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The first known episode
where Jack Kennedy and Frank Sinatra
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00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,400
kind of come together
in Vegas is at the Sands Hotel.
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00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:14,280
The Rat Pack was the Mount
Rushmore of men having fun.
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00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:16,640
They each got something
out of the friendship
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00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,200
and, plus, they both were
womanisers.
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00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:25,200
Sinatra is the one who can give
Jack Kennedy easy entree
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00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,560
to any woman he wants.
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00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,600
Kennedy himself loves all this.
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It's like a fairy tale.
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00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:36,600
And this is the junction
of politics and show business.
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00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,520
And what he got up to in Vegas
with Frank Sinatra
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00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:42,080
would not have been OK
if made public at the time.
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00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,360
Frank Sinatra knew a lot
of guys in the Mob.
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00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:52,680
It was Frank to whom Joe Kennedy,
Jack's father, turned when he wanted
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00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:57,160
help from organised crime
in getting Jack elected.
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00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,440
The Mafia thought it had a
get-out-of-jail-free pass
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00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,320
because of the work that
they had done for Kennedy
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00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,120
in the election.
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00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,480
And just the opposite happens.
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00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,960
As soon as Robert Kennedy
becomes the Attorney General,
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he goes after the Mafia.
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Sinatra's very upset.
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00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,560
But, worse than that,
Sam Giancana is upset.
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00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,760
And that's where it gets
rather murky.
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Nothing they're doing is escaping
the notice of the FBI.
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J Edgar Hoover finds out that
Kennedy is having this affair
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with Sam Giancana's mistress.
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The President of the United States
was palling around with one guy
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who was an obvious associate,
at the very least, with mobsters
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00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:49,760
and carrying on an affair
with a woman who was an associate
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00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:51,880
and hanging out with mobsters.
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00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:57,480
This diabolical triangle
all really kicked off by Sinatra.
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00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:03,040
And Hoover has got all the threads
and he can go to the President
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00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,920
and kind of say, "Gotcha!"
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00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:12,040
Which leads into the greatest amount
of conspiracy theory we've ever had.
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00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,320
All the "who killed Kennedy"
all starts then,
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00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,040
because the Mob have got a very
good reason to do it.
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00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:24,800
And that is why it remains
important to know what happened
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00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,120
between Sinatra and Kennedy
and the Mob.
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00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,480
GUNSHOTS, SIREN
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00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,800
In the early years of the 20th
century,
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00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:33,520
a lot of the immigrants that came
through Ellis Island, they all came
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00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:35,880
to the area around New York City.
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00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,440
So, many of them went to Brooklyn,
some went to Queens,
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00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:45,160
others came to that fringe area just
over the Hudson River,
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which ended up being Weehawken
and Hoboken and those cities
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00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:51,520
around New York City.
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00:03:54,400 --> 00:04:01,880
Downtown Hoboken was a true melting
pot, predominantly a German town,
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00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:06,280
second by the Irish
and then the Italians.
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00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,960
And the way it usually works
is whoever is the latest group
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00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,360
to arrive sort of has to dig
themselves up.
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00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:19,480
And so the Italians
were discriminated against.
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00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,000
Many times, they did not
know English.
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00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,320
Many times, they were a bit insular
and they tended to live
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00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:28,280
in certain districts in Hoboken.
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00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:31,120
You had to mind your Ps
and Qs and you wouldn't want
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00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:32,680
to call the Italians any names
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00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,400
and you wouldn't want to call
the Irish any names
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because it would catch up to you.
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00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:48,920
Frank's family - his mother, Dolly,
his father Marty -
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00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,280
had come over to the United States
as children.
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00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:53,720
They were both from families
that were struggling to get a foot
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00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,080
on the ladder.
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00:04:55,080 --> 00:05:00,920
Both of those families were involved
on the periphery of criminality.
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00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,800
Marty was involved on the periphery
of bootlegging
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00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:08,120
but Dolly also worked in those days
as an abortionist.
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00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,160
She was also a political animal.
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00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,200
She was very much involved
with the Democratic machine
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00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:18,160
in Hoboken, and part of that was
being associated with other Italians
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00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:19,520
trying to make a living.
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00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,720
And one of those Italians she rubbed
up against early was a guy called
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00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,840
Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo.
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00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:30,560
Gyp was a small time mafiosi
associated with the bigger powers
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00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:32,040
in New York and New Jersey,
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00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:37,800
and by bigger powers I mean people
like Frank Costello, Willie Moretti,
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00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,520
Meyer Lansky, the people
who were really in charge
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00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:46,520
of the nightclub scene in New York
and New Jersey in those days.
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00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:53,480
Frank was born in the early hours
of December 12th, 1915,
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and he was blue when he came out.
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00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,600
He was blue because he was 13 lb,
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00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,120
and somebody called a doctor.
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00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,320
Doctor came - an actual physician -
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and in short order picked up
this blue baby
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00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:14,400
and ran cold water from the faucet
of the cold water,
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flat over the blue baby and suddenly
screamed, came to life.
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00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:20,640
It was Frank Sinatra.
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00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:37,960
It's hard to begin to even
describe all the differences
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00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,800
between Jack Kennedy
and Frank Sinatra.
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00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,120
But Jack Kennedy was a prince.
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00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,680
Jack Kennedy was born in May
of 1917,
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the son of Joe Kennedy,
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who came up amidst the rough
and tumble of Boston
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in the early 1900s.
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The Kennedy family, Irish Catholic.
There was a heritage that
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they were quite conscious of,
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00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:09,720
and it was one that was not looked
upon with great favour
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00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:12,320
in large segments of American
society,
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00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,120
particularly since
they were Catholics.
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00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:20,360
Society was ruled by the WASPs -
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.
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And they were the so-called
Brahmins who ruled Boston.
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It was just understood
that presidents of banks are WASPs.
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Anybody who runs for office
is a WASP.
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That's the way it worked.
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00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,840
But that's something that Joe,
the father, confronted.
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00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,880
Joe Kennedy, on the one hand,
was a very aggressive businessman
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who knew how to cultivate people,
knew how to obtain favours,
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00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,680
but he was also very manipulative,
and a crook.
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00:07:57,760 --> 00:07:59,640
The myth that he created
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00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,520
was that he made his money
in the stock market selling short.
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00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:08,120
The truth was, he engaged
in insider trading.
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00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:12,680
He created these syndicates where
friends would pump up the price
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00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,280
of a stock, and then they'd all sell
and they'd make a fortune.
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00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:20,760
And his stock market manipulations
today would put him in jail.
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00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,840
He also was a bootlegger
during Prohibition.
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00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,680
He would order in Scotch
from England.
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He would give it to organised crime.
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00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:30,080
All of this was illegal.
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00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,760
So that was Joe Kennedy's connection
began then with the Mob,
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00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:34,560
because they were in business
together.
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00:08:34,560 --> 00:08:39,480
During Prohibition,
that was the heyday of the Mob.
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00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,440
They branched out into drugs.
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00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,480
They branched out into prostitution.
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They branched out into gambling.
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They've got their tentacles in a lot
of different things at that point.
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00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:52,800
So that connection was there.
They knew he was malleable.
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00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,440
Joe could influence because
he'd just buy people,
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00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,280
because they just had so much money.
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00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:02,680
He understood, money first,
politics next.
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00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:05,120
The plan was he would make
the money,
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00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:06,720
he would make the fortune,
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00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:10,520
and his sons would then go
into politics and get power,
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00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,840
which he didn't have.
He had economic power,
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00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:14,440
but he wanted political power.
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00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,680
He clearly wanted to create
a dynasty.
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00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:38,120
Frank Sinatra has described
his youth as being rough and tumble.
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00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,960
There were neighbourhood skirmishes.
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00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:43,240
Kids got into scrapes
with each other.
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00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:44,800
Kids would make fun of each other.
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00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:49,360
As an Italian-American, he knew
that he was not in an echelon
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00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:51,880
of American society that
was well respected.
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00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,160
And also, he was small,
he was skinny.
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00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:58,200
He was spoilt.
He was a mama's boy.
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00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:04,560
There came a point in his young life
where Frank Sinatra decided,
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I want to be a singer.
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00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,800
The family had a bar.
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00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,160
It was called
the Marty O'Brien Association,
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00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,320
and Frank would go shine shoes.
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00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:20,160
It was frequented by what we would
now know
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as some of the most famous
names in the Mafia.
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00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,920
Well, the wiseguys, big mobster
chieftains as they would become,
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00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:31,320
hitmen and lots of kind of gofers.
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00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:36,160
Then Frank would start singing,
and the people, the audience,
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really enjoyed it, and he saw
that type of positive response.
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It was a Frankie, Little Frankie
fan club by the mobsters.
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00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,880
And because Sinatra had grown up
feeling puny and looked down upon,
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00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,800
he very quickly came to idolise
these guys.
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00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,440
He saw them as men of strength,
men of honour.
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00:10:55,440 --> 00:11:00,040
And that's where kind of
he was adopted by major -
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00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,000
as in major, major - mobsters.
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00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,480
He got a job singing
at the Rustic Cabin,
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00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:11,520
and the job was given to him
by the local mobster in his area.
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00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:16,560
Willie Moretti was a pretty
substantial power in organised crime
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00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:18,160
in northern New Jersey,
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00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:20,760
and he was a close
neighbour of Frank's.
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00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:25,320
And in the end, singing
at the Rustic Cabin
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00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,560
gave Frank Sinatra one of his first
big breaks.
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00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:39,640
Frank got a job with Harry James,
a brilliant trumpet player.
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00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:43,240
He hired Sinatra on the spot
with one condition -
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00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,800
he wanted Sinatra to change
his name to Frankie Satin.
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S-A-T-I-N.
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00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:53,520
And Frank Sinatra says,
"The name is Sinatra.
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00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:56,040
"Frank fucking Sinatra."
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00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:02,160
That nine months with Harry James
has so many memories
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00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,160
for Frank Sinatra and his family
attached to it.
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00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,560
Frank was a young married
at that point.
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00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:12,360
His young bride Nancy came
along with them on the road.
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00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,720
It really gave Frank an opportunity
to cut his teeth,
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00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,200
working with a real touring band
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00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:23,320
that was also performing on the
radio regularly and making records.
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00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:28,200
Frank always wanted to be bigger
than Hoboken, and he was.
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00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:33,040
And Sinatra retains, from young
manhood until the very end
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00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:37,760
of his life, this idolatry
for the Mafia, the mafiosi.
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00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:39,680
Sinatra is said to have said,
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00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:42,120
"I would rather be a don
of the Mafia
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00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:43,920
"than President
of the United States."
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00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,720
Joe Kennedy had this vision
that he's going to establish
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00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:58,760
something that is unprecedented
in American history,
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00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,040
and that is a dynasty -
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00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:05,440
our version of the Royal Family.
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00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:11,880
The eldest, Joseph Kennedy Jr,
was the son who was really anointed
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00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:16,480
from birth to run for everything,
up to and including the presidency.
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00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:20,080
And I think he was being groomed
throughout his childhood,
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00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:25,520
and he was bigger and more
charismatic and a better athlete
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00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,440
than his younger brother,
John F Kennedy.
195
00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,920
John F Kennedy - bookish,
wry and detached.
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00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,440
Also funny, but in a quieter way.
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00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:41,360
He seemed destined for a quieter,
contemplative life of some kind.
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00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,280
But then everything changed
in World War II.
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00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:51,200
Unfortunately, Joe Jr, he flew
in a plane loaded with explosives
200
00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,800
that was supposed to explode
over Europe, and he was killed.
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00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,520
Joe Sr was absolutely devastated.
202
00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,720
They say he just used to walk
along the beach silently
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00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,600
and just look out at the ocean,
because all his hopes had been put
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00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:07,960
in his oldest son
and he had to transfer.
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00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:09,520
I think he looked at JFK
206
00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,520
as kind of a... Not a ne'er do well,
207
00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,920
but certainly Joe Jr was,
you know, was the golden boy.
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00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:19,560
And so all of the family's
hopes and dreams,
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00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,720
particularly for public life,
public service, now fall to Jack.
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00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:35,040
It wasn't long before Frank
was approached by Tommy Dorsey,
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00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,120
who at that moment
212
00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:41,640
was the biggest and most successful
big band leader in history.
213
00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:47,080
Once Frank Sinatra joined
the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra,
214
00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:51,400
the focus became the singer.
215
00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,040
# You know, the one I love
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00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,160
# Belongs to somebody else
217
00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:01,560
# You ain't nowhere
# That's why
218
00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,240
# She sings her songs
for somebody else
219
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,880
# Whoa, oh, oh... #
220
00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,800
When he sang, all the women
in the audience
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00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,560
at whatever venue
Sinatra was entertaining
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00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:19,080
would edge toward the bandstand,
toward where Sinatra was singing.
223
00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,600
# For somebody else
224
00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:23,880
# Do-do do-do
225
00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:25,600
# And when I hold her... #
226
00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:30,000
All of a sudden, young girls wanted
to go not just to dance,
227
00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:35,400
but to stand in front of this
wondrous singer named Frank Sinatra.
228
00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:39,880
So by the end of 1942,
Frank realises,
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00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:43,320
"I could do this as a solo act,"
230
00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,920
and he decides that he's going to
leave the Dorsey band.
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00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,320
Tommy Dorsey was a terrific
band leader,
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00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:53,720
but Tommy Dorsey was also
a brilliant businessman.
