The Sinatra Files (56 page)

There is attached a summary of information showing Sinatra’s long association with major hoodlums.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN:

Frank Sinatra is currently reported to be in the Far East where he is on location making a motion picture. On his return to the United States it is believed we should have SAC Elson contact Sinatra and explore the possibilities of developing him as an informant. This could best be accomplished by having Elson go to Southern California on two or three weekends when Sinatra would not be tied up with his business affairs. We would, of course, have Sinatra believe Elson was in California on other business which would provide an appropriate cover for Elson’s meeting with Sinatra and exploring the possibilities of his cooperating with us.

Elson is convinced that his relationship with Sinatra at this time is such that he could do this discreetly without any possibility of embarrassment to the Bureau. If we are to do this we should begin promptly on Sinatra’s return to the United States as Elson’s relationship with Sinatra will deteriorate if no contact is made and much time elapses.

If you approve SAC Elson will be advised telephonically when he next calls the Bureau to proceed along these lines.

    
The summary attached to Belmont’s memo:

    Frank Sinatra through the years has been associated with some of the most infamous individuals of modern times. During the 1930s when he was growing up in New Jersey, he was reportedly befriended by Willie Moretti, former underworld boss of Bergen County, New Jersey, and cousin of the notorious Joe Adonis. In later years Sinatra sang at the wedding of Willie Moretti’s daughter.

In the 40s Sinatra’s name was linked with such well-known hoodlums as Joseph and Rocco Fischetti, members of the Capone
gang, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, and James Tarantino, associate of Benjamin “Bugsy” Seigel and editor and publisher of the magazine “Hollywood Night Life.”

Newspapers on February 20, 1947, reported that Frank Sinatra had been in Havana, Cuba, for four days the previous week and that “his companion in public and private was Luciano, Luciano’s bodyguard and a rich collection of gamblers and high-binders.” The article indicated that Luciano and Sinatra were seen together at the racetracks, the gambling casinos and at special parties.

A September 11, 1947, column of Westbrook Pegler reported that when Frank Sinatra flew to Havana, Cuba, on February 11, 1947, he was accompanied by Joe and Rocco Fischetti.

In recent years considerable information has been reported concerning Sinatra ties with Sam Giancana. Reports of the use of Sinatra’s Palm Springs home by Giancana and Phyllis McGuire and Giancana’s disappointment in Sinatra’s inability to get the administration to tone down its efforts in the Anti-Racketeering field constitutes the most significant information developed. On at least two occasions in past years Sinatra has been in Atlantic City taking over an entire floor of one of the major hotels for a private party which lasted several weeks and included hoodlum guests such as Giancana, the Fischettis and Joe Bonanno of Phoenix.

Until he was recently ordered to sell his interests in Las Vegas, Sinatra owned a percentage of the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas and was 100% owner of the Cal-Neva Lodge at Lake Tahoe. Informants have speculated that Sinatra was merely a front for hoodlum money invested in these gambling casinos. During the last year of operation, the Cal-Neva Lodge was managed by Paul “Skinny” D’Amato, longtime friend of Sinatra who also has a hoodlum background and has for years operated the 500 Club in Atlantic City.

When interviewed concerning his Las Vegas interests Sinatra maintained he represented only himself and that Sam Giancana was only someone he recalled meeting at an airport. Confidential sources in Las Vegas and Chicago, however, indicate a much closer association between Sinatra and Giancana. In the Fall of 1962,
Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Eddie Fisher made what appeared to be a command performance at the Villa Venice Supper Club near Chicago, apparently arranged by Sinatra for Giancana. When interviewed concerning it, Sinatra claimed he had arranged for these entertainers merely as a favor to Leo Olsen, owner of the Club and that Giancana had nothing to do with it.

It was Sinatra’s continued association with Giancana that led to the revocation of his Nevada gambling license in September of 1963. This was brought about principally by the discovery of Giancana’s presence at the Cal-Neva Lodge even though he was listed in the Nevada Black Book as a “undesirable” in Nevada.

    ADDENDUM

I don’t think the leopard will change his spots, but I recommend SAC Elson try his hand at this.

A. H. Belmont

    
Handwritten notation by Clyde Tolson:
I do not agree. C.

Handwritten notation by Hoover:
I share Tolson’s views. H.

Handwritten notation by Evans:
Elson advised to take no action in this matter. E. 4/23/64

    
Sinatra was apparently unaware of Hoover’s low regard for him, as this item in the files about a party for Jack Warner of Warner Bros. Records shows
.

    By an undated letter addressed “Dear Friend” Frank Sinatra invited FBI Director, Mr. Hoover, to a testimonial dinner to be held on 4/25/65, in Beverly Hills, in honor of Jack Warner. The dinner was being sponsored by the Friars Club, Charity Foundation, Beverly Hills, Calif., of which Sinatra was Abbot Emeritus.

    
Years later, Elson continued to report to headquarters on Sinatra’s activities, as shown by this memo from Tom E. Bishop to Cartha “Deke” DeLoach
,
both top Hoover lieutenants. Sinatra was then in the midst of a two-week stand in Las Vegas at the Sands casino, where he had been a part owner until evidence of mob associations forced him to relinquish his casino interests in Nevada in 1964
.

SUBJECT: FRANK SINATRA
INFORMATION CONCERNING

    SAC Elson from Las Vegas called this afternoon and spoke with Leinbaugh in my office. Elson said he had sent the Director a letter Friday regarding some of Sinatra’s recent activities and wanted to bring the Bureau up to date.

