The Rat Pack Investigated in CNN's Jake Tapper Political Fun Farce...The Devil May Dance 2nd Book With Charlie and Margaret Marder

 

Ahead, the members of the Rat Pack and their hangers-on were oblivious to the Marders’ concerns; they were soaked in bourbon, singing, laughing, and loudly gossiping about ghosts as they stumbled around the graveyard. Charlie and Margaret could make out pieces of their conversations. 

There goes Wallace Beery. He won an Oscar too, Frank! Remember he and a couple mobsters beat that guy to death at the Troc? 

Suzan Ball. Lucille’s cousin. Twenty-one? Cancer. Bit parts. Aladdin and His Lamp. 

Here’s the Garden of Memory. Some reverence, folks, Bogie is over there. Bogart, Sinatra’s hero, was credited with coining the term Rat Pack to describe an altogether different group of friends, but both the term and Bogie’s beloved Lauren Bacall had been posthumously co-opted by his protégé Sinatra. 

Charlie and Margaret headed back, and the snatches of conversation soon grew too distant for them to hear. They made their way over the hills on narrow paved roads to the parking lot. The others held their breath. Above them hung a half-moon, about which Sinatra started to sing: Something, something, man in the moon something, something, baboon, something, something swoon… Everyone exhaled; the wind had blown his dark mood away with the clouds.

 Lawford led the pack in a charge up the hill as Martin sang a song mocking the very young girlfriend of Sinatra’s rival Elvis Presley. “Are you lonesome tonight?” he crooned. “Are you horny tonight? Have you reached puberty yet, my dear girl?” Sinatra cackled. He’d hosted the television special Welcome Home, Elvis, after Presley’s discharge from the army, but Sinatra made no secret of the fact that he found most rock and roll deplorable; he thought the music was written and performed by cretinous goons, and Presley was the gooniest of them all. 

Charlie and Margaret walked slowly, bringing up the rear. Margaret sighed, seeming annoyed. “Stop pretending that this isn’t a little cool,” Charlie said, indicating the scene—they were hanging with icons of the zeitgeist, boozing in a celebrity graveyard in the middle of the night. 

“Ring-a-ding-ding,” said Margaret dryly. The crack of a gunshot echoed across the grass. It took Charlie and Margaret a moment to make out what was going on: Davis was firing Fat Tony’s gun at a grave. Or, more precisely, at the sculpted angel on top of a crypt. “What th—” said Margaret, poking Charlie in the ribs. 

“I think ‘Who the’ is more like it,” Lawford said to Margaret. “Doyle, the guy buried there, was a producer who screwed Sammy back when he was touring the country on the Chitlin’ Circuit with his dad and uncle.” Charlie looked at the crypt. He didn’t recognize the name. Davis yelled, “Son of a bitch!” as he fired off another round. The angel’s head exploded. “There ya go, Smoky!” Martin cheered. He ashed his cigarette on a freshly dug grave, then took a swig from a paper cup. “I’m not done yet,” Davis said, pulling the trigger once more. The blast hit the cherub in the crotch, shattering the statue. One of the pieces of concrete clipped Charlie. 

“Oof,” he said, grabbing his shoulder. 

“Honey!” Margaret cried. “I’m fine,” he said, rubbing the bruise. “Oh, man,” Davis said. “I am so, so sorry.” Davis was soused but clearly concerned. He made his way precariously toward Charlie, wobbly and contrite. The singer was a wee man, not even five foot five, all bone and sinew, maybe ninety pounds dressed for winter. 

“It’s nothing,” Charlie said.

Earlier, Margaret, the ever-prepared former Girl Scout, had stashed the small first-aid kit she brought with her on all family excursions in the trunk of their rented white 1962 Impala convertible. 

“We’re missing all the fun,” Charlie said as a gunshot followed by the pop of an exploding light bulb cracked in the distance. “I’m really fine, honey.” 

