FRANK SINATRA TRIBUTE

The following are some of the articles, editorials, and tributes about Frank Sinatra that have appeared in the Italian Tribune during the last few years. He is an icon of the Italian American community and his legend will persevere for all time. We hope you enjoy this page that we have dedicated to "Ol' Blue Eyes." Also, be sure to use the above links to purchase Sinatra books, music, and films. Every purchase you make via these links earns a commission and helps fund this web site.  Thank you.

Index of Stories
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Editorial 11 December 1997: "A Sinatra Birthday"
Editorial 30 May 1998: "Mourning the Loss of a Friend"
Editorial 30 May 1998: "A Man and His Music"
Editorial 10 December 1998: "Remembering Frank"
Editorial 14 May 1999: "The Great Sinatra Farewell"

"Sinatra Park Dedicated in Hoboken"
"Sinatra's Other New Jersey Home"
"Some Sinatra-speak"
"Essential Sinatra: The Musical Legacy"
"Sinatra's Patriotism on Record: The V-Discs"
"From Maggio to Robbo: Sinatra on Film"
"Sinatra in Print"
"The Wives of Sinatra"
"Rat Pack Roll Call"
"The Rat Pack"
"A Fond Farewell to Francis Albert Sinatra"
"New York's Memories of Sinatra"
"Sinatra Takes It With Him"
"Quotes on Sinatra"
"Sinatra Songs Celebrities Love"
"A Philanthropist to the End"

A SINATRA BIRTHDAY

Few men or women have ever achieved the level of worldwide celebrity enjoyed (?!) by Francis Albert Sinatra. From his humble beginnings in the Italian American neighborhoods of Hoboken to his incomparable singing and acting careers to his glamorous, often controversial, always interesting personal life, Sinatra has been in the public eye for well over a half century.

For the past few years, much attention has been paid to state of Sinatra’s health. Seemingly every time he coughed, the paparazzi swarmed to his side, hoping to catch the definitive Sinatra moment. On the occasion of his eighty-first birthday, Sinatra wished for one more year. Well, as with most things, he got what he wanted. Now, as we approach his eighty-second birthday, the rag papers again have placed him on his deathbed. Don’t be fooled. I plan to be the first to wish him a happy eighty-third birthday.

Perhaps Sinatra’s celebrity is not all we imagine it to be. Constant scrutiny and criticism – even love and admiration - grows tiresome. Others who have shared this often-burdensome mantel of superstardom on a level comparable to Sinatra’s include Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Princess Diana. These four, unlike Sinatra, all passed away prematurely. The spectre of their popularity remained undiminished even in death, but they were at peace, at last. Sinatra, however, was not destined to enjoy an early "peace."

When we, his adoring fans, think of Frank Sinatra, we don’t picture in our minds the old man who struggled onstage at his 80^th birthday gala to mutter a few bars of "New York, New York." Instead, depending on our age, we see a skinny young man from New Jersey with a booming, velvety voice; or we see a cocky, self-assured, Rat-Packer basking in the glamour of Hollywood and fame; or we see an older man, secure in his place in our hearts, singing our favorite songs in a different voice – aged and mature.

Sometimes, lost in our admiration, is the fact that Sinatra is two years past his eightieth birthday. Somehow, we can never quite reconcile our mental image of the man with the idea that he is now older than most of us will ever be. As part of an American society obsessed with staying young, at some level of consciousness, we do not mind when our heroes die young – forever freezing and preserving their images as full of vitality and strength. We grieve and are genuinely upset at their passing but are, at the same time, relieved that we will not have to bear witness to their deterioration, their human weakness.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where the elderly are not often respected. More often they are feared because we dread the inevitable – that we too shall grow old. When our heroes advance into old age, our fears are compounded. If these apparently blessed individuals can become old and suffer debilitating frailties while becoming shadows of their former selves, what chance do we mere mortals have of cheating old age and, ultimately, death.

These worries often consume the average person. Imagine the feelings of betrayal a celebrity must feel. Bob Hope. Ronald Reagan. Katherine Hepburn. For so many years, their bodies or faces or voices or personalities have set them apart. Now, time – the great equalizer – has leveled the playing field and these icons must deal with being what they never were – normal.

Since Sinatra must deal with his aging, so should we. Rather than mourning what will never be again, we should give thanks for what was and what shall always be – not in the flesh, but in our memories. For more than sixty years, his music brought – and continues to bring - joy to our lives. Now, as he enjoys the twilight of his years, he needs our compassion, our love, and our loyalty.

Perhaps never again will one person so profoundly affect so great an audience. Whether or not we enjoy his music, whether or not we watch his movies, whether or not we approve of his lifestyle, whether or not we are the recipients of his many charitable works, one indisputable fact remains. Not one of us can say that Frank Sinatra is not a part of our lives, in one way or another.

For a moment, let us forget the controversy surrounding his life. Let us forget the tabloids and their fabricated, sensationalistic headlines. Let us forget the passage of so many years. Let us forget everything that distracts us from the one gift Sinatra has shared for so many years with the world: the gift of song.

Remember the first time you heard Sinatra sing. Maybe you were at a prom, on your first date, or at a wedding. Maybe you were at home, gathered around the family radio, listening to all your favorites. Maybe your father or grandmother or uncle made you listen, trying to divert your attention from the cursed "rock ’n roll."

Whatever the case may be, our ears shall never again feast on so sumptuous a vocal buffet as the sound of Sinatra.

Whether we remember him as "Swoonatra" or "Ol’ Blue Eyes" or "The Chairman of the Board" is not important as long as we cherish our memories of the man and his music. Perhaps the most appropriate of his monikers is the one that simply pays homage to his amazing gift. As a longtime friend, who has enjoyed the privilege of meeting with and talking to Sinatra on many occasions, I shall always remember him as "The Voice."

Happy 82^nd Birthday, Frank. And, more importantly, many happy returns. - Paul Rosetti, editor of the Italian Tribune.

MOURNING THE LOSS OF A FRIEND

As publisher of the Italian Tribune for nearly thirty years, it has long been my pleasure to publicize the careers of prominent Italian Americans. As a result, I have had the pleasure of chronicling the career of Frank Sinatra. As Italian Americans, the readers of this newspaper hungered for news of their favorite cultural icon. I endeavored to present him as fairly as possible – something that had rarely been done by the major media of this country. Frank always appreciated the even-handed coverage this paper provided him, and it is one of the few media sources that he personally endorsed.

So, it was with great sadness that I received the news of his death of a heart attack on Thursday, May 14. I, like most of his friends and fans, understood that he had not been well, that Alzheimer’s disease and cancer had ravaged the mind and body of the man who was the last to fall asleep each morning and the first to start the party the next night. During the last few years, any glimpses we have had of him have shown him weakened by illness and age. Let’s not forget that he was 82-years-old. Even today, relatively few Americans are lucky enough to celebrate birthdays into their eighties. Fewer still are spared seemingly endless visits to one doctor or another. Frank’s last few years were not so different than anyone else’s his age. Time is the great equalizer and even he, the great fighter that he was, could no longer postpone the inevitable. There would be no more curtain calls, no more encores, and not even one more for the road.

In December of 1995, millions of people gathered in front of their television sets to participate in his grand eightieth birthday party. How regal he looked as he strode across the stage, the gait a bit unsteady, but with his head held high and dignity flowing through every movement. No one has ever made a tuxedo look better. No introduction was necessary, for as he came into view, the room filled with electricity. His charisma and his presence effortlessly overwhelmed a room filled with people who were celebrities themselves. No one was immune to the power of his personality. Whether you liked him or not, when he was around, you knew it, and you also knew that he was in charge.

For many, this spectacular 80^th birthday party was a last goodbye. We were overjoyed, and a bit saddened, when he took the stage for the last few bars of "New York, New York." We knew that what we were witnessing was special, but how could we have known he would never sing in public again? Sure, the increasing frequency of forgotten lyrics and periods of confusion had disturbed us all, but he always seemed to bounce back. We’d read how he collapsed on stage and feared that he was finished, only to have him back the next night before a crowd of thousands singing the old standards. He had overcome so much in his life and always emerged victorious that somehow we expected him to shake off the manacles of age, grab a cigarette and a Jack Daniels on the rocks, sidle up to a piano, and belt out a few more tunes. But that dream would not come true. That Sinatra would exist only in our memories.

As Frank lay in the hospital, aware that death was at hand, he continued the fight. His beloved wife Barbara, who was both lover and protector during the twenty-two years of their marriage, implored him to fight – and he did, valiantly, but to no avail. "I’m losing," he said simply and this fight, his last fight, was lost. This fight seemed to be keeping in form with the rest of his life. As we all know, he spent much of his adult life battling one thing or another. Even at birth, he had to fight for a chance at life. He weighed thirteen and a half pounds, and his breech birth was so difficult that he didn’t breathe until his grandmother held him under the cold-water tap. To make matters worse, he suffered a punctured eardrum during the delivery and was left with facial scars so severe that his baptism was delayed four months.

