Sinatra

by Anthony Summers

  47 Sam Sinatra: Sinatra’s cousin Sam, with whom he grew up (see p. 23 supra.), married Loretta Riley in 1939. Loretta’s sister Agnes was already married to Angelo De Carlo by that time. According to Sam Sinatra’s last wife, Rose, her husband was “very close” to his De Carlo relatives—he treated the gangster’s daughter and grandchildren “like they were his own” (ints. Rose Ellman Sinatra, Rose Paldino, Joseph Sullivan, U.S. Census 1930, “Certificate of Marriage,” Sam Sinatra and Loretta Riley, Nov. 4, 1939, “Supplemental Correlation Summary,” Feb. 25, 1969, “Subject: Francis Albert Sinatra, Sr.,” 20, FBI 62-83219, “File Review and Summary Checks,” Mar. 26, 1970, “Subject: Francis Albert Sinatra,” 50, FBI LA 100-41413, SA Wilcus to SAC Newark, Apr. 22, 1964, FBI 137-3514-588); (“He used to check”) int. Joseph Sullivan.

  47–48 De Carlo and entertainers: (proprietary interest) ints. Jimmy Roselli, Anthony Petrozelli, Bob Buccino, Evanier, 69–, Scheim, 359, Gerald Zelmanowitz testimony, Subcommittee on Investigations of Committee on Government Operations, U.S. Senate, 92nd Cong., 1st sess., Jul. 13, 1973; (“He loved”) int. Anthony Petrozelli; (“Gyp had a lot”) int. James Petrozelli; (Sam’s widow Rose) int. Rose Ellman Sinatra; (“Sinatra was nowhere”) int. Robert Phillips, and, re “duke-in,” see Sal Vizzini with Oscar Fraley and Marshall Smith, Vizzini, London: Futura, 1974, 55.

  48 Luciano and Sinatra: (maintained/“investments”) Sciacca, Luciano, 170–, Gosch and Hammer, 48, 232, 240.

  48 “When I was”: Gosch and Hammer, 312. Doubts have been raised as to the credibility of The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano, by Martin Gosch and Richard Hammer, published in 1975. Over the years, critics have pointed out historical errors in the text. Having looked into the controversy, and having studied relevant police files in Italy, we conclude that—while the book does contain inaccuracies—Luciano did indeed give lengthy interviews to author Gosch. It is likely that the mobster spoke inexactly about events in his distant past, and that the book suffered from the fact that neither Luciano nor coauthor Gosch could review the manuscript—both died before publication. We interviewed surviving coauthor Richard Hammer, a former New York Times reporter and National Book Award nominee, who acknowledged that he gave a “voice” to Luciano based on Gosch’s extensive notes. Specific inaccuracies aside, our research suggests there is no reason to doubt the overall veracity of the recollections attributed to Luciano (int. Richard Hammer, NYT, Dec. 17, 20, 23, 1974, Mar. 14, 1975, Sciacca, Luciano, 230, “Interrogation of Martin Arnold Gosch,” Jan. 27, 1962, 10th Legion of the Guardia di Finanza, Rome, Allan May, “The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano,” pts. 1 and 2, americanmafia.com, Aug./Sep. 2002, Jack Anderson, “The Last Days of Lucky Luciano,” WP, Jun. 26, 1962).

  48 Lascari: Virgil Peterson, The Jukebox Racket, confidential report for law enforcement, Chicago: Chicago Crime Commission, Sep. 1954, 135, Russo, 188–, Katz, 146, Peterson, The Mob, 247. Lascari, who by his account got into the jukebox business in 1937, was a Luciano intimate of long standing—at one point he lived with the Luciano family. His name appears in a Luciano address book, and in Luciano’s phone records (Petersen, The Jukebox Racket, 135, Anslinger to Kefauver, Luciano address book extract attachment, Feb. 8, 1951, “Memorandum for File,” “Charles Luciano,” Jul. 10, 1947, and J. Ray Olivera to Garland Williams, Mar. 21, 1947, LLBN).

  48–49 mobsters’ role at start of FS career: (“discovered”) 1951 Bureau of Narcotics document, cited in “Correlation Summary,” Jun. 8, 1964, “Subject: Francis Albert Sinatra,” FSFBI; (“ ‘brought up’ ”) “Supplemental Correlation Summary,” Feb. 25, 1969, FSFBI; (Moretti “financial interest”) “General Crime Survey,” May 13, 1944, by Capt. Matthew Donohue, cited in “Summary Memorandum re Francis Albert Sinatra,” Sep. 29, 1950, FSFBI; (“admitted his association”) “General Crime Survey,” Apr. 15, 1948, cited in “Summary Memorandum re Francis Albert Sinatra,” Sep. 29, 1950, FSFBI; (Donohue) int. Matthew Donohue Jr.—Donohue Sr. was under-sheriff of Bergen County, New Jersey, from 1936 to 1939 and went on to become chief of police.