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00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:58,800
The contract that Sinatra signed
with Dorsey is extortionate, really.
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00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,680
Unto perpetuity, a percentage of
Sinatra's earnings.
235
00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,440
Frank Sinatra knew a lot
of guys in the Mob.
236
00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:16,080
Everybody who sang in clubs
at that point knew the boys,
237
00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,640
the wiseguys,
because they controlled the clubs.
238
00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:25,080
Now, he liked hanging around with
the boys because Frank Sinatra
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00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:29,560
was fascinated by power,
and these guys exuded power.
240
00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:33,520
Willie Moretti had long
been involved with his career,
241
00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,720
and when Sinatra went to him
and said, "I've got a major problem
242
00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:39,640
"here with my boss, Tommy Dorsey,"
243
00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,240
Moretti went down there,
244
00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,600
shoved a gun in his mouth,
245
00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,920
and made him sell his contract
for a dollar.
246
00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,280
"Let him go, or you're dead."
247
00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:53,320
Which is, it's back to the,
"It's an offer you can't refuse."
248
00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:55,720
It was a business relationship.
249
00:16:55,720 --> 00:17:01,440
Sinatra was a commodity to these men
who ran the nightclubs.
250
00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:25,240
In 1947 Sinatra attends a Mafia
conference in Havana
251
00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:27,600
in tribute to Lucky Luciano,
252
00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,960
who was the head of this conference
in Havana.
253
00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,520
Lucky Luciano, who had been deported
from the United States,
254
00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,600
was the ultimate godfather
of American organised crime,
255
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:42,640
the man that was considered the
founder of the American Mafia.
256
00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,640
And he had been allowed
257
00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,160
to leave his home in Sicily
258
00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:52,560
and return as far across
the Atlantic as Havana,
259
00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:56,000
where in that period,
in the 1940s and '50s,
260
00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:00,840
lots and lots of organised
crime figures had casinos
261
00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,640
where lots of Americans
went to play,
262
00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:08,040
and where the Mob was holding
a little group gathering,
263
00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,400
and Frank was their chosen
entertainment.
264
00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:14,120
Now Frank arrived in Havana
aboard a flight from Miami
265
00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:18,000
with the Fischetti brothers,
with whom he was extremely close.
266
00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,880
They were all underlings
of the Chicago Outfit.
267
00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:25,800
When he arrived, he was seen getting
off the plane with a briefcase.
268
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:29,360
And in that briefcase,
later reports suggested
269
00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:33,280
he was carrying $2 million in
cash for Lucky Luciano.
270
00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:38,080
And also, back in Naples, when Lucky
Luciano's apartment was raided,
271
00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:42,920
they found a gold cigarette case
inscribed to Luciano
272
00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,480
from his pal, Frank.
273
00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:49,880
Frank talked around his connection
with the Mafia,
274
00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:55,320
but it is clear that throughout his
life, Frank was close to the Mob.
275
00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,520
It's very interesting
to look at the beginnings
276
00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:19,120
of John F Kennedy
in electoral politics,
277
00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:21,520
because in some ways
he's not gifted.
278
00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:23,120
He's awkward.
279
00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:25,800
He's extremely skinny.
280
00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,400
He hasn't filled out his frame yet.
281
00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,440
He was not a natural politician.
282
00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:36,880
He didn't have that instinct to dive
into a crowd and shake hands,
283
00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:41,440
sort of embracing people
and getting to know them.
284
00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:45,840
He was the kind of guy who would go
to an event, stand in a corner,
285
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:48,200
and his aides had to kind
of like get him...
286
00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,480
"Come on, Jack, you've got
to shake hands." Right?
287
00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:52,960
He's green. He needs practice.
288
00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,920
He is not terribly good
at public speaking at first,
289
00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:57,200
but he works hard.
290
00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:59,840
He campaigns with his family.
291
00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,160
In fact, it's an entire
family affair.
292
00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,160
The family's money gets behind it.
293
00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:06,120
His mother and his sisters
get behind it.
294
00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:10,520
It's a really extraordinary
operation to get him into Congress.
295
00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,480
That's when he starts to put
together this Irish mafia
296
00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,720
that's going to be so important
for his later career,
297
00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:19,680
because the key people there are
going to stick with him
298
00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:21,600
over the next 17 years.
299
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,320
Bobby Kennedy was a fantastic
political organiser.
300
00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,160
He was really running the campaign,
301
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:28,600
so he brought his friend
Kenny O'Donnell along,
302
00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,880
who was a big organiser.
303
00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,520
My dad was at Jack's side.
304
00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,360
He was his right hand guy.
305
00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:39,440
He was his logistics guy
and his kind of political antenna.
306
00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,640
There's also going to be
Dave Powers.
307
00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:45,560
There's going to be Larry O'Brien.
308
00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:47,920
They were all Irish Catholics.
309
00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:51,000
And, you know, they were truly
the brains behind
310
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,120
what became this Kennedy
political machine.
311
00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:59,040
He blows away the competition
in 1946 at a young age.
312
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:03,520
And it's a sign that it isn't
just luck or his father's money -
313
00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:06,120
that he is gifted in his own
way also.
314
00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:15,000
By 1952, Jack Kennedy was now
confident enough that he runs
315
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,960
for the United States Senate,
which is a huge promotion, right?
316
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:21,480
Every senator thinks of himself
or herself
317
00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:23,280
as the next president, right?
318
00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:25,920
Not so true of members of the
House of Representatives.
319
00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:28,800
It's a steep hill
he's trying to climb up.
320
00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,400
A lot of Massachusetts
is not Boston.
321
00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,440
It's not Irish and Catholic.
322
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,640
And amazingly, he does win.
323
00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:38,480
He's now on track.
324
00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,720
By 1952, he is clearly on track
for what his father wants.
325
00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,000
Frank really was the first
multimedia superstar.
326
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,080
He was on film.
327
00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,000
He was on television
in the early '50s.
328
00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:04,480
He was on radio.
329
00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,560
He was making records.
330
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:10,360
He was having these mass
sell-out live appearances
331
00:22:10,360 --> 00:22:12,040
all over the country.
332
00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:14,880
He would open his mouth
to start singing,
333
00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,240
and this tidal noise
would spring up,
334
00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,240
and all he could do
was stand there moving his lips.
335
00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:21,880
They just wanted to see him.
336
00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:23,520
He was the heart-throb.
337
00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:27,120
He was the Beatles of the 1940s,
really.
338
00:22:27,120 --> 00:22:31,040
They would sit in their seats,
they would pee in their seats.
339
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,320
They would not leave.
340
00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:35,680
They would tear his clothes off.
341
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,680
They would scream,
they would trample,
342
00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:40,640
you know, anyone to get to Frank.
343
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,000
It was hysteria.
344
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,760
And there was no-one more
successful than Frank Sinatra.
345
00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,760
And then suddenly it all went away.
346
00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:01,440
Frank Sinatra's career almost
came unstuck permanently
347
00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:05,760
because the world began
to notice that he was associated
348
00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:07,160
with organised crime.
349
00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,760
Here he was, an Italian-American,
350
00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:14,800
consorting with these
Italian-American criminals.
351
00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,400
So Sinatra must be a criminal
himself.
352
00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,120
His record company dropped him.
353
00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:22,640
His movie studio dropped him,
his agents dropped him,
354
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,200
his publicist.
Everybody dropped Sinatra.
355
00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,560
And so by the time he gets together
with Ava Gardner
356
00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,480
and Nancy divorces him in 1950,
he is...
357
00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:34,840
He's on his ass.
He has no more career.
358
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:37,200
He has no more money.
It's all gone.
359
00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,440
And not only that,
he is in quite ill repute.
360
00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:45,640
And in the early 1950s, when no-one
else was there to help him,
361
00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,960
the Mob stepped in to help him.
362
00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:52,840
The Mob let him play all of the
clubs all over again,
363
00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:56,080
and sometimes he was playing
to half empty clubs,
364
00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,800
but he really owed them
from that time on.
365
00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,200
The Mob had been in Hollywood
from the '30s.
366
00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,840
They've got money in the studios.
They've got money in the actors.
367
00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:08,440
They could close the sets.
368
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,920
They could close Hollywood.
They could close the racetrack.
369
00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:14,600
Could blink certain people,
and just, that was it.
370
00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,000
So their influence was monumental.
371
00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:21,640
Sinatra gets a role in
From Here to Eternity.
372
00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,840
Suddenly, inexplicably,
everybody hates him.
373
00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,120
You couldn't even get fleas
to attend a concert.
374
00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:28,800
I mean, he was that down.
375
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,680
And suddenly he gets this major
starring part in the biggest movie
376
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:34,440
that year in Hollywood.
377
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,840
It was felt that he owed
the Mob for his success.
378
00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:43,040
And he owed them later for getting
him into Las Vegas
379
00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:48,160
for the start of what would be
an almost endless run in Las Vegas,
380
00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,760
where he made a fortune and where
the Mob made a fortune.
381
00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:10,280
Early 1950s and mid 1950s, Las Vegas
was a sleepy one-horse town.
382
00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,960
It literally, in the downtown
of Las Vegas,
383
00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,200
there was this sort of bright
flashing block
384
00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,280
where you went to gamble.
385
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:21,960
But as Sinatra grew in power
and fame,
386
00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:24,600
he began to change Las Vegas.
387
00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,120
It got bigger.
It got glitzier.
388
00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:29,000
More money flowed in,
389
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:34,760
and it became a place that was no
longer a one-horse town,
390
00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,240
because they built and they built
and they built
391
00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:40,560
along the Strip in Las Vegas
more and more hotel casinos.
392
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,440
This was accelerated by the fall
of Batista in Cuba.
393
00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,360
The Mob is kicked out of Havana.
394
00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:50,080
And so between Sinatra's rise
and Batista's fall,
395
00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:56,720
Las Vegas becomes the world capital
of naughtiness, of fun and sin.
396
00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:14,880
Lucky Luciano sent Bugsy Siegel
out to Las Vegas
397
00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,520
to really build up the whole
gambling industry there.
398
00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:25,400
Sinatra was actually offered a
9% share of the Sands,
399
00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:29,800
because it was the great business
model to bring top entertainers
400
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,440
to fill up these casinos.
401
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:40,160
Frank was hired in those early days
in Vegas to play at the Sands
402
00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:43,440
every single year until
the late 1960s.
403
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,880
There, he built what can only
be described as a sort of empire,
404
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:52,840
a cast of players who were just
as talented as he was,
405
00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:54,560
some arguably more talented,
406
00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:59,120
if you speak of someone like Sammy
Davis Jr, the young black dancer.
407
00:26:59,120 --> 00:27:02,160
Dean Martin, very funny,
very witty, very charismatic.
408
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,640
Joey Bishop, brilliant comedian.
409
00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:09,680
Peter Lawford, the handsome,
not necessarily terribly talented,
410
00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,160
"Brother-in-Lawford",
as they called him,
411
00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:17,320
the brother-in-law of soon-to-be
presidential candidate John Kennedy.
412
00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:21,120
So you had this group
that Frank headed.
413
00:27:21,120 --> 00:27:24,880
They became known first as The Clan
and then as the Rat Pack,
414
00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:29,280
and they were just the summit,
415
00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:31,640
the summit of everything
in the '50s.
416
00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:36,840
They said that the Rat Pack
was the Mount Rushmore
417
00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:39,200
of men having fun.
418
00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:43,880
They made enormous fun for the huge
audiences who came to watch them,
419
00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:47,240
and they had a lot of fun
on the side.
420
00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:48,600
Women everywhere.
421
00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,600
A lot of the women were young
actresses and so on,
422
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,200
but a lot of the women
were also prostitutes,
423
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,680
and they didn't make much
secret of that.
424
00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:02,160
The Rat Pack was good for the Mob
425
00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:05,480
because it brought
the huge audiences,
426
00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:08,680
and Las Vegas
was good for the Rat Pack.
427
00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:11,040
It was a happy marriage of minds.
428
00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:14,560
Everybody loves a comeback, and
Sinatra had the biggest one ever.
429
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,960
And so people loved him
just for rising out of the dirt
430
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:23,040
and brushing himself off
and becoming a star again.
431
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:27,560
Nobody has ever failed so badly
and come back so huge as Sinatra.
432
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,240
Sinatra first met Kennedy
through Peter Lawford,
433
00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,440
who married Kennedy's
younger sister, Pat.
434
00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:58,880
The first known episode
where Jack Kennedy and Frank Sinatra
435
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,160
kind of come together
436
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,280
is at the Sands Hotel.
437
00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:07,200
It was really the thunderbolt
for both of them in different ways.
438
00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:13,200
Obviously not a sexual thing,
but something touching on sexuality
439
00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,280
because they were both extremely
attractive men
440
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:20,720
and both understood at once
each other's magnetism.
441
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,640
Sinatra, of course, was
this extraordinary singer
442
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:27,640
and presence in Hollywood,
in the music industry, in film.
443
00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,040
Kennedy, of course, was a rising
star in politics,
444
00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,120
the son of a famous American family
445
00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:35,920
who had been splashed
over all the papers.
446
00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:39,080
And I think they were drawn
to each other because they both
447
00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:43,840
were drawn to that notion
of excellence, of competence,
448
00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:45,600
of star appeal.
449
00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,480
Frank Sinatra was just, you know,
450
00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,000
I don't think smitten
is too strong a word.
