◆ SpookStack

* - Instead of defending the complaint and exposing tothe public the extent of his association with Sam Giancana and ether gangsters, or the lack of such’ association, Sinatra tossed in the towel. He surrendered his 50 per cent ownership in Cal- Neva and ‘his gambling interest in the Sands, ex- ceedingly profitable holdings conservatively estimated to be worth $3,000,000. ; It's possible that publicity concerning Sinatra's wealth as a gambling tycoon motivated the subsequent kidnaping of his son. The children of poor people are rarely abducted and held for ransom. Following Frank Sinatra’s voluntary departure from the Nevada gambling scene, PARADE was Apoded by letters from its readers asking how and why such hon- est, decent, talented entertainers as “that darling Frank Sinatra and that cute Phyllis McGuire—how come they get connected with a gangster like Sam Giancana?" Other letters asked the following questions: What is the tie-up between the underworld and show business? Ts it true that the Cosa Nostra owns or controls the major night clubs in America? Is it true that the syndicate contrals the gambling casinos? Does the mob run Hollywood? _ls it true that the Cosa Nostra maintains the juke- box industry in this country? Will you tell us if the Cosa Nostra trains, develops and controls its own entertainers? Can you explain Lana Turner and Johnny Stomp- onato, Wendy Barrie and Bugsy Siegel, June Lang and John Rosselli? Why do stars take up with hoodlums? Starting with the last question, the basis for person- al relationships between stars and gangsters lies fre- quently in the geography of birth. Many top tights in today's entertainment world-—performers Jike Sin- atra, George Raft, Vic Damone and others—were raised in the cities of New York and New Jersey side by side with other youngsters, generally first-genera- tion Americans, who later became criminals, racke- teers, notorious hoods. inatra once told me: “Many of the kids I grew up with in Hoboken are serving time today. A few even went ta the chair. I was lucky. I had folks who took an interest in me.” Boys who grow up together are fiercely loyal toone another, especially if they: are members of minority groups. Later in life, regardless of the directions they'se taken, they don't snub one another. To expect George Ratt te ignere Bugsy Siegel or Frank Sinatra to cut Wile Moretti cold is beth unfair and unrea- sonable. When Sinatra was growing up in New Jersey, Willie Moretti, a member of the Mafia and cousin of the notorious Joe Adonis, helped him considerably. €? SHOW BUSINESS For example, when Frank started singing with Tommy . Dorsey's band, he quickly became its hottest attraction. Quick to recognize that fact, Dorsey signed the singer to a seven-yeapecontract at relatively little money. "PAE one-point if his marriage, Sinatra was on the road with the Dorsey outfit, making do with $0 small a personal allowance that his wife, Nancy, sent him a pair of gloves for his birthday. When Frank tried them on, he found a dollar bill folded into each finger. He says he realized then that he would have to earn more money. He went to Dorsey 2nd asked to be let out of his contract. “I knew,” he says, “i could make much more on my own.” Dorsey was adamant and refused to release him. ny 66 ot long after,"the band leader subsequently told me, “J was visited by Willie Moretti and a couple of his boys. Willie fingered a gun and told ime he was glad to hear that I was letting Frank out of our deal. I took the hint, and Frank went.” When Willie Morerti’s daughter got married some time afterward, Frank Sinatra sang at her wedding. da the surumer of 1960, when I interviewed Lucky Luciano, the Mafia chief, in Naples, we discussed the possible screen stars who might play the screen ver- sion of his life. Luciano said he was partial to George Raft and Frank Sinatea, both of whem he.claimed to know. “DTalways iked Frank,” Luciano told me. “We were in Cuba after the war, He's done real good, Frank has. Always got a chip on his shoulder, but I don’t mind that. He could play me good.” Reportedly the U.S. Treasury Department has a copy of a Pan