Elson said that about 6 or 7 a.m. this morning Sinatra went into the casino at the Sands apparently to apologize to the pit dealers regarding his actions several nights ago. According to Elson some words were exchanged and when a security guard came walking over to Sinatra, Sinatra picked up a chair and hit the guard over the head, apparently injuring him seriously. Immediately thereafter Carl Cohen, casino manager, hit Sinatra in the mouth and in the words of our informant, “Really decked him.” According to our source, Sinatra had at least two front teeth knocked out.

Elson commented that Cohen will be in real trouble now and he said that he will keep the Bureau closely advised of developments.

RECOMMENDATION:

The above is for the Director’s information.

    
A later summary of Sinatra information in FBI files recounted the same episode in detail—and alleged a Machiavellian motive for the star’s behavior: He wanted to end his contract with the Sands, which had just been bought by Howard Hughes, so he could instead perform at Caesars Palace, identified as a La Cosa Nostra (LCN) establishment. This reasoning seems unlikely, given that, according to Kitty Kelley’s biography, Sinatra was already
negotiating with Caesars at the time and had signed a $3 million performance contract on September 11, 1967—the same day as the fracas
.

    Informant stated that Sinatra, upon learning that his wife, Mia, had lost $20,000 gambling at the Sands Hotel, became furious and purchased $50,000 worth of chips in an attempt to win back his wife’s losses. Within a 45 minute interval he had lost the $50,000. Upon learning of Sinatra’s losses, Howard Hughes (not identified) ordered Sinatra’s credit stopped. Sinatra, intoxicated, tore his room to shambles. He then obtained a golf cart and drove it all around the front of the Sands Hotel. Carl Cohen (not identified) attempted to calm Sinatra; however, Sinatra threw some chips in Cohen’s face at which time Cohen punched Sinatra in the mouth causing the loss of teeth. Informant advised that it was indicated that this activity was planned in order to have Sinatra’s contract at the Sands broken so that he could later be placed in Caesars Palace, since this establishment had Family* interests. Informant did not believe this was planned, however, to the extent that Sinatra would lose two teeth.

This reference indicated that [John] Roselli was active in LCN matters.

*LCN Family interests

    
After Frank Sinatra’s mother, Natalie “Dolly” Sinatra, died at age eighty-two in the crash of a chartered plane on January 6, 1977, the FBI’s current director sent condolences to Frank Sinatra, Jr
.

January 10, 1977

Mr. Frank Sinatra, Jr.
Sinatra Way
Cathedral City, California 92234
Dear Mr. Sinatra:

    Your friends in the FBI were deeply saddened at the news of your grandmother’s death and extend heartfelt sympathy to you and the other members of your family. Although words are of little solace at times such as this, we hope you will be comforted by your many warm memories of her and the knowledge that others are thinking of you and share your sorrow.

    NOTE: Bufiles indicate prior cordial correspondence with Mr. Sinatra who has been friendly to the FBI and very cooperative with our Los Angeles Office. He met Mr. Kelley on 12-16-75 at the FBI Appreciation Day function held in San Francisco.

    
Sinatra occasionally was subjected to threatening letters or calls, usually from apparently deranged yet harmless people. An anonymous caller, for example, warned of a hand-grenade attack in Miami Beach. A tipster claimed two escaped mental patients from Massachusetts were bent on assassinating the singer. An anonymous letter said Henry Kissinger wanted to poison Sinatra for knowing too much about a planned coup
.

In the earlier years, the FBI’s inquiries were perfunctory. But later, as authorities at all levels began to take threats against celebrities more seriously, the investigations became ever more intensive, as shown by some of the final documents in the FBI’s Sinatra files. Thus, by the twilight of Frank Sinatra’s career, the FBI had come full circle, from relentlessly pursuing the star to relentlessly pursuing his tormentors
.

    
One of the last cases involved a threatening letter and phone calls just before a four-night Sinatra engagement in Atlantic City in May 1980. The FBI spared no expense in trying to find the culprit. This memo detailed the inquiry’s origin
.

NARRATIVE OF OFFENSE:

This investigation was instituted upon request of information from
Intelligence Unit, Atlantic City Police Department (ACPD), who reported that an unsigned letter, containing a threat to kill entertainer FRANK SINATRA, had been received on May 14, 1980, at the Reservations Office of the World International Hotel (WI), Atlantic City, New Jersey. The handwritten letter and envelope, postmarked Reading, Pennsylvania, were obtained and examined.
Clerk, WI, who received the subject correspondence, also advised that she received suspicious calls on WI’s out-of-state 800 telephone line. Preliminary investigation was instituted to attempt to identify unknown subject and to establish a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875-876. The threat letter appeared to be a response to WI’s promotional advertising for a package deal for the scheduled SINATRA shows at the nearby Resorts International Casino/Hotel, during the weekends of May 23-26, 1980, and May 31-June 1, 1980. Liaison was maintained with ACPD, Bell Telephone Security Office, WI, Resorts and the SINATRA security staff.

    
The primary piece of evidence was the letter itself
.

EVIDENCE:

1. Envelope, postmarked at Reading, Pennsylvania, addressed to World International Hotel, no return address listed; and its contents, an unsigned one page, handwritten letter containing the following wording: