| Sinatra. The name? What does it conjure? Well, | | | | There have been so many great performers |
| for myself and millions of Italian-Americans over | | | | over the years, but there never was, there is not |
| the years, the name Sinatra conjures mostly | | | | now, and there will never ever be another quite |
| love, warmth, happiness, pride. The emotions one | | | | like that man, Francis Albert Sinatra. Never, ever!!! |
| ever really needs. To be happy, content, and feel | | | | I've been a tremendous fan of his since early |
| Love. These are the things that are important. | | | | childhood. I grew up listening to the Beatles, Elvis, |
| These, good health, family togetherness. | | | | The Rolling Stones, all the great Motown and |
| My love of Frank Sinatra, the man and his music | | | | Philadelphia Sound artists, as well as many other |
| began when I was a young boy growing up in | | | | Rock and Pop Stars. Along with the Pop, |
| East Rutherford, | | | | R&B, and Rock music that most kids of my |
| New Jersey. As far back as I can remember, my | | | | age would listen to, I added artists of my parents |
| mother used to play all his wonderful recordings. | | | | generation; like Sinatra, the rest of the Rat Pack, |
| She'd play the records on her RCA Victor Record | | | | Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, and others that |
| Player. Songs like Strangers in the Night, The | | | | most children and young adults my age hardly |
| Summer Wind, Lady is a Tramp, Fly Me to the | | | | ever listened to unless they were the chosen few |
| Moon, Come Fly with Me, and so many more. She | | | | who had the good taste and capacity to |
| played Frank all the time, along with Sammy, Dino, | | | | appreciate musicians like Armstrong, Sinatra, Ella |
| Elvis, Al Martino, Nat King Cole, and Tony Bennett. | | | | Fitzgerald and others. It didn't matter if you were |
| Those were her favorites and Frank Sinatra was | | | | of the generation or not. |
| always number one to my Mom and the entire | | | | When I was in high school, I had a few friends |
| Bellino family. | | | | who were heavily into Sinatra as-well. Other kids |
| The man sang with so much emotion that you | | | | thought he was boring and old-fashioned. We |
| could actually feel it within yourself, the feelings | | | | knew better! We were all of Italian descent and |
| and emotions he was trying to convey. He tried, | | | | we were proud of him and of ourselves that |
| he always succeeded. Whether he was singing a | | | | although we were from another era, we were |
| fun happy song like "Luck Be a Lady," or "I've Got | | | | sophisticated enough, at such young ages to |
| the World on a String." But most of all the | | | | appreciate great performers of our parents and |
| incredible way he sang a torch song. Phenomenal. | | | | grandparents generation. We were cool and we |
| Songs of lost love and bittersweet romances like | | | | knew it! We looked at ourselves as The Jr. Rat |
| "You and Me," as you listen, you feel it, the pain, | | | | Pack, Cool and Sophisticated!!! |
| the sorrow of a bittersweet Love lost. | | | | The sad day in which Frank Sinatra passed away, |
| They say the reason he had this very special | | | | I received four messages of condolence, one |
| touch with torch songs was that as he song | | | | from my sister Barbara, one from my |
| these songs, he'd always think of the greatest | | | | brother-in-law Noel, one from my friend Selena, |
| love of all and the Lost Love, | | | | and one from my good buddy James Starace. |
| Ava Gardner, "The proverbial girl that got away." | | | | That's how much I loved the man, and all my |
| The man had such a way with lyrics and music, | | | | friends and family knew it, thus the messages of |
| he'd take those songs and make them his own. | | | | condolence. I wouldn't be surprised if that |
| These songs were, still are, and always will be | | | | happened to a million other Sinatra fans. |
| wonderful such "Wonderful Gifts" to the World, to | | | | We were blessed with his presence for a long |
| his hundreds of millions of fans. They are a part | | | | time. We still are, through all his fabulous |
| of history, left to mankind, to eternity. How | | | | recordings and the memories they evoke of old |
| wonderful. Lucky we all are. | | | | girlfriends, of our mothers, fathers, and of Frank. |
| Italian-Americans are deeply proud that he was | | | | I made sure that I went to see the man perform |
