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 Cabin Restaurant Lounge, which ultimately led to his gig with Harry James. And the rest, as they say, is history.
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.
