The Sinatra Files (34 page)

A UPI news release of 3/25/60 stated that Robert T. O’Leary, National Commander of the Catholic War Veterans, said his organization planned to boycott the movie “The Execution of Private Slovik,” if accused communist leader Maltz wrote the screen play.

There has been widespread criticism of Sinatra by the news media and other sources for his hiring of Albert Maltz.

Attached are brief résumés of communist party connections of Maltz and Sinatra.

FRANK SINATRA

Frank Sinatra has been affiliated with or lent his name and prestige to the following organizations:

ALBERT MALTZ

Maltz is self-employed writer from residence which is Calle S. Yarto 14, San Angel Inn, Mexico City, D.F. He has resided in Mexico since 1951 and has been prominent member and leader of American-Communist group in Mexico. Considered leader of group in 1959. During summer of 1959, subject and wife toured several satellite countries in Europe and Russia. He is member of Writers Union in Moscow. He and wife were disillusioned in results of Soviet domination of Russia and Soviet occupation of satellite countries because of anti-Semitism and living conditions. He translated book on the Rosenberg case by John Wesley into Spanish.

Affiliated with 34 cited organizations. Active since 1951, Board of Directors, National Council of Arts, Sciences and Professions. 1946-1949-1951 listed as sponsor of Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee and Los Angeles Chapter of Civil Rights Congress in 1947. From 1951-1954 contributed to … Council of African Affairs, American Peace Crusade, Jefferson School of Social Science, Civil Rights Congress, American Committee for Protection of Foreign Born, Veterans of Abraham Lincoln Brigade, Hollywood Arts, Sciences and Professions Council, Independent Production
Corporation, Daily Worker and Daily People’s World, contributed to Committee to Honor Memory of Israel Amter, contributed to Powell-Schuman Defense Fund. In 1950, he was fined $1,000 and sentenced to serve one year in Federal prison, Mill Point, West Virginia (began serving 6-29-50; released 4-2-51).

In February, 1960, Maltz advised an individual that moves by Stanley Kramer and Otto Preminger to bring “progressive” screen writers back into movie industry under their true names is developing into a full-scale conflict with the American Legion. Maltz said he had just received a telephone call from Frank Sinatra in Hollywood offering him the contract for writing a screen play for Sinatra and that it appeared the time had come for the “Hollywood 10” and fellow writers who sympathized with them to make an all-out stand to re-establish themselves in the movie industry. Maltz [said] he intended to return to Hollywood as soon as the current screen writers’ [conflict] has been settled.

    
The bureau’s curiosity aroused over Sinatra’s links to Kennedy, one of Hoover’s closest associates, Tolson, asked for a summary report on the FBI’s Sinatra files. It was delivered to Alan Belmont (who later led the FBI’s probe of President Kennedy’s assassination)
.

SUBJECT: FRANCIS ALBERT SINATRA
ALSO KNOWN AS FRANK SINATRA

    The following memorandum is submitted pursuant to Mr. Tolson’s request 3-29-60 for a summary of information contained in Bureau files concerning Frank Sinatra.

The attached memorandum, captioned as above, from Mr. M. A. Jones to Mr. Nichols dated 1-23-57, reveals information contained in Bureau files concerning Sinatra and is summarized as follows:

Sinatra was born 12-12-15 or 12-12-16 at Hoboken, New Jersey, and began his singing career in 1933. He has been married and
divorced twice, the second marriage to actress Ava Gardner in 1951 ended in approximately two years.

In February, 1944, the FBI made limited inquiries concerning Sinatra’s Selective Service status as a result of an anonymous complaint which alleged he had paid $40,000 to obtain a deferment. Inquiries revealed Sinatra’s rejection was in conformance with Selective Service regulations. In 1955 Sinatra was investigated by the FBI relative to possible false statements in a passport application with regard to membership in subversive organizations. Investigation developed no evidence of Communist Party (CP) or front organization membership other than 1946 membership in the Independent Citizens Committee of the Arts, Sciences and Professions, which organization was cited by the California Committee on Un-American Activities as a communist front.