  49 Scimone: (story and background) ints. Chico Scimone, “Processo Verbale di Interrogatorio, Francesco Scimone,” and multiple references cited in Commisione Parliamentare d’Inchiesta Sul Fenomeno Della Mafia in Sicilia, vol. 4, 205–, 210–, 280–, 465, 557–, 773–, 818–; (Vitaliti) refs. in files “Processo Verbale di Interrogatorio, Adrianna Rizzo,” 10th Legione Guardia di Finanza, Jan. 1962, CommisioneParlimentare D’inchiesta Sul Fenomeno Della Mafia in Sicilia, vol. 4, 557–, and see Gosch and Hammer, multiple refs.; (Vitaliti/Luciano) ibid., and “Agenda Personale di Lucania Salvatore” attachment to Cusack to Giordano, Jun. 20, 1962, LLBN.

  49 “Night and Day”: “ ‘Night and Day’ was my best number,” Sinatra said in 1948, “so I used it for almost every audition.” He had used it when the Hoboken Four auditioned for Major Bowes (Silver Screen, Mar. 24, 1948).

  50 “The Boys”: int. Sonny King.

  50 “had absolutely nothing to do”: FS testimony, Nevada State Gaming Control Board, Feb. 11, 1981.

  50 “made some band dates”: transcript, FS questioning by Kefauver Committee investigators, Gallery, Sept. 1978.

  Chapter 6: All, or Nothing at All

  51 stint at Cabin: (“Frank hated”) “A Mother Flipping Cockroach,” www.broadwaytovegas.com, Jun. 21, 1999—the Travalena quoted is the father of comedian Fred Travalena; (“bow to the boss”) Doctor, 16; (“half piano”) Sinatra, Legend, 31; (“was the boy singer”) M/G int. Lucille Buccini ( nee Kirk).

  51–52 youthful attraction to women: (rarely shared thoughts) Trivial details aside, it seems to be a fact that Sinatra did not talk in any depth—for public consumption, at least—about relationships between men and women. This may be not least because he thought marriage “a personal arrangement between two beings [that] should properly concern no one else” (Ebony, Jul. 1958, ed. Yarwood, 69); (flirt) Bergen (NJ) Record, May 17, 1998; (“We’re animals”/“He was a skinny”) Taraborrelli, 28; (“I’m just looking”) ibid., 31; (“You got something”) Dwiggins, 20; (“His voice”) ibid.; (“He had sex”) Taraborrelli, 29–.

  52 penis size: (“There’s only ten pounds”) Charles Higham, Ava, New York: Delacorte, 1974, 133. D’Orazio described Sinatra as “hung like a horse,” while Anthony Petrozelli said he “hung pretty heavy.” The actress Jeanne Carmen described the penis as “a biggie”—“a watermelon on the end of a toothpick.” Lena Samuels, a sometime lover of both Sinatra and Sammy Davis, said Sinatra was pleased when she assured him that his was bigger than Davis’s. In contrast to this smorgasbord of prurience, Sinatra’s daughter Tina has said that—when she and her siblings took showers with their father—“He looked normal to me” (D’Orazio—Taraborrelli, 30; Petrozelli—int. Anthony Petrozelli; Carmen—int. Jeanne Carmen, C. David Heymann, RFK, New York: Dutton, 1998, 314n; Samuels—Taraborrelli, 218; “He looked”—New York Daily News, Jun. 12, 2003; (“ ‘Big Frankie’ ”) Taraborrelli, 31; (“bundle of bones”) Freedland, 20; (“cuddler”/“C’mon, God”) Taraborrelli, 29–.

  52–54 Della Penta: (main episode) Kelley, 1–, Taraborrelli, 32–, “A Mother Flipping Cockroach,” M/G int. of Lucille Kirk Buccini, ints. Matthew Donohue Jr., Criminal Judicial District Court of the County of Bergen, Docket 15228, Nov. 26, 1938, and 15307, Dec. 21, 1938, Box 72, Pegler Papers, Jones to Nichols, Jan. 23, 1957, FSFBI, undat. clips re Nov. 26 arrest and Della Penta re Dolly fracas, Jersey City Library—the woman’s full name was Antoinette Della Penta Francke. Her age is taken from the U.S. Census of 1930. More than twenty years later, when he was being vetted for a Nevada gaming license, Sinatra said through his attorney that a medical examination had established that Della Penta was not pregnant. In Sinatra’s view, she was a “crank” (“Sands Hotel,” Jan. 21, 1963, FBI 92-6314-2); FS “called up someone”) Taraborrelli, 34.

