Frank Sinatra

[Max B. Sawicky]

> >>Thanks for this Louis, but what of old blue eyes' supposed Mafia
> >connections?
> >>
> >>Russ
> >
> >To the best of my knowledge, Sinatra came in contact with mob figures
> >during his rise to stardom in the 1940s. The interesting
> political angle on
> >this, of course, was Sinatra's ties to both Sam Giancana and JFK. Sinatra
> >served as go-between when JFK was lining up a mafia hit-squad to use
> >against Castro. Meanwhile, these very same gangsters were tied to Jimmy
> >Hoffa and Howard Hughes. The epicenter for all this was Las Vegas, where
> >the netherworld of showbusiness, politics and the trade union bureaucracy
> >came together. This would make for an interesting movie, don't you think?
> >With Johnnie Depp as Sinatra?
> >
> >Louis Proyect
>
> Indeed! But there's a precedent: the crooner in The Godfather supposed to
> be Sinatra. Further on film, Francesco Rosi's work amply points
> out how the
> mob has been used to suppress working class organisation.  But how far is
> this still valid today in the US, or on another vein is it valid
> to talk of
> the mob, ie is it just a WASPish fixation with the Italian immigrant?

There's a much simpler explanation.  When
Frank's career was on the skids, it was
only the wise guys who would book him.
Being a survivor, he took the work he
needed and said screw you to anyone who
looked down their nose at him.

For illumination, listen to "My Boy Bill."

MBS