Editing Pete Best (section)

=== Difficulties between Mona Best and others ===
Before Epstein took the Beatles on, Mona had been handling most of the management and promotional work. According to promoter and manager Joe Flannery,<ref>Series of interviews with Liverpool promoter and manager Joe Flannery 1996–1999, recounted by Michael Brocken in Chapter 4 of his book ''Hidden Voices: Hidden Histories of Liverpool's popular music scenes, 1930s–1970s''. Burlington VT, Ashgate Publishing Company, 2010</ref> Mona had done a great deal for the band by arranging several important early gigs and lending them a badly needed helping hand when they returned from Hamburg the first time, but this came at the cost of having to contend with her overbearing nature. At this crucial time in the history of the Beatles, Lennon confided to Flannery that he considered Mona "bossy like [his aunt] [[Mimi Smith|Mimi]]" and believed that she was using the Beatles only for the sake of her son Pete.<ref name="Brocken 2010">Brocken 2010</ref> However, this should be weighed against the fact that the Beatles' cordial relations with Mona soon resumed. She often met them while visiting Neil Aspinall at his London home. On these occasions, the Beatles often had small gifts for her, which they had acquired on their travels. For her part, Mona allowed them to use her father's military medals in the photo shoot for the ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|Sgt. Pepper]]'' album cover.<ref>Roag Best et al. ''The Beatles: The True Beginnings''. p170</ref>

Although Epstein's publicly stated reluctance to fire Best quickly became a matter of record in the early biographies,{{sfn|Davies|1996|p=138}} he had found Mona to be the cause of mounting aggravation. She had contractual ties to the band, making it difficult to dismiss Pete; breaking the group would nullify any contract Mona held.  Meanwhile, Epstein's distaste for her interference in the Beatles' management, including her "aggressive opinions about his handling of her son's career", was obvious to everyone,<ref>Carlin, Peter Ames, ''Paul: A Life''. Touchstone Books, New York 2009 p73</ref> and he also reportedly considered Mona a loose cannon who must not be allowed to interfere in his operations.<ref name="Brocken 2010" /> Moreover, the very recent birth of her son Roag further complicated matters. Although Best was not personally responsible for this development, it might have caused a scandal at a crucial moment in the Beatles' career had it become generally known. Epstein would have been horrified at the prospect.<ref>Inglis, Ian, ''The Beatles In Hamburg'', Reaktion Press, London 2009 p142 et seq.</ref>