The ups and downs of his career have been well-chronicled, so I will refrain from repeating what everyone already knows. What is less known about Frank, but which many people learned about for the first time only after his death, was his tireless devotion to those in need. As was reported after the reading of his will, Frank instructed that approximately $150 million dollars of his estate be used to the benefit of various children’s charities. To those of us who knew him, this came as no surprise because he has always been extremely generous with both his time and finances when it came to helping people, children especially.

Frank ran numerous charity golf tournaments at which thousands of dollars were raised to benefit children. Just this past February, the tenth annual Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational was held in Rancho Mirage, California, to benefit The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, The Eisenhower Medical Center, and The Desert Health Care Foundation. Yet another tournament, the first annual Frank Sinatra Las Vegas Celebrity Classic was scheduled to be held in Nevada at the end of this month. Proceeds from this tournament were also earmarked for various children’s charities.

Few people knew how proud Frank was of the children’s center that he and his wife founded in 1986. Originally the center was dedicated to the treatment and counsel of abused children. In recent years, the center’s mission has expanded and it now works with physically and emotionally traumatized youngsters in addition to sexually abused children. The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center has become a haven for children with special problems. Frank has often shared with me just how important this center is to him and his fundraising abilities have helped better the quality of life for innumerable children over the years.

I believe it is necessary that we as a nation, and especially the Italian American community, recognize his generous devotion to these children. In recognition of his humanitarian efforts, he has been granted numerous prestigious awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. In thanks for his work with charities and for his support of this paper and our annual Columbus Day Parade, it was my pleasure to present Frank with the Italian Tribune News Italian American of the Year Award in 1987.

When we think of Frank Sinatra a variety of images come to mind. We see the skinny crooner, barely visible behind the microphone, singing in front of Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra. We see this same young man, alone on stage, with thousands of screaming fans swooning at his every move. We see the actor, able to adapt his talents to fit any sort of role. We see him at the nightclubs in Vegas as the leader of the fun-lovin’, hard livin’ Rat Pack. We see him as an older man, the voice not what it once was, but still able to sing a lyric like nobody’s business. We’ve seen his marriages and divorces, his children and grandchildren. We’ve seen the adulation and the scandals. We’ve seen him healthy and we’ve seen him frail.

Through it all, while he appeared adapted and evolved so did we. I’ve known Frank Sinatra since the days of the Kennedy administration, when I was a White House photographer and he was the President’s pal. I treasure the time I have spent with him and consider myself lucky to have been one of the few to know him over the years. The world has lost an entertainer of unparalleled talent. Italian Americans have lost a leader and a hero. I have lost a friend. May your final journey restore what you have lost and may the angels rejoice as the heavens are filled with your magical voice. - Ace Alagna, publisher of the Italian Tribune.

A MAN AND HIS MUSIC

The news of the death of Frank Sinatra surprised no one who had followed his life during the past few years. Not since his gala eightieth birthday bash had he made a public appearance. In fact, since his January 1997 heart attack, practically no one saw him. Unlike the previous six decades during which he was constantly under media scrutiny, the last few years of his life were spent in seclusion as the effects of advancing age and many years of hard, fast-paced living left him tired and suspect to illness. Now, as we are forced to deal with his death, however expected it may have been, we must not let our grief overwhelm our memories of all that he was and all that he will continue to be.

Certainly, Frank Sinatra was a flawed human being, as we all are. How many people would emerge unmarred from a life lived under the microscope of society? Perhaps it is best if we left the task of eternal judgment to Higher Powers. Instead, let us focus on the essence of Sinatra’s enduring legacy – "The Voice." Two simple words. Without "the voice," none of Sinatra’s brushes with photographers would matter, his movie career would not have happened, and he would be just another man who married four women. Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, and even Atlantic City would be different places. No one would have ever heard of Hoboken. Everything that he became flowed through the magic of "the voice."

Sinatra’s voice underwent three distinct periods, roughly twenty years each. The Sinatra phenomenon began during his early days as a solo singer. He started as a member of the Hoboken Four, a local New Jersey group previously known as the Three Flashes. The boys were good enough to win a number of talent contests and toured the country with the Major Bowes Theatre of Air. As the lead singer, Frank soon became the star attraction of the traveling show. Everytime he crooned a solo, hundreds of screaming teenage girls went wild. The "Swoonatra" craze was born.

Later, while singing at a Jersey club called the Rustic Cabin, he was noticed by bandleader Harry James, who hired him to be the vocalist for his orchestra. From there, he moved on to become the singer for Tommy Dorsey and his nationally-renowned orchestra. Due to his remarkable talent, Sinatra soon received offers to go solo, most notably from the people at Columbia Records who offered him nearly $400,000. Unfortunately, Dorsey at first refused to let Sinatra out of his contract and his ultimate acquiescence has been the subject of much speculation. Nevertheless, Sinatra easily made the transition from band singer to center stage attraction.

His performance at the Paramount Theatre in New York City is one of the entertainment industry’s most memorable moments. So great was his popularity, an overflow crowd of 25,000 bobby-soxers rioted when the show sold out. The "Columbus Day Riot" enhanced the growing mystique around this new sensation – the skinny Jersey kid with the bow tie. His voice was a perfect instrument – smooth and rich, tender and romantic; he was the first to sing the songs that made the young girls cry. The amazing breath control that allowed him to exact his unparalleled gift of phrasing was a trick learned from Dorsey. The voice was pure velvet and, due in a large part to the lush arrangements of Alex Stordahl, he never sounded better.

The second distinct evolutionary phase of Sinatra’s voice occurred during the early 1950s as his alliance with Columbia ended and he signed with Capitol Records. The period of genuine "Sinatramania" had passed and the screaming, swooning bobbysoxers faded away. As both he and his fans matured, his voice and style underwent the most significant change of his career. He became a romantic balladeer, or as he referred to himself – a saloon singer. He abandoned the smooth, sweet tone of his Columbia years and adopted instead a dual vocal persona: 1) a swaggering, finger-snappin’ swinger bursting with a fiery mix of arrogance and confidence, and 2) a tough guy with a tender side, always in charge but with sensitivity.

Although he still concentrated on the popular standards of the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s, he began to search for a more contemporary sound, a sound that he could claim as his own. It has been said that he created the "concept" album – a record dedicated to a specific mood. These albums usually spotlighted one of his vocal personas. The sound was either that of the swingin’ Sinatra, the suave cat, who wore his hat at a cocky angle and projected an aura of effortless and unassailable cool or the Sinatra who leaned dejectedly against a lamppost or drowned his sorrows in booze and cigarettes, all alone at the far end of a nameless bar.

With this mature voice, Sinatra perfected the "heartbeat rhythm" – a tempo, neither swing fast nor ballad slow, at which every song became a story. More than anyone else, Nelson Riddle was responsible for creating the sound of the middle-aged Sinatra. He brought the two Sinatra personas together and, though the voice wasn’t what it had been ten years earlier, created the sound that most listeners consider "classic" Sinatra. Personal and professional problems were looming, but this is undoubtedly Sinatra’s most musically proficient and artistically creative period.

The final significant vocal period of his life, with all due respect to the collaborations of the two Duets albums, occurred as he left Capitol Records and created his own recording label, Reprise Records. This was his chance to have complete creative control, and he took full advantage of the opportunity. Once again, there were significant changes in both his voice and his material. The voice suffered from years of hard drinking and chain smoking. The tone was darker; the range and breath control were not what they once were. Somehow he made these changes seem natural, just a part of growing older and maturing.

Musically, while he still could swing with the best of them, these years were marked by his ballads. The songs were no longer just stories. They became epics and anthems; they were rallying cries and personal statements. As the years passed, he struggled with growing older: marriage troubles, his hatred of rock ’n roll, a short-lived retirement, and the continuing deterioration of his voice and, later, his health. Regardless, a Sinatra performance was always an event. His stage presence, electric charisma, and unwavering enthusiasm carried him through any difficulties tossed his way by time.

Some may accuse me of deifying a man who was considered by many to be a boorish brute, at best. However, I make no excuses for disregarding the "spots" on his record. Something comes to mind about sins and stones and who should be casting them. We all deserve to be remembered for the good we did. He started life as an average boy in an average town, and he grew to become the most popular entertainer in history. He dared to act on his own beliefs. In a time of hatred and mistrust, he openly despised racism and helped more than one minority friend triumph over prejudice. He has donated and helped raise millions of dollars for various charities.

As a third generation Italian American who grew up listening to his music, I look at Frank Sinatra and see a blueprint for success. He became a hero to an entire culture by defining the power of self-confidence and conviction. When the history of the twentieth century is played, his music will accompany it. His voice has been the soundtrack for our lives. No less an authority than Bing Crosby understood the power and greatness of "the voice." Crosby, one of Frank’s early heroes, once said of Sinatra, "A talent like that comes around once in a lifetime. Why in my lifetime?" As generations come and go, memories of Sinatra’s life will become faded, and all that will be left is the music we play for ourselves and our children. What a magnificent gift he has given us. Thank you, Mr. Sinatra. May God bless and keep you as you fill His Kingdom with song. - Paul Rosetti,  editor of the Italian Tribune.

REMEMBERING FRANK

In that small café;
The park across the way;
The children’s carousel;
The chestnut tree;
The wishing well.