“Sure sounds like fun,” Margaret said as she held out her hand for the keys. Charlie reluctantly produced them. She inserted the key and opened the trunk while Charlie looked to the hills, where the echoes of crooning and guffaws sounded almost like local wildlife.  

“Yumpin’ Yiminy, now it’s a clambake!” yelled Sinatra. “More booze!” Another bottle materialized as the pack continued its run through the cemetery, minus Giancana and Fat Tony, who’d turned to walk back to their car. 

Charlie and Margaret stayed in place, leaning on a thick, slightly cracked tombstone. “Irish exit,” Charlie said, motioning toward the departing mobsters.

Then Margaret screamed. From the gauzy illumination of a distant streetlamp, Charlie saw the shape in the trunk, a big shape. It was a body. Charlie stepped closer. He recognized the face, as did Margaret, who turned away. He looked with horror at the woman that they’d last seen days before and that he’d seen quite a bit of in the past few weeks. Her eyes were two bloody caverns; they must have been shot out. There was some brain and bone residue in the trunk but not enough to suggest she had been shot there. Her mouth was agape, her jaw helplessly, horrifically slack. Charlie and Margaret stood frozen until the sudden arrival of the Rat Pack, who apparently had raced over in response to Margaret’s shriek. 

Sinatra looked into the trunk. “Charlie,” he said. “Just what the hell have you done?”

In the past few years Margaret was often reminded of the army’s slogan that “every man has his breaking point.” She was constantly looking for ways to prevent Charlie from reaching his. Whatever the doctors were labeling it, combat exhaustion or combat neurosis or battle fatigue, Margaret knew it would be with him forever. Beyond that, his life in Congress, where he’d been for almost a decade now, was infinitely frustrating—accomplishing anything good required Sisyphean efforts, while ethical compromises were everywhere. And at some point along the way, Charlie found that the constant fundraising and glad-handing to stay in office for his New York constituents had begun to eclipse the work itself...

After the heavy and complex first book, Tapper took a lighter theme to close out the political life of Charlie and Margaret Marder. I call it a farce, even though some of it might be true. A decade had passed and Margaret was constantly watching how Charlie was dealing with the pressure, and, even though Charlie was trying to hide it from her, his increasing need to use alcohol to keep him going.

So when another favor was requested, which involved the simple task of being a consultant on an upcoming movie, both seemed to think it was a good way to fill up time between sessions and maybe do a little vacationing... The Movie was called "The Manchurian Candidate" and Sinatra was to play the lead...

The  Favor: The Kennedy  Family wanted to know just how close and involved Sinatra was to the Mob! And  would his involvement with the presidential candidate be a burden or a good thing...

So Charlie and Margaret were often at the set while the film was being made, with Charlie giving his feedback related to what happens in particular political-related scenes...

And for the rest of the time, Charlie was spending lots of time enjoying the partying that always seemed to be going on... Even when he was at a party, without Margaret, he enjoyed himself, except he was soon placed into another situation when one of the beauties that always was around wound up in the hot tub with Charlie...and a picture was snapped! Fear of its going public was bad enough, but when the girl was found in Charlie's car trunk, he was once again afraid--afraid he was guilty of murder and would spend the rest of the days in prison for a crime he didn't remember, but could have(?) done... Finally, drinking so much, Margaret got involved and Charlie shared it all!

In the meantime, Frank was making changes to his home, doing everything possible to ensure Jack Kennedy's comfort and all that he could possibly need when visiting with his friend, Frank...

[Talking with Robert] Charlie had to smile at the excess. “You don’t want the president to stay there?” Throughout the 1960 election, Sinatra and the Rat Pack had gone all in for Kennedy, and the campaign had been only too happy to capitalize on the fame, the glamour, the money. Sinatra had even rerecorded his Oscar-winning song “High Hopes,” written by Sinatra songmeister Jimmy Van Heusen, with new lyrics: Everyone is voting for Jack ’Cause he’s got what all the rest lack Everyone wants to back—Jack Jack is on the right track! 

