The Sinatra Files (51 page)

It is thought that this known and alleged connection of Sinatra’s with La Cosa Nostra leadership might be of interest to you.

    
Scotland Yard also requested information on the singer—through an American legal attaché (“Legat”) in London—to prepare for an audience with England’s Queen Elizabeth. The background summary prepared for Scotland Yard included a bare-bones memo on the usual Sinatra background material, as well as the latest news—Sinatra being forced to testify before a New Jersey crime commission. (Though the FBI didn’t know it at the time, Sinatra confirmed under oath that Skinny D’Amato and Sam Giancana were indeed his friends but denied knowing that they and various other infamous figures with whom he’d allegedly associated were organized crime members.)

    URGENT 3-10-70
    TO DIRECTOR
    FROM LEGAT LONDON NO. 33
    FRANK SINATRA, FOREIGN POLICE COOPERATION
    ON MARCH NINE LAST JOHN WALDRON, COMMISSIONER, METROPOLITAN POLICE, NEW SCOTLAND YARD, ADVISED SINATRA AND COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA ARE APPEARING AT ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL, LONDON, ON MAY SEVEN AND EIGHT NEXT IN A CHARITY PERFORMANCE FOR BENEFIT OF SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN. SOCIETY HOLDS ANNUAL PERFORMANCE, IS ONE OF ROYAL FAMILY’S FAVORITE
CHARITIES, THEY ARE USUALLY INVITED AND USUALLY ATTEND.

THE COMMISSIONER IS EXTREMELY CONCERNED OVER RECENT PUBLICITY AFFORDED SINATRA OVER TESTIFYING RE MAFIA CONNECTIONS IN NEW JERSEY. COMMISSIONER MUST MAKE RECOMMENDATION FOR OR AGAINST APPEARANCE OF QUEEN AND OTHER MEMBERS OF ROYAL FAMILY. IF QUEEN ATTENDS SINATRA WILL BE PRESENTED TO HER AND HE FEARS UNFAVORABLE PRESS MAY RESULT.

COMMISSIONER WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATIVE FOR SUMMARY OF PERTINENT AVAILABLE INFO RE SINATRA TO INCLUDE IDENT RECORD, WHY HE HAD TO DISPOSE OF LAS VEGAS INTERESTS, RECENT NEW JERSEY MATTER, ETC. HE ASSURES ANY INFO WILL BE TREATED AS CONFIDENTIAL AND BUREAU POSITIVELY NOT IDENTIFIED AS SOURCE. HE NEEDS INFO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS ROYAL FAMILY HAS RECEIVED INVITATION.

IN VIEW TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF BUREAU WORK HANDLED BY NEW SCOTLAND YARD AND COMMISSIONER’S OUTSTANDING COOPERATION IN ALL MATTERS, RECOMMEND SUMMARY OF INFO REQUESTED BE POUCHED SOON AS POSSIBLE IN FORM SUITABLE FOR DISSEMINATION TO HIM.

PURPOSE:

Attached memorandum and ident record regarding Sinatra outline pertinent data in Bureau files regarding him and were prepared for forwarding to Commissioner Waldron, New Scotland Yard, at his specific request.

BACKGROUND:

3/10/70 cablegram from Legat, London, forwarded a specific request from Commissioner John Waldron, New Scotland Yard, for
pertinent data in Bureau files regarding Sinatra, who has been invited to perform at a charity performance in London on May 7, 1970. This performance will benefit one of the favorite charities of the British royal family, who usually attend this function. New Scotland Yard believes that Sinatra will be presented to the queen and desires to guard against any unfavorable publicity which may result as a result of Sinatra’s past affiliations with criminal and hoodlum elements in this country.

Attached letterhead memorandum outlines Sinatra’s affiliation over the years with such well-known hoodlums and members of the La Cosa Nostra as the late Willie Moretti, Paul Emelio D’Amato, and Salvatore “Sam” Giancana. Attached memorandum also includes the results of a security-type investigation conducted regarding Sinatra in 1955, which disclosed that his name had been associated with or lent to approximately 16 organizations in the early and middle 1940’s which were either communist fronts or communist infiltrated. This investigation did not uncover any actual Communist Party or front membership on Sinatra’s part.

Commissioner Waldron has been most cooperative with the Bureau in the past and he has assured Legat, London, that any information received will be treated on a strictly confidential basis and the Bureau will not be identified as the source.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the attached letter to Legat, London, enclosing the above-mentioned letterhead memorandum and identification record be approved and that Legat, London, be authorized to furnish the data regarding Sinatra to Commissioner Waldron of New Scotland Yard on a strictly confidential basis in response to his request.

March 12, 1970

FRANK SINATRA

In June, 1969, Sinatra was subpoenaed to appear before the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation which was probing
organized crime and corruption in New Jersey. Sinatra refused to honor this subpoena and as a result, a warrant citing him for civil contempt was issued. Sinatra was purged of this contempt after testifying before the Commission on February 17, 1970, and the contempt citation was dismissed at that time. The nature of Sinatra’s testimony before the Commission has not been made known.

    
The FBI’s apparent warning and the continuing controversy surrounding Sinatra notwithstanding, the Nixon administration courted his support. He had initially bonded with Vice President Spiro Agnew, whom he met in mid-1969 at a political event, and later socialized with him regularly. Soon the White House was inviting Sinatra to attend official functions and to play golf with the president
.

