The
man known as “Ol’ Blue Eyes” or simply “The Voice” is a true American success
story Frank Sinatra.
Born to Italian
immigrants in Hoboken, New Jersey, and expelled from high school due to his
constant roughhousing, Frank Sinatra taught himself how to sing as a teenager
for pocket change at local bars.
Over the proceeding
decades he wowed millions, playing sold out stadiums and wining and dining with
elites in Washington and Hollywood.
He won an Oscar, and
is one of the most successful artists of all time, all thanks to his enduring
talent, determination, and skill as a performer. And possibly his mob ties.
Yes, sadly, there’s
ample evidence the founding father of the Rat Pack had friends in the mafia.
Friends who may have done him a few favors over the years. Remember that minor
subplot in “The Godfather”, where dashing singer Johnny Fontane’s attempts to secure
a film role are only rewarded after a certain gruesome scene involving a horse
head in a producer’s bed?
Mario Puzo wrote it as
a thinly veiled depiction of Sinatra’s rise in Hollywood, specifically in
regards to his role in “From Here To Eternity”, which Sinatra won over several
more experienced contenders thanks largely to his mafia friends’ influence.
He was known
accomplices with mob boss Sam Giancana, and was acquainted with Charles “Lucky”
Luciano in Havana shortly before the gangster was deported to Italy.
Sinatra visited
Luciano twice after this, giving him a gilded cigarette case on the second
occasion. Was Sinatra talented? Absolutely. But there was more going on behind
the scenes than we’ll ever know.