His Way_ The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra - Kitty Kelley [278]
Three years later, Frank still wanted to be licensed, so Caesars Palace agreed to submit his name for a “key employee” license, but the casino refused to pay the cost of the investigation. Frank assumed the burden himself and paid about $500,000 to have his background checked.
By 9:18 A.M. on February 11, 1981, the board was ready to take Sinatra’s testimony in public hearing. He walked into city council chambers on East Stewart Avenue accompanied by his wife, his attorneys, his publicist, July Rizzo, and his various character witnesses. The first to testify was Peter Pitchess, the sheriff of Los Angeles County, who had given Frank a special deputy badge of the L.A. Police Department years before. Introducing himself as a “very good friend” of the applicant, the sheriff ended his testimony by stating: “If Mr. Sinatra is a member of the Mafia, then I am the godfather.”
At the time Sheriff Pitchess made this remark, Ralph Salerno, one of the county’s leading experts on organized crime, was conducting a seminar in California for law enforcement officers. The next day Salerno addressed his class, many of whom worked for the sheriff: “When you see Pete Pitchess, tell him I say, ‘Hello, Godfather!’ ” Six months later, Sinatra took Sheriff Pitchess and Mrs. Pitchess with him to South Africa.
The next character witness was an Episcopal priest, Father Herbert Ward, executive director of St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Las Vegas, who raved about Frank’s generosity and the fact that he “gives glory to God.” The priest was followed by the chancellor of the University of Nevada, for which Sinatra’s benefits had raised more than five million dollars since 1974. He praised Frank’s “many unheralded philanthropic endeavors.”
Then came Hank Greenspun, who reminisced about the Cal-Neva incident in 1963, when Frank turned on Ed Olsen, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Board, for challenging him about having Sam Giancana on the premises. Mr. Greenspun revised history.
“It was nothing more than a shouting match [which] developed into a total character besmirchment, a hellish experience that this man has lived with for sixteen years,” he said.
One of the star witnesses was Gregory Peck, who told the commission that Frank was a good citizen “who does more than anyone I know to serve his fellow man.”
Kirk Douglas followed with an effusive recital of Frank’s goodness and offered into testimony an article he had written for The New York Times which the paper had rejected. The article entitled “Virtue Is Not Photogenic” was filled with awe and admiration for Sinatra’s generosity.
Sinatra’s lawyer then addressed the commissioners, saying that under the Freedom of Information Act Frank had petitioned the government for all his files and had received “fourteen pounds” of FBI files and “another thirteen or so pounds” of IRS files, which he said he made available to the staff investigators. Dismissing most of the information as unsubstantiated and insignificant, the lawyer testified that the FBI was “out to get Mr. Sinatra” with “the net result [being] nothing.” He read from an IRS report that said while “the taxpayer has openly consorted and traveled with Giancana, the evidence supporting a joint financial—financial or nominee interest between the taxpayer and Giancana is lacking.”
In an affidavit. Bob Hope tried to put an acceptable face on the photograph of Frank with Carlo Gambino, saying that it was not fair “to draw conclusions about him from the fact that he may from time to time have been photographed with people who are not pillars of society.” The comedian saluted Frank’s “reputation for generosity” and said that because of his contributions to the entertainment industry in Nevada he should be given a gaming license.
The last witness called was Frank himself, who testified for almost an hour about his relationship with Sam Giancana.
Q: Did you ever discuss with Mr. Giancana the fact that you might be a front for him at the Cal-Neva or that he might have