Piazza admired Maxine's discretion, and the other eulogists agreed. They praised Maxine less for what she wrote than for what she didn't. Maxine showed no such qualms and, in fact, often bragged in print about her personal relationships with her subjects, especially stars of the Rat Pack era. If Sinatra befriended you, others knew you could be trusted. Maxine, of course, was eminently trustworthy.
Couples celebrate birthdays, anniversaries.
She loved glittering gowns. She knew how to have a good time. And she cussed like a sailor, even around her grandchildren. At the memorial service, Mitzi Gaynor recalled meeting Maxine for the first time. At the airport, a long black car pulled up.