| one of their own. He was an Icon, The Twentieth | | | | live on seven extraordinary occasions. These |
| Century's greatest entertainer, a National | | | | concerts hold many wonderful memories that I |
| Treasure and source of pride. Someone whom | | | | will have for the rest of my life, along with the |
| Italians-Americans looked-up-to and were proud | | | | numerous dinners with friends and family spent |
| of, to brag about. He was of Italian blood, that | | | | listening to his incomparable recordings and having |
| our roots were from the same place, as well as | | | | Sinatra Parties on Saturday nights when WNEW |
| so many of our forbearer's of Italy to precede | | | | AM in New York used to have a show every |
| us, people like; | | | | Saturday night for years called "Saturday with |
| Leonardo Da Vinci, Bruneleschi, Verrazzano, | | | | Sinatra", as only New Yorkers could do, New |
| Columbus, Marconi, and Michael Angelo. There was | | | | Yorkers being Franks most loyal fans. The show |
| Joe Di Maggio, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Al | | | | was hosted by Sid Marxs. Sid and some of his |
| Pacino, Francis Ford Copola, Robert Mondavi, Jake | | | | special guest would tell all sorts of wonderful |
| La Motta, Rocky Marciano, and so many more, | | | | stories about Frank. There would be guests who |
| and of all those incredible people, Sinatra was tops. | | | | knew Frank personally, as well as listeners who |
| He still is. | | | | would call in and tell stories of how they fell in |
| There was nobody quite like Frank, who gave | | | | love listening to Sinatra or how they met him one |
| you such wonderful feelings and emotions | | | | time, or of performances that they went to. The |
| whenever you listened to him, or watched him in | | | | show was three hours of listening to Sinatra's |
| movies like "Kings Go Forth" or his Oscar winning | | | | incomparable music and of stories and antidotes |
| performance as Maggio in "From Here to Eternity". | | | | of "The Man." |
| If you were ever fortunate enough to see him | | | | Sinatra was loved all over the world, and people |
| perform live, it was an experience like no other. | | | | could tell you all sorts of interesting antidotes |
| You know how he makes you feel so good when | | | | pertaining to all parts of the globe. I have a |
| you listen to one of his beautiful recordings? Well | | | | particular interesting memory of him combined |
| multiply that by 100 and you just start to | | | | with a great food and wine trip in Italy. I was in |
| understand. The feelings one felt at a Sinatra | | | | the small wine town of Greve in Chianti Classico, |
| Concert were oh so magical. euphoric feelings | | | | Italy having a nice little dinner with my pal Jimmy |
| you'd get the same euphoric feeling that you got | | | | Starace. We were in this great little Enoteca |
| as a child on Christmas Night opening your | | | | eating the famed local salumi and Paparadelle with |
| presents. Do you remember? Only seeing Sinatra | | | | Wild Boar Ragu. We were a bit surprised (I don't |
| "Live" was so much better. | | | | know why) to hear Sinatra and Billy Holiday |
| When you went to a Sinatra Concert there would | | | | recordings playing at this little place. The owner |
| be so much love, joy, happiness, and adulation for | | | | walked by to see how we were doing. I gave him |
| the man that you could literally feel it in the air. It | | | | a thumbs-up and told him, "Great music". |
| made you shiver and sent chills up and down your | | | | "You like Billy Holiday?" he inquired. We had a nice |
| spine. "Truly." People would be screaming out, "We | | | | little conversation with him about Billy, Sinatra, and |
| love you Frank", men and women, and he'd reply | | | | wine. He told us that he had lived and worked in |
| back, "I love you too", in a way, only Frank could | | | | for a few years and worked in New York for a |
| do. He truly did love and appreciate his fans and | | | | few years. This guy was a big fan of Frank, Billy, |
| had such a wonderful rapport with his audience. | | | | and New York City. So, that's Frank for you, |
| Frank would always say such warm and | | | | loved the World over, even in little towns like |
| wonderful things as he performed. It was | | | | Greve in Chianti. |
| amazing. As they say, "You could feel the Love". | | | | |