His Way_ The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra - Kitty Kelley [245]
“When Frank came out for Richard Nixon, I wrote him a letter and told him to take me off his Christmas list—no more big, fancy, showy presents—because with Nixon in office we were going to be in for hard times,” she said. “I said we’d probably never even see Christmas, let alone have money to spend what with all Nixon was spending to bomb Vietnam and Cambodia. … I was disgusted with Frank and told him so. I told him what I thought of him for endorsing such a man. I signed the letter and sent it.
“His office called me three different times to make sure there wasn’t some mistake. I said the only mistake was Frank’s endorsement of Richard Nixon. Well, my husband must’ve gotten a call from Sinatra, because he came roaring home, screaming, ‘How dare you? How dare you?’ He wanted to throw something at me, and I knew then that my marriage was over.… Frank never spoke to me again, and no matter how many years go by, he will never forgive me. If I had a career to ruin, I’m sure he’d try to do it. He’s a vengeful man that way.… I’ve known Frank a long time. He was a patient of my brother, who was a psychiatrist—Dr. Ralph Greenson. And that was in the early 1950s. That’s how long I’ve known Frank Sinatra.
“Rudin’s reaction was almost funny … but sad, too, because Frank is not a good friend to Mickey … even though Mickey has protected Sinatra, his family, and his children with his understanding and compassion.
“Sure, Frank sent him a very expensive Oriental desk when he was traveling in the Far East and thousands of dollars’ worth of Dunhill fishing tackle for his new boat, but so what? He still treats him like dirt. … I remember when he called Rudin a foul name and they hung up on each other.… Mickey is Jewish and I am Jewish, and when people get mad they say things, and no matter how they try to retract them later, I still feel wounded. And Sinatra knows how to wound people.… When we were sitting down as a family to our Passover Seder, Frank called constantly and would not leave Mickey alone. Mickey said, ‘Enough is enough. I’m getting out.’ He wanted to get rid of him then, but he never did.
“I don’t know if Frank is Mafia or not, but I do know that he has been involved with some very unethical people. Mickey always left the house to find a pay phone to talk to Frank about certain things. When we got divorced, I found out that Mickey had put everything in my name, including July’s restaurant and Frank’s house in Palm Springs. I had to sign about forty quit claims and that’s when I decided to take back my maiden name so Mickey couldn’t borrow against any of my property or use my name for whatever reason.”
Despite Mrs. Rudin’s objection, Frank stood staunchly behind the Nixon-Agnew ticket and even campaigned with the Vice-President, oblivious to the Watergate scandal swirling around the White House. He helped Agnew court the Jewish vote by making him part of the program when he received the Medallion of Valor of the State of Israel. On election night, Frank flew to Washington to be with the Agnews and help them celebrate when the Republican ticket carried forty-nine states.
Now Frank could look forward to four years of uninterrupted power and prestige as the best friend of the Vice-President of the United States. Despite his work for Kennedy in 1960 and for Humphrey in 1968, he had never flown on Air Force One, nor had he been invited to a White House state dinner or a weekend at Camp David. Now all that a grateful President and Vice-President could bestow would be his. They began by offering him the opportunity to stage another inaugural gala, but he declined, preferring to be viewed as a statesman. “He simply doesn’t want to be treated as a performer anymore,” said his publicist, Jim Mahoney. “He will be at the inaugural, but not to perform.”
Frank flew to Washington in January 1973 with Barbara Marx, newly divorced, to