I’ll be seeing you
In all the old, familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through.

-- Frank Sinatra, "I’ll Be Seeing You"

Yes, it was Sinatra who sang the words, but it is him who we all see now that he has gone. As we come upon December 12, the day which Frank Sinatra would have celebrated his 83^rd birthday, many of us have not yet finished grieving the loss of the man whose music played such a large part in our lives. It is on these sort of days – his birthday, the day he passed away, the day of the concert we saw when he made us feel like one of his pals, the day of our first date with one of his songs playing on the jukebox – that we remember most poignantly what we lost on May 14, 1998.

For decades he was everywhere – on the radio, on television, and in the movies. He was involved with gambling, politics, and entertainment. By the adage, "Any publicity is good publicity," he was a publicist’s dream. As he grew older and settled down, he began to cherish his privacy. His public appearances were rare. For many, the last time he was seen was his televised 80^th birthday gala. As he remained concealed from the public eye, rumors of Alzheimer’s disease and various other infirmities chipped away at his once-impenetrable aura of invincibility. Rather than remembering him as an icon, we couldn’t help but focus on his frailties. With his death, we are once again able to concentrate on the Sinatra we loved for so many years.

Sinatra was many things to many people. He was an object of affection for three generations of American women. At the same time, he was a man’s man – cool and suave with a hint of danger. Capturing the sum of his life in a few words is difficult. However, he seemed well aware of the foundation upon which his life was built. Near the end of Sinatra’s memorable interview with Walter Cronkite, the legendary newsman asked "Ol’ Blue Eyes" how he’d like to be remembered. With barely a moment’s hesitation, Sinatra replied, "I would like to be remembered as a man who brought innovation to popular music."

While it was his undeniably magnetic personality that made a Sinatra appearance an event, it was his voice that was the key that opened the doors through which he swaggered. Without question, Sinatra’s voice – "The Voice" – was his greatest gift. We remember him as a skinny kid from Hoboken with a deep, rich voice resonating with youthful enthusiasm and a romantic timbre that sent young girls into fits of swooning frenzy. We remember his voice during his middle-age years, when he was the "hippest cat" singing with the same cocksure swagger he strutted in the swinging-est hotspots from New York and Chicago to Las Vegas and Hollywood. We remember his voice, wise and weary, after many long years of hard nights with a Camel dangling from his lips and his good friend Jack Daniels waiting in a glass nearby.

As the years pass and memories of the real man combine with legend and hyperbole to create the mythical Frank Sinatra, one thing will remain – the music he gave us. No one has ever had a more significant influence on popular music than has Sinatra. As his music has been the soundtrack of our lives, so too shall it be our link to future generations. Now that Sinatra has joined the party, I hope he and Dean and Sammy and the rest of the gang are planning a birthday bash the likes of which Heaven has never seen. Happy Birthday, Frank. We miss you. - Paul Rosetti, editor of the Italian Tribune.

THE GREAT SINATRA FAREWELL

For several weeks leading up to May 14 of last year, most of the United States was inundated with the hoopla surrounding the historic series-ending episode of the country’s favorite television program, Seinfeld. It seems so very distant today, but we were a country obsessed with Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine. Even non-viewers couldn’t avoid the endless tributes and retrospectives given to the most highly-anticipated series-finale since the country joined the town of Boston for the Cheers farewell. Post-Seinfeld trauma was expected to last for several months, at least.

Amazingly, the Seinfeld juggernaut was derailed by one man – the only man with the power to capture an entire nation’s attention. The Seinfeld finale became a footnote in the annals of history – not even earning top billing on the evening’s newscasts. Only one man had the power to buck Hollywood. Only one man, years since his last public performance, had a sense of timing that would allow him to wrest the spotlight from the hottest star in the country.

Within an hour of the final Seinfeld broadcast, no one cared about these four beloved characters. In one last public relations coup, Ol’ Blue Eyes made his grand finale on the one night when millions of people were camped in front of their televisions. In a night of farewells, the last episode of Seinfeldwas relegated to the role of opening act. Headlining the evening was unquestionably the death of Frank Sinatra. All else paled in significance when compared with the news of the passing of history’s greatest entertainer.

During the twelve months since Sinatra died, several other notable personalities have passed on – most significantly, Joe DiMaggio. However, even the great Yankee Clipper didn’t capture the imagination of a nation in quite the same way as Sinatra. DiMaggio, as great as he was, did nothing to revolutionize the game. DiMaggio played the game at a level that elicited rousing cheers. He displayed uncommon grace and elegance. He earned the admiration of millions by conducting himself with style and class. But DiMaggio was only a ball player for roughly 15 years; the rest of his life he was a well-preserved museum exhibit – it has been said that DiMaggio made a career out of "being DiMaggio" - a retired legend, living for nearly half a century on a well-deserved reputation.

Sinatra’s career, on the other hand, spanned the bulk of the twentieth century. Only he had the savvy to re-create himself as both he and the world around him changed and evolved. For several decades, Sinatra’s music provided the soundtrack of our lives. He began as a skinny kid with a deep, rich voice and a style that induced screaming and swooning. As he grew older, his voice took on a smoky timbre, over-flowing with emotion – at times, youthful and optimistic; other times, wizened and weary. Toward the end, when others were forced to quit performing, Sinatra overcame the ravages of time by adding charisma and experience to supplement his fading voice. Whereas even an athlete of DiMaggio’s caliber was unable to overcome age, Sinatra simply remade himself, conceding to age only a change in style, not in quality.

Adding to the Sinatra mystique is his remarkable acting career. Starring in several dozen films, he often earned critical praise – he even won an Academy Award for a dramatic role. To put this in perspective, Sinatra winning an Oscar for his acting is like DiMaggio winning a Most Valuable Player award while playing football or basketball.

Of course, while DiMaggio was an intensely guarded person who cherished his privacy, Sinatra practically defined a generation with his behavior. A man’s man with the famous Vegas swagger, the Chairman of the Board surely would have suffocated beneath the cloak of solitude under which DiMaggio spent much of his life.

Despite their differences, and it is no secret that there was no love lost between them, what these two men – one an athlete, the other an entertainer – shared was a fierce pride that demanded nothing less than excellence. DiMaggio’s quote is famous: When asked why he tried so hard in meaningless games, he replied that someone in the stands might be seeing him for the first time; he believed the fan deserved to see him at his best.

Tributes lauding Sinatra’s life seemed to air constantly for several days after his death. Inevitably, additional books and movies and television specials will attempt to capture the essence of Sinatra. However, all that really needs to be said about the man can be found in DiMaggio’s answer. A Sinatra audience never failed to receive his very best. Any man would do well to be so remembered. - Paul Rosetti, editor of the Italian Tribune.

SINATRA PARK DEDICATED IN HOBOKEN

Nancy Sinatra and Hoboken Mayor Anthony Russo attended a recent ceremony held to dedicate the renaming of the town’s North Park. Hundreds gathered as Frank Sinatra Memorial Park was dedicated to Hoboken’s most famous son. The park was recently completed using New Jersey Green Acres funding.

Speaking before the crowd gathered on the Hoboken waterfront, Mayor Russo remarked, "Frank Sinatra grew up and walked along these piers as a kid. Naming this park after him is a fitting tribute to the man and his music. His success story is as great as the story of Hoboken’s success as a community, so it is appropriate that he should be recognized and remembered for eternity by naming this wonderful park in his memory."

Sinatra passed away in May and has been mourned by millions and millions of fans since his death. Born in Hoboken on December 12, 1915, Sinatra began his singing career as a member of the Hoboken Four. This humble beginning eventually led to vocalist gigs with the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey orchestras before he became a wildly popular solo act. In addition to being the greatest singer of popular music in the twentieth century, Sinatra also had his own television and radio shows and appeared in nearly sixty motion pictures. Proving his talent as an actor, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Maggio in the 1953 film From Here to Eternity.

Sinatra’s daughter Nancy was joined by her daughter A.J. Lambert at the dedication. Nancy was clearly moved by the tribute to her father by his home town. During the ceremony, Sinatra tunes blasted from loudspeakers while people in the crowd sang along and reminisced about "Ol’ Blue Eyes."

Nancy said her father often spoke about his Hoboken roots. "My dad used to stand here. He used to tell me how his dreams were just a few pennies away on a ferry boat ride." Nancy, who flew in from California specifically for the park’s dedication, went on to thank the crowd for their support during this very difficult time for her and the Sinatra family. "We’ve been in mourning for so long and this is such a wonderful celebration."

SINATRA’S OTHER NJ HOME

Although he grew up in Hoboken and is more widely associated with that city, another New Jersey city can lay claim to having been Frank Sinatra’s home. Hasbrouck Heights, a town of just under twelve thousand people, was home to Ol’ Blue Eyes when he was hitting his prime and was regularly performing in primo New York City hotspots.

For three years during the 1940s, Sinatra and his first wife Nancy, along with their two oldest children, lived inside a two-story house on Lawrence Avenue before the family headed to California. Mary Latona, 92, lived next door at the time and became friends with Nancy Sr. Her husband, Dr. Joseph Latona, served as the Sinatra’s family doctor at the time as well. She remembers that when the Sinatras lived on Lawrence Avenue, the now-quiet neighborhood bustled with the boundless energy Sinatra seemed to take with him wherever he went.