As if reading Charlie’s mind, Kennedy shrugged. “When I started at Justice, an agent asked me how he could be expected to go after Mob bosses when my brother’s most famous supporter is paisans with a bunch of them. I took his point. Unfortunately, the FBI doesn’t have any evidence supporting the rumors that Frank is mobbed up, but now he shows up in this wiretap.”

In fact, the majority of the book is in casual settings with various members of the Rat Pack, partying... So, here's some of the music at those times...

“Our crew’s in the back,” Lawford said, pointing. Live jazz played in one of the rooms; the Daisy had so many, it was hard to keep track. Charlie recognized the tune: “Pfrancing,” from Someday My Prince Will Come. He polished off his bourbon in one gulp and began to lose himself in the tempo and the strutting trumpet solo, which sounded to him like a man crying. “It’s like Miles Davis himself is here,” Margaret said. She was trying to keep cool, but she had her hand on his arm, and he could tell she was a bit thrilled. They followed Lawford through the crowd of stars, ogling in every direction...

“Congressman, this one is a keeper,” Sinatra said, pointing at Margaret. “C’mon! Let’s get some swinging music going in here!” He raised his glass and held it up to Margaret. From the speakers came a rapid race of trumpets and trombones, soon interrupted by Sinatra’s voice singing an old Mexican song from the 1930s that he’d covered in May and released on Swing Along with Me in June. Granada, I’m falling under your spell And if you could speak, what a fascinating tale you would tell…

“Sure looks like him from here,” Charlie said. He pushed his chair back from their tiny square table (dinner and two-drink minimum, $5.95 per person, not a room for people without some means). “I’m going to go over there and check it out.” “You sure that’s a good idea?” Margaret asked. “No, but I suspect a middle-aged white guy will blend better at this stag party than either of you.” “Point, Charlie,” said Street. “What is this thing called love?” Sinatra sang. Onstage, he and Martin slouched on stools, drinks in hand. “Frank, if you don’t know, then we’re all in trouble,” Martin quipped. Then, in a singsongy voice: “Did you ever see a Jew-jitsu?” “I did,” Sinatra responded, raising his hand. Davis, who had considered himself a Jew since the 1950s and had formally converted earlier this year, ran onto the stage in mock offense. “Be fair!” Davis barked at Martin as Sinatra pretended to hold him back.

Charlie’s heart sank as he again imagined his once indomitable father alone and hopeless. “We need to get something to the AG about—” He gestured toward Sinatra, who was in the midst of the intro to “Luck Be a Lady.” “They won’t even let Charlie talk tohim on the phone,” Margaret said. “They really seem to relish being bastards, the Kennedys,” Charlie said. “The good news is, the prison doctors told me they don’t think it was a heart attack after all.” “If it wasn’t a heart attack, then what was it?” Street asked. “I don’t know; they don’t know,” Charlie said. “Nothing life-threatening, they don’t think. They also ruled out a stroke. But he isn’t talking.” They all sat sadly at the table. “Why is he at the Tombs anyway—isn’t that a city jail?” Street asked. “Feds have a wing,” Charlie said. “And the AG gets a lot of leeway.”

By the Way, there is no song, "The Devil May Dance"--it was a title created by the author...

Charlie and Margaret, ten years from the first possible death sentence for Charlie are also worried about his father who was arrested and Charlie has not been able to visit. Stress grows and it was time to take the offense and find out exactly what was going on! Politics always seems to be...messy...doesn't it? Me, I enjoyed the music more than anything. I found, even though they were all friends, I was offended by the racial slurs constantly in their comedy... But then, I'm not much for comedy at the expense of...anybody... Guess my empathy gets in the way...

