That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas (31 page)

segregation/integration and, 115–16, 145

Sinatra and, 155

“That Old Black Magic” and, 137

Desert Inn, 160–61, 163, 174

DiLorio, Rolando “Rolly Dee,” 164

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show,
151–52, 153, 200

discrimination, 12–13, 35–36
see also
segregation/integration

Dot Records, 149

Dowell, Saxie, 56

E

Eastonites, 26

F

Famous Door, 37–44, 48

Federico, Frank, 44, 46

Ferrara, Paul, 7, 122–23, 126, 163, 173

Fisher, Eddie, 113–14, 131, 147, 178–79

Forbes, Lou, 31

From Here to Eternity,
103, 112, 148

G

Giancana, Sam, 131–32, 148, 177

Gleeby Rhythm Orchestra, 59–61, 65

Goodman, Benny, 49–54

Grammy Awards, 134, 146, 204

H

Harlow, Jean, 45

Hennessey, David, 12–13

Hey Boy! Hey Girl!,
148–49

Holiday, Billie, 44

Hollywood Famous Door, 44, 46

Hollywood Hotel,
51–52

Horne, Lena, 116–17, 167

Hughes, Howard Robard, 107, 122, 167–68, 176

I

“I Wish You Love,” 134, 203

immigrants, Italian, 11–13, 19–20

integration.
see
segregation/integration

J

jazz

emergence of, 13–14

mixed style and, 82

“Joe Brown’s Radio Gang,” 56

The Jungle Book,
189, 191, 207

“Just a Gigolo,” 123–24, 195, 203, 212

K

Kefauver, Estes, 93, 95, 161–62

Kennedy, John F., 157–58, 161–62, 175–77

L

Lansky, Meyer, 91–92, 95

LaRocca, Dominic James “Nick,” 13–14

Las Vegas

acts in, 164–65

celebrities in, 113–15

growth of, 89–96, 169

plans for, 77

property prices in, 100

Lawford, Peter, 153, 154, 155, 157,

161, 177, 179

Leon and Eddie’s, 35, 37, 40

Lewis, Jerry, 114, 117–18, 126

Lombardo, Guy, 29, 32–33, 35, 36, 46, 60

Los Angeles, Prima in, 43–46

Louis Prima and His New Orleans

Gang, 36, 38, 39, 43

Louis Prima and His Orchestra, 56–57

Louis Prima Fan Club, 62

Luizza, Tony, 7

lynching, mass, 13

M

MacLaine, Shirley, 118, 148, 154, 168–69

Maione, Gia, 45, 51, 185–87, 189, 192–93, 196–97, 202–3, 211

Marshall, Jack, 84

Martin, Dean

Kennedy and, 158

Lewis and, 114, 117–18, 126

movies and, 148

Rat Pack and, 153, 178–79

Sinatra and, 155, 165

television and, 124–25, 127

Mary Kaye Trio, 80

McComber, Willie, Jr., 84

Miller, Bill, 77, 79, 84

Mitchum, Robert, 142–43

mobsters

Bobby Kennedy and, 177

John F. Kennedy and, 161

Las Vegas and, 79, 91–92, 94, 95, 131–32

Mundy and, 50

Prima and, 40–41

Sinatra and, 148

money

importance of, in Las Vegas, 122–23, 157–58

Kennedy and, 161–62

Monroe, Marilyn, 179

Morris, Bobby, 84, 164

movies

Prima and, 2, 45, 135, 146, 148–49, 184, 189

Sinatra and, 103, 112, 119, 154–56

Smith and, 135, 142–43, 146, 148–49

mushroom clouds, 94

music, style of, 82–83, 86

musical-comedy skits, 31

N

Nagy, John, 163

New Orleans

Gleeby Rhythm Orchestra in, 62–63

immigrants in, 11–13

music style and, 23–24

Prima’s visit to, 43–44

New Orleans Five, 44, 46

Newton, Wayne, 169

O

Ocean’s Eleven,
155–56, 165

Oliver, King, 17, 24

Ory, Kid, 16–17

P

Palmer, Earl, 32

Polizzi, Louise, 30, 32, 33–34, 45–46, 72, 192

Presley, Elvis, 119–20, 143, 145

Pretty Acres, 66, 73, 125, 160, 193, 203

Prima, Angelina, 11, 19–21, 24–26, 30, 33–34, 63, 188

Prima, Anthony, 19–20, 21, 182

Prima, Antoinette Elizabeth, 104, 126, 127, 160, 193, 199, 201

Prima, Joyce, 32, 192–93

Prima, Lena Ann, 187, 193

Prima, Leon

Butera and, 81, 82–83

at Casbar Lounge, 108

childhood of, 20–22

early career of, 24–25

on Italian music, 61

in Los Angeles, 44

on Prima, 26, 153

