The Wilmington morning star., 1947-09-11
AS Pegler Sees 1t
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER
downright. 1917, BY King Features Syndi'
rate Incl

\AORy AA6As .y
cate, Inc.)
NEW YORK Sept. 10. - E. j. Kahn,
.Jr.. one of the rapturous writer's in the
concert of propaganda to rehabllltate
Frank Sinatra's artificial reputation. may
in this instance be an inferior reporter 1or
all his seeming of thoroughness and author
ity, Kahn processes to have made a. compe-
tent study of his subject, but nowhere IN
his eulogies does he report that FRANK
Sinatra was arrested on Nov. 26, 1888,
charged with a sexua offense. He does
tell us that Sinatra's income is somewhat
more or less than a million dollars a year,
out of which, it might be noted, he could
distribute, say, $500, 600 as a deductlble
business expense to stimulate favorable
publicity and to suppress unfavorable In
formation.
Sinatra's publicity has been a phenome-
1 non of propaganda. Almost all OF IL since MS
Involvement in two unpleasant episodes last
winter has been complimentary. And most
of it has been absolutely gratuitous, I'M
justified by any city desk news standard.
Doubtless much of it has been free propa-
ganda in the nature of public masE-notes
from ideologians of the far left who have
thus repaid Sinatra for his pretentlous
Services" to SOM of their political prof.
ects.
Mr.. Kahn, did his praiseful essays origin
a]lv for the New Yorker, but he got a lot
of other mileage out of his stories. Much OF
the same material has later appeared in
book form, in a digest publication and IN
one of the weekly picture-books.
Nevertheless, this noted authority
on Sinatra failed to tell us that on Nov. Is,
1898, in the criminal judicial district court
of Bergen Co., N. j., Frank Sinatra, of
Hoboken, was charged with seducing. on a
promise to marry, a young woman "o1
80 ---.l- E.. aLo-4;&1y xyh ornhv cho hn.
came pregnant" Sinatra was released on
81, zoo bail provided by the Peerless Casual
tv Co., of H~ackensack, and the complaint
was withdrawn on Dec. 7. Two weeks later
Sinatra was arrested again, charged, this
time. with adultery with the same girl.
now described as a married woman. The
case was referred to the grand Jury, which
found no bill. It was then dismissed.
sinatra was about % years old at the
time. This age conflicts with the accounts
of his p~ropagandists, but it is consistent
with the age which he stated on the official
passenger list of the Pan-American Air
ways last Feb. II, when he flew from
Miami to Havana with the Fischettl broth
ers, Joe and Rocco, of Chicago. Sinatra was
MT merely a passenger on the same plane
with the Fischettis. He was with them.
The ~Fischettis are related to the Ca
pcnes and lave many interests IN common
with the CapOne gang. vi ILLS FosSehSeA
list, Sinatra's age is given as 81.
Mr.. Kahn is only one of many writers.
including night club, radio and movie col
u1nnists of New York and Hollywood who
have minimized incidents of Sinatra's ca
reer which other persons might have view
ed with severity. Dozens of these inter
prefers" and propagandists purport to pc
authorities on the personal histories OF all
such celebrities" Many of them draw out
landist salaries as reporters. But not one
of them has ever reported this episode, the
most dramatic in Sinatra'S life.
Mr.. Kahn comedies that Sinatra has "sev-
eral friends who, while not precisely des-
p~eradoes, are fairly rough-and.tumble in
~dividuals.'' He quotes one OF Slnatra's
friends as saying that such persons ARE
always looking out to see that nothing hap
pens to frankie and it makes him happy
to think they're tough hombres.' we are
not told why they should apprehend that
anything might happen to" a decent man,
keeping good company.
Again, Kahn says: "He is often surround
ed by a strolling wall of self-appointed
guardians" and che doesn't have any OIL.
cial bodyguard now, but he has had them"
When Sinatra slugged Lee Mortimer, the
New York theatrical reporter, IN C4ro's, IN
HOLLYWOOD, without warning, striking him
from the side or from behind, Mortimer
said ''Sinatra and three men jumped me-
Now, touching Sinatra's relaxation with
Luciano, the %Fischettis and others. in Ha-
vana. Kahn writes: Zone of his acquaint-
ancee this past year has been a Chicagoan
named Joe Fischetti. He was a man OF I'm
slllied reputation himself, but a membe
of a family not unfamiliar with the due
processes of the law. 1t was through rela-
tives of Fischetti's that Sinatra, while va
cationing in Cuba, was induced to shake
hands with Lucky Luciano"
That is Kahn's version. He stands on it.
But one of Sinatra's own group has re-
ferred to a wild party in which the idol OF
innocent American girlhood. took part in
the Hotel Nacional in Havana as that
debauch''. Among those present were S1na-
ira, Luciano, the Fischettis, a Chicago
journalist of the night club and underworld
run and a number of women. 1t was a
very loud party.
Such was the handshake with Luciano,
one of the foulest criminals OF the age, and
a man soon to be deported even from
Cuba for conspiring to start a great mar
cotic trade. The United States even cut off
legal narcotic traffic with Cuba Until he
had been taken out of action. S1natra knew
who and what Luciano was and he revelled
with him.
A strip of moving pictures shows Sinatra
coming off the plane in Havana accom-
panied by two Fischettis, Joe and Rocco
Sinatra is carrying a small baggage case
hardly big enough for more apparel than a
shirt but apparently quite heavy.
This is an appropriate point to quote an
official of the U. S Bureau of Narcotics:
''The fact of his being associated with the
F1scl ettis warrants of giving him (Sinatra)
moro than passing attention"
Another government investigation reveal
ed that Sinatra's friend. Joe. was a partner
with Rocco and another brother named
Char7io in A suburban Chicago gambling
dive. Rocco was described as a member
of the Italian secret underworld organiza-
ton. the Malta. of which Luciano was the
leader.
Rocco is named in the passenger list
Just above Sinatra and is with him in the