The Sinatra Files (53 page)

    
Nixon’s staff also prepared some remarks for the president to deliver before and after Sinatra’s performance. The crack about Sinatra’s tax returns is noteworthy in that former White House attorney John Dean testified at that summer’s Watergate hearings that Nixon had tried to obtain favors from the IRS for a number of entertainers, including Sinatra
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SUGGESTED INTRODUCTION OF FRANK SINATRA

Were I asked to describe the man I am about to introduce, I would have to say that Frank Sinatra is to music what the Washington Monument is to our landscape. He is the top.

As you know, Mr. Sinatra retired as a performer two years ago, and the fact that he will sing for you tonight surely makes this a night to remember. And I hope there is no conclusion to be drawn from the fact that Frank is coming out of retirement less than a full day after the tax returns had to be filed.

He is known to us by many names. There is Frank Sinatra, the man who has sung his way through our lives. That would make him Mister Music. There is Frank Sinatra, the man of untold charitable contributions in this country and all over the world, including his long and continued support of Boys Town of Italy. That would make him Mister Humanitarian. Then there is Frank Sinatra, the high school student who dreamed of becoming a newspaper reporter. And, on graduation, he became copy boy on the Jersey Observer. But he never became a newspaper reporter, because his dreams of becoming a singer won out. And that, of course, would make him Mister Good Sense.

I am happy to present him to you now. Mister Frank Sinatra.

SUGGESTED REMARKS FOR THE PRESIDENT FOLLOWING

FRANK SINATRA

I think you’ll all agree with me this has been a memorable evening in the White House. Now you’re all invited to remain and dance and, above all, enjoy yourselves.

Unfortunately, I still have some work to do before retiring, so I’ll be leaving you to do that. And also, I always try to watch the late news on television to see how the networks would have run the country today.

    
Finally, this internal White House memo provides background for a presidential thank-you letter—and expresses pleasant surprise at Sinatra’s comportment. Nixon sent an effusive letter, and Sinatra did indeed come out of retirement shortly thereafter
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON

May 9, 1973

FOR: MARY FENTON
FROM: STEPHEN BULL
RE: Thank-You Letter to Frank Sinatra

    Frank Sinatra appeared at the April 17th dinner for Prime Minister Andreotti. Contrary to the practice of other performers, Frank Sinatra held a rehearsal with Nelson Riddle on the 16th and ran through all of his material. The purpose of this, basically, was to permit an open dress rehearsal for the White House staff on the day of the 17th. During the course of the dinner it was reported in the newspapers that Frank Sinatra spoke with his dinner guests about the impending birth of his first grandchild—his daughter Nancy was pregnant. Upon returning to his residence after the performance he received a telephone call from Nancy’s doctor indicating that she had had a miscarriage. This announcement put a damper on the evening for him.

When Frank Sinatra was first invited to the White House in late February, he began working strenuously to develop his voice so that he could give a creditable performance. His work included physical exercises, breathing practice, etc. He worked very hard in order to put on a proper performance for the President in the White House.

As a result of his appearance at the White House, Frank Sinatra made the decision to come out of retirement.

Generally, Frank Sinatra, the “Chairman of the Board” who is reputed to be ornery and egotistical, was quite the opposite. He was cordial and polite to all people with whom he worked. He had high praise for members of the Marine Orchestra, the sound people, and virtually everyone else whose job it was to put on this performance.

May 10, 1973

Dear Frank:

    Once in a great while, a performer manages to hold everyone in the audience spellbound. You did just that during your appearance at the April 17 dinner for Prime Minister Andreotti. The selections which were included in your program were those which many of us have associated with you over the years, and that evening you made them sound even better than ever! Incidentally, your graciousness in rehearsing before the members of the White House staff really made their day—and some of the young ladies present were nearly walking on air when they returned to their desks.

Mrs. Nixon and I are most grateful to you for helping to make the evening of April 17 an unforgettable one, and she joins me in sending you our special thanks and warmest good wishes.

Mr. Frank Sinatra
70-588 Frank Sinatra Drive
Cathedral City, California 92234

cc: Stephen Bull

    
The fifty-one-week tenure of former Justice Department official L. Patrick Gray 111 as acting FBI director ended in the spring of 1973 when it became clear that the Senate wouldn’t confirm the man who oversaw the less-than-thorough initial probe of the Watergate burglary. Nixon appointed William Ruckelshaus as the agency’s acting director—who almost immediately requested a dossier on the president’s crooner friend. It included more up-to-date intelligence on the singer, including information suggesting that Sinatra may have had more influence with the Nixon administration than with the Kennedys
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SUBJECT: FRANK SINATRA
INFORMATION CONCERNING

    This is in response to the Acting Director’s inquiry. Following is a current brief concerning the above captioned individual.

A source who has furnished reliable information in the past advised on January 3, 1973, that Frank Sinatra is a close friend of Angelo DeCarlo of long standing.

Sources who have furnished reliable information in the past have described DeCarlo as a respected member of organized crime in the United States who holds a position of “caporegima” in the Genovese family of La Cosa Nostra.

On December 21, 1972, DeCarlo was released from the United States penitentiary, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, after a commutation of his sentence by Presidential order.

A source who has furnished reliable information in the past advised
that DeCarlo’s release came as no real surprise to certain associates of DeCarlo as they had been informed by someone very close to DeCarlo that he was expected to be released before Christmas.

This source further stated that these same associates are attributing DeCarlo’s release to the intervention of singer Frank Sinatra, whose close personal relationship with Vice President Spiro Agnew allegedly served as the necessary “contact.” The source stated that Sinatra’s efforts had allegedly been in the works for “at least a couple of months.”

Information concerning Sinatra’s friendship with DeCarlo and DeCarlo’s release from Federal custody was furnished to the Department by Newark’s letterhead memorandum dated January 11, 1973.

On May 18, 1973, Mr. Jonathon L. Goldstein, United States Attorneys office, Newark, New Jersey, advised that he was contacted
on May 17, 1973, by
claimed to have information indicating that initial contact to secure the release of Angelo DeCarlo from Federal custody was made in April, 1972, by DeCarlo to a singer with a rock group performing at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. This singer (Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons Quartet) was allegedly requested to contact Frank Sinatra and have him intercede with Vice President Agnew for DeCarlo’s release. This request was ostensibly related to Mrs. Sinatra who in turn supposedly forwarded to Frank Sinatra.
continued that Frank Sinatra allegedly turned over $100,000 cash to Maurice Stans as an unrecorded contribution. Subsequently, due to the fact that Vice President Agnew had been “stripped of his authority by White House aides,” one Peter Maletesta (possibly identical to Peter John Malatesta who was employed as a staff assistant to the Vice President as recently as January, 1971) allegedly contacted former Presidential Counsel John Dean and got him to make the necessary arrangements to forward the request to the Justice Department. Sinatra then allegedly “made a $50,000 contribution to the President’s campaign fund sometime during December, 1972. DeCarlo’s release followed.”

A summary of Sinatra’s background and association with organized crime figures, prior to that information developed concerning his friendship with DeCarlo has been made available to The White House by letters dated August 21, 1967, April 25, 1969, and February 18, 1972.

While Bufiles do not disclose this information, it is recalled from recent newspaper articles that Sinatra was originally scheduled to entertain at President Nixon’s most recent Inaugural Ball and he failed for some reason to make an appearance. About the same time he reportedly had a strong verbal exchange with society columnist Maxine Cheshire in which he reputedly used obscene language in “chewing her out.” Most recently Sinatra did appear at The White House and entertained the President of Italy who was visiting this country.