

The story alleges that Caruso has "managed to sucker" the Wu, who have purportedly been unaware of Caruso's other work, and that he has been using the rapper's security staff to protect him from possible reprisals by those he's informed against.

For more information, check out the complete text of the article, "The Rap Group & The Rat," available at www.villagevoice.com.