The "camera" that the photographer is shown holding was in actuality a tape dispenser, because the photographer, Eliot R. Brown, only owned one camera at the time (and it was already in use, being set up on a tripod snapping the actual photo used for the cover).
Production department artist Ron Zalme touched up the final image by inking over the web lines on Spider-Man's costume.
In case you didn't notice, the mob boss in this story has the same name as the comic's assistant editor.
Letters on The Amazing Spider-Man #255 & 256 from: Chad Vaughn (Torch, Ohio), Tony D. Cartagena (Bronx, New York), Larry Dudock (no address given), Gregory Rodney (Encino, California), Y.L. Maeshiro (Mexico City, Mexico), Keith Abraham (Chevy Chase, Maryland), Chris Mackowski (Milford, Minnesota), and Andy Mieczowski (Wakefield, Massachusetts).