  54 Nancy marriage: (“What Nancy don’t know”) Taraborrelli, 32; (“Nancy was crushed”) ibid., 33; (never happen again) Sinatra, Legend, 32; (invitations) ibid.; (“I w
as quite taken”/shower) Kelley, 43, int. Adeline Biondy Yacenda; (FS borrowed) Modern Screen, Jul. 17, 1947.

  54 wedding dress: The authors have used the reference to the dress that appears in daughter Nancy Sinatra’s book, Legend. Nancy said in a 1947 interview, however, that she wore a dress she designed and made herself (Sinatra, Legend, 33, Peterson draft); (“awfully nice”) “My Life with Frank Sinatra,” Marva Peterson draft, Jul. 21, 1947, MHL; (tears) Kelley, 44; (“ ‘gone’ ”) Peterson draft; (“saddest”) Kelley, 44.

  54–55 “cheerful little apartment”/“too busy”: Peterson draft. While Nancy said in 1947 that the couple had no honeymoon, Sinatra said in 1943 that they had a “three-day honeymoon.” Elsewhere, it has been said they had a four-day honeymoon, which included driving to North Carolina and back (Nancy—Peterson draft; FS—Metronome, May 1943; North Carolina?—Jersey Journal, Feb. 13, 1939, Kelley, 45; (curtains) Dwiggins, 20; (“Frank doesn’t believe”) Peterson draft; (Nancy secretary) American Weekly, Jul. 20, 1952; ($25) Peterson draft; (“Our marriage started”) American Weekly, Jul. 20, 1952; (Sevano) ints. Nick Sevano, M/G int. of Nick Sevano; (“I’m going”) Look, Jun. 11, 1957; (“What I had mistaken”) American Weekly, Jul. 20, 1952; (“Poor Nancy”) Modern Screen, Jul. 17, 1947.

  55–56 other jobs: (“I was running”) Simon, viii, and see Billboard, Nov. 20, 1965.

  56 “Our Love”: Sinatra’s daughter Nancy has written that her father gave “Our Love” to her mother as a wedding gift on February 4, 1939, having recorded it the previous day. This seems to be wrong—the date of the recording, typed on the label, was March 18, 1939 (Sinatra, Legend, 32); (“I was segueing”) Friedwald, 68, and see Life, Jun. 25, 1971.

  56 Miller/Dorsey: (“I walked up”) Friedwald, 68; (“a god”) Douglas-Home, 23; (Dorsey persuaded) Crescendo & Jazz Music, Oct./Nov. 1992—spotter was Dorsey saxophonist Vince Carbone; (Nola Studios) FS liner notes at http://radio.cbc.ca/inperformance.

  56 Chester: Metronome, May 1943, Goldmine, Mar. 22, 1991, Billboard, Nov. 20, 1965, Friedwald, 68. For a while in early 1939, FS rehearsed regularly with the Bob Chester band in the mornings and with another band in the afternoons. According to former Chester trumpeter Alec Fila, he also sang with Chester at the New Yorker hotel (Simon, ix, Metronome, May 1943, Billboard, Nov. 20, 1965, Friedwald, 68); (“When he saw us”) Screen Star, Jun. 28, 1955.

  56 Charlie’s Grill: int. Matthew Donohue, “General Crime Survey,” May 13, 1944, FBI—62-75147-31-2, SAC NY to Director, Apr. 15, 1954, FBI 62-78122-17. Accounts of the first Dorsey encounter are various and inconsistent. Sinatra himself described it much as did Dorsey, but said they met “a few years” before he joined the Dorsey band in 1940. That would place the episode in 1937 or—more likely—1938. The singer’s daughter Nancy has offered two different accounts in her books on her father. In Frank Sinatra, My Father, she wrote that Dorsey heard Sinatra sing sometime in 1939 in New York when he was with Harry James. In Legend she places the episode in December 1939 just before Sinatra left James, but at the Rustic Cabin, on a night her father returned to make a guest appearance. The reported appearance at Charlie’s Grill, supplied to the authors by former police investigator Matthew Donohue Jr., reflects the fact that Sinatra was singing where and whenever he could. Others have recalled him singing at other New Jersey venues (various accounts—Douglas-Home, 23, Sinatra, My Father, 24, Sinatra, Legend, 38–; other venues—Friedwald, 65, Kelley, 42).