451
00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:52,360
He was smitten by him.
And it wasn't just Frank.
452
00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,640
I mean, that whole generation
thought, this is our guy.
453
00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:57,440
Jack sort of sees him as his,
454
00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:00,120
not way in because he didn't need
a way in.
455
00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,520
But, like, everybody loves Sinatra,
you know?
456
00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:03,960
This is after the fall.
457
00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:06,320
So Sinatra's back.
458
00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,680
And by the time they really connect,
you know,
459
00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,800
Sinatra is the biggest thing
on the planet at this point.
460
00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,160
Sinatra gets out of it
461
00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,320
this politician on the rise,
462
00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,560
and with the Kennedy family
background,
463
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:24,960
they lend a certain
respectability to Frank Sinatra.
464
00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:29,360
So he's getting a seat at the main
table of political power.
465
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,320
And so they each got something
out of the friendship.
466
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:35,960
And plus they both were womanisers.
467
00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:40,560
JFK was, of course, married
to the glamorous Jackie Kennedy.
468
00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:44,960
But unseen by the public
at that time
469
00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:50,800
was his extraordinary
addiction to bedding women.
470
00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,840
And Frank was a master
at having a good time
471
00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:55,880
and helping others
have a good time.
472
00:30:55,880 --> 00:31:00,760
Jack Kennedy instantly understands
Sinatra is the key to the kingdom
473
00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:05,160
and the kingdom of the most
beautiful women in the world.
474
00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:10,840
Sinatra is the one who can give
Jack Kennedy easy entree
475
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:14,000
to any woman he wants at all.
476
00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:19,480
Sinatra fulfilled very much
the role of pimp for Kennedy
477
00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:21,840
when he was in California,
478
00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,200
because Peter Lawford has the
beach-side house
479
00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,880
down in Santa Monica.
All the parties go on there.
480
00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:29,240
The LAPD are policing it.
481
00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:34,320
So anybody goes there with a camera
or a notebook or just a passer-by,
482
00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:36,760
they're shuffled away very quickly.
483
00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:40,400
So it's very private and people
are there and you've got parties.
484
00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:42,920
You've got Kennedy there,
you've got Marilyn Monroe there,
485
00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,640
you've got Warren Beatty.
It's like a fairy tale.
486
00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,560
So I think for Kennedy, this is...
487
00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:53,680
Who's been brought up very strict
kind of parameters of his life
488
00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:57,240
because he's got to follow this path
and worked very hard,
489
00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,880
and his kind of escape
is into the glamour.
490
00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:03,000
And of course, Sinatra
is like freedom.
491
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:06,640
He sees this kind of flyaway lad
who seems to be able to do anything
492
00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,440
and get away with anything.
So I think that's the attraction.
493
00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:13,800
This is a really good looking guy
from a very wealthy family
494
00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,160
and from the very beginning,
495
00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,960
I mean, women were attracted to him.
And again, it's natural.
496
00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:22,240
You have money and looks,
combination.
497
00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:24,760
You're going to attract girls.
498
00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:28,760
And I think a lot of these people
realise this guy is on the rise.
499
00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:34,280
And this is the junction
of politics and showbusiness.
500
00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:36,640
He is the sexiest of politicians
501
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,840
in a time when politicians
didn't do that.
502
00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,560
And what he got up to in Vegas
with Frank Sinatra
503
00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,360
would not have been OK
if made public at the time.
504
00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:48,520
There were a lot of secrets
about the Kennedys
505
00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:51,560
that the press sort of kept
to itself.
506
00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:55,160
They weren't about to report
on the philandering
507
00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:58,280
of this young senator
from Massachusetts.
508
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:00,640
But the historical record shows
509
00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:03,840
that there was a great deal
of philandering.
510
00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:06,200
And if the press decided
to report it,
511
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,240
it probably would have ruined
Senator Kennedy's career,
512
00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:12,800
which gets to a certain amount
of recklessness on his part.
513
00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:39,240
As 1960 is beginning,
everybody wants something new.
514
00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:40,840
It's a new decade.
515
00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,440
The same guy's been president
for eight years.
516
00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:46,720
Everyone knows he's leaving,
but no-one knows who's coming in.
517
00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:50,480
So the Democrats want someone
new and exciting,
518
00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:55,000
and it's the perfect time
for a young, charismatic
519
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,280
candidate to emerge.
520
00:33:57,280 --> 00:34:00,120
I am today announcing my candidacy
521
00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,680
for the Presidency
of the United States.
522
00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:07,320
Kennedy offered a breath of fresh
air, not through what he had to say,
523
00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:09,040
but the image that he portrayed.
524
00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:13,760
He was young, he was handsome,
he was smart, he was clever,
525
00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:18,000
and he was telegenic
in a television age.
526
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,920
We stand today on the edge
of a new frontier.
527
00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,680
The frontier of the 1960s.
528
00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:31,600
The frontier of unknown
opportunities and perils.
529
00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:36,960
The frontier of unfilled hopes
and unfilled threats.
530
00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:42,760
I'm asking each of you to be
pioneers towards that new frontier.
531
00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:49,200
This was what I think many Americans
believed was the best of themselves.
532
00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:52,960
And I think in many ways, that's
what Kennedy offered to Americans -
533
00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,320
a sense of what they could be.
534
00:34:55,320 --> 00:35:00,520
John Kennedy is the first Catholic
who is running for president
535
00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:04,920
in a serious way since Al Smith
of New York in 1928.
536
00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:08,680
And Al Smith was defeated handily
in 1928,
537
00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:12,120
in part because
of his Catholic faith.
538
00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:17,880
The Ku Klux Klan would burn crosses
outside of his campaign rallies.
539
00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:22,280
Newspapers predicted that the Pope
would for some reason
540
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:24,840
leave the Vatican
and move to Washington.
541
00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:26,760
People believed this stuff.
542
00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,040
So that was the X factor in 1960.
543
00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:34,280
Was the American public ready
for a Catholic president?
544
00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:40,440
Kennedy, in order to try to wrap up
things as quickly as he could,
545
00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:43,520
understands that
the primaries themselves,
546
00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:46,920
the presidential primaries that were
held in a variety of states,
547
00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,680
which were few and far between
in those days,
548
00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:53,480
and didn't have nearly the
importance then as they do now,
549
00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:56,400
they were still going to be crucial
for Kennedy's ultimate appeal.
550
00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:01,040
The West Virginia primary
between Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey
551
00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:05,720
was pivotal because West Virginia
was a Protestant state, right?
552
00:36:05,720 --> 00:36:10,520
There were no centres
of Irish Catholicism
553
00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:12,160
in Wheeling, West Virginia.
554
00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:16,120
So the test would be how
would West Virginia react
555
00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,240
to a Catholic candidate?
556
00:36:18,240 --> 00:36:21,120
I am not the Catholic
candidate for President.
557
00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:24,160
I am the Democratic Party's
candidate for President,
558
00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,240
who happens also to be a Catholic.
559
00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:30,120
I do not speak for my church
on public matters,
560
00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:32,760
and the church does not speak
for me.
561
00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:37,760
So the Kennedys poured money
and resources into West Virginia
562
00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:40,800
because they believed, and it
turned out rightfully so,
563
00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:45,200
if they could show the rest
of the Democratic Party that, look,
564
00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:49,880
a Catholic can win in this highly
Protestant state,
565
00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:53,240
well, that would send a message
to the rest of the Democratic Party.
566
00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:55,760
So the stakes were
unbelievably high.
567
00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:08,920
If I should win this election, I
will faithfully execute the office
568
00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:13,320
of President of the United States
and will, to the best of my ability,
569
00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:18,200
preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution, so help me God.
570
00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:24,280
I think as Kennedy campaigned and
was making these remarkable
571
00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:30,640
speeches about how he was going
to implement change in America,
572
00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:33,000
I think Frank was really inspired
573
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,360
and wanted to help in any way
that he could.
574
00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:37,880
And the best way that he could help
575
00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:42,360
was by lending his name
to the campaign and saying,
576
00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,080
"I support Jack."
577
00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:47,440
He was really vital in terms
of the campaign,
578
00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:49,120
and I don't think
people understand this.
579
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:50,880
He raised a ton of money.
580
00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:54,560
He set up kind of a pseudo
Kennedy campaign headquarters
581
00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:56,440
at the Villa Capri in Hollywood.
582
00:37:56,440 --> 00:37:59,680
He was like a don. He'd sit there
and they'd set up phone lines
583
00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,040
and he'd call everyone
he could think of -
584
00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:05,240
all the people in the business, and
he'd get them to either give money
585
00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:07,600
or commit to doing
something for Jack.
586
00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:12,640
And I mean, he worked it constantly
and worked frenzied.
587
00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:18,200
Frank really, really took it
upon himself to gather
588
00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:22,240
all of his Rat Pack cronies
and send them out,
589
00:38:22,240 --> 00:38:26,160
working at different events,
travelling around the country,
590
00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:29,400
playing different affairs,
raising money.
591
00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:31,680
He was very dynamic in that way.
592
00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:34,360
People remarked on it at the time,
593
00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:40,240
but more importantly,
it was Frank to whom Joe Kennedy,
594
00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:45,640
Jack's father, turned when he wanted
help from organised crime
595
00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:47,280
in getting Jack elected.
596
00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:52,640
His connections with the Mafia go
back to when he was a bootlegger
597
00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:54,320
during Prohibition.
598
00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:58,120
He was in partnership with major
organised crime figures,
599
00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:01,760
and so he just parlayed
those connections
600
00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,520
when it came to getting support
for Jack.
601
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:26,840
From the 1930s on, Joe Kennedy
had spent a lot of time at a resort
602
00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:31,320
casino on the shore of Lake Tahoe
called Cal Neva,
603
00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:34,880
and it was a place where Joe Kennedy
loved to go and relax
604
00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,600
and mix and mingle
with beautiful young women.
605
00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:39,040
And the Mob was there.
606
00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:43,960
And that was where Joe Kennedy
and the head of the Chicago Outfit,
607
00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:46,600
Sam Giancana, became friendly.
608
00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:53,800
Sam Giancana ruled the Mafia
in that area of the United States.
609
00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:57,320
He's been called the heir
to Al Capone.
610
00:39:57,320 --> 00:40:03,120
And he was a very vicious, powerful,
slightly mad character.
611
00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:07,920
His nickname was Mooney,
kind of mad as the moon,
612
00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:12,320
which he then dubbed
himself as Momo,
613
00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:16,640
but he was known to be a very odd,
dangerous guy.
614
00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:19,080
He was such a psychopath,
615
00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:22,680
the US Army wouldn't allow him
to join the army during the war.
616
00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:26,360
He was regarded as too dangerous
to be in the army.
617
00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:31,640
He was extremely powerful
and he was close to Frank,
618
00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:33,840
and that was important.
619
00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:40,680
Joe Kennedy knew that he needed some
help from organised crime.
620
00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:46,080
He also knew that he could not go
directly to Sam Giancana
621
00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:47,800
for any help with the election.
622
00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:53,520
And so Sinatra was Joe Kennedy's
intermediary.
623
00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:57,520
And so he summoned Frank across
the country to Hyannis Port
624
00:40:57,520 --> 00:40:59,240
and they had a meeting.
625
00:40:59,240 --> 00:41:03,320
And he said to him, "I want you
to bring people on board."
626
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:09,760
And Frank's mission was to bring
on board, particularly Sam Giancana,
627
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:14,400
to enable him to swing every
possible vote for Jack
628
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:17,680
in places where there would be tight
primary elections
629
00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:20,160
and then where there
would be a tight general election.
630
00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:23,440
The Mob controlled the unions.
631
00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:27,840
The unions were big players
in politics
632
00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:30,560
because they could get out
huge blocs of voters.
633
00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:35,080
So if the Mob controlled the union
and the Mob wanted somebody to win,
634
00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:37,560
they would put the word out
to the union
635
00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:40,520
that we want your guys
to vote for our guy.
636
00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:45,960
So Sinatra went to Momo and said,
the big man needs your help,
637
00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:51,400
and we will give you... We'll make
sure that the hounds will be off
638
00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:54,400
your trail as soon as Jack
enters the White House.
639
00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,320
And, you know, they were not
inclined to support Kennedy.
640
00:41:57,320 --> 00:41:59,680
This is something people
lose sight of.
641
00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:02,480
They didn't like Jack Kennedy
because of Bobby Kennedy.
642
00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:07,360
Robert Kennedy was an infamous
anti-Mob guy
643
00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:11,240
and was known to be an anti-Mob
crusader.
644
00:42:11,240 --> 00:42:13,160
In the late 1950s,
645
00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:17,200
organised crime was only beginning
to really come under attack
646
00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:24,240
as an entity. There'd been a big
push by Bobby Kennedy as a counsel
647
00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:28,760
to the Senate Rackets Committee
to target the influence
648
00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:31,720
of organised crime
on organised labour
649
00:42:31,720 --> 00:42:36,120
and people that were being targeted
in particular, were people
650
00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:40,000
who were leaders of the various
organised crime families.
651
00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:42,400
You've got people in Detroit,
at least 15,
652
00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:44,000
who have police records,
653
00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,280
and it's not so shocking that you
should be involved
654
00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:47,840
in taking the Greenleaf money.
655
00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:53,000
Mr Kennedy, it is shocking to even
involve a man
656
00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:55,680
with that kind of blood taint money.