According to Mary’s daughter, Marianne Latona-Rosales, the Sinatras frequently held parties attended by such celebrities of the day as Lana Turner. "There were people coming in and out of that house all the time," she remembers.

In addition, dozens of teenage girls aching for a glimpse of their blue-eyed neighborhood celebrity used to camp out in front of the house for hours. "They wrote love letters to him with lipstick on his garage door," said Marianne. "They all wanted to catch a glimpse of him. The whole intersection was constantly blocked with traffic."

Two of those teens, Jeanne Krueger, now 70, and Latona’s other daughter, Theresa, had a memorable experience. While walking to the neighborhood bus stop to catch a Sinatra show in Manhattan, Frank himself pulled his convertible alongside them and asked if they needed a lift. Accepting the ride, "we turned to stone," remembers Krueger. "I don’t think we said two words to each other or to him, we were in such awe. But he let us backstage."

The famous Sinatra impact on fans still crops up from time to time in the old neighborhood, according to Anthony and Maria Tozzi, who now live with their family in the old Sinatra home. While playing basketball with his two sons out front, the Tozzis are often confronted by fans on Sinatra pilgrimages. "They mostly take pictures and leave," said Anthony. "We’re used to it. I myself am a celebrity in my own mind."

Even the Tozzi’s own family members are impressed by the past owner of the house. "When we bought this house, my mother was beside herself," said Anthony. "She would come over and be eating dinner and just say, ‘Oh, Frank was here!’"

In honor of Sinatra, Anthony and Maria keep pictures of the singer inside the $240,000 home they bought three years ago. The basement still features an oak bar built by Sinatra and three Spanish murals seen in family photos included in books about Sinatra.

Hasbrouck Heights has long held on to the celebrity brought by Sinatra. "We all lived our lives to his music," said Mayor William Torre, whose family lived down the street from the Sinatras. "My older sister, Bonnie, played with his daughter Nancy." To mourn his death, all town flags were flown at half-staff.

 
SOME SINATRA-SPEAK

Here are a few of the more popular or unusual terms frequently incorporated in Frank Sinatra’s legendary personal vernacular:

Beetle – a girl who dresses in flashy clothes
Bombsville – any failure
Charley – all-purpose name for man whose name has been forgotten
Charlies – admiring term for female chest
Dame – derogatory term for a woman
Dying – upset
End – the best
Endsville – the worst
Gasoline – Jack Daniels
Good night all – term used to change the subject
Harvey – man or woman who acts stupidly
I don’t like her clyde – I don’t like her voice
Mouse – a small feminine girl
Original Major Bowes Amateur Hour Loser – someone without talent
Punks – mobsters or undesirables
Quin – a too-easy pickup
I think it’s going to rain – I’m leaving
Sam – all-purpose name for a woman whose name has been forgotten
Tomato – a woman who is seen as ripe for seduction
Twirl – a girl who loves to dance

 ESSENTIAL SINATRA: THE MUSICAL LEGACY

Frank Sinatra leaves to his legions of fans a portfolio of more than 2000 songs and 150 records. For more than fifty years, our lives have unfolded while his music has played in the background. He sang at our weddings and our proms; he sang in our living rooms on our radios and televisions; he sang in the restaurants where we had our first dates and in the casinos where we vacationed. His music seemed to grow and mature as we did. There were times when his popularity as a celebrity waned, but never was "the voice" questioned. While enjoying the company of friends at a thousand nameless joints, Mr. Sinatra was known to say, "May you live to be a 100 years old, and may the last voice you hear be mine." What a voice it was. He had a gift, and – make no mistake – he knew it. But, he wanted nothing more than to share it with family, friends, and fans. The records I recommend here offer a cross-section of the genius of Frank Sinatra. I only hope that you enjoy them as I have.

Swing and Dance with Frank Sinatra - Just before Sinatra became the singer we came to know as the Vegas-era Sinatra, he released this 1962 collection of magnificent swing songs, a collection with a hook so powerful that kids couldn’t help but dance and even the older folks couldn’t keep their toes from tapping. Songs include "It’s Only a Paper Moon," "My Blue Heaven," "You Do Something to Me," "When You’re Smiling," and "The Continental." Standard favorites and relatively rare cuts fill out what may very well be the single greatest album in the vast Sinatra library.

Songs for Swingin’ Lovers – From 1953 to 1962, Sinatra made seventeen mostly concept albums that were organized by mood and tempo. This 1956 recording is the album most critics consider to be Sinatra’s best and, if not for the extraordinarily complementary songs on <I>Swing and Dance with Frank Sinatra<I>, I might be inclined to agree. As it stands, however, this is the second of a trilogy of albums featuring swing music that capture Sinatra at his best and most influential. Included are "It Happened in Monterey," "You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me," "Old Devil Moon," "Anything Goes," "How About You," and ten other classic cuts. Sinatra never sounded like he was having so much fun as he did while crooning these fifteen Nelson Riddle arrangements.

A Swingin’ Affair – The 1957 follow-up to Songs for Swingin’ Lovers proved that Sinatra, backed by the genius of Nelson Riddle, was indeed the original King of Pop. While Sinatra sings with his usual energy, the highlight of this recording may very well be the original melodies Riddle inserts as the introductions to these fifteen swing classics. Be sure to concentrate upon this version of "Night and Day," which features legendary valve trombonist Juan Tizol. This, and the previous two "swing" albums, display the best marriage of voice and music of Sinatra’s entire career.

The V-Discs, Volume 1 & 2 - This remarkable two-disc box set of rare Frank Sinatra recordings documents a unique period in American musical history. With the world at war, the V-Discs offered America’s fighting men the best that our home-front performers had to offer. Newly remastered from original source material, this collection marks the first time that all of the performances that Sinatra recorded for V-discs have been officially released. This unprecedented collection (guest starring Tommy Dorsey, Dinah Shore, and The Pied Pipers) offers the listener a rare glimpse into the musical past – a time when The Voice was the voice that spoke for our nation during its finest hour. Fifty-three of Sinatra’s V-discs have been remastered with state-of-the-art digital equipment. This collection offers a genuine treasure trove of Sinatra songs from the period when he first put the nation – and then the world - on notice that "The Voice" had arrived. Many of these V-discs have the additional value of capturing Sinatra singing before a live audience, which always seemed to give his adrenaline an extra boost. The discs offers what for many of us is a first listen to the Sinatra that existed before his vocal cord troubles, before Vegas, before the nightclubs, before the cigarettes and Jack Daniels transformed the silky Swoonatra into the huskier Chairman of the Board.

Frank Sinatra & Friends - Before the acclaimed Duets and Duets II that featured Sinatra singing with 1990s contemporary artists, he had recorded a number of duets with other artists. This album shows Sinatra in front of live audiences, willing to joke and laugh and even poke fun at himself on occasion. Songs include "Exactly Like You" with Nat King Cole, "Tea for Two" with Dinah Shore, "Birth of the Blues" with Louis Armstrong, "Somebody Loves Me" with The Pied Pipers, "No Can Do" with Lena Romay, and a few whimsical pairings with Bing Crosby.

Only the Lonely - In the words of Frank Sinatra Jr., this "suicide song" album is so emotionally harrowing that it should "be sold by prescription only." This 1958 release is the most devastating of Sinatra’s dark, introspective albums. Once again collaborating with Nelson Riddle, Sinatra sings twelve cuts that practically embody despair and heartbreak. Ranging from a classical piano intro on the title track to the saloon twinklings of longtime accompanist Bill Miller on the closer, "One for My Baby," this melancholy masterpiece profoundly reveals the limitless depth of Sinatra’s chameleon-like genius.

Sinatra 80^th: Live in Concert - Released in conjunction with all the hoopla surrounding his eightieth birthday, this somewhat mellow live album is Sinatra as we came to know him in his later years – polished, still with the powerful voice, but with a maturity and unabashed confidence in his talent. He dedicated the album to his wife Barbara and the stability she brought to his life is evident in these recordings. His boundless energy invigorates "You are the Sunshine of My Life" and his passion flows through "Soliloquy." However it is his larger-than-life quality that dominates signature songs such as "Strangers in the Night," "New York, New York," and "My Way." This CD, and its double-CD studio companion Sinatra 80^th: All the Best, secure the elder Sinatra’s legacy.

The Clan in Chicago - This final selection is one of the song and joke nightclub acts for which Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. became famous. Dino mumbles and stumbles suavely though his beloved alcohol-induced love affair with the audience, while Sammy gamely attempts to treat the audience to his incomparable voice. All the while, Frank is the ringmaster, leading the jokes, rousing up the audience, and even singing a few songs – including as especially touching version of "Nancy with a Laughing Face." A rare, but essential CD, that never fails to entertain.