I enjoyed this much more than the first book, simply because of the setting. Sure the mob was there in many scenes, but it didn't necessarily seem like they were involved politically, even though that was the purpose of Charlie and Margaret's involvement. Have to admit that I was more impressed with Margaret as a character. She was a strong woman who still loved her husband, even though he was not doing well in dealing with the politics of, seemingly, every part of their life... But the ending was satisfactory, if not thrilling or spectacular... From a historical perspective, it was indeed a trip back into the 50s, with The Rat Pack leading in bringing music into so much of the book! It's worth my recommendation for you to check it out!

In the meantime, I'd like to share a little bit of the words directly from the author, Jack Tapper, about today's political division...

A personal note: 

I know many of you don't have the time I have to follow what is happening, by watching multiple sites for news information. At the same time, I must point out that it is only through Americans themselves that we can...and hopefully will...maintain our democracy. Right now, I have decided to go to the polls on May 17th, the day before I go in for hip surgery, BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST WHAT THE REPUBLICANS HAVE DONE AND MAY DO TO PREVENT MAIL BALLOTS FROM BEING CORRECTLY COUNTED.  

We all saw Trump's Big Lie that the presidential election was not real...that it was a big lie! And republicans are doing everything to change or manipulate voting activities to try to again force questions regarding who wins in the primaries! YOU must help ensure that our democracy--the privilege to vote, is not made into a farce once again... lies controlled by the republican party that is infecting our nation... 

Book Readers Heaven will do all that it can to share the truth. I care little about politics, as my comments on Tapper's two books have shown. I do care about the rights of ALL PEOPLE TO BE EQUAL... 

Will you help me? SEARCH OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR CANDIDATES...

SEARCH OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS...DO NOT LISTEN TO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES THAT ARE LYING TO INCITE AGAINST MISINFORMATION AND/OR making OUTRIGHT LIES!

REMEMBER IF REPUBLICANS SUCCEED IN BANNING ALL THE BOOKS THAT THEY WANT TO, THEN RECOGNIZE THAT ONLY WHITE MALE REPUBLICANS WILL BE TOTALLY HAPPY... and Free...

That is not what Democracy is or was in America... Please do everything you can to learn who speaks truth and responds to our constitutional rights in all ways...

Adolph Caso Speaks Out on Behalf of Italian Americans in Mass Media Vs. Italian Americans...

I recently saw the publicity for the new show, Public Morals, coming this fall. I was reminded of previous shows that were actually on television during the 60s that were criticized by more than one book I've read and one, which was on my TBR stack, which I then pulled out...

I noticed one thing especially...The trailer for the upcoming show dwells on the police, including their Irish-American background... Whereas, one of the major shows, although not the only one by any means, The Sopranos, placed the criminals--the gangsters--the Mob/Mafia as the leading group... And, of course, all of the actors were Italian-American...

The Godfather alone has perhaps instilled more fear on the part of American citizens of non Italian background than any other book--fiction or non-fiction alike. With the cinematic renditions and sequels, Mario Puzo succeeded in convincing American and perhaps the world that every Italian American has connections with either the mob, or with organized crime...
The best part of the "Godfather" situation was the recurrent editorial statement on the television screen made by the editors of the national network showing the film, saying that the names and situations did not reflect or depict any ethnic group. What this means is that the Americans were told not to believe that Corleone was an Italian name, etc.
Someone suggested, however, that the television screen should have shown this more accurate statement:
The movie you are seeing represents and denigrates only the Mafia and the Italian Americans. You need not fear retaliation, however. The former does not exist; the latter have no balls. Otherwise, this film would not have been shown..."
~~~

What happens when such an emphasis is placed on the criminal element, a small percentage of an entire population of a country? Of course the answer is easy for any thinking person--a reputation is formed... In this case, all Italian-Americans are part of the criminal element!

One of the major ways this type of prejudice is transmitted is through Mass Media... Adolph Caso has updated his earlier edition and I had a chance to read the 2014 edition now available. It is disheartening, to say the least...

Mass Media vs.

The Italian Americans

By Adolph Caso

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

~~~

Let's tell the truth--America does not have a history of actually accepting the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, does it...? Perhaps we are no different than other countries, I don't know, but I do know enough from actual history, not fictional accounts, to know that we have not lovingly accepted "different" people when they come to America to become citizens. Adolph Caso has had the opportunity as a writer, publisher, and more, to research and study the actions against, just one group of people. those originally from Italy, especially, by the media. In my opinion, the evidence is damning.