657
00:42:55,680 --> 00:42:57,960
And I don't go for that,
Mr Kennedy.
658
00:42:57,960 --> 00:42:59,200
I don't go for that kind of action.
659
00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:01,240
It was very dangerous times,
you know.
660
00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:04,200
They were... Bobby was right on the
edge going after these guys.
661
00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:09,120
And one of the people that he went
after was Sam Giancana.
662
00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:13,520
Giancana is a guy that if you give
him the wrong look, you're dead.
663
00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:15,960
I mean, you're talking
about a very scary guy,
664
00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:17,760
but Bobby wasn't scared.
665
00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:20,640
Can you tell us anything about
any of your operations?
666
00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:23,480
Or are you just gonna giggle every
time I ask you a question?
667
00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:25,760
I decline to answer because
I honestly believe
668
00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:27,080
my answer might incriminate me.
669
00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:30,000
I thought only little girls
giggled, Mr Giancana.
670
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:34,520
That's the same Giancana that then
gets recruited for the campaign.
671
00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:38,880
Kennedy becomes like Sinatra,
someone who is going to be assisted
672
00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:40,720
by the Mafia to get what he wants,
673
00:43:40,720 --> 00:43:43,640
which is to become the President
of the United States.
674
00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:45,360
So the Mob are on his side.
675
00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:47,840
What the Mob wanted to get
out of that
676
00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:53,520
was for the Kennedy administration,
once it won, to go easy on mobsters.
677
00:43:56,280 --> 00:44:00,320
There was a repeated,
a modus operandi, if you will,
678
00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:03,920
of cash being exchanged
to get the vote out,
679
00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:10,360
votes being cast and then a slim
or substantial victory.
680
00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:15,000
He won West Virginia, where
the issue of Kennedy's Catholicism
681
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:17,080
had become a very big deal.
682
00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:21,880
And then they turned out
the vote in Illinois as well.
683
00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:24,440
And he won by a wild margin
in Chicago,
684
00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:28,440
a small margin state-wide, which
tells you something right there,
685
00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:31,240
that the machine had done its work
in the city of Chicago.
686
00:44:31,240 --> 00:44:33,080
And Frank helped engineer that.
687
00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:36,040
On election night, while the
Kennedys were sitting up late
688
00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:38,440
waiting for the election
returns to come in,
689
00:44:38,440 --> 00:44:42,080
Frank was working the phones
from his home in California,
690
00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:44,960
and one of the people he was calling
was Giancana.
691
00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:49,360
Giancana was sitting in his office
in Chicago telling him,
692
00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:51,640
"We're going to pull it out.
We're going to pull it out."
693
00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:53,720
And himself working the phones.
694
00:44:53,720 --> 00:44:57,280
So you see this real connection
between the campaign
695
00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:00,880
of Jack Kennedy, Frank Sinatra,
and the organised crime figures
696
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,920
who are helping to make
that victory possible.
697
00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:09,840
Sinatra had a dangerous
misapprehension of his relationship
698
00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:12,120
with the men of the Mob.
699
00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:14,480
He thought they loved him.
700
00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:19,200
He thought they felt about him
as deeply as he felt about them.
701
00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:22,640
These were cold, calculating guys.
702
00:45:22,640 --> 00:45:28,600
He was a commodity to them, and only
as long as he brought home the bacon
703
00:45:28,600 --> 00:45:32,840
was he persona grata to the Mafia.
704
00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:44,480
In 1960, thanks to Frank Sinatra
and his friends, you know,
705
00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:48,320
Hollywood and American politics
kind of fused together.
706
00:45:48,320 --> 00:45:50,680
We hadn't seen the likes
of Jack Kennedy
707
00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:52,680
and look who he surrounded
himself with -
708
00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:55,360
Frank Sinatra
and Frank Sinatra's friends.
709
00:45:55,360 --> 00:45:58,280
And who's singing
a campaign song for Jack Kennedy
710
00:45:58,280 --> 00:45:59,760
but Frank Sinatra!
711
00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:01,560
You know, you try to think
of it today.
712
00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:04,760
He had the biggest celebrity
on the planet supporting him,
713
00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:07,040
somebody people adored.
714
00:46:07,040 --> 00:46:08,920
# Come on and vote for Kennedy... #
715
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:12,280
And that gives his campaign,
on top of his youth,
716
00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:16,000
on top of his good looks,
on top of his beautiful wife,
717
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:22,040
it gives his campaign such a sense
of the dynamism in the country,
718
00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:25,800
the youth of the country,
the hope of the country,
719
00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:29,200
a sense of the involvement,
the commitment to the future.
720
00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:31,480
That was exciting.
721
00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:34,600
# K-E-double-N-E-D-Y
722
00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:38,200
# Jack's the nation's
favourite guy
723
00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:41,560
# Every one wants to back Jack
724
00:46:41,560 --> 00:46:43,840
# Jack is on the right track... #
725
00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:46,640
To everyone's delight,
726
00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:48,840
Jack Kennedy wins the election.
727
00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:54,240
Now we have the first Catholic
president.
728
00:46:54,240 --> 00:46:57,160
We have a president who has all
sorts of friends in Hollywood.
729
00:46:57,160 --> 00:47:00,960
This is going to be an inaugural
gala like none other.
730
00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:02,520
And sure enough, it was.
731
00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:04,640
John Kennedy says to Frank Sinatra,
732
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:07,480
I'd like you to produce
the inaugural gala
733
00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:10,760
and Frank Sinatra being kind
of the king of Hollywood,
734
00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:13,960
he knows every A-lister in Hollywood
735
00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:18,440
and they all turn up to perform
at the inauguration.
736
00:47:18,440 --> 00:47:20,800
You would have thought it
was the Oscars.
737
00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:25,840
You know, Hollywood comes out
in their finest tuxedos and dresses.
738
00:47:25,840 --> 00:47:30,240
The red carpet,
it's a Hollywood production.
739
00:47:30,240 --> 00:47:33,360
When you're dealing with the
television age and you're dealing
740
00:47:33,360 --> 00:47:38,040
with this relationship between
the President of the United States
741
00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:42,440
and one of America's most beloved
movie stars and singers,
742
00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:45,920
who has all sorts of friends
in Hollywood,
743
00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:48,920
you look at that inaugural gala
and you say, yeah, this is it.
744
00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:52,240
This is showbiz and politics
come together
745
00:47:52,240 --> 00:47:54,720
and neither will ever be the same.
746
00:47:54,720 --> 00:47:56,520
And arguably, that's true.
747
00:47:56,520 --> 00:48:00,840
I know we're all indebted to a great
friend, Frank Sinatra.
748
00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:02,560
APPLAUSE
749
00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:07,560
You cannot imagine the work
that he has done
750
00:48:07,560 --> 00:48:09,560
to make this show a success.
751
00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:13,280
Tonight there are two shows
on Broadway that are closed down
752
00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:16,040
because the members
of the cast are here,
753
00:48:16,040 --> 00:48:19,240
and I want he and my sister
Pat's husband, Peter Lawford,
754
00:48:19,240 --> 00:48:21,600
to know that we're all
indebted to them,
755
00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:23,880
and we're proud to have them
with us.
756
00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:25,280
APPLAUSE
757
00:48:27,560 --> 00:48:30,320
It was a big night for Frank,
758
00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:32,680
as it should have been,
because he was this guy,
759
00:48:32,680 --> 00:48:35,720
you know, he's come
from really nowhere.
760
00:48:35,720 --> 00:48:39,400
Now you've got the guy who's
going to the White House, you know,
761
00:48:39,400 --> 00:48:42,360
standing up and saying,
we want to thank you, Frank Sinatra.
762
00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:44,040
Without you, this couldn't have...
763
00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:46,760
I mean, you don't get heights
like that.
764
00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:48,320
That was a big deal.
765
00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:51,800
He said to my dad, "We did it.
766
00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:53,600
"We're in the White House."
767
00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:56,200
You know, and it was very much
a "we" thing.
768
00:48:56,200 --> 00:49:00,240
The friendship, of course,
is at its height then
769
00:49:00,240 --> 00:49:04,640
and then the problems
ensue after that.
770
00:49:07,480 --> 00:49:11,880
The fact is that there's somebody
else who has helped Jack Kennedy
771
00:49:11,880 --> 00:49:16,920
get elected, and that is the head
of the Chicago Outfit, Sam Giancana.
772
00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:20,560
Frank Sinatra, and the people around
him had been very instrumental
773
00:49:20,560 --> 00:49:25,080
in helping Jack Kennedy
get elected president.
774
00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:30,840
Sinatra was treated with gratitude
by the Kennedys at the beginning.
775
00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:33,920
The moment he was elected,
776
00:49:33,920 --> 00:49:38,800
Jack started to look at Frank
in terms of his liabilities
777
00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:40,760
instead of his positives.
778
00:49:42,240 --> 00:49:45,560
The people close to him
and his advisers could see
779
00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:51,240
that Frank Sinatra could be a
dangerous figure to be seen next to
780
00:49:51,240 --> 00:49:54,640
a man, to their man
in the White House.
781
00:49:54,640 --> 00:49:58,320
Once you're in the White House,
it's just everything changes.
782
00:49:58,320 --> 00:50:00,720
Your relationship with everyone
changes.
783
00:50:00,720 --> 00:50:02,280
And Frank couldn't see that
784
00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:04,880
because he thought things would
continue the way they...
785
00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:07,520
In the way they did before -
that he could just pick up the phone
786
00:50:07,520 --> 00:50:08,880
and chat with them.
787
00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:11,640
And I think that was very hard
for him.
788
00:50:11,640 --> 00:50:15,160
I think the first step
in the unravelling of the friendship
789
00:50:15,160 --> 00:50:18,800
actually happens when Joe Kennedy
has his stroke.
790
00:50:22,080 --> 00:50:24,480
NEWSREEL: Joseph P Kennedy,
father of the President,
791
00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:26,760
has improved after suffering
a stroke,
792
00:50:26,760 --> 00:50:28,840
Press Secretary Salinger announces,
793
00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:33,160
as his sons and daughter arrive
in Palm Beach to be by his side.
794
00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:35,200
One of the nation's richest men,
795
00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:39,680
Mr Kennedy is one of the few fathers
to see his son become president.
796
00:50:44,080 --> 00:50:48,000
Joe Kennedy liked Frank Sinatra.
They understood each other.
797
00:50:48,000 --> 00:50:52,520
Two immigrants who had worked
their way up, in effect.
798
00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:56,920
So without Joe there,
it starts to crumble a bit.
799
00:50:56,920 --> 00:51:01,160
Bobby Kennedy and Jackie were not
as big Frank Sinatra fans.
800
00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:07,800
Jacqueline Kennedy had very mixed
feelings about Frank Sinatra.
801
00:51:07,800 --> 00:51:11,760
She understood, of course,
that in the ways in which
802
00:51:11,760 --> 00:51:14,120
he could help her husband.
803
00:51:14,120 --> 00:51:19,360
But she also understood
about the womanising,
804
00:51:19,360 --> 00:51:23,200
and she was high culture,
805
00:51:23,200 --> 00:51:26,800
and Frank Sinatra was not
always high culture.
806
00:51:26,800 --> 00:51:31,640
Frank Sinatra is soon edged
out of the picture,
807
00:51:31,640 --> 00:51:34,960
not only because of Jackie Kennedy's
dislike for him,
808
00:51:34,960 --> 00:51:37,800
but because of Bobby Kennedy's
dislike for him.
809
00:51:56,480 --> 00:51:59,560
Bobby Kennedy and the people
around him were concerned
810
00:51:59,560 --> 00:52:03,360
about Sinatra's links to the Mafia,
which he did have,
811
00:52:03,360 --> 00:52:07,400
and which,
in the view of Bobby Kennedy,
812
00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:11,640
should not be allowed to besmirch
the Kennedy presidency.
813
00:52:13,520 --> 00:52:20,120
At the same time as Frank was
starting to really relax
814
00:52:20,120 --> 00:52:23,680
and enjoy his relationship
with the President,
815
00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:26,560
and the fruits of his labours...
816
00:52:28,560 --> 00:52:35,640
..John Kennedy appointed his brother
Robert to be the Attorney General,
817
00:52:35,640 --> 00:52:39,960
and one of Robert Kennedy's
first missions
818
00:52:39,960 --> 00:52:42,200
was to go after organised crime.
819
00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:45,720
The people who got you elected
820
00:52:45,720 --> 00:52:48,800
and helped you get there, you're now
telling them - what they would say,
821
00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:51,080
that you ratted on them.
822
00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:54,240
So the Kennedys rat on the Mafia.
823
00:52:54,240 --> 00:52:56,280
You don't get something for nothing.
824
00:52:56,280 --> 00:53:03,080
And I think even though the Mob
didn't expect to have carte blanche
825
00:53:03,080 --> 00:53:07,000
and do whatever they wanted
unopposed,
826
00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:13,560
I don't think they expected to have
this tremendous microscope
827
00:53:13,560 --> 00:53:18,320
put on them, and have them
systematically dismantled.
828
00:53:18,320 --> 00:53:20,680
That was the goal.
829
00:53:20,680 --> 00:53:24,160
To the point where even Kennedy
aides at the time,
830
00:53:24,160 --> 00:53:26,440
they intervened and said
to Bobby Kennedy,
831
00:53:26,440 --> 00:53:28,080
"Can't you just back off a little?"