 
SINATRA'S PATRIOTISM ON RECORD: "THE V-DISCS"

This remarkable two-disc box set of rare Frank Sinatra recordings documents a unique period in American musical history. With the world at war, the V-Discs offered America’s fighting men the best that our home-front performers had to offer. Newly remastered from original source material, this collection marks the first time that all of the performances that Sinatra recorded for V-discs have been officially released. This unprecedented collection (guest starring Tommy Dorsey, Dinah Shore, and The Pied Pipers) offers the listener a rare glimpse into the musical past – a time when The Voice was the voice that spoke for our nation during its finest hour.

"They are the next best thing to a letter from home," wrote a typically appreciative U.S. serviceman about the special 12-inch, 78 rpm vinyl platters called "V-discs," that were shipped every month, in boxes of 25 records each directly to our World War II troops – some right on the front lines – from Army Special Services headquarters in New York. The V-disc project was initially nurtured and developed by an energetic, dedicated five-foot-four Army captain named Bob Vincent. He convinced the armed services’ brass that such a program could be most helpful in boosting the morale of our armed forces.

Some of the various V-discs consisted merely of music transferred from existing commercial recordings onto those 12-inch unbreakable (almost) discs. That may have been all right for some, especially for those who relished primarily nostalgia. But the V-disc people felt, and rightfully so, that members of our Armed Forces might appreciate even more some new performances recorded especially for them, efforts that would emphasize the support they were receiving from America’s world of music. These discs, among the first to be manufactured on unbreakable vinyl, were shipped to military outfits around the globe to be played on makeshift phonographs in barracks, mess halls, infirmaries, or anywhere else GIs and sailors needed cheering up with a taste of music from home. They were not available for sale in non-military stores (at least not legally).

As an additional bonus, the country’s home-front musicians welcomed new opportunities to go into a recording studio to hear what they sounded like – opportunities that for more than two years were denied them because of a crippling strike by the musicians’ union. And so, when asked to perform for free for these recordings, many of them, not merely as an act of patriotism for their country, but also to satisfy their own creative needs, jumped at the newly-found opportunities to once more be heard.

Frank Sinatra was one of the busiest of all singers on the V-disc front. His career had been skyrocketing since the months not long after Pearl Harbor, when he’d left the Tommy Dorsey orchestra to go out on his own. At first he was deferred from military service because he was married with two young children. Then, as more and more fellow musicians kept turning up in uniform (Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Buck Clayton, Buddy Rich, Paul Weston, and Tony Martin, to name just a few), Sinatra found himself being taunted about why he too wasn’t in uniform. He insisted in interviews that not only was he ready and willing to serve, but also that he had tried to join the Marines only to be rejected because of a punctured eardrum dating back to his early childhood. For the same reason, his draft board classified him 4-F.

For this two-disc set, part of Columbia’s reissue of all of its Frank Sinatra material, a total of 53 of the rarest of Sinatra’s V-discs have been painstakingly remastered with state-of-the-art digital equipment. This collection offers to the general public for the first time a genuine treasure trove of Sinatra songs from the period when he first put the nation – and then the world - on notice that "The Voice" had arrived. Many of these V-discs have the additional value of capturing Sinatra singing before a live audience, which as always seemed to give his adrenaline an extra boost.

For anyone who considers themselves to be a Sinatra aficionado, The V-Discs is a vital part of your collection. Reasonably priced at or about $30.00, the discs offers what for many of us is a first listen to the Sinatra that existed before his vocal cord troubles, before Vegas, before the nightclubs, before the cigarettes and Jack Daniels took its toll on that magnificent voice. Singing such as is recorded on these discs has not been heard for nearly half a century and is not likely to be heard ever again. Treat yourself to this wonderful box set, and then buy one for a friend and enjoy the prime of history’s finest singer.

FROM ‘MAGGIO’ TO ‘ROBBO’: SINATRA ON FILM

Few people can claim to have conquered any one facet of the entertainment industry. It is the rare superstar who has the talent and charisma to succeed in dual careers. Frank Sinatra was once such star. Not only was he arguably history’s greatest popular singer, he also carved out a movie career in Hollywood that included more than five dozen films. While many entertainers have attempted to conquer Hollywood as a second career, no one has dominated two branches of the entertainment industry with a flair to match Sinatra’s.

Most of Sinatra’s movies are now available on video and Columbia House offers "The Frank Sinatra Collection" (a program by which they ship customers a new Sinatra movie every 4-6 weeks). Here are several films from Sinatra’s portfolio that best capture his cinematic presence. All are available on video and, while most selections can be easily found anywhere videos are sold, each of them can be special-ordered in your local video store or on the Internet.

Frank Sinatra’s first credited movie role was in the 1942 film Ship Ahoy, in which he played a singer in Tommy Dorsey’s band. (The year before he appeared uncredited in Las Vegas Nights, also as a singer in Tommy Dorsey’s band.) The film is an entertaining musical thanks in a large part to the performances of Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton and the showcasing of the Tommy Dorsey orchestra (with Sinatra as vocalist and Buddy Rich as drummer).

In 1945, Sinatra starred with Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly in Anchors Aweigh. This film, Sinatra and Kelly’s first musical together, is a sentimental though fun romp about two sailors on leave in Tinseltown. This is the one where Gene dances with Jerry the Mouse.

The 1948 drama, The Miracle of the Bells, starred Sinatra as a smalltown priest named Father Paul. Based on the best-selling novel by Russell Janney, the film also starred Alida Valli as a courageous young woman trying to escape the Pennsylvania coalmines and Fred MacMurray as the Hollywood publicist who falls in love with her and is determined to add some much-needed kindness to her life. This tender love story is a wonderful treasure that has too long been unappreciated by critics and audiences.

After swearing that he’d never get into a sailor suit again after Anchors Aweigh (1949), Sinatra nevertheless was persuaded by Gene Kelly to don the uniform in the boy’s second fun romp about two sailors on leave. This time the setting is New York City and Sinatra wears both a hairpiece and a padded butt. A classic boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl fable set to music. They sought romance and adventure – and found both.

No period in his life was as trying as the years before Sinatra gave a career-saving performance as Maggio in From Here to Eternity. He had been dropped by his agency, his network, and even his record label, so when he went begging for the part of Maggio in the adaptation of James Jones’ World War II best-seller, he knew it was probably his last shot at regaining his regal celebrity status. His role as the tough, doomed pal to hero Montgomery Clift not only won Sinatra a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award, it revived his entire career to such an extent that his celebrity was never again questioned.

1954’s Suddenly cast the singer as the amoral leader of a gang of assassin out to kill the President of the United States. A gritty, hard-nosed performance highlighted one of Sinatra’s least glamorous, but most powerful roles. Following the death of President Kennedy, the film was pulled from circulation and has only recently become available on home video.

Sinatra was at the height of his acting prowess and in 1955 he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in The Man with the Golden Arm as a drug-addicted loser on the sleazy side of Chicago. Eleanor Parker is his crippled wife and Kim Novak is the girl who saves him. Although the movie is somewhat dated, Sinatra nails the bitterness and frightening desperation of a heroin junkie.

In 1956, Sinatra finally was able to costar with his musical idol Bing Crosby in the musical remake of the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story. Thanks to some delightful Cole Porter songs and a pleasant cast that includes Grace Kelly, Louis Armstrong, and Celeste Holm, the film is quite entertaining. Porter’s "Well, Did You Evah?" – as performed by Frank and Bing – provides one of musical film’s greatest moments.

Sinatra plays the anti-hero of Pal Joey, a 1957 Rodgers and Hart classic about a hip guy who hopes to open a slick nightclub in San Francisco. With love interests Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak vying for his affections, sneers through what became a career-defining role. An added bonus are songs like "The Lady is a Tramp," "There’s a Small Hotel," and "My Funny Valentine."

A lost near-classic in Sinatra’s canon, 1958’s Some Came Running is the beneficiary of what may be his most subtle and honest performance. Based on another James Jones novel, it casts Sinatra as a would-be writer who returns to his smotheringly hypocritical hometown and quickly remembers why he left. For all the on-screen brawls, Sinatra has never been so gentle nor so emotive.

The official coming-out party of the Rat Pack was the 1960 film Ocean’s 11. Sinatra and cronies were having great fun in real life and this carousing transferred brilliantly to the silver screen. This first of the Rat Pack movies was easily the best, with Sinatra exuding Chairman of the Board charm as a guy who wants to rob five Vegas casinos at once.

The last of Sinatra’s truly great acting performances came as a Korean war veteran in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), a Cold War black comedy that is still topical, chilling, and hilarious. As the lone, tenuous voice of sanity, he pieces together a demented assassination conspiracy, woos Janet Leigh in one of the strangest pickup scenes ever filmed, and leads poor, nasty, brainwashed Laurence Harvey toward his inevitable reckoning.

Finally, no Sinatra film discussion would be complete without mentioning Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964). As Robbo, Sinatra stars along with Dean Martin et al as the Merry Men, with Bing Crosby as their silver-tongued spokesman. The film is a musical reworking of the Robin Hood legend set in the Jazz-age, gangster-ruled Chicago. Also stars Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Falk, Barbara Rush, Victor Buono, and Edward G. Robinson. Good tunes and casting make this the second best Rat Pack flick.

