Sinatra and the Jack Pack
New York Times bestseller: Frank Sinatra and JFK—the truth behind their friendship, and what destroyed it.
Frank Sinatra had his Rat Pack, made up of hard-drinking, womanizing charmers like himself, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Peter Lawford. But the guy Ol’ Blue Eyes wanted to hang with was Lawford’s brother-in-law, the real chairman of the board, John F. Kennedy. In Sinatra and the Jack Pack, Michael Sheridan delves deep into the acclaimed singer’s relationship with the former president. He shares how Sinatra emerged from a working class Italian family and carved out a unique place for himself in American culture, and how Kennedy, also of immigrant stock, came from a privileged background of which the young Frank could only have dreamed. By the time the men met in the 1950s, both were successful—and both liked the good life. They bonded over their mutual ability to attract beautiful women, male admirers, and adoring acolytes. They also shared a scandalous secret: each had dubious relationships with the mafia. It helped Frank’s career and bought Kennedy votes. All the while, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was compiling detailed and damning dossiers on their activities. From all accounts the friendship thrived. Then, suddenly, in March 1962, Frank was abruptly ejected from JFK’s gang. Sinatra and the Jack Pack, the basis for a Reelz Channel documentary, reveals why. With its legendary cast of characters, this is the compelling, untold story of a tumultuous relationship between two American icons.
Frank Sinatra had his Rat Pack, made up of hard-drinking, womanizing charmers like himself, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Peter Lawford. But the guy Ol’ Blue Eyes wanted to hang with was Lawford’s brother-in-law, the real chairman of the board, John F. Kennedy. In Sinatra and the Jack Pack, Michael Sheridan delves deep into the acclaimed singer’s relationship with the former president. He shares how Sinatra emerged from a working class Italian family and carved out a unique place for himself in American culture, and how Kennedy, also of immigrant stock, came from a privileged background of which the young Frank could only have dreamed. By the time the men met in the 1950s, both were successful—and both liked the good life. They bonded over their mutual ability to attract beautiful women, male admirers, and adoring acolytes. They also shared a scandalous secret: each had dubious relationships with the mafia. It helped Frank’s career and bought Kennedy votes. All the while, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was compiling detailed and damning dossiers on their activities. From all accounts the friendship thrived. Then, suddenly, in March 1962, Frank was abruptly ejected from JFK’s gang. Sinatra and the Jack Pack, the basis for a Reelz Channel documentary, reveals why. With its legendary cast of characters, this is the compelling, untold story of a tumultuous relationship between two American icons.