  56 “I dedicated”: Star, May 6, 1986, LAT, Oct. 31, 1993, Friedwald, 44.

  56–57 Harry James: (De Carlo) int. Joseph Sullivan; (“I was packing”) int. Louise Tobin; (“I asked the manager”) Billboard, Nov. 20, 1965; (mere chance) Movieland, Jun. 11, 1945; (“Oh, yeah”) int. Lucille Kirk Buccini; (photograph) Sinatra, Legend, 34; (“he took off his apron”) Kelley, 48, and see Peter Levinson, Trumpet Blues: The Life of Harry James, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, 67; (“Begin the Beguine”) Helen Hover int. of FS, unid. clip, 1944, MHL; (“was destined”) Levinson, 67.

  57 FS offered job/$75: Helen Hover int. of FS. Elsewhere FS said $65, Granata, 8. James’s biographer reports that the contract was for only one year, while two sources indicate it was for two years. It has been suggested, too, that James’s interest in Sinatra was prompted by recording industry executive Manie Sacks, who was at that time in the talent agency business. The agent Swifty Lazar, meanwhile, said James told him about Sinatra before going out to see him at the Rustic Cabin. The authors have accepted what James’s then wife has told them (one year—Levinson, 68, 80; two years—George Evans press release, 1942, MHL, Dwiggins, 21; Sacks—Woman’s Home Companion, May 1956, Richard Gehman, Sinatra and His Rat Pack, New York: Belmont, 1961, 191; Lazar—Lazar with Tapert, 153); (to be let go) ibid.; (“I nearly broke”) Friedwald, 67; (“I called Nancy”) Dwiggins, 21; (James background) Levinson, 3–, 19–, 26, 112–; (“I loved Harry James”) Philadelphia Inquirer, Jul. 8, 1983; (poor bookings) Levinson, 65–; (“We were struggling”) int. Louise Tobin; (at the Paramount) Billboard, Nov. 20, 1965.

  58 Frankie Satin: Levinson, 68, Hamill, 71, 38. Earlier, at the Rustic Cabin, Sinatra had called himself “Frankie Trent.” His mother objected vociferously and it lasted only a couple of weeks (Life, Oct. 1995).

  58 James tour: (Connie Haines) Levinson, 66, 69, Dwiggins, 21.

  58–59 Baltimore appearance: Shaw, Sinatra, 19. Most sources place Sinatra’s first performance with the James band in Baltimore. Jack Palmer, a James trumpeter, thought Sinatra first joined at New Haven, Connecticut (Granata, 4–); (Steel Pier) ed. Mustazza, 85, 224; (“He sounded somewhat”/“the very pleasing”) Billboard, Nov. 20, 1965; (“He was always”) Goldmine, Mar. 22, 1991, with correction May 3, 1991; (breath control) Philadelphia Inquirer, Jul. 8, 1983, Levinson, 70; (recordings) Granata, 5–, Shaw, Sinatra, 21; ($50) Levinson, 69–; (“It was new”) Granata, 7.

  59–60 “All or Nothing at All”: Sinatra recorded “All or Nothing at All” with Harry James in August 1939. Release of the song was delayed until June the following year because the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), which published the song, was in a dispute with broadcasters. A second union action, a strike by the American Federation of Musicians, prevented union musicians from recording between 1942 and 1944. Then, with broadcasters hungry for “new” material, the Sinatra-James recording of “All or Nothing at All” was rereleased and became a hit (Clarke, All or Nothing, 33–, Levinson, 72–, Shaw, Sinatra, 21, Friedwald, 75, 132–, Adam Woog, The Importance of Frank Sinatra, San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 2001, 40); (Miller) Friedwald, 37; (four times) Granata, 6–; (“That guy sings”) LAHE, Dec. 7, 1979; (“I went over”) Clarke, Wishing on the Moon, 225–; (“The male singer”) autograph description, sothebys.com, Jan. 10, 2003; (“Not so loud”) Shaw, Sinatra, 20; (ballroom burned/Victor Hugo/broke) ibid., American Weekly, Nov. 26, 1950, Dwiggins, 22; (“The place was so small”) Chicago’s American, Sep. 25, 1966; (“A number of times”) Sciacca, Sinatra, 111; (Count Basie) Granata, 168, Simon, 82.

