Product Description

'Ava tells me she's told you things you shouldn't know. Let me tell you this: you never tell anyone - not in my lifetime.' This is the warning that Michael Munn received over the telephone from Ol'Blue Eyes himself when he was spending time at Ava Gardner's house one day. Suffice it to say that he has never spoken to anyone about the contents of this book until now, after Frank Sinatra's death. Sinatra: The Untold Story is an extraordinary book that gives us an insight into the darker side of Frank's life - in particular his dealings with the Mob, and how he made a secret pact with the FBI to nail Chicago Mob Boss Sam Giancana as the man behind the conspiracy to kill Marilyn Monroe. The author unearths new evidence that contradicts the accepted accounts of Monroe's death and inevitably implicates the Kennedies, the