832
00:53:28,080 --> 00:53:29,960
I mean, but he was hell bent.
833
00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:33,000
Politics mean nothing to Bobby,
you know. It's right or wrong.
834
00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:35,600
The first day in the Oval Office
835
00:53:35,600 --> 00:53:38,280
and they're talking about
all this stuff,
836
00:53:38,280 --> 00:53:42,680
and the first thing Bobby says
is he's going to set up a, you know,
837
00:53:42,680 --> 00:53:46,200
a "Get Hoffa" and a "Get Giancana",
you know, squad.
838
00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:48,920
First thing he said, day one.
It's like a Saturday.
839
00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:52,680
And my father says to him, you know,
Bobby, like a dog with a bone.
840
00:53:52,680 --> 00:53:56,000
There came a time, a year
or so into the Kennedy presidency
841
00:53:56,000 --> 00:54:00,440
when known mafiosi were leaving
the United States,
842
00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:04,520
fleeing justice
and going back to Sicily.
843
00:54:04,520 --> 00:54:10,960
He was winning, in a way,
against the Mafia
844
00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:15,480
in the United States, in a way that
no Attorney General ever had before.
845
00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:21,240
Sam Giancana hits the roof.
846
00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:23,000
He thought, "What are they doing?!
847
00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:26,040
"We put this man in power.
They owe us.
848
00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:27,680
"Why are they coming after us?"
849
00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:34,120
And that was one of the big
concerns that the Mafia had.
850
00:54:34,120 --> 00:54:37,880
Why have the Kennedys turned on us?
Because we did them favours.
851
00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:40,160
They never thought,
when they're supporting Kennedy
852
00:54:40,160 --> 00:54:41,360
and Frank got them involved,
853
00:54:41,360 --> 00:54:43,720
they never thought Bobby
would be the guy
854
00:54:43,720 --> 00:54:46,400
who's their archenemy
going into the AG office.
855
00:54:46,400 --> 00:54:51,400
And even though Frank Sinatra
had promised Momo Giancana
856
00:54:51,400 --> 00:54:56,920
that Frank could get his good friend
Jack Kennedy to tell his brother
857
00:54:56,920 --> 00:55:01,360
Bobby to just let up a little bit
on the Chicago mob,
858
00:55:01,360 --> 00:55:03,080
it never happened.
859
00:55:03,080 --> 00:55:06,560
The Mafia thought it had a
get-out-of-jail-free pass
860
00:55:06,560 --> 00:55:09,360
because of the work that
they had done for Kennedy.
861
00:55:09,360 --> 00:55:11,720
And just the opposite happens.
862
00:55:11,720 --> 00:55:14,000
They're getting arrested.
They're getting busted.
863
00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:17,240
They're getting shut down all over.
864
00:55:17,240 --> 00:55:19,720
And so they are furious.
865
00:55:19,720 --> 00:55:22,640
They felt quite betrayed
by the whole thing.
866
00:55:22,640 --> 00:55:25,920
And whereas Frank Sinatra
had been very good at repaying debts
867
00:55:25,920 --> 00:55:28,480
and turning up at Mob nightclubs,
868
00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:31,280
it was perceived
the Kennedys were not.
869
00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:34,720
And that particularly Bobby Kennedy,
I mean,
870
00:55:34,720 --> 00:55:39,120
he was behind the
Joseph Valachi testimonies,
871
00:55:39,120 --> 00:55:43,160
which ended up with 317 mobsters
being banged up.
872
00:55:43,160 --> 00:55:48,040
So, I mean, they felt the pain
of what Bobby Kennedy was doing.
873
00:55:48,040 --> 00:55:51,080
So they were angry,
very angry.
874
00:55:51,080 --> 00:55:54,360
And what's important to understand
in the background to all
875
00:55:54,360 --> 00:55:59,160
these relationships is how much
the FBI has been monitoring
876
00:55:59,160 --> 00:56:03,200
not only Frank Sinatra from the time
he first got into the business -
877
00:56:03,200 --> 00:56:06,560
it's almost sick how much
they monitored him -
878
00:56:06,560 --> 00:56:10,960
but they'd been monitoring Jack
Kennedy the same amount of time.
879
00:56:10,960 --> 00:56:13,640
By the time Jack Kennedy
is in office,
880
00:56:13,640 --> 00:56:18,040
J Edgar Hoover, he's been in power -
literally in power - for...
881
00:56:19,280 --> 00:56:25,000
..35 years, and he was an almost
immovable object
882
00:56:25,000 --> 00:56:26,680
in the American psyche.
883
00:56:26,680 --> 00:56:30,520
Part of the reason he kept his job
for so long was because he would
884
00:56:30,520 --> 00:56:34,040
make clear to the presidents that he
knew where the bodies were buried,
885
00:56:34,040 --> 00:56:36,120
that he knew where the dirt was.
886
00:56:36,120 --> 00:56:40,960
And from the 1960s, because he was
continuing to age,
887
00:56:40,960 --> 00:56:44,040
he was also fearful that
any new administration
888
00:56:44,040 --> 00:56:45,840
would try to push him out.
889
00:56:45,840 --> 00:56:48,200
So he was very much clinging
for power
890
00:56:48,200 --> 00:56:50,560
and using the power
he had accumulated
891
00:56:50,560 --> 00:56:52,120
over all of those many years
892
00:56:52,120 --> 00:56:54,520
of knowing where all the bodies
were hidden.
893
00:56:54,520 --> 00:56:58,040
And he was very prepared to use
that same kind of power and leverage
894
00:56:58,040 --> 00:56:59,720
with the Kennedy brothers.
895
00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:23,560
J Edgar Hoover started as a low
level G-Man,
896
00:57:23,560 --> 00:57:26,640
eventually advocated for the
creation of the FBI,
897
00:57:26,640 --> 00:57:29,320
and then when the FBI got created
shortly after that,
898
00:57:29,320 --> 00:57:31,880
he became its director,
and he stayed on as director
899
00:57:31,880 --> 00:57:34,440
for an unprecedented period of time.
900
00:57:34,440 --> 00:57:39,200
He was the FBI director
for Roosevelt, for Truman,
901
00:57:39,200 --> 00:57:43,440
for Eisenhower, for Kennedy,
Johnson and Nixon.
902
00:57:45,200 --> 00:57:48,880
Blackmail was a favoured technique,
903
00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:53,920
and his method was to ask
for a meeting with them
904
00:57:53,920 --> 00:57:58,640
and, you know, just very nicely
reveal to them
905
00:57:58,640 --> 00:58:02,680
that he had this information
about their association
906
00:58:02,680 --> 00:58:07,320
with the underworld or the fact that
they were sleeping with so and so,
907
00:58:07,320 --> 00:58:09,720
and he would just speak
to him very nicely
908
00:58:09,720 --> 00:58:12,080
and tell him that he
had this information
909
00:58:12,080 --> 00:58:14,600
and that he certainly
would keep it confidential.
910
00:58:14,600 --> 00:58:17,840
And when he told people that
911
00:58:17,840 --> 00:58:23,160
they wanted him to keep it
confidential and they protected him.
912
00:58:23,160 --> 00:58:27,960
And Hoover has his own agenda.
He despises Frank Sinatra.
913
00:58:27,960 --> 00:58:31,720
And, you know, everybody says,
well, you know,
914
00:58:31,720 --> 00:58:34,640
it's because of the Giancana
and the mobster connection.
915
00:58:34,640 --> 00:58:37,400
I think he also just didn't like him
because he was Italian
916
00:58:37,400 --> 00:58:39,080
and Frank Sinatra and successful.
917
00:58:39,080 --> 00:58:41,680
I mean, I really think it was that,
you know,
918
00:58:41,680 --> 00:58:44,200
and he's also...
He despises Jack Kennedy.
919
00:58:46,080 --> 00:58:50,880
His disrespect for them goes back to
before they were at the White House
920
00:58:50,880 --> 00:58:53,400
and in the Justice Department.
921
00:58:53,400 --> 00:58:55,920
I mean, he really regarded
them as reckless.
922
00:58:55,920 --> 00:58:59,480
He did not like the direction
that a lot of Kennedy policies
923
00:58:59,480 --> 00:59:02,160
were going in, particularly
with respect to civil rights.
924
00:59:02,160 --> 00:59:04,600
He was an inveterate anti-communist.
925
00:59:04,600 --> 00:59:06,960
He had feared, especially
regarding civil rights,
926
00:59:06,960 --> 00:59:10,680
that the communists had infiltrated
the civil rights movement
927
00:59:10,680 --> 00:59:12,680
and was deathly afraid of that.
928
00:59:12,680 --> 00:59:15,000
And he was anti-Kennedy.
929
00:59:15,000 --> 00:59:18,240
He didn't like them as playboys.
930
00:59:18,240 --> 00:59:20,720
He didn't like the way
that they threw themselves around,
931
00:59:20,720 --> 00:59:22,520
they threw their money around.
932
00:59:22,520 --> 00:59:25,040
And so he was somebody not
to be tangled with.
933
00:59:25,040 --> 00:59:29,880
Hoover and the FBI are watching
Sinatra closely.
934
00:59:29,880 --> 00:59:32,240
They're watching Jack Kennedy
closely.
935
00:59:32,240 --> 00:59:35,640
And they also started paying
attention to Sam Giancana.
936
00:59:35,640 --> 00:59:42,280
One can read wiretap after wiretap
of various mafiosi
937
00:59:42,280 --> 00:59:46,600
expressing their absolute outrage,
their...
938
00:59:48,240 --> 00:59:52,960
Their threats, their vows of revenge
939
00:59:52,960 --> 00:59:56,400
against both Sinatra
for failing them -
940
00:59:56,400 --> 00:59:59,600
failing to act as an intermediary -
941
00:59:59,600 --> 01:00:04,160
and against the brothers
for continuing to persecute them
942
01:00:04,160 --> 01:00:07,200
after they had offered
all of this help.
943
01:00:07,200 --> 01:00:09,800
Principal among those angry threats
944
01:00:09,800 --> 01:00:13,280
were those that came
from Sam Giancana.
945
01:00:13,280 --> 01:00:16,360
Sam Giancana at one point is quoted
as saying,
946
01:00:16,360 --> 01:00:19,400
"I'll never get another penny
to the Kennedys
947
01:00:19,400 --> 01:00:21,080
"because of what they're doing now."
948
01:00:21,080 --> 01:00:22,480
He was furious.
949
01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:26,520
You can hear these tapes where one
of Giancana's associates says,
950
01:00:26,520 --> 01:00:28,520
"Do you want me to take care
of Frank?"
951
01:00:28,520 --> 01:00:31,000
And Sam Giancana says,
"No, I have other plans."
952
01:00:31,000 --> 01:00:36,120
And the other plans are that
Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin
953
01:00:36,120 --> 01:00:43,280
played Giancana's nightclub,
Villa Venice in Illinois, for free.
954
01:00:43,280 --> 01:00:45,640
All these people are being watched.
955
01:00:45,640 --> 01:00:49,040
Nothing they're doing is escaping
the notice of the FBI.
956
01:00:49,040 --> 01:00:52,480
And so all of these factors
are coming together,
957
01:00:52,480 --> 01:00:55,160
and Hoover has got all the threads.
958
01:00:55,160 --> 01:00:58,240
And what happens is once
you're in the White House,
959
01:00:58,240 --> 01:01:01,280
he has the opportunity to pull
them all together.
960
01:01:01,280 --> 01:01:03,640
Which he hadn't been able
to do before.
961
01:01:03,640 --> 01:01:07,880
And he can go to the president
and kind of say, "Gotcha!"
962
01:01:09,840 --> 01:01:14,320
Virtually as soon as Jack Kennedy
entered the White House,
963
01:01:14,320 --> 01:01:16,680
one thing that Hoover knew
964
01:01:16,680 --> 01:01:21,360
was that the presidential candidate
and then the President-elect,
965
01:01:21,360 --> 01:01:24,000
and then the new President,
had a girlfriend.
966
01:01:41,480 --> 01:01:44,320
While Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack
967
01:01:44,320 --> 01:01:48,120
were filming Ocean's 11
in Las Vegas,
968
01:01:48,120 --> 01:01:50,480
they did a performance
at the Sands Hotel.
969
01:01:50,480 --> 01:01:52,880
Senator Kennedy was at that
performance.
970
01:01:52,880 --> 01:01:57,200
At the time, Frank Sinatra was
preparing to help campaign
971
01:01:57,200 --> 01:01:58,960
for then Senator Kennedy,
972
01:01:58,960 --> 01:02:01,960
and around that same time,
at the Sands Hotel,
973
01:02:01,960 --> 01:02:05,880
Frank Sinatra introduced Jack
Kennedy to his former girlfriend,
974
01:02:05,880 --> 01:02:08,640
Sinatra's former girlfriend,
Judith Campbell.
975
01:02:08,640 --> 01:02:11,560
Jack Kennedy is smitten
by Judy Campbell.
976
01:02:11,560 --> 01:02:13,080
She's clever.
977
01:02:13,080 --> 01:02:15,480
She's not a doormat.
She's assertive.
978
01:02:15,480 --> 01:02:19,160
And Jack Kennedy found all
these things very attractive,
979
01:02:19,160 --> 01:02:24,360
and he found something
in her that he wanted more of.