SINATRA IN PRINT

Seemingly all extraordinary things and people are the subject of many books seeking to define, explain, discredit, and/or recreate that aspect of being which sets them apart from the norm. Frank Sinatra is no exception. Literally dozens of books have been written about the skinny singer from Hoboken who became the greatest popular entertainer of the twentieth century. Here are reviews of five relatively recent publications that examine Sinatra from five unique points of view. Each, along with many of the other Sinatra books, is readily available at most bookstores. Also, interested customers may special order the books from your local bookseller or on the Internet.

The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin’ - This 1997 HarperCollins publication is the story of the man who did nothing small, the most important entertainer of the twentieth century – Frank Sinatra. He was all about "more" and all about "move." Wherever he went became his personal playground. Those who followed learned much. He rounded up the most colorful pallies alive – his fabled Rat Pack of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop – and made history. Sinatra was always the last to go to sleep and the first to raise hell. A nucleus among men, he lent out the hubris, covered every getaway, cleared the forest, rigged the tempo, and made the rules. "You’ve got to love livin’, baby," he would say, "because dyin’ is a pain in the ass!"

Masterfully assembled by author Bill Zehme are the most personal details and gorgeous minutiae of how the role of being Frank Sinatra played out in every day life. The book is illustrated with scores of classic photographs, some never before published. The Way You Wear Your Hat was crafted from rare interviews with many intimates, including Tony Bennett, Don Rickles, Angie Dickinson, Tony Curtis, Robert Wagner, and Joey Bishop, as well as daughters Nancy and Tina Sinatra. Within is a study of matters of the heart and heartbreak, coolness and swank, friendship and leadership, drinking and cavorting, brawling and wooing, tuxedos and snap-brims, and talking the lingo and ring-a-ding-dinging.

Sinatra ruled the world on his own terms, inspiring other mortals to ponder their own lives and wonder, What would Frank do? The answers are here at last. Capturing the timeless romance and classic style of the fifties and sixties, when Sinatra was at the peak of his heroic powers, The Way You Wear Your Hat is a fresh, insightful look at the man and the way he swaggered. Grade: A+

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Sinatra: The Pictorial Biography - This 1996 Courage Books publication is the story of the man and his legend, from Frank Sinatra’s first public appearance to hi long tenure as one of the most remarkable entertainers of this century. It captures all of his personalities: legendary crooner, Oscar-winning screen actor, film and record producer, political activist, and controversial public figure. Illustrated with more than one hundred full-color and black-and-white photographs, this compelling pictorial biography illuminates every aspect of Frank Sinatra’s incredible life and career.

Veteran radio and television journalist Lew Irwin tells Sinatra’s story: his early years in Hoboken, his life on the road with the Harry James Orchestra, and his marriage to Nancy Barbato. We meet Sinatra the star, behind the microphone for dozens of albums and hundreds of songs, and in front of the camera for nearly sixty feature films. We learn why Sinatra credits Gene Kelly with teaching him not only how to dance but how to act, we meet Sinatra the teen idol, and we meet Sinatra the ladies’ man. We see his strengths, his weaknesses, his rise, his fall, and his resurrection. Complete with a detailed sessionography, a comprehensive filmography, and a full index, Sinatra: A Pictorial Biography is a stunning tribute to a legend. Grade: A

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Frank Sinatra: An American Legend - Many have criticized this 1995 book from Nancy Sinatra as being too soft on her father. Critics have yelped that the book needed to follow the literary example of Mommie Dearest. What Nancy created instead is a big, splashily produced, loving, adoring, coffee table scrapbook about her father. After a lifetime of fighting with the press and being vilified by the ink of innumerable hacks, Sinatra deserved a book like this – one that sees him through the eyes of a child, with soft focus on the flaws and high beams on the niceties.

Published in time for her father’s eightieth birthday, the book is obviously the work of an adoring daughter – even more so than 1985 coffee table biography by Nancy that was much more candid in its portrayal of Sinatra. Truly remarkable photographs are included as Nancy breaks his career down into a collection of dates and memories. Nancy is much more open in her account of the 1963 kidnapping of her brother, Frank Jr. She also introduces a new generation to the incalculable coolness of her father during his Vegas heyday. She extols his virtues while telling of his receiving the 1985 Medal of Freedom and the proposal (since approved) to award him the Congressional Gold Medal. Frank Sinatra: An American Legend is simply a loving tribute to a father from his daughter. There has been enough dirt written about the man without his own daughters joining in. Grade: B+

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All or Nothing at All: A Life of Sinatra - This rather bland, ordinary 1997 biography contains nothing more substantial than a rehash of every Sinatra legend known to the general public. A Fromm publication, the book is suffers from research that is rudimentary at best. Author Donald Clarke offers nothing new or interesting. More annoying than the by-the-numbers biography is is inane summations of Sinatra’s psyche and his personal indignations regarding his subject’s behavior. His musical commentary is the work of a novice. By reducing him to the simplistic ideals of right and wrong, Clarke has missed the essence of Sinatra’s complex personality. Grade: D

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Sinatra: Behind the Legend - Like Kitty Kelley before him, J. Randy Taraborrelli uses the lowlights of the life of a controversial public figure to fuel the American public’s desire to knock down its celebrities. A 1997 Birch Lane Press book, Behind the Legend is to well-planned, even-handed biographies what The Jerry Springer Show is to 60 Minutes Taraborrelli concentrates on the most sensational events of Sinatra’s life and embellishes the details to read like some fifty-cent newsstand tabloid. Despite the author’s claims to the contrary, the book serves no purpose other than to poison, destroy, and confuse the public’s image of one of the most influential figures of this century. Simply put, this is a truly horrible book to be avoided at all costs. Grade: F-

THE WIVES OF SINATRA

With the possible exceptions of Elvis Presley and the Beatles, no one ever thrilled the women like the young Frank Sinatra, or "Swoonatra" as he was known then. Here are the four women who wed the legendary singer.

#1 Nancy Barbato Sinatra – Frank Sinatra’s first wife was a plasterer’s daughter from Jersey City. She was seventeen and Sinatra was nineteen when they met in 1934 at a summer resort in Long Branch. Although they were engaged almost immediately, they were not married for another five years because of Sinatra’s commitment to his burgeoning singing career. His meteoric rise to superstardom (and fascination with actress Ava Gardner) caused trouble in the relationship and eventually led to an acrimonious divorce. The couple had three children: Nancy, Frank Jr., and Tina. Later in life, they again became friends. When asked about her decision to keep Sinatra’s name and not remarry, Nancy said, "Once you’ve had the best…"

#2 Ava Gardner – Soon after finally being granted a divorce from Nancy, Frank married sultry screen star Ava in October of 1951. Ava had been married twice before, to actor Mickey Rooney and bandleader Artie Shaw. The relationship was a tumultuous one right from the start. They were truly kindred spirits. Theirs was a passionate, desperate love of the kind that burns brightly and eventually, inevitably, flames out. Adding to the turmoil was the opposite directions their careers were heading. Ava’s star was ascending, while Frank’s career was in the gutter. Also, as Ava said, the two had "a terrible tendency to needle each other’s weaknesses," a habit that led to many fights. Less than two years after their wedding, the couple separated and were divorced.

#3 Mia Farrow – After a lifetime of seemingly inexplicable actions, most of Frank’s acquaintances thought they had seen it all. However, more than a few of them were flabbergasted by his relationship with 19-year-old tomboy waif actress Mia Farrow, whom he met on the set of the movie "Von Ryan’s Express" in 1966. Although he was thirty years her senior, they were married the following year. As it turned out the career-minded Farrow was not cut out to be a stay-at-home wife and in November of 1967, the couple officially separated and eventually divorced. Mia and Frank remained close friends and legend has it that when Woody Allen ran off with Farrow’s adopted daughter, Frank offered to have his legs broken. "Frank was the first love of my life," said Mia. "He remained a true friend, always there when I needed him. I will miss him more than words can say."

#4 Barbara Marx – A former showgirl, Barbara was divorced from Zeppo Marx when she met Frank in the early 1970s. In 1976, they made the relationship official and for nearly a quarter of a century their marriage appeared to be the happiest of Frank’s four. Devoted to her husband and his desire for privacy, Barbara was his chief ally and protector, especially during the last years of his life when he was often incapacitated by his failing health. The only contention in the home was about Sinatra’s children, with whom Barbara fought a battle regarding Frank’s fortune. During their marriage, they founded the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center in Rancho Mirage, California, an institution that will continue to operate under Mrs. Sinatra’s guidance.

RAT PACK ROLL CALL

Frank Sinatra, the leader of the group of Las Vegas heavyweights known as the "Rat Pack," personally doled out nicknames to his friends. It is believed that his "Chairman of the Board" nickname was a result of his Rat Pack affiliation. He was also known as "The Leader."

The nicknames: "The Admiral" for Dean Martin, "The Court Jester" for Sammy Davis Jr., "Liaison Man" for Peter Lawford, "The Needler" for Joey Bishop, "Keeper of the Royal Exchequer" for Jimmy Van Heusen, "Court Wholesaler" for Sammy Cahn, and "Mascot" for Shirley MacLaine.

