A question about Neapolitans/Italians:

Would Brigita or Bridgita or Bridget (some variation) have been an uncommon name in 19th century Naples?

I ask because my great great grandmother was named that and was married to a man named Carlo and they lived in a tiny town in Naples. I'm just wondering if it's possible she was non-Italian?

Sinatra's mother, Dolly, who was the driving force in his life, was Northern Italian. She was born in Genoa and came here as a little girl. His father, Marty, was born in Palagonia, Catania (Sicily).

Dolly was clearly the boss in that family. Not only was she ashamed of her husband's Sicilian roots, she wasn't very proud of her own Italian background either. She actually made her husband adopt the surname O'Brien for business purposes (as a boxer and later as a tavern owner), and Italian was NEVER spoken in their home. Frank Sinatra didn't understand a word of Italian, and except for a few Americanized verses of a few Italian folk songs, he never recorded a song in Italian either (and he recorded over 1000 songs).

Dolly was very much a part of the Irish Democratic Machine in North Jersey. The common misconception is that wiseguys put Sinatra on the map, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Their involvement in his career came much later when he was down and out after "losing" his voice in the late '40s. But it was Dolly Sinatra's Irish political pals who pulled strings to get Frank his gig with the Hoboken Four and his regular gig at the Rustic Cabin, which ultimately led to his gig with Harry James. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Thanks PB your like the history channel

PB, interesting take on Dolly and his early career. She seemed like his unofficial manager at the early stages. Only thing is when Tommy Dorsey voided his contract in 1942, as the story goes, he did so under a considerable amount of duress.

It's really not my take. It's pretty much all fact. His daughters don't even dispute that version of things, and they're his biggest apologists.

And yeah, thanks to Mario Puzo and Johnny Fontane we got some stories. But the truth is, Sinatra payed Tommy Dorsey over a million dollars to void that contract, which would be equal to something like 20 million today. It's a matter of public record.

Pizzaboy how do you legitimatly achieve a hard on?

3 blue pills, vanilla scented candles, a pump, a Victoria's Secret catalog and extreme concentration... Give him a break - he's old.

I'll tell you, Mark. With the blue pills, I really don't have to concentrate all that hard.

Actually those rumors pre-date Mario Puzo. Willie Moretti is said to have hated the rumors and denied any coercion on his part. I wasn't aware of the large money pay out. Seems like another mob myth that took a life of it's own.

Actually, Moretti was quoted as saying something like "Tommy Dorsey had his own friends," or something to that effect. The implication being that Tommy had a rabbi, too. But you're right, it was just a silly rumor that really spun out of control after "The Godfather" was published.

Same with Sinatra getting the role in "From Here to Eternity." Horse's head, my ass. Ava Gardner BEGGED Harry Cohn to give Frank that job. She probably blew him for it .

Lol - he said; "hard"

Caemine, the question, more accurately, is why do you have a hardon for pizzaboy?

You sure know your Sinatra Pb

They are both the same. You're forgetting Calabrian mobsters and the ones from Puglia too.

But yeah they all want to make money and as much of it as they can without getting caught. It doesn't matter where they are from or where in Italy their heritage is from.