980
01:02:24,360 --> 01:02:28,800
And so they had a thing
that lasted for a little while,
981
01:02:28,800 --> 01:02:33,200
even as Jack Kennedy entered
the White House in January 1961.
982
01:02:33,200 --> 01:02:36,960
Judith Campbell was a stunningly
beautiful young woman
983
01:02:36,960 --> 01:02:41,280
who was somewhat reminiscent
of the young Elizabeth Taylor.
984
01:02:41,280 --> 01:02:44,160
Well-spoken, middle class.
985
01:02:44,160 --> 01:02:48,880
You know, she was not the image
of a party girl or someone who was,
986
01:02:48,880 --> 01:02:53,320
you know, a person of loose or cheap
morals, as they would have said
987
01:02:53,320 --> 01:02:55,320
and described it in those days.
988
01:02:55,320 --> 01:02:57,240
She was a "classy dame"
989
01:02:57,240 --> 01:03:00,960
and therefore she would have
appealed to Frank.
990
01:03:00,960 --> 01:03:02,840
She would have appealed
to Jack Kennedy,
991
01:03:02,840 --> 01:03:05,200
she would have appealed
to Mooney Giancana.
992
01:03:05,200 --> 01:03:08,920
And this is the nub of the story
about Judith Campbell.
993
01:03:08,920 --> 01:03:11,920
At the same time that she was seeing
the President,
994
01:03:11,920 --> 01:03:15,160
she was having a sexual affair
with Sam Giancana.
995
01:03:15,160 --> 01:03:17,520
Frank introduced her.
996
01:03:17,520 --> 01:03:23,520
So by now you have an intersection
of Frank Sinatra, Sam Giancana,
997
01:03:23,520 --> 01:03:27,280
Judy Campbell, and the President
of the United States.
998
01:03:27,280 --> 01:03:29,560
The fact that the President
of the United States
999
01:03:29,560 --> 01:03:31,640
was engaged in a relationship
1000
01:03:31,640 --> 01:03:35,440
with a woman who had a relationship
with this powerful mobster
1001
01:03:35,440 --> 01:03:38,240
in Chicago, is...
1002
01:03:38,240 --> 01:03:42,560
I'm saying it - in some ways,
I still find it hard to believe
1003
01:03:42,560 --> 01:03:44,360
that a man could be that reckless.
1004
01:03:44,360 --> 01:03:47,600
They were all at the height
of their power, you know,
1005
01:03:47,600 --> 01:03:52,920
and they couldn't imagine
that they had to live by the rules
1006
01:03:52,920 --> 01:03:56,120
everybody else did,
because they had never had to.
1007
01:03:56,120 --> 01:03:59,120
And it works well until it doesn't.
1008
01:04:01,800 --> 01:04:06,200
When Jack Kennedy takes office
and enters the White House,
1009
01:04:06,200 --> 01:04:09,400
Sam Giancana,
along with J Edgar Hoover,
1010
01:04:09,400 --> 01:04:13,880
is very aware that Judy Campbell's
visiting the President
1011
01:04:13,880 --> 01:04:20,280
in the White House, and Sam Giancana
and J Edgar Hoover both understand
1012
01:04:20,280 --> 01:04:22,720
that this is a cudgel they can wield
1013
01:04:22,720 --> 01:04:25,400
over the most powerful man
in the world.
1014
01:04:25,400 --> 01:04:29,160
In the midst of all this, as if the
story couldn't get any crazier,
1015
01:04:29,160 --> 01:04:32,920
the FBI stumbles upon a CIA plot...
1016
01:04:34,640 --> 01:04:37,080
..to assassinate Castro.
1017
01:04:37,080 --> 01:04:41,400
The plot is to be carried out
by the very mobsters
1018
01:04:41,400 --> 01:04:43,960
that is hanging out with Sinatra,
1019
01:04:43,960 --> 01:04:46,840
hanging out with the president's
girlfriend, Sam Giancana.
1020
01:04:46,840 --> 01:04:48,680
He's in the thick of this plot.
1021
01:04:48,680 --> 01:04:53,840
He's working with the CIA
to assassinate Castro.
1022
01:04:55,400 --> 01:05:00,760
Judith Campbell claims she was
a messenger taking messages
1023
01:05:00,760 --> 01:05:06,120
from Kennedy, and possibly
money from Kennedy, to Sam Giancana
1024
01:05:06,120 --> 01:05:10,840
to carry on this CIA plot.
1025
01:05:10,840 --> 01:05:15,640
You have this crazy situation
where very early in the presidency
1026
01:05:15,640 --> 01:05:20,040
of John F Kennedy, the head
of the FBI realises
1027
01:05:20,040 --> 01:05:23,720
that the President is sleeping
with a woman
1028
01:05:23,720 --> 01:05:26,080
who's an associate of mobsters.
1029
01:05:26,080 --> 01:05:29,600
He's being politically supported
by a prominent singer
1030
01:05:29,600 --> 01:05:31,720
who's an associate of mobsters.
1031
01:05:31,720 --> 01:05:35,560
The mobsters are all complaining
that they didn't get what they paid
1032
01:05:35,560 --> 01:05:37,520
for by supporting Kennedy.
1033
01:05:37,520 --> 01:05:41,440
And meanwhile, these same mobsters
are working with the CIA
1034
01:05:41,440 --> 01:05:44,040
to assassinate Castro.
1035
01:05:45,400 --> 01:05:50,240
J Edgar Hoover, who was no friend
of the Kennedy presidency,
1036
01:05:50,240 --> 01:05:53,960
had something, and something
very big, on the President.
1037
01:05:56,000 --> 01:06:00,400
Now he wants to make sure
it's clear - I'm going nowhere.
1038
01:06:00,400 --> 01:06:05,800
Hoover had the goods and was able
to put pressure on the Kennedy
1039
01:06:05,800 --> 01:06:09,200
administration to break its ties
to Sinatra.
1040
01:06:09,200 --> 01:06:11,640
And the big break comes in 1962.
1041
01:06:35,800 --> 01:06:39,520
About a year or so into Kennedy's
presidency,
1042
01:06:39,520 --> 01:06:41,920
he's going to make
a trip to California.
1043
01:06:41,920 --> 01:06:44,920
The purpose of the trip is for him
to do presidential things
1044
01:06:44,920 --> 01:06:48,560
that presidents always do, but also
to try to solidify political support
1045
01:06:48,560 --> 01:06:51,520
in California, which was
a very close race
1046
01:06:51,520 --> 01:06:54,160
that Nixon won in 1960 -
1047
01:06:54,160 --> 01:06:56,520
Nixon carried the state
of California.
1048
01:06:56,520 --> 01:06:59,000
And they really wanted
to shore up support in that state,
1049
01:06:59,000 --> 01:07:01,480
so they sent Kennedy to go there.
1050
01:07:01,480 --> 01:07:04,800
Peter Lawford, Kennedy's
brother-in-law,
1051
01:07:04,800 --> 01:07:07,560
has arranged for Frank Sinatra's
1052
01:07:07,560 --> 01:07:12,240
Palm Springs kind of compound
to be where Kennedy, the President,
1053
01:07:12,240 --> 01:07:14,600
will stay on his visit.
1054
01:07:14,600 --> 01:07:19,680
And Sinatra goes full Conrad Hilton
and, you know,
1055
01:07:19,680 --> 01:07:23,600
brings in the special soaps
and baths and walkie talkies.
1056
01:07:23,600 --> 01:07:26,960
Puts a flag up like the same flag
that's up at Hyannis Port,
1057
01:07:26,960 --> 01:07:30,000
where the Kennedy compound is.
1058
01:07:30,000 --> 01:07:32,960
You know, it's a bit like vacuuming
under the bed and under the carpet -
1059
01:07:32,960 --> 01:07:34,640
the Queen's coming.
1060
01:07:34,640 --> 01:07:42,440
For Sinatra, this is the fulfilment
of his greatest hopes for power,
1061
01:07:42,440 --> 01:07:45,680
for glamour, for reputation.
1062
01:07:45,680 --> 01:07:47,480
The President of the United States
1063
01:07:47,480 --> 01:07:49,440
is going to visit him
in Palm Springs.
1064
01:07:49,440 --> 01:07:52,160
And so Sinatra pulls out
all the stops.
1065
01:07:52,160 --> 01:07:56,160
He has a helicopter pad installed
for the presidential helicopter.
1066
01:07:56,160 --> 01:07:59,640
He has special telephone lines
installed so the President
1067
01:07:59,640 --> 01:08:03,000
can be in touch with anybody
around the world,
1068
01:08:03,000 --> 01:08:05,360
the military, if he needs to.
1069
01:08:05,360 --> 01:08:09,760
He has a special guest house
fitted out for the President.
1070
01:08:09,760 --> 01:08:13,680
Frank Sinatra does all this stuff to
make it welcoming for the President
1071
01:08:13,680 --> 01:08:21,120
right when Hoover lowers the boom
on this by informing Robert Kennedy
1072
01:08:21,120 --> 01:08:27,560
of how close his brother is to both
Judith Campbell and Sinatra,
1073
01:08:27,560 --> 01:08:30,760
and how close those two
are to the Mob.
1074
01:08:30,760 --> 01:08:36,280
Just as he did when he wanted to use
blackmail, he made an appointment
1075
01:08:36,280 --> 01:08:41,760
to see the President and suggest
that this was not a good idea.
1076
01:08:41,760 --> 01:08:43,360
Hoover was very slick that way.
1077
01:08:43,360 --> 01:08:46,720
He knew to be... To hold this in
until he had to use it,
1078
01:08:46,720 --> 01:08:49,520
and he never asked to see
the President unless it was serious.
1079
01:08:49,520 --> 01:08:52,680
So he got in,
he got his lunch with the President,
1080
01:08:52,680 --> 01:08:55,520
and he had his memo and he laid it
out right for him.
1081
01:08:55,520 --> 01:08:58,200
Like, "This is what we got.
Gotcha."
1082
01:08:58,200 --> 01:09:02,120
Bobby Kennedy realises the scandal
is going to destroy his brother's
1083
01:09:02,120 --> 01:09:05,840
presidency, because it's all going
to come out about Judith Campbell,
1084
01:09:05,840 --> 01:09:08,200
and it's going to explode.
1085
01:09:08,200 --> 01:09:12,880
Bobby Kennedy, who was practical
and really was ruthless,
1086
01:09:12,880 --> 01:09:16,680
he knew and he just said,
"That's it. The visit's off."
1087
01:09:16,680 --> 01:09:20,240
It wasn't like it was,
there was a big discussion about it.
1088
01:09:20,240 --> 01:09:21,760
It was a done deal.
1089
01:09:23,200 --> 01:09:25,560
Bobby Kennedy tells his brother,
you can't go.
1090
01:09:25,560 --> 01:09:28,720
You cannot stay with Frank Sinatra.
1091
01:09:28,720 --> 01:09:31,160
You can't be involved
with this woman any more.
1092
01:09:31,160 --> 01:09:33,640
You can't be involved
with Frank Sinatra any more.
1093
01:09:33,640 --> 01:09:35,080
You can go on this trip.
1094
01:09:35,080 --> 01:09:37,360
But if you're going to stop
in Palm Springs,
1095
01:09:37,360 --> 01:09:39,320
you can't stay at Frank Sinatra's.
1096
01:09:39,320 --> 01:09:44,480
And so this side visit,
which had been heavily publicised,
1097
01:09:44,480 --> 01:09:46,440
is suddenly terminated.
1098
01:09:46,440 --> 01:09:48,800
And Jack Kennedy was not foolish.
1099
01:09:48,800 --> 01:09:51,680
He was reckless, but not
foolish about politics.
1100
01:09:51,680 --> 01:09:53,400
He knew it was done.
1101
01:09:53,400 --> 01:09:56,320
And so the person who was going
to pay the price, of course,
1102
01:09:56,320 --> 01:09:58,720
was Frank, because he couldn't
stay there.
1103
01:09:58,720 --> 01:10:01,080
And, you know, I feel badly
for Frank
1104
01:10:01,080 --> 01:10:03,840
because Frank doesn't know
any of this is happening.
1105
01:10:23,080 --> 01:10:25,440
Nobody wants to tell Frank.
That's the reality.
1106
01:10:25,440 --> 01:10:29,800
And the President says to my dad...
My dad said, "I'll tell him,"
1107
01:10:29,800 --> 01:10:31,240
because my father is just -
1108
01:10:31,240 --> 01:10:33,720
he and Frank had this
very direct relationship.
1109
01:10:33,720 --> 01:10:37,360
And so he said,
"No, have Peter do it,"
1110
01:10:37,360 --> 01:10:39,360
because he wants it to go smoothly.
1111
01:10:39,360 --> 01:10:42,120
He doesn't want to... The president
didn't want to lose Frank.
1112
01:10:42,120 --> 01:10:44,400
This is what people don't get.
1113
01:10:44,400 --> 01:10:45,960
He wasn't trying to cut him loose.
1114
01:10:45,960 --> 01:10:49,400
He wanted him to understand
the circumstances.
1115
01:10:49,400 --> 01:10:53,960
So they tasked Peter Lawford
with it to explain the situation.
1116
01:10:53,960 --> 01:10:57,520
But Peter has a history of stalling
on these things with Frank.
1117
01:10:57,520 --> 01:11:00,640
And Frank doesn't have a great deal
of faith
1118
01:11:00,640 --> 01:11:02,680
in Peter's candour with him.