First Amendment
During the Watergate Scandal, which came  to
light mainly through the investigative work of two
newspapermen, one often heard reporters
commenting on the Press as having become the
fourth power in the process of America's checks
and balance government. The Founding Fathers
established the system so as to achieve a certain
balance between the Executive, the Legislative,
and the Judicial branches. The Press, through the
First, was, on the other hand, designed and
perceived to be a vehicle given to the people
through which to practice the ultimate check
on those branches. When, therefore, those from
the Media arrogate for themselves that power,
they do not want to understand that it belongs
to the people and is not transferable. Worse, they
do not understand that they, as media, were and
are intended to function as the means to an end.
However, when they use that power for their end,
they become tyrannical. Consequently, they go
against the very people for whom they exist...
!!!

The thing about the media is that you normally see, read, or hear about what is being said as a single entity... Unless you read a book, such as Mass Media, the impact of what is being "fed" to your brain is not noticed--until you become saturated and disgusted with it--or, worse, believe it to be true...

Consider another book I recently reviewed. Justice in the Round by Harold Michael Harvey. That author spoke in a similar way about American's Justice System vs. Black Americans.

I want to highlight here that we will learn of even more in Seduced: The Grooming of America's Teenagers...coming soon...

If you are an older American, you may have already realized how much the media has skewed and damaged both individuals as well as entire races and those of specific nationalities... And we allow it to happen, either by not caring, or by lack of attention.

Adolph Caso has recognized this problem and has spoken out on behalf of his heritage--He is an Italian-American, proud of it...and thinks they've deserved better! I agree! Let's look more closely...

Briefly, freedom of the Press, as the Founding Fathers saw it, was and is simply this: any individual has the freedom to express his or her opinion no matter how different that opinion may be from those in government or in other organizations. Through the Press, the citizens can guard themselves against possible tyrannical practices on the part of individuals in power positions, who have the capability to establish controls.

At no time did the Forefathers mean, through the First Amendment, that freedom of speech and the right of the people, peaceably to assemble, that the people had the right in public to express their opinion in vulgar terms or in ways that could inflict damage or infamy on innocent individuals with different opinions. That is why the First Amendment ends with the statement that the people have the right, if harm is done to them, "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

After making those declarations, the author proceeds to provide background documentation to support them. He refers first to Cesare Beccaria's book, On Crimes and Punishments and then on to other references. In fact, the book is full of historical documentation to support what he presents as he speaks out against Mass Media... and to some Italian Americans such as Mario Puzo, who have supported the denigration of the reputation of Italian-Americans...

But Caso does not limit his documentation to fiction--actually it is more toward newspapers such as the New York Times who used headlines like "The Mob Gambles on Atlantic City" or The Boston Globe who spotlighted that Rocco Antonelli, held two jobs, and made more money than the governor... Details were, of course, omitted and the reader would naturally pick up on the insinuation received first-page coverage! What!? All done around election time...???

Unfortunately, the sad display of this type of "selective reporting" continues for page after page, ad nauseam. There is no need to doubt Mr. Caso's information, full details plus an index are provided for readers.  The impact of the prejudicial headlines alone is offensive for everybody, in my opinion. Who wants a newspaper to flaunt prejudice?!

And then we get into the unwillingness to reveal sources...and they claim it is to protect the rights of the public... Ahhhhhh, not this public member...

Another issue covered in the book is one about which I'd already changed my earlier opinion...that of prayer in school... If you feel strongly about this topic, the discussion alone, I think, is worth your checking out the book...

Going into many historical controversial issues have been merged into the book to support the continued negativity about the worth of Italians and Italian-Americans.