Information was received during the 1940’s and 1950’s which linked Sinatra’s name as an associate of well-known hoodlums, including Joseph and Rocco Fischetti, members of the Capone gang; Willie Moretti, former underworld boss of Bergen County, New Jersey; and James Tarantino, an associate of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. Identification Division records reveal Sinatra was arrested November, 1938, and charged with seduction; this charge was later changed to adultery and dismissed after a Grand Jury returned a no true bill.

In September, 1950, Sinatra offered his services to the FBI and the Director noted agreement with Mr. Tolson’s comment that we “want nothing to do with him.”

In addition to the foregoing contained in the above-mentioned memorandum, Bureau files reveal the following concerning Sinatra:

In July, 1959, it was reported Sinatra and singer Dean Martin flew to Miami, Florida, from the west coast to attend the wedding of the daughter of Chicago hoodlum, Samuel M. Giancana. In November, 1959, an informant advised Giancana had taken over a theatrical booking and managing agency, and that Sinatra (a close associate) was among the clientele of this agency.

A news release dated 9-23-59 revealed Sinatra was to be the
master of ceremonies on the occasion of Nikita Khrushchev’s visit to a motion picture soundstage in Hollywood, California, to observe movie making.

On 3-22-60 an informant advised that “Confidential” magazine was investigating rumors concerning an indiscreet party held in Palm Springs, California, which was allegedly attended by Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts, Kennedy’s brother-in-law and business partner of Sinatra, Peter Lawford, and Sinatra. It was reported that on his last visit to California, Senator Kennedy stayed at Sinatra’s home in Palm Springs.

On 3-22-60 a confidential source advised Sinatra’s film production company had contracted to hire Albert Maltz, a security index subject and one of the “Hollywood Ten,” who was convicted of contempt of Congress, to write the film script for “The Execution of Private Slovik.” This story concerns the only American soldier in either World War who was executed for desertion. There was considerable newspaper publicity which criticized Sinatra’s contract with Maltz, and pointed out this may cause dismay to the Presidential campaign camp of Senator Kennedy in view of Sinatra’s announced intention to support and assist in Senator Kennedy’s Presidential campaign. A newspaper account also reported that Sinatra had considered keeping the news of hiring Maltz a secret until after the Democratic National Convention in July, for fear it might jeopardize the political hopes of Senator Kennedy. A newspaper account reported that Senator Kennedy had “no comment” concerning Sinatra’s having hired Albert Maltz.

On 3-23-60 it was reported that strict speculation by persons around Warner Brothers Studio revealed Sinatra did not have enough brains to know whether Albert Maltz is a good, bad or indifferent writer. It was further speculated that someone, possibly Lewis Milestone, who was in the past at least very close to the CP, may have influenced Sinatra to tie up with Maltz; that someone is or may be trying to promote Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., the Negro star, and their crowd as “fair-haired boys” known to Senator Kennedy in case the Senator gets to the White House. It was further speculated
that Sinatra may, through Peter Lawford and Lawford’s wife, have been able to get Senator Kennedy to take a financial interest in Sinatra’s film producing enterprise.

ACTION:

None. For Mr. Tolson’s information.

    
As the Slovik affair continued to create controversy, top FBI officials monitored the resulting bad press for Sinatra with seeming approval
.

April 3, 1960

MR. MOHR:

COMMUNISTS IN HOLLYWOOD

Jim O’Neil, Publisher of The American Legion Magazine, handed me the attached dummy proof concerning the hiring by Frank Sinatra of Albert Maltz, the communist in Hollywood, California. This is a very hard-hitting article regarding the entree of communists once again on the scene in Hollywood. The article will appear in the May 1, 1960, issue of The American Legion Magazine which will be disseminated to four million members throughout the United States.

The Domestic Intelligence Division may desire to see the attached article.