  60 Tommy Dorsey: (hopes) ed. Yarwood, 17, Sinatra, Legend, 39, Life, Apr. 23, 1965.

  60 Dorsey had heard/meeting: Dwiggins, 24, Friedwald, 82, Sciacca, Sinatra, 38–, Billboard, Nov. 20, 1965, Screen Star, Jun. 28, 1955, M/G int. of Nick Sevano, Herb Sanford, Tommy and Jimmy, New Rochelle, NY: Da Capo Press, 1972, 182–, “Artanis Knarf,” unid. article by Bobby Burns. Dorsey would have heard the song on the radio rather than on a record, because the recording Sinatra had made had not yet been released. It has been said that Dorsey’s current singer, Jack Leonard, had become temperamental, and there were rumors he was going to go out on his own. It seems more likely, though, that he and Dorsey were simply communicating badly, and that Dorsey jumped to conclusions (not released— Friedwald, 82–; Leonard—Wilson, 28, Dwiggins, 26, Sanford, 182, Simon, 165); (another singer) Wilson, 28.

  60 Dorsey contract: The authors have relied on Sinatra’s statement that Dorsey paid him $100 a week. Dorsey, though, said the pay was $150.
Other sources offer both $125 and $110 (Dorsey—Dwiggins, 28; $125—Douglas-Home, 22, Levinson, 78; $110—Time, Aug. 28, 1955); (“if we don’t do any better”) Levinson, 79, and see Chicago Daily News, May 10, 1976; (friend/mentor) Friedwald, 69; (“made it all possible”) Sinatra, Legend, 38.

  60 Christmas: (Nancy pregnant) Dwiggins, 22; Redbook, Oct. 1951; (pneumonia/gloves) Dwiggins, 29, “The Sinatra Story,” unid. clip, 1951, MHL.

  60–61 leaving James: (Shea Theatre) Levinson, 79. James and Sinatra did work together later, on a government film promoting war bonds in 1944, and briefly recorded together in 1951. They also made some nightclub appearances over the years, and performed on a John Denver television special in 1976. In 1979 James joined in the televised tribute commemorating Sinatra’s fortieth year in show business. They remained close until James’s death (Daniel O’Brien, Frank Sinatra Film Guide, London: Butler and Tanner, 1998, 209, Levinson, 80, 242–, Friedwald, 75–, int. Louise Tobin); (“The bus pulled out”) Douglas-Home, 22–; (home in New Jersey) Sinatra, Legend, 42, Freedland, 54.

  61 “Roses of Picardy”: (NJ) Star Ledger, Jan. 23, 25, 2000, Hudson Reporter, undat., 2000. The “Roses of Picardy” disc bears no identification except the title, which is scratched onto the record. Experts have accepted that it was recorded after 1935 but have been unable to date it more precisely. Costello’s sister Rita Scalzo, however, has said the recording was made between Sinatra’s stint with James and his start with Dorsey, and the authors have accepted her account. Sinatra recorded “Roses of Picardy” again in 1962.

  61 “It’s a lot farther”: New Yorker, May 25, 1998.

  Chapter 7: “Let Him Go”

  62 poll: Metronome, Jan. 1940.

  62–63 Dorsey background: (“No. 1”) FS int. by Tom Jones, Melbourne, Australia, 1955, supplied to author by Alf Batcheldor; (“General Motors”) Peter Levinson, September in the Rain: The Life of Nelson Riddle, New York: Billboard, 2001, 44; (“most beautiful”) Levinson, September, 46; (“the Starmaker”) int. Connie Haines; (childhood/early career) Simon, 142, Levinson, September, 46–, Current Biography, New York, H. W. Wilson, 1942, 16–, “The Great American Big Bands” Big Bands Database; (“If you could put up”) Levinson, September, 46; (fined) Douglas-Home, 24; (singer fired) Simon, 165—the singer was Jack Leonard; (arrangers) Levinson, September, 50; (chased/hit drummer) ibid., 46; (drove like a maniac) Simon, 145; (swore) Levinson, September, 46; (womanizer)Cahn, 131; (drank) Simon, 145, Mel Tormé, Traps, the Drum Wonder: The Life of Buddy Rich, Alma, MI: Rebeats Publications, 1991, 68, Palm Springs Life, Feb. 2002; (“I do”) Wilson, Sinatra, 32; (“Why don’t”) Simon, 146; (“Well, shit heel”) Levinson, September, 47.