American Airways nianifest which lists Sinatra as a passenger flying to Havana in February 1947, in the company of Rocco and Joe Fischetti, cousins of the late Al Capone. Rocco Fischetti is one of the leaders of the Chicago branch of the Casa Nostra, taking orders from San Giancana. Te was at this time in Havana in 1947 that Lucky Luciano handed out “the contract" for the murder of Bugsy Siegel, the criminal founder of mod- em, big-time Las Vegas gambling. Siegel financed the first major gambling casino, the Flamingo, in Las Vegas in 1946 by loans from various Mafia gangs scattered throughout the country. In the 1940s Las Vegas was declared an “open city” by the underworld, As a result inany of its gambling casinos today are owned by ex-criminals, farmer members of the Chicago, Detroit, Galveston, Cleveland, New York, New Grleans and Portland mobs, Several of its club owners are currently under criminal indictment, and there is little doubt but what it constitutes the num- ber-one “drop” for investment of illegal earnings by the Cosa Nostra. In the past 15 years Las Vegas has become the show business center of the country, employing more live in night clubs. By LOYD @) HEARER There’ aré a few -enter- ; Hope among them,.who = Vegas, but practically all talent than any, other, aay. tainers, Bing Crosby ; und Be steadfastly refuse to pay L the others are only too 3 a week and up the gamb sf ng center offers. _ Some Las Vegas casings: are partial ty entertainers who like to plunge heavily’ at the gaming tables. Eddie Fisher is one, Gordon McRae used to ‘be another,. Joc E, Lewis is a third.: The casinos also employ chorus girls who not only dance after a fashion but;'in many of the establish- ments, must “mingie” with the “live ones,” the term for men who play for high stakes. These chorus girls are paid $150 a week, work ‘7 nights a week, occa- sionally make more in gratuities from Tucky gamblers. At this writing only two entertainers have shares in Vegas gambling casinos. Tony Martin owns 2 per cent of the Riviera, and Dean, Martin (who was at one time 2 croupier in Steubeoville,’ Ohio) owns | per cent of the Sands... , ; int addition to large inv ents in-Las Vegas, the rovrobers of the Cosa Nosiifawar suteight or in part- nership night spots in ‘New York, Minols, Florida, New Jersey, several other stages... 1 Joe Valachi, the Cosa Nostre Congbird, testified last October before the Senate Investigating Subcommit- tee that Vito Genovese, the New York Mafia chief now behind bars, owns the Savannah Club, Rocky Village, 181 Club and the 82 Clubdn Greenwich Village. He also testified that Frank Costello owns “a Bleoe” of the Copacabana in New York. 3 Deputy Inspector John Shanley, a ‘New York police expert on organized crime, 4s ¥ the authority for the statement that one way the Gosa Nostra “families” get into show business is via the purchase of concessions - “Manv times,” he explains, “they will buy a con- cession ina club. such as hatechecking, Thee’ ‘i put up CessiOn I 2 CUD, SUCK as nal CEerning. 5 Ocy up $10,000 and often a proprietor: will open "with just - that much capital and hope the place gocs over. Or the mob will put its juke boxes in a place and lend money to get the place started. And in both cases, if a ciub isn’t doing well, the mob will move in and take it over just to protect its interest.” From time to time, the Cosa Nostra will discover and finance a singer or will offer to buy an interest in him should he find himself jn financial straits. [ was with the late Mario Lanza when he reported that Philadelphia gangsters had offered him $150,000 for a 10 per cent interest in his career. Lanza was hard up at the time, but after discussing the situation with his wife, I decided to call the late Mannie Sacks of RCA and ask fer a $50,000 advance on Lanza’s record rovalties. Sacks sent a check for that arnount and saved Lanza from falling into Mafia hands. Another way the mob moves into show business is threugh crooked or inept unions. In the late 1930s members of the Capone mob sent a convicled panderer, Willie Bioff, to Hollywood ta move in on the unions. continued ys ‘ta accept the $20, 600°