The stories behind these colorful nicknames are probably even more interesting than the names themselves.

THE RAT PACK

Las Vegas in the 1960s was the undisputed domain of the legendary Rat Pack, which was comprised of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop, and various others "pallies" and "paisans." Tuxedos, "gasoline" on the rocks, dames, and cigarettes were the order of the day, or more appropriately, the night.

The group which eventually became Sinatra’s Rat Pack actually began with a man who Sinatra very much admired – Humphrey Bogart. Sinatra had been part of a social group in Los Angeles known informally as the Holmby Hills Rat Pack, with Bogie as its leader. Also included were Bogart’s actress-wife Lauren Bacall, Judy Garland, super-agent Swifty Lazar, and songwriter Sammy Cahn.

Eventually Bogart moved on to other matters, Sinatra took control of the group and started bringing in his own friends. He tried to change the nickname to the Clan, but someone pointed out the similarity of the nickname to the Ku Klux Klan, so "Rat Pack" was officially adopted.

The Rat Pack gained notoriety in the late 1950s when Siantra and Dean Martin made their first film together - Some Came Running, directed by Garland’s husband, Vincente Minnelli. Soon after, Sinatra conducted the orchestra for a Martin album and the two shared a stage at the Sands Hotel in Vegas for one of the sing and joke alongs that became a Rat Pack staple in "Glitter Gulch."

The group’s reputation for a hard-swingin’, hard-singin’ lifestyle was cemented when Frank, Dino, Sammy, Peter, and Joey made Ocean’s 11, a 1960 film about a group of cons who attempt to rob five Vegas casinos in one night. The Rat Pack commandeered the town: by day, the movie was filmed in Vegas; by night, the boys performed at the Sands. Rumor has it that the only sleeping they did was with the "dames" they met.

The Rat Pack membership was constantly in flux. The core of the group was always Frank, Dean, and Sammy with Peter and Joey on the next tier but never quite as big as the big three – they weren’t even included in the cast of the Rat Pat flick Robin and the Seven Hoods. At times, both Shirley MacLaine and Angie Dickinson held the role of the token "tough broad" in the group. With Sinatra’s death, Bishop is the only surviving regular member of the group. Martin died in 1995, Davis in 1990, and Lawford in 1984.

A FOND FAREWELL FOR FRANCIS ALBERT SINATRA

In a scene befitting the king of entertainment, Frank Sinatra was laid to rest on Wednesday, May 20, in Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California, near the graves of his parents Natalie "Dolly" and Anthony Martin Sinatra. Also buried nearby are a cousin and Sinatra’s former best friend, Jilly Rizzo.

Celebrities from Hollywood to Washington, D.C., turned out to pay their respects to the man who carved a trail through uncharted territory, a trail which many of them followed on the road to prosperity. The simple church stood among a sea of flowers from grieving fans around the world. White roses, orchids, chrysanthemums, and gardenias drenched the churchyard with the sweet smell of Frank’s favorite flowers.

Kirk Douglas, speaking with just the slightest trace of a slur as a result of his stroke, set the mood for the affair by commenting on Sinatra joining his Rat Pack pals Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr., "Boy, Heaven will never be the same." The remark brought wild applause for the four hundred mourners who attended the invitation-only service.

To enter the 1923 stone church, mourners needed to show a glossy white ticket with "Francis Albert Sinatra Funeral Mass" printed in purple. Just before noon, a procession of altar servers led by Cardinal Mahony entered the church and the front doors were closed to the thousands of fans on the street, to the press assembled on the sidewalk, and to the rest of the world.

Some of the stars stopped to wave to the fans, though most walked by grim-faced with their heads down. Many of the celebrities were figures from Sinatra’s generation. They had to walk carefully up the steps to the church with their shaky hands clutching the metal railing.

Among the stars who entered the church were Tony Bennett, Milton Berle, Joey Bishop, Paul Anka, Tony Curtis, Sophia Loren, Wayne Newton, Robert Wagner, Dionne Warwick, Tom Selleck, Red Buttons, Tim Conway, Diahann Carroll, Angie Dickinson, Marlo Thomas, Phil Donahue, Tony Danza, Ed McMahon, and dozens more of America’s most recognizable faces. Also attending were a number of political dignitaries, most notably former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Before the start of the Mass, Sinatra’s daughter Nancy laid her head against the gardenia-draped casket in prayer for several minutes. Nearby, Liza Minnelli embraced Mia Farrow, Sinatra’s third wife. Frank Sinatra, Jr., referred to his father as a "reckless, rogue, sentimental fella." He leaned over the casket and whispered, "So long, buddy. And, take care of yourself."

During the two-hour service, Sinatra’s widow Barbara was the first to receive Holy Communion from Cardinal Roger Mahony, spiritual leader of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. She then sat in the front row as Sinatra’s friends and family remembered him with tributes. Cardinal Mahony commented on Sinatra’s philanthropic work, "He saw to the needs of others."

Gregory Peck, one of the honorary pallbearers, read a touching poem to Mrs. Sinatra that ended with "twas Heaven here with you." Producer George Schlatter offered a slightly more off-color remembrance of Sinatra. "His favorite words were ‘Jack’ and ‘Daniels’," recalled Schlatter. His least favorite: ‘Take two.’"

Following the tributes, Sinatra’s casket was carried out of Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church to the hearse by pallbearers including Peck, Wagner, singer Steve Lawrence, and comedians Don Rickles and Tom Dreeson. As newscopters followed overhead, the hearse was driven to Van Nuys airport, where the casket was loaded onto a private jet that flew to Cathedral City, near Palm Springs.

NEW YORK'S MEMORIES OF SINATRA

The man who never slept and the city that never slept. Frank Sinatra and New York City. Each helped to make the reputation of the other. When Sinatra died last week, a little of New York City went with him.

On a grand scale, the Empire State Building was bathed in blue lights in homage to "Ol’ Blue Eyes" and flags at City Hall and Friars Club flew at half-staff in his honor. At Yankee Stadium, where Sinatra’s "New York, New York" is traditionally played at the end of each game, the fans stood and observed a moment of silence. Even Mayor Rudy Giuliani expressed his grief at the loss of his favorite singer. "There was something really bigger than life about Frank Sinatra," said the mayor. "He was someone who went through many, many careers and kept coming back and kept reinventing himself."

Elsewhere in the city, people who had met or just enjoyed Sinatra over the years mourned the loss of an Italian American icon. Many of Sinatra’s old haunts, like him, have vanished and remain only in memories. Only shadows remain of places like the jazz joints on 52^nd Street, Jilly’s restaurant, and Toots Shors’ Club.

But throughout the city, the remaining Sinatra retreats mourned the loss of a friend. Joseph Scognamillo, 65, wept when he learned that his old friend, the Chairman of the Board, had died. "I don’t cry, but today I had tears," said the owner of Patsy’s Restaurant on West 56^th Street, an old Sinatra hangout.

Sinatra began visiting Patsy’s in the ’40s. Scognamillo remembers how the singer would use a private entrance and sit upstairs at a table by the window. "Whenever he was in New York, he would come here," said Scognamillo. "This is where he found his peace and quiet."

"Those blue eyes were mesmerizing. Let me tell you," said Scognamillo’s wife, Rose.

At Zito & Sons Bakery in Greenwich Village, owner Julius Zito recalled how Sinatra would have bread delivered to his Los Angeles home. And, when Sinatra was in town, Zito would hand-deliver bread to him at the Waldorf Towers.

He recalls when, during the mid-’60s, Sinatra, Jilly Rizzo, and four other pounded on his back door at 3:00 am. "The first thing he asked me, said Zito, "was, ‘What kind of yeast do you use?’. I pointed to the Budweiser case because I remembered he owned stock in the Anheuser company. He said, ‘Oh yeah, that’s good. I own that company."

Sinatra and his friends sat down to eat. "The baker took out some hot bread and poured olive oil, salt, and pepper, and they started to eat it," Zito recalled. "He loved it."

He’d also pop into Colony Records on 52^nd Street. "He’d just come in with somebody and the guy would sit down at the piano and they’d bang out some tunes until four, five in the morning," said owner Richard Turk.

In the later years, the Friars Club and the ‘21’ club became Sinatra’s favorite hangouts. "It is a very sad moment – the legend is gone. He’ll never be replaced," said Frank Capitelli, a waiter at 21 since 1960.

Tony Tennieriello, manager of the Mare Chiaro Bar on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, recalled drinking Jack Daniels with Sinatra when he filmed Contract on Cherry Street in 1976. "We lost a legend," said the 77-year-old Tenneriello.

No doubt about it, New York City will likely not see the likes of Francis Albert Sinatra again.

SINATRA TAKES IT WITH HIM

Frank Sinatra was buried with some of his favorite things: a bottle of Jack Daniels whisky, a pack of Camels, a Zippo lighter, and a roll of ten dimes. "We really wanted him to have a big send-off," said Tina Sinatra, Frank’s youngest daughter.

Ms. Sinatra, who placed the dimes in her father’s pocket, explained that his habit of carrying dimes dated back to the 1963 kidnapping of her brother. Sinatra insisted on having the dimes always at hand so that he had change for the pay phone in case of emergencies – such as the kidnapping.