1119
01:11:02,680 --> 01:11:05,040
So Frank doesn't understand
1120
01:11:05,040 --> 01:11:07,760
because he doesn't understand
sort of the Kennedy way.
1121
01:11:07,760 --> 01:11:10,160
Like, this is "Don't take it
personally, Frank.
1122
01:11:10,160 --> 01:11:12,800
"This is not personal.
It's just politics."
1123
01:11:12,800 --> 01:11:14,840
And that's what needed to be said
to him.
1124
01:11:14,840 --> 01:11:18,080
But nobody actually says that.
Peter sort of dances around it.
1125
01:11:20,560 --> 01:11:22,480
Kennedy does, of all things,
1126
01:11:22,480 --> 01:11:25,560
Kennedy stays at Bing Crosby's
house in Palm Springs.
1127
01:11:25,560 --> 01:11:28,400
Bing Crosby is a Republican,
and this is like -
1128
01:11:28,400 --> 01:11:30,360
this is the final straw!
1129
01:11:30,360 --> 01:11:35,720
This is the most public of slights,
of insults,
1130
01:11:35,720 --> 01:11:38,560
of comedowns for Frank Sinatra.
1131
01:11:38,560 --> 01:11:40,920
It's a humiliation.
It is...
1132
01:11:40,920 --> 01:11:43,960
It's a humiliation on
as grand a scale
1133
01:11:43,960 --> 01:11:48,000
as the pleasure and honour
would have been
1134
01:11:48,000 --> 01:11:50,600
of hosting the President
at his compound.
1135
01:11:50,600 --> 01:11:53,000
And Sinatra goes into a fury.
1136
01:11:53,000 --> 01:11:57,720
Tina Sinatra said, who wrote
a very forthright biography,
1137
01:11:57,720 --> 01:12:00,480
interesting memoir about her father.
1138
01:12:00,480 --> 01:12:05,680
And she says, if the Kennedys
had tried to come up with a better
1139
01:12:05,680 --> 01:12:09,400
way of hurting my father,
it would have been impossible.
1140
01:12:09,400 --> 01:12:12,400
He was devastated by this break-up.
1141
01:12:12,400 --> 01:12:16,360
Sinatra is so kind of bereft by it,
1142
01:12:16,360 --> 01:12:18,200
he takes out a sledgehammer
1143
01:12:18,200 --> 01:12:21,480
and starts cracking up the concrete
helicopter pad.
1144
01:12:21,480 --> 01:12:23,360
He's so maddened by it all.
1145
01:12:24,520 --> 01:12:28,440
He blamed the messenger,
and he cut Peter Lawford out
1146
01:12:28,440 --> 01:12:30,920
of any planned roles in the movies.
1147
01:12:30,920 --> 01:12:34,960
They were done. And that friendship
never, ever recovered.
1148
01:12:34,960 --> 01:12:40,080
My father, at one point said,
reaches out to Sinatra, and says,
1149
01:12:40,080 --> 01:12:42,840
"Listen, Frank, if you're going
to be mad at somebody,
1150
01:12:42,840 --> 01:12:45,120
"be mad at me.
It was my decision.
1151
01:12:45,120 --> 01:12:46,880
"It was a political decision.
1152
01:12:46,880 --> 01:12:50,040
"I brought it to Bobby.
Bobby said, that's it, you know?
1153
01:12:50,040 --> 01:12:53,000
"And you're going to be mad
at someone, be mad at Bobby and I.
1154
01:12:53,000 --> 01:12:55,840
"But don't be mad at Peter. He just
did what we asked him to do."
1155
01:12:55,840 --> 01:12:57,600
And Frank's position was
1156
01:12:57,600 --> 01:13:00,480
it was the principle of the thing
for Frank.
1157
01:13:00,480 --> 01:13:03,280
Because if Peter had just spoke
the truth to him
1158
01:13:03,280 --> 01:13:04,800
and just said to him,
1159
01:13:04,800 --> 01:13:07,480
this is what it is and this is why
it's happening,
1160
01:13:07,480 --> 01:13:09,160
he said I could have dealt with it.
1161
01:13:09,160 --> 01:13:11,960
"If he had dealt with me like
a man," is the way Frank put it.
1162
01:13:11,960 --> 01:13:15,920
My father always felt that if the
President had just picked
1163
01:13:15,920 --> 01:13:20,000
up the phone and said to Frank,
"Look, this is what it is,"
1164
01:13:20,000 --> 01:13:23,960
it would have been fine
because Frank got the point,
1165
01:13:23,960 --> 01:13:26,080
but it was the way it was handled.
1166
01:13:26,080 --> 01:13:28,360
He was insulted at the way
it was handled
1167
01:13:28,360 --> 01:13:29,680
because he was a very proud man.
1168
01:13:29,680 --> 01:13:32,040
And as I said, they were giants
of their worlds.
1169
01:13:32,040 --> 01:13:35,560
And he expected to be treated
with a certain respect.
1170
01:13:35,560 --> 01:13:40,320
Frank Sinatra believed
in Jack Kennedy,
1171
01:13:40,320 --> 01:13:43,960
and from all appearances,
1172
01:13:43,960 --> 01:13:48,360
was very, very fond of Jack Kennedy.
1173
01:13:48,360 --> 01:13:51,880
I am not convinced that that feeling
was reciprocated.
1174
01:13:51,880 --> 01:13:54,400
I think that Jack Kennedy,
1175
01:13:54,400 --> 01:13:58,400
as Shirley MacLaine said,
"When Frank met Jack
1176
01:13:58,400 --> 01:14:01,800
"he met his match in terms
of cynical manipulators."
1177
01:14:01,800 --> 01:14:05,640
Sinatra was depressive.
1178
01:14:05,640 --> 01:14:09,080
He was furious.
Sinatra was never cynical.
1179
01:14:09,080 --> 01:14:10,840
Sinatra was not a cynic.
1180
01:14:10,840 --> 01:14:13,640
Sinatra couldn't be cold
and calculating
1181
01:14:13,640 --> 01:14:16,000
the way Jack Kennedy could be.
1182
01:14:16,000 --> 01:14:19,280
It broke Frank's heart,
broke Frank Sinatra's heart
1183
01:14:19,280 --> 01:14:21,360
to be discarded by Kennedy,
1184
01:14:21,360 --> 01:14:24,920
and in fact,
set him on a rightward drift
1185
01:14:24,920 --> 01:14:30,760
where, by the late 1960s,
he had moved from being a staunch,
1186
01:14:30,760 --> 01:14:34,520
lifelong Democrat into the orbit
of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan,
1187
01:14:34,520 --> 01:14:37,240
where he would stay for the rest
of his life.
1188
01:14:38,880 --> 01:14:42,360
Sinatra has lost this grip on power,
this access,
1189
01:14:42,360 --> 01:14:46,360
this unparalleled access, to the
greatest power in the world,
1190
01:14:46,360 --> 01:14:48,760
all through this...
1191
01:14:50,840 --> 01:14:53,200
This diabolical triangle
1192
01:14:53,200 --> 01:14:58,240
between Momo Giancana and
Jack Kennedy and Judy Campbell,
1193
01:14:58,240 --> 01:15:01,640
all really kicked off by Sinatra.
1194
01:15:01,640 --> 01:15:04,480
Sinatra's very upset.
1195
01:15:04,480 --> 01:15:07,800
But worse than that,
Sam Giancana is upset.
1196
01:15:07,800 --> 01:15:09,600
Which leads into...
1197
01:15:11,120 --> 01:15:16,920
..um, probably the greatest amount
of conspiracy theory
1198
01:15:16,920 --> 01:15:19,000
we've ever had, you know?
1199
01:15:19,000 --> 01:15:21,840
All the, "Who killed Kennedy?"
all starts then,
1200
01:15:21,840 --> 01:15:25,240
because the Mob have got very
good reason to do it.
1201
01:15:25,240 --> 01:15:26,520
SIRENS WAIL
1202
01:15:26,520 --> 01:15:28,400
It appears as though someone
in the limousine
1203
01:15:28,400 --> 01:15:30,280
might have been hit by the gunfire.
1204
01:15:51,200 --> 01:15:54,080
There had been plans for
a presidential visit to Dallas
1205
01:15:54,080 --> 01:15:57,080
for some time before November 1963.
1206
01:15:57,080 --> 01:16:00,120
There were people around President
Kennedy who were opposed to it,
1207
01:16:00,120 --> 01:16:02,080
thought he shouldn't go,
1208
01:16:02,080 --> 01:16:06,520
because there was clear hostility
to him in Texas,
1209
01:16:06,520 --> 01:16:08,960
but particularly in Dallas.
1210
01:16:08,960 --> 01:16:11,600
But he was he was determined to go.
1211
01:16:11,600 --> 01:16:14,520
The Democratic Party in Texas
is at sixes and sevens.
1212
01:16:14,520 --> 01:16:16,440
There's a division
between a liberal wing
1213
01:16:16,440 --> 01:16:18,160
and a conservative wing.
1214
01:16:18,160 --> 01:16:22,920
He needs to patch that up in advance
of the campaign season in 1964.
1215
01:16:22,920 --> 01:16:26,840
It's important that he shore up
a region that he knows is trouble
1216
01:16:26,840 --> 01:16:30,000
to him now, particularly
because he's advanced civil rights
1217
01:16:30,000 --> 01:16:33,280
legislation - that doesn't go
over terribly well in the South -
1218
01:16:33,280 --> 01:16:35,080
and particularly in Texas.
1219
01:16:35,080 --> 01:16:38,680
And Dallas itself is a trouble spot
of anti-liberal
1220
01:16:38,680 --> 01:16:41,240
and certainly anti-Kennedy
sentiment.
1221
01:16:42,840 --> 01:16:47,200
He flew into Dallas on the
presidential aircraft that morning.
1222
01:16:48,360 --> 01:16:50,640
Was welcomed at the airport.
1223
01:16:50,640 --> 01:16:53,680
Smiles, cheers.
1224
01:16:53,680 --> 01:16:57,440
Glamorous president, glamorous wife,
come down the steps of the aircraft.
1225
01:16:57,440 --> 01:17:00,120
They get into the motorcade,
1226
01:17:00,120 --> 01:17:02,480
which was going to be ten
miles long,
1227
01:17:02,480 --> 01:17:06,000
to where then he was going to do
a speech at the Trade Mart.
1228
01:17:07,800 --> 01:17:10,280
Again, these are the Kennedys.
These are rock stars.
1229
01:17:10,280 --> 01:17:13,000
So if they're in an open motorcade
and they're waving to the people,
1230
01:17:13,000 --> 01:17:15,360
that's what you want.
They can see the pretty people,
1231
01:17:15,360 --> 01:17:17,760
and they wanted to see Jackie
in her pink dress
1232
01:17:17,760 --> 01:17:20,040
and JFK with his nice thick
head of hair.
1233
01:17:20,040 --> 01:17:21,480
And that's what they want, right?
1234
01:17:21,480 --> 01:17:25,400
So they're using, you know,
their looks and their charisma
1235
01:17:25,400 --> 01:17:26,800
to their advantage.
1236
01:17:26,800 --> 01:17:28,360
You also put yourself in danger
1237
01:17:28,360 --> 01:17:30,240
because a lot of powerful forces
hate you.
1238
01:17:30,240 --> 01:17:31,680
Kennedy had a lot of enemies.
1239
01:17:31,680 --> 01:17:38,480
And that is the background music
to what happens on November 22nd -
1240
01:17:38,480 --> 01:17:42,480
that the Mob, angry at Sinatra
for failing them,
1241
01:17:42,480 --> 01:17:45,120
angry at Bobby Kennedy
for persecuting them,
1242
01:17:45,120 --> 01:17:47,880
now chooses to go after JFK.
1243
01:17:49,320 --> 01:17:57,200
And that is why it remains
important to know what happened
1244
01:17:57,200 --> 01:18:00,360
between Sinatra and Kennedy
and the Mob.
1245
01:18:00,360 --> 01:18:04,080
They turned down Elm Street
through Dealey Plaza.
1246
01:18:04,080 --> 01:18:08,680
As they passed underneath the Texas
School Book Depository building,
1247
01:18:08,680 --> 01:18:10,440
shots were fired.
1248
01:18:10,440 --> 01:18:14,160
One of them hits Kennedy
in the neck and back.
1249
01:18:14,160 --> 01:18:15,760
It goes through him.
1250
01:18:15,760 --> 01:18:19,520
It goes through to the front seat
where the current Governor
1251
01:18:19,520 --> 01:18:21,960
of Texas, John Connally, is sitting.
1252
01:18:21,960 --> 01:18:25,920
And then the fatal shot hits Kennedy
in the back of the head.
1253
01:18:25,920 --> 01:18:29,040
It... It-it appears as though
something has happened
1254
01:18:29,040 --> 01:18:30,600
in the motorcade route.
1255
01:18:30,600 --> 01:18:33,760
Something, I repeat, has happened
in the motorcade route.
1256
01:18:33,760 --> 01:18:37,200
The limousine is now travelling
at a very high rate of speed.
1257
01:18:37,200 --> 01:18:39,480
Secret Service men standing up
in the limousine.
1258
01:18:39,480 --> 01:18:41,400
They are armed with submachine guns.