This memo between two Nixon aides (from the National Archives’ Nixon Project files, not the FBI’s) indicates that the White House was concerned about the propriety of inviting Sinatra to the White House, but not because of his unsavory mob acquaintances
.

November 30, 1970

MEMORANDUM FOR MRS. CONNIE STUART
FROM: DWIGHT L. CHAPIN

    As you will recall, Frank Sinatra endorsed Ronald Reagan when he ran for the Gubernatorial election this year. The President and Mrs. Nixon invited Sinatra to attend the Diaz Ordaz dinner in San Diego. Sinatra did not attend the dinner but he did fly in for the reception, although he opened the same night in Las Vegas. Last weekend Sinatra played golf with the Vice President in Palm Springs.

I talked with Paul Keyes today and he offered the suggestion that perhaps Sinatra might be available to do an Evening at the White House. There are obviously strong arguments pro and con in giving Sinatra the White House forum. I am sure that many of our friends in the entertainment field would think it wrong to have a former anti-
Nixon person entertain at the White House. I am fairly well convinced that the publicity value alone—not to mention the development of a relationship between Sinatra and the President would far outweigh the negatives.

I offer this only as a possibility that you may wish to explore with the First Lady and with Paul Keyes directly.

    
At times the FBI’s information was very obviously flawed, as in this September 15, 1971, memo from the FBI’s special agent in charge for New York
.

TO: DIRECTOR, FBI
FROM: SAC, NEW YORK

SUBJECT: FRANK SINATRA
MISCELLANEOUS—
INFORMATION CONCERNING

    
advised that FRANK SINATRA has been diagnosed as having terminal cancer, and estimates of life expectancy vary to as little as two months. According to the source, SINATRA has been examined at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, and his presence in New York was kept secret, with the exception of an appearance at the recent funeral of BENNETT CERF, at which time SINATRA appeared to be in extremely poor health.

    
This exchange of memos from a year later (also from the National Archives) indicates that the White House consciously overlooked Sinatra’s controversial background a few months after his announced retirement from entertaining. Still, Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman didn’t want to go too far, so Nixon sent him a perfunctory letter
.

THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON

November 1, 1971

MEMORANDUM FOR ELISKA HASEK
FROM: DICK MOORE

    Warren Dorn, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (a Republican), phoned me this morning to request a presidential letter or telegram for Frank Sinatra, who is being honored with the Los Angeles County Distinguished Service Award this Thursday, November 4. The award will be made at a reception at the Music Center which will be attended by the Supervisors, Mrs. Norman Chandler, and other civic officials and community leaders.

Dorn said that Governor Reagan is also sending a message. Sinatra actively supported Reagan in his 1970 campaign and I keep hearing that there is some likelihood that he may support President Nixon in 1972.

While Sinatra has been controversial, he seems to have settled down since his retirement and I would think that a presidential message would be appropriate and well received. However, I am sending a copy of this memo to Bob Haldeman in case he knows any reason why the President would think differently.

cc: H. R. Haldeman

Ray Price

THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON

NOTE PER INFO FROM DICK MOORE:

On receiving his copy of the attached memo, Mr. Haldeman called Dick Moore to let him know that he thought the President would want to send a wire to Sinatra—but that it should be brief and very general (don’t go overboard in praise).

Attached file on Sinatra shows President invited him to attend dinner last year in San Diego for Diaz Ordaz (after Sinatra’s endorsement & support for Gov. Reagan’s reelection) and also talked to him by phone in March of this year, but no indication of subject of conversation.

Claudia 11/2/71

Mr. Frank Sinatra
c/o Honorable Warren M. Dorn
Chairman, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, California 90012

    My wholehearted congratulations to you as you receive the Los Angeles County Distinguished Service Award. It is highly fitting that your deep humanitarian concern and your generous contributions to the community be recognized, and it is a pleasure to join with those who honor you on this occasion in conveying my best wishes for every success in the future.

RICHARD NIXON

    
Days later, the star offered a plane ride to Attorney General John Mitchell’s wife, Martha. The offer prompted this tellingly captioned memo to Assistant FBI Director Tolson
.

SUBJECT: PROTECTION OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    In my memo of 11/5/71 details were set out concerning the travel of the Attorney General, his wife and his daughter, Marty. There have been no changes in the travel schedule; however, there has been one change in the mode of transportation.

SA [Special Agent]
who has been assigned to be with Mrs. Mitchell for the duration of her travels, telephoned from San Francisco at approximately 2:30 p.m. today. He referred to the previous arrangement where Mrs. Mitchell would be traveling from San Francisco to Los Angeles via Jet Star aircraft owned by Mr. Robert Flour of the Flour Corporation. Departure time is still the same but instead of utilizing the airplane owned by Flour, the party will travel on a Gulfstream II jet airplane owned by Frank Sinatra. It will be flown by a pilot employed by Sinatra named Captain Johnny Spotts. The Attorney General apparently is not aware of this change as he is en route to Los Angeles and is not due to arrive there until 5:00 p.m. today, 11/9/71. It is apparent that Frank Sinatra is becoming quite active in politics on behalf of the campaign to reelect President Nixon.