Frank’s oldest daughter, Nancy, put the bottle of Jack Daniels in another pocket and an unidentified person slipped in the cigarettes and lighter.

QUOTES ON SINATRA

Stephen Stills: "Frank Sinatra was great for the same things that make people great now: style, attitude, delivery, the voice – chops. Sheer, magical chops."

Ted Nugent: "He always represented cool. And though most of the inspiration for rock & roll come from more flamboyant performers, Sinatra reminds us that cool is cool – right to this day."

Jewel: "Singing and acting just seemed to be extensions of Sinatra’s true art: his flair, style, and passion for life."

Tori Amos: "I played those songs in piano bars. You’d have people sitting around singing ‘My Funny Valentine’ and ‘New York, New York.’ Nobody could sing a song like him."

Dwight Yoakam: "He’s the benchmark by which originality, popularity, virtuosity, and legend will forever be judged in American musical culture. Thought many were called, of all who ever challenged, not one could conquer or eclipse the knocked-out, coo-coo, groovy blinding light from the Chairman of the Board’s supernova star on its journey through this universe."

Usher: "I discovered him through my godfather, Ben Vereen. It opened my mind up. I said, ‘This cat is smooth. I want to be as smooth.’ He was a heartthrob, he had a million-dollar smile, he was charming, and people just waited to hear his every word. On top of that, his music was great."

Paul Anka: "He’s the only one who can put you in a mood within five seconds no matter what he’s singing. He’s ruined it for every guy who ever wanted to stand in front of a brass band."

Nancy Wilson: "In the early ’80s, my sister, Ann, and I were cajoled by a friend to attend a Sinatra show in Vegas. We figured it might, after a few drinks, turn into a memorable chance to razz this old icon of the ‘unhip’ generation. Once seated we realized that heckling Frank would not be on the agenda. As the stage lights came up, we saw why. His persona was instantly commanding, endearing, even quite romantic in that blue smoke kind of way. This dude was the cat. And, in our frenzied, thrill-seeking, hormone-driven rock theater, we realized music had lost something known to Frank for decades: restraint, style, and the deceptive simplicity of conversational singing. ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ blew that room away. The band scorched and cooled with his shifting moods. No one has ever looked more comfortable holding an amber cocktail in suit and tie."

Bob Dylan: "Right from the beginning, he was there with the truth of things in his voice. His music had a profound influence on me, whether I knew it or not. He was one of the very few singers who sang without a mask."

Mel Torme: "Frank always had the three C’s – consistency, concentration, and credibility. There is no one who had the sense of lyric, the phrasing, the intonation, and most especially the role as ‘everyman’ as Frank Sinatra did."

Bono: "Frank Sinatra was the 20^th century. He was modern; he was complex; he had swing and attitude. He was the big bang of pop."

Charles Koppelman: "Whether it was Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Julio Iglesias, or Bono, when they’d finished recording a song, all they wanted to know was ‘What did Frank think?’"

Shirley MacLaine: "We have lost part of our capacity to self-reflect because Frank is gone. His music helped us understand our own lives more clearly because he was authentically honest about himself. I’m so sad for all of us who are now without him."

Tommy Sands: "I extend my deepest condolences to all of the Sinatra family at this difficult time. I was fortunate to have known and worked with one of the great entertainers of our time. He was also a humanitarian and social equalizer who was a trailblazer in the industry. To me, he will always be the ‘Chairman of the Board.’ I will miss him. My heart goes out to all of his family."

Former President Ronald and Nancy Reagan: "The sound of heaven’s chorus is a little brighter and more beautiful as our dear friend joins its ranks. Frank’s golden gift made him a Hollywood icon. He sang about real people and real emotions; his songs and music transcend age and time. We will never forget when Frank performed at our inaugural celebrations – it made those evenings that much more special to the both of us."

Barbra Streisand: "He was the epitome of what singing is all about, beautiful sound, smooth as silk, effortless, impeccable phrasing, stylish, intelligent, and full of heart."

Tony Bennett: "The master is gone but his voice will live forever."

Joey Bishop: "If I’m anything, I’m satisfied with the fact that he’s no longer suffering."

Quincy Jones: "Frank knew how to do it. Everything. It humbles me to have been a small part of his gigantic presence."

Mia Farrow: "He was the first love of my life and he remained a true friend, always there when I needed him. I will miss him more than words can say."

Ernest Borgnine: "The world has now lost one of its most precious commodities. In all memories, from childhood to romance to the mature years, Frank has been with us in all times. He gave so much of himself, much more than people realized. It is a sad day today because Frank touched everyone in the world."

Eydie Gorme: "It’s the saddest day of my life."

Johnny Carson: "He’s the greatest singer of popular songs who ever lived. He is quite irreplaceable."

Steve Allen: "He was representative of a day when American lyrics were coherent and civilized and clever. And when there was glorious melody characterizing most of our popular songs, he was the No. 1 salesman of that kind of material."

Martin Scorsese: "You know, he’s the idol. A great Italian American, a great American, and a great actor. There will never be another him. He was the original."

Gore Vidal: "I would say that half the population of the United States over the age of forty was conceived while their parents were listening to his records. He played a great romantic role in the country. Sinatra got the blood flowing."

Tony Orlando: "Frank Sinatra was the alpha and the omega of it all, the most influential singer and performer of all time. He will be sorely missed."

Kirk Douglas: "Thinking of him up there with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., boy, Heaven will never be the same."

Frank Sinatra Jr.: "My father’s whole life was an anomaly. His birth was so difficult that the fact that he lived at all was an anomaly. That he even became a singer, that he became a great singer, and that he made such wonderful movies, all this was an anomaly. And how did he live to such an old age? He certainly wasn’t taking care of himself. That’s the greatest anomaly."

Frank Sinatra Jr.: "Frank Sinatra’s life in the beginning was so normal that nobody would have guessed in 1934 that this little Italian kid with the curly hair would become the giant, the monster, the living legend."

Don Rickles: "He was a great man and I loved him. He was always very supportive of me in my career. He will never be replaced."

Robert Wagner: "He was my friend. What a gift to me and my family. Everyone he touched was enriched by his extraordinary talent."

Alan King: "In a hundred years, they’ll be teaching Einstein’s theory to mathematicians and scientists and, in a hundred years when people get together to study pop music, Sinatra will be taught for his phrasing, for his musicianship, and for his style. The world enjoyed his music, but only a privileged few enjoyed his friendship."

U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli: "Growing up as an Italian in New Jersey there were three staples in my childhood: a picture of the Pope in the living room, a pot of tomato sauce simmering on the stove, and Frank Sinatra playing in the background."

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg: "Frank Sinatra’s golden voice chronicled the lives of many generations of Americans as we experienced the joys and sorrows of life. I feel as though I just lost a lifelong friend who shared the many stages of my life."

SINATRA SONGS CELEBRITIES LOVE

Gregory Hines: "The Last Dance." I just love that.

David Hyde Pierce: "New York, New York." I recall back when I was a freshman at Yale. They would play the song endlessly at the pizza joint where I used to eat. It brings back very fond memories.

Diane Sawyer: "Try a Little Tenderness." I just remember the first time I heard him sing. It broke my heart. It seemed so gallant.

Craig T. Nelson: "Summer Wind." It reminds me of being a kid in Spokane.

Victoria Principal: "(God Didn’t Make) Little Green Apples." He told me one time he liked it because it gave him joy.

Donna Mills: "New York, New York." Whenever I hear it, it speaks of that city. It feels like New York.

Dixie Carter: "I’ve Got You Under My Skin."

John Lithgow: "If Not For You" and "Someone to Watch Over Me." My favorite songs are Gershwin's and I love Sinatra singing them.

Brendan Fraser: "Bewitched." It really makes you swing.

Nicolas Cage: "My Way." He had a great ease with singing. There’s never been anybody quite like him.

A PHILANTHROPIST TO THE END

Although it was well-known among his friends and colleagues that Frank Sinatra was one of the most generous charitable benefactors, the fact of the scope of his contributions was largely obscured by his often-boisterous celebrity. However, as news of Sinatra’s will became public knowledge, many people are likely to regard the singer in a whole new light.

Sinatra has willed approximately $150 million of his estate to be used to help children’s charities. "Frank always loved children and when he saw some of the terribly mistreated ones that were helped by his wife’s Center for Abused Children in Palm Springs, his heart broke," said Artie Funair, Sinatra’s longtime personal assistant.

"He wants to be remembered as the guy who took a big step toward helping kids," continued Funair. "He prayed that his money would relieve the terrible anguish and fear he saw in the faces of the children he saw at his wife’s clinic."

Sinatra has long been generous with his money and has often helped out both friends and strangers in need with much-needed money. He always performed this kindness in private and even had to be convinced to make his largest charitable contribution public. "He tried to make his biggest gift to abused kids anonymous, too," said Funair. "But Barbara convinced him to take credit because it was an incredibly noble thing to do."

The Sinatra family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Catholic Charities or to the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, Eisenhower Medical Center, 39000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, California, 92270.

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