Prima, Louis

childhood of, 20–22

comeback of, 98–99

declining career of, 73–77, 187–88, 190–91

divorce and, 181–84

early career of, 25–27, 29–34

funeral of, 192

health of, 147, 191–92

infidelity and, 65, 153, 172, 180

influences on, 1

Italian roots and, 151

marriage and, 75–76, 121–22, 126–27, 129–30, 153, 171–73, 179–81

in New York, 35–38, 39–42

reunion with Smith and, 207–9

showmanship of, 100–102, 106–7

style of, 41

success and, 40, 144, 149–50

Prima, Louis, Jr., 187, 193, 211

Prima, Luanne Francis, 126, 127, 160, 193, 199, 201

Prima, Tracelene, 66, 193

Prima’s Kid Band, 26

Prima-Sharkey Orchestra, 31

Prohibition, repeal of, 36, 91

R

Rae, Velma, 46

Rat Pack, 130–31, 153–56, 178–79

Raye, Martha, 42, 43, 45, 115

Reynolds, Debbie, 8, 113, 131, 133, 147, 180–81, 182

Rickles, Don, 135–36, 164, 166

Riddle, Nelson, 103, 112, 134–35, 142, 146, 200

Roberts, Bobby, 7

Rodrigues, Amado, 84

Roosevelt, Franklin and Eleanor, 63

Ross, Alma, 46, 65, 72

Ruby, Jack, 92

Russell, Charles Ellsworth, Jr., “Pee Wee,” 36–37, 38, 39, 41, 43, 46–47

S

Saenger Theatre, 29, 31

Sahara Hotel, 77, 79–81, 94–95, 103, 125, 160

Sands Hotel, 95, 113, 116–19, 145, 154–55, 166, 188

segregation/integration, 41, 50, 53, 61, 81, 115–17, 145–46, 176–77
see also
discrimination

Segreto, Joe

on big band decline, 75

on Butera, 81, 106

on Famous Door, 44

on Harlow, 45

on Las Vegas, 97, 100

on Prima and Smith marriage, 172, 183

on Prima household, 20, 63

on Prima’s childhood, 21–22

on Prima’s health, 192

on Prima’s later career, 189

on showmanship, 101, 107

on television, 141

on women, 40

Sergeants 3,
178–79

Siegel, Bugsy, 91–92, 114, 116

Sinatra, Frank

albums and, 146, 154

Butera and, 195

Grammy Awards and, 146

influence of, 15

Kennedy and, 157–58, 161–62, 175–77

in Las Vegas, 111–13, 119

Martin and, 118

mob and, 131–32

movies and, 147–48

Prima and, 103, 188

Rat Pack and, 130–31

Rickles and, 164

segregation/integration and, 145

Smith and, 102, 136–37, 173, 188, 200–201, 203–4

success of, 153–56, 166

television and, 124

at “The Wildest,” 8–9

“Sing, Sing, Sing,” 49, 50–51

Sino, Lou, 7, 107

Smith, Dorothy Jacqueline Keely

Butera and, 196

childhood and early career of, 55–57

divorce and, 181–84

family life of, 144

at festival tribute, 212

health of, 130, 133

importance of, to Prima’s career, 186

joining Prima’s band, 67–68

later career of, 2, 199–205

marriage and, 75–76, 85, 102, 121–22, 126–27, 129–30, 153, 171–73, 179–81

performance of, 71–72, 97–99, 105

pregnancy of, 86–87, 103–4

on Prima and women, 62

Prima’s death and, 192, 193

reunion with Prima and, 207–9

Sinatra and, 136–37

success of, 141–42, 149–50

Thunder Road
and, 143

voice of, 7–9

Sullivan, Ed, 120, 135, 137, 151, 158–59, 174, 185, 187

Swing Street, 37–38

T

Taylor, Elizabeth, 131, 147, 178–79

television appearances, 124–25, 127, 151–52, 153, 158–59, 200

“That Old Black Magic,” 137, 146, 152, 157

Thomas, Morgan, 163

Thunder Road,
142–43

The Tonight Show,
136, 200

Tuxedo Brass Band, 16, 18

Twist All Night,
184

V

Vincent, Jimmy, 62–63, 67, 164

W

“When the Saints Go Marching

In,” 7, 9, 101

“The Wildest” (stage act)

celebrities at, 99–100, 126

closing of, 104

description of, 1–2, 5–9, 97–104
passim,
105–7, 151–53

at Desert Inn, 163–64, 170

dynamics of, 101–2

end of, 182

growth in popularity of, 107–9

as model, 123

review of, 159

start of, 83–87

World War II, 60–61