1259
01:18:41,400 --> 01:18:44,320
It appears as though someone
in the limousine might have been hit
1260
01:18:44,320 --> 01:18:45,880
by the gunfire.
1261
01:18:45,880 --> 01:18:49,000
At that moment, the President
was effectively dead.
1262
01:18:49,000 --> 01:18:52,240
He was rushed to Parkland Hospital,
1263
01:18:52,240 --> 01:18:54,280
but he was given the last rites
1264
01:18:54,280 --> 01:18:57,840
and he, as all the world knows,
did not survive.
1265
01:19:00,000 --> 01:19:02,440
It's official. As of just a few
moments ago,
1266
01:19:02,440 --> 01:19:05,200
the President of the United States
is dead.
1267
01:19:30,000 --> 01:19:32,800
The official investigation
into the assassination
1268
01:19:32,800 --> 01:19:37,840
of President Kennedy in Dallas was,
of course, the Warren Commission,
1269
01:19:37,840 --> 01:19:41,640
which concluded that the President
had been shot
1270
01:19:41,640 --> 01:19:48,880
by a former defector to the Soviet
Union, Lee Harvey Oswald.
1271
01:19:50,120 --> 01:19:55,400
And that he had fired at the
President from his vantage point
1272
01:19:55,400 --> 01:19:58,920
in the sixth floor window of
the Texas School Book Depository,
1273
01:19:58,920 --> 01:20:02,040
up and behind the President.
1274
01:20:02,040 --> 01:20:04,720
But the Warren Commission,
1275
01:20:04,720 --> 01:20:09,120
um, could see no motive for Oswald,
1276
01:20:09,120 --> 01:20:14,080
and it is very hard to see
the motive because good sources,
1277
01:20:14,080 --> 01:20:17,240
including his wife and other people,
1278
01:20:17,240 --> 01:20:25,120
say that Lee Harvey Oswald
was a person who approved the work
1279
01:20:25,120 --> 01:20:28,920
of President Kennedy,
who has actually spoke always,
1280
01:20:28,920 --> 01:20:33,520
if he spoke about him casually
in social situations,
1281
01:20:33,520 --> 01:20:38,440
if anything, liked
President Kennedy and supported him,
1282
01:20:38,440 --> 01:20:39,920
so why would he shoot him?
1283
01:20:41,440 --> 01:20:44,280
The Warren Commission decide
it's a lone gunman
1284
01:20:44,280 --> 01:20:46,240
and it's all done and dusted.
1285
01:20:46,240 --> 01:20:51,960
But meanwhile, even Bobby Kennedy
is asking himself,
1286
01:20:51,960 --> 01:20:55,600
am I responsible
for my brother's death?
1287
01:20:55,600 --> 01:20:59,920
Is something I did,
something I put into motion,
1288
01:20:59,920 --> 01:21:03,440
behind why my brother was killed?
1289
01:21:03,440 --> 01:21:08,880
And ten years later,
a new government inquiry,
1290
01:21:08,880 --> 01:21:11,480
the House Select Committee
on Assassinations,
1291
01:21:11,480 --> 01:21:13,880
comes to the conclusion that,
in fact,
1292
01:21:13,880 --> 01:21:16,240
there probably was a conspiracy.
1293
01:21:16,240 --> 01:21:19,040
There probably was more than one
actor involved,
1294
01:21:19,040 --> 01:21:25,560
and the most likely actor that
their chief counsel pegs
1295
01:21:25,560 --> 01:21:27,760
is organised crime.
1296
01:21:29,440 --> 01:21:32,840
The Mafia had the motive
and they had the means.
1297
01:21:32,840 --> 01:21:37,240
Their motive was that they were
furious at the Kennedy clan
1298
01:21:37,240 --> 01:21:40,600
for betraying their relationship
with the Mafia.
1299
01:21:40,600 --> 01:21:44,560
The Mafia felt they had helped to
put him in power, and Bobby Kennedy,
1300
01:21:44,560 --> 01:21:48,880
both into power, and were very angry
at this crusade
1301
01:21:48,880 --> 01:21:51,160
that Bobby Kennedy led against them.
1302
01:21:51,160 --> 01:21:53,040
So they definitely had a motive.
1303
01:21:53,040 --> 01:21:56,080
And of course, curiously,
through all the work
1304
01:21:56,080 --> 01:21:58,440
that they've been doing
with the CIA,
1305
01:21:58,440 --> 01:22:02,440
the CIA had given
the Chicago Mob poison pills
1306
01:22:02,440 --> 01:22:06,160
and all kinds of regalia
for killing someone.
1307
01:22:06,160 --> 01:22:11,600
So the idea of assassinating
a politician had already been seeded
1308
01:22:11,600 --> 01:22:13,960
by the CIA itself.
1309
01:22:13,960 --> 01:22:16,600
You know, the official story
is that Lee Harvey Oswald
1310
01:22:16,600 --> 01:22:19,040
was in that book depository,
1311
01:22:19,040 --> 01:22:24,200
and he uses this imported rifle,
got from mail order,
1312
01:22:24,200 --> 01:22:28,000
and somehow manages
to shoot Kennedy.
1313
01:22:28,000 --> 01:22:31,720
Hit him with those two shots
as the car was going away
1314
01:22:31,720 --> 01:22:34,880
through the trees.
Very bad angle.
1315
01:22:34,880 --> 01:22:36,640
And then the feat...
1316
01:22:36,640 --> 01:22:41,080
And actually get the three shots off
in 5.6 seconds.
1317
01:22:41,080 --> 01:22:45,120
None of the FBI marksmen
who attempted that shot could do it.
1318
01:22:45,120 --> 01:22:48,440
It didn't make any sense
from a logical standpoint.
1319
01:22:48,440 --> 01:22:54,240
From the shot that was supposedly
taken from the Book Depository.
1320
01:22:54,240 --> 01:22:58,840
And there has been argument ever
since about whether the accused
1321
01:22:58,840 --> 01:23:04,280
assassin, shortly afterwards himself
to be killed by Jack Ruby,
1322
01:23:04,280 --> 01:23:06,720
who had links to organised crime,
1323
01:23:06,720 --> 01:23:10,000
not least to organised
crime in Chicago.
1324
01:23:10,000 --> 01:23:14,480
There is still argument
about whether Lee Harvey Oswald
1325
01:23:14,480 --> 01:23:20,520
shot or shot at all, or shot
on his own, fired on his own,
1326
01:23:20,520 --> 01:23:25,680
or whether there were at least two,
and possibly more, assassins,
1327
01:23:25,680 --> 01:23:31,160
firing from a place usually accepted
to be the grassy knoll,
1328
01:23:31,160 --> 01:23:34,160
which was off to the right
of the President's car.
1329
01:23:34,160 --> 01:23:38,880
And what is fascinating
is that the Church Committee,
1330
01:23:38,880 --> 01:23:43,200
was, in 1975, to actually
investigate what were the links
1331
01:23:43,200 --> 01:23:45,720
between the CIA and the Mafia.
1332
01:23:45,720 --> 01:23:53,240
And strangely, Sam Giancana
was killed days before that.
1333
01:23:54,880 --> 01:23:58,880
Giancana was killed in a way
that the Mob uses
1334
01:23:58,880 --> 01:24:00,840
to ensure people's silence.
1335
01:24:00,840 --> 01:24:03,560
He was shot with a ring of bullets
around his mouth,
1336
01:24:03,560 --> 01:24:07,280
which is a way of telling the world,
we don't want you to talk.
1337
01:24:07,280 --> 01:24:12,320
The other bloke who was the top
gunman did testify
1338
01:24:12,320 --> 01:24:14,680
and then was found dead
a few days later.
1339
01:24:14,680 --> 01:24:19,080
So the Mafia were trying to cover
up their links with the CIA.
1340
01:24:19,080 --> 01:24:24,600
Whoever killed Kennedy was dead
not long after.
1341
01:24:24,600 --> 01:24:28,560
Certainly within the year
of killing Kennedy.
1342
01:24:28,560 --> 01:24:30,920
They do clean house.
1343
01:24:30,920 --> 01:24:36,440
And I think if you've done that,
you're going to not talk about it.
1344
01:24:38,200 --> 01:24:42,840
We're at November 21st, 1963.
1345
01:24:42,840 --> 01:24:45,680
The day before the assassination.
1346
01:24:45,680 --> 01:24:50,240
Frank Sinatra was making a movie
called Robin and the 7 Hoods.
1347
01:24:50,240 --> 01:24:52,680
They are shooting in a graveyard.
1348
01:24:52,680 --> 01:24:56,240
Sinatra wanders off to have a smoke
during the break.
1349
01:24:56,240 --> 01:24:59,480
He kind of goes up and is leaning
against this tombstone.
1350
01:24:59,480 --> 01:25:01,960
And he looks at the tombstone,
1351
01:25:01,960 --> 01:25:05,360
and the tombstone name
is John Kennedy.
1352
01:25:05,360 --> 01:25:06,800
Everybody laughed.
1353
01:25:06,800 --> 01:25:09,400
It was, of course, a totally
different John F Kennedy,
1354
01:25:09,400 --> 01:25:11,800
who'd died much earlier.
1355
01:25:11,800 --> 01:25:16,360
And then came the news that Kennedy
had been assassinated.
1356
01:25:16,360 --> 01:25:20,280
It's announced on the set,
when they're shooting.
1357
01:25:21,680 --> 01:25:23,720
They take a break.
1358
01:25:23,720 --> 01:25:26,120
They actually finish
the day's shooting,
1359
01:25:26,120 --> 01:25:30,000
and then Frank Sinatra goes
to Palm Springs, to his compound,
1360
01:25:30,000 --> 01:25:31,920
and he just holes up.
1361
01:25:31,920 --> 01:25:35,480
He is so devastated by this,
even though they were not the best
1362
01:25:35,480 --> 01:25:37,920
of friends any more by a long shot,
1363
01:25:37,920 --> 01:25:40,200
he still, he's mourning
the friendship.
1364
01:25:40,200 --> 01:25:44,160
He's mourning the loss to America.
1365
01:25:45,400 --> 01:25:46,840
To the world.
1366
01:25:46,840 --> 01:25:52,640
And he's in his room solitary
for a very, very long time.
1367
01:25:52,640 --> 01:25:57,040
Sinatra was devastated when
President Kennedy was assassinated.
1368
01:25:57,040 --> 01:26:02,160
I talked to his constant companion
and valet for many years,
1369
01:26:02,160 --> 01:26:07,720
who told me that Sinatra drank
himself stupid for days.
1370
01:26:07,720 --> 01:26:11,680
A couple of days,
just more and more whiskey, bourbon,
1371
01:26:11,680 --> 01:26:14,160
went down his throat.
1372
01:26:14,160 --> 01:26:16,760
And a week later,
1373
01:26:16,760 --> 01:26:22,360
Sinatra's son, Frank Jr,
was kidnapped and held for ransom.
1374
01:26:22,360 --> 01:26:25,920
And was eventually released
for money,
1375
01:26:25,920 --> 01:26:28,880
but Sinatra told his daughter
1376
01:26:28,880 --> 01:26:32,360
that he thought the kidnapping
of his son
1377
01:26:32,360 --> 01:26:38,480
was a message from the Mafia
to make sure that he shut his mouth
1378
01:26:38,480 --> 01:26:42,800
about anything he knew about
the possible Mob involvement
1379
01:26:42,800 --> 01:26:44,680
in Jack Kennedy's death.
1380
01:26:54,520 --> 01:26:56,880
Bobby Kennedy, in turn,
would be assassinated
1381
01:26:56,880 --> 01:27:00,440
when he was running for president
in 1968.
1382
01:27:12,800 --> 01:27:18,880
When one looks at the relationship
between Frank Sinatra,
1383
01:27:18,880 --> 01:27:21,920
the Kennedy White House,
and organised crime...
1384
01:27:25,200 --> 01:27:30,080
..you have to look at what
the quid pro quo was
1385
01:27:30,080 --> 01:27:34,640
that the Mob was expecting out
of the Kennedys.
1386
01:27:34,640 --> 01:27:38,960
And whether or not they felt
that the Kennedys lived up to it.
1387
01:27:38,960 --> 01:27:41,200
The answer is no, they didn't.
1388
01:27:44,320 --> 01:27:46,280
Sinatra, all his life -
1389
01:27:46,280 --> 01:27:49,440
who, after all, was a genius -
1390
01:27:49,440 --> 01:27:51,800
and I'll say it flat out,
he was a genius.
1391
01:27:53,400 --> 01:27:57,280
But he could never really totally
glory in his own genius
1392
01:27:57,280 --> 01:28:00,600
because he saw himself
as lesser than.
1393
01:28:02,280 --> 01:28:06,240
And Jack Kennedy was class
incarnate,
1394
01:28:06,240 --> 01:28:12,080
and Sinatra was helplessly and
hopelessly and pitifully
1395
01:28:12,080 --> 01:28:15,840
drawn toward what he considered
class his whole life,
1396
01:28:15,840 --> 01:28:18,200
because he didn't think
he had any.
1397
01:28:18,200 --> 01:28:20,480
And Jack Kennedy was the whole
package.
1398
01:28:20,480 --> 01:28:25,720
And so with the rupture in 1962
1399
01:28:25,720 --> 01:28:29,960
and then with the death
of Jack Kennedy, this was...
1400
01:28:31,360 --> 01:28:35,960
It was a wound that Sinatra felt
I think until the end of his days.
120926
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