On the other hand, I must say I was relieved and enjoyed going onto a topic that brings pride--the contribution of Italians to the world of music! While Caso's review involves music from different countries, it is impossible, in my opinion, not to already have experienced the joy brought by Italian composers and artists...

The Orchestra, which made possible the symphony as a musical form, was first put together by Claudio Monteverdi, the genius that also established Opera and many other forms, including the string quartet...

The piano: The basic instrument was developed by Bartolomei Cristofori of Padova. In 1710, he created the pianoforte, the name he was to give to the first and practical hammer action instrument...

An interesting closing to the book is a guide, "How to Lessen Media Abuses" which would be applicable, I am sure, for everybody's use! We can all show similar types of abuse by mass media!

Whether you are an Italian American is irrelevant as it relates to how Mass Media is handling the news of America. Can we really afford to allow this to continue? Think about it... This book is highly recommended...

"I read the report about how Bobby Kennedy protected me from investigation by Government agents and now realize that after five grand-jury subpoenas, two (Internal Revenue Service) investigations (which probably utilized 30 men) and a couple of subpoenas to congressional committees, if you have a close friend in high office, you don't need any enemies."--Frank Sinatra

GABixlerReviews

Sharing my Favorite Italian Singer...

Nick Sevano's Personal Relationship to Frank Sinatra Provides "True" Insider Revelations!

Sinatra: His Story From an Insider

By Nick Sevano and Ted Schwarz

"Another Frank Sinatra book? How could you write another Frank Sinatra book? Doesn't everyone know everything that ever happened to the guy? Earl Wilson, one of the greatest entertainment industry columnists of the twentieth century, wrote about Frank, as did Kitty Kelley, a top investigative biographer. Kitty even interviewed me, as did dozens of documentary makers, authors, and magazine writers. What more is left to be said?...In truth, there is so much more that I could have made this book into two volumes. You see, the truth that every writer has faced over the years is that one way or another, almost no one wanted to tell all they knew about Frank while he or his most loyal friends, such as Jilly Rizzo, were still alive...I was with Sinatra from the beginning. I was there at the end. And the people who might have been hurt by the truth, people who, in some instances, would stop at nothing to keep it quiet, are all now dead. That is why I decided to write this book and set the record straight. Frank Sinatra? You just thought you knew him.    --Nick Sevano 

",,,wasn't a game or an action meant to get himself in trouble. He moved them both and could think of no better way to move from one to the other without wasting time. He eventually recorded a song that had such lyrics as "If I'm not with the girl that I love, I love the girl I'm with." People thought it was a novelty number. It wasn't. That was more typical of Frank than when he sang, "I did it my way..."

I never was what you typically say a fan is--I never read about the lives of singers I enjoyed hearing, nor really cared about them. Let's face it, though, Frank Sinatra--everybody knows the name! Or at least have heard him sing, even though they may not recognize the owner of that voice...

But that's pretty hard to do as well. Most people instantly recognize when Frank Sinatra was singing!

I'm also not a swooner...LOL! This book discusses the millions of mostly women who would swoon for Frank...It also talks about how some of those swooners were trained (which probably still happens?) although I was watching a little of a concert on PBS and saw even sophisticated women, all dressed up for a fancy concert, swooning just like we see the fans standing right in front of the stages all over the world.. Music does that... But when the voice is also magnetic, it becomes all about the individual artist doing the singing!