    RESPECTFULLY,

    C. D. DE LOACH

    
Widespread public dismay at Sinatra’s deal with Maltz spooked the Kennedy campaign. The family patriarch, Joseph Kennedy, reportedly told Sinatra, “It’s either Maltz or us.” So Sinatra fired the writer but paid him in full, $75,000
.

Meanwhile, Hoover continued to receive increasingly salacious reports
about Sinatra and Kennedy. This one came from the special agent in charge of Los Angeles, relaying information provided by a confidential information (CI) in that city, identified only as LA 4222-C
.

4/1/60

CONFIDENTIALLY

On 3/22/60 LA 4222-C provided information that he had picked up from a representative of “Confidential” magazine (Crimdel 3/22/60). The rumor being checked by the magazine concerned Senator JOHN KENNEDY, actor PETER LAWFORD and actor FRANK SINATRA, who were said to have been involved in some sort of indiscreet party.

Yesterday this CI, a notorious private investigator who has in the past performed investigations for “Confidential,” added some details. He said he had declined an offer to do the investigating on this matter. Nevertheless, he was recently in Las Vegas and did pick up some amplification tending to verify the information “Confidential” magazine already has in affidavits, allegedly from two mulatto prostitutes in New York.

At Las Vegas LA 4222-C participated in a conversation with Senator KENNEDY’s campaign manager, whose name the CI does not recall, ROCKY MARCIANO and BELDEN KATELMAN.

The campaign manager bewailed KENNEDY’s association with SINATRA, stating something to the effect that the Senator is vulnerable to bad publicity only because of his associations with SINATRA. This worried man, according to CI, added that there are certain sex activities by KENNEDY that he hopes never are publicized. CI said he learned that these parties involving the Senator and SINATRA occurred in Palm Springs, Las Vegas and New York City.

BELDEN KATELMAN, prominent Las Vegas investor, made the point that KENNEDY had stayed at the Sands with SINATRA while in Las Vegas. KATELMAN said it is a known fact the Sands is owned by hoodlums and that while the Senator, SINATRA and LAWFORD were there, show girls from all over town were running in and out of the Senator’s suite.

    
Sinatra and the Rat Pack, including Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at that summer’s Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. On the day Kennedy secured the Democratic presidential nomination, DeLoach, Hoover’s lieutenant, received an extraordinarily detailed memo on the senator—the good and bad, including the FBI’s close relationship with the Kennedy family, the seamier side of JFK’s friendship with Sinatra, and the mob’s interest in his candidacy
.

SYNOPSIS:

This memorandum prepared to briefly summarize high lights of pertinent available data concerning Kennedy in view of strong possibility he will be Democratic candidate for President.* Bureau and Director have enjoyed friendly relations with Senator Kennedy and his family for number of years. Kennedy’s father, Joseph P. Kennedy, former Ambassador to Great Britain, is SAC contact of Boston. Director sent autographed copy of “The FBI Story” and “Masters of Deceit” to Joseph Kennedy, John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy.

Kennedy family is known to SA David J. Murphy, Jr., of Washington Field Office and SA William H. Carpenter, Resident Agent at Hyannis, Massachusetts, as well as SAC’s at Boston. SA Carpenter attended Senator Kennedy’s wedding in 1953. Director
has seen Robert Kennedy several times in recent years—particularly in connection with McClellan Committee (labor-management) matters.

Director and Senator Kennedy have exchanged friendly correspondence concerning such matters as operation performed on Senator Kennedy in 1954 to correct crippling effects of World War II PT boat crash; awarding of Cardinal Gibbons Medal to Senator Kennedy in 1956; and re-election of Kennedy to Senate in 1958.

Robert Kennedy has advocated establishment of Federal Crime Commission, and Senator Kennedy has expressed opposition to loyalty oaths for students getting Federal scholarship loans. Senator Kennedy was cosponsor of bill designed to deal with hate bombings. Allegations have been received concerning immoral conduct on the part of Kennedy and hoodlum connections of Kennedy.