"Frank was also a funny looking kid, a scrawny punk
who was forever getting mocked in bars. The girls
came on to him because of his image--the kid who
sometimes sang from the bandstand, was well dressed,
had a car, and seemed to have money. Few, if any,
seemed to care about Frank himself.
"Did Frank know it? I have no idea. His hunger for
women and his inability to stay with any of them for
long probably related.
"Sinatra was also something more--angry, frequently
depressed, prone to temper tantrums, and some people
would say that was his good side.  I saw all that and
hated that side of him as much as anybody. But I saw
something more. I saw a guy who truly loved his family
in those days, even if he was too much of a jerk to be
faithful to Nancy. I saw a guy who could be generous
to anyone in need. I saw a guy who have genuine
compassion for anyone who was critized because of
race, politics, or religious beliefs. I also saw someone
who was intensely sensitive to it as well, who sometimes
read hostility into an incident where the person he
thought was looking at him as a "dago" or "guinea"
probably couldn't have cared less..."
~~~

I therefore found it very interesting to learn that Frank was not an immediate success... In fact, his mother would often pay the club where he was going to sing who then paid Frank... Or he would provide transportation and support to other groups who performed, trading his work to be permitted to sing a few songs...

Frank's mother's story was also surprising, especially since it was during the time that Italian immigrants were still facing discrimination. Dolly Sinatra was able to become a powerful leader in the community, both politically, and socially, even to the point where she was the woman frightened girls or families came to when a young girl had a special need for assistance. If she didn't handle it herself, she would go with them to the hospital and force them to respond to their needs. What shocked me was not that abortions were occurring, but that the hospitals were doing the discrimination because of nationality!

http://tnaron.wordpress.com/2007/09/1
8/take-the-cookie-i-meet-the-sinatra-family/

It was also his mother who began pressing for his first marriage to Nancy Barbato! According to custom, if a boy was spending time with just one girl--and it reached a time that a decision should be made about their future, that choice no longer belonged to the couple! Nancy and Frank were great friends, but were they "both" in love? Nevertheless they married and began to have children. Nancy, his first daughter of course, became Frank's real and first true  love when she was born

"Frank's ego was always one step ahead of his skills..." Well, I think that is true for all of us but the drive, the determination, and the willingness to do what it takes has to be the most important factors in Frank's success. When he finally was able to obtain music lessons, it was then that his voice began to gain the maturity that we all came to know...

Of course, big bands were "the thing" during the time he was becoming more accepted as a professional but being the "boy singer" wasn't exactly how he saw himself, of course!

Sevano credits much to the person, George Evans, we would now call his agent, his publicist. But, I don't know, it seems to me that those who become fans of stars really want to participate, whether somebody is prodding them or not. Certainly during the war, when Frank's health issues prevented him from become a member of the armed forces, many women saw Frank as a surrogate, someone to "love," to remind them of their missed loved ones...

www.dailymail.co.uk

And then Frank met and fell in love--forever (!!!)--with Ava. But, let's face it everybody, who wouldn't?!!! She was indeed a beautiful women! But did you notice she looks something like this wife?

Obviously, I've just shared a few samples of what is included in the book and have not touched on things like The Rat Pack, the mob connection, Frank Jr.'s kidnapping and so much more...Right up to "My Way"! Visit my blog for pics and videos. I had to laugh when I listened to one of the videos used on my blog when he starts by saying that they would start with the national anthem...and then sang "My Way"--his most well known song. Or, at least one that everybody knows that it was Frank that first made it so well known.

I really enjoyed this book! He was a little older than me so that many of his songs and early events and connections were just names that I've heard. Still, they were well known and readers can easily place, perhaps, their own lives in relation to Frank's insider personal story by Nick Sevano...

Don't miss this one! It's well done. Seems very inclusive about topics you may have "heard about" but didn't know any real details. So if you're a Sinatra Fan or Swooner...you probably will swoon just reading it! LOL By the way, there are no pictures in the book. This is telling the story, not doing pictorial publicity...I thought that was important, since we can always find pics on the Internet, but not necessarily, the truth, as understood by friends...

GABixlerReviews

The Voice Everybody Remembers!

About the Authors:

The late Nick Sevano was more than a confidant in Sinatra's professional career and in private life. Nick saw it all and has reported well and fully beyond any other biography.

Ted Schwarz, on the other hand, is the author of several books, and has become an expert in the lives of many stars, including Sinatra.

Bravo! Greatness of Italian Music - by Guy Graybill From Sinatri to Pavarotti and so Much More!

Be sure to find the latest updated and expanded Edition, dated 2014... Bravo! The Case for Italian Musical Mastery

Historian Guy Graybill undoubtedly loves music as well as history. So if you are a fan of either, I am certain you will want to consider his latest book, Bravo! Greatness of Italian Music, 

I must say immediately that I very much enjoyed this writer's brilliant presentation of what many will see as a major historical text with indepth, well-documented information on his chosen topic. This is very true! But there were subtle small touches that added to my personal delight, such as:

· His use of Acts rather than the common "chapter" to separate his material.
· His choice of highlighting both Sinatra and Pavarotti on the cover to show the breadth of his content.
· His inclusion of small asides of personal opinion and/or tidbits of humor that normally would never appear in a significant research effort; for instance his personal comment about ballet: "What perversity resides within the masculine soul that drives men to create ways to physically hobble females?" (p. 144)
· And, finally, the inclusion of many historical pictures as well as many beautiful hand-drawn portraits from the Dante University Press.

Do not doubt that this book will become a major reference for students of music!

The back cover states, "The Italians were so busy creating and performing superb music that they neglected to tell the great epic story of their wondrous achievement." Indeed, the author has "demonstrated...the Italian contribution to music is overwhelmingly superior." (p. 234) His Curtain on that same page provides 14 areas of music in which Italians excel! Obviously, creation of fine instruments, operas, and symphonies are just a few.

Let me illustrate by just highlighting names that many of you will readily recognize: Gregory who composed the Gregorian chants; Stradivari, makers of stringed instruments; Paganini; Monteverdi, opera's first genius; Verdi; Caruso; Pavarotti; and, one of my favorites, Andrea Bocelli, who is involved in both opera and more modern music and even has his singing in a commercial--how cool is that!

If you don't recognize those involved with classical music, how about: Anna Maria Alberghetti, Mario Lanza, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Jim Croce, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Frankie Lane, Jerry Vale, Sonny Bono, Jerry Colonna, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, and, of course, Frank Sinatra.

Just imagine! I've highlighted only those individuals whose name you will probably recognize. I believe you will realize that this book is well beyond a students' text! Anybody who is interested in music will find the personal stories and biographical information on these individuals fascinating!

From Italians and Italian-Americans, there has been "more music lost" than has been created by others! That's a powerful statement, isn't it? Graybill has the statistics--the numbers, to back this up if that will interest you. I think anybody who stops to think about the great music they've come to love, they will realize the impact that Italy's musical genius has made on all of their lives.

Graybill has done an outstanding performance--a major triumph for both history and music! Consider this a must-read for music students and professionals! For others, enjoy this writer, like I did, as I read little tidbits like, "Do corpses really roll over within their graves if something disturbing happens in the world of the living? If so, there's no doubt that the corpse of operatic composer Amilcare Ponchielli took a couple of whirls during the 20th century...especially if he heard the "highly successful musical parody in which Amilcare's stirring music is sung to the opening words, "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah..." (pps. 98-99) You're going to enjoy this one!

 Two samples of rhymes follow:
The following title comes from
the word, 'century' that Nostradamus
used to identify a group of his verses.
It seems especially appropriate following
the Mayan Doomsday silliness.
CENTURIES
The fabled Nostradamus
Fooled simple-minded hacks,
With riddles that were riddled
With trash instead of facts.
Yet, ev'ry generation
Construes his mutant rhymes
In ways that fit their motives
And SEEM to match the times.
The truly thoughtful person
Will alwys be content,
To save each grand prediction
'Til AFTER the event.
]]] [[[
AN ACT OF SELF DEFENSE
Her smile is a rebel smile.
She knows the disarming art.
Her lips bring to light her guile:
A threat to my sov'reign heart.
Before my defiance slips,
I'll show that her threat is known.
I'll siege those rebellious lips,
To crush them beneath my own!
]]] [[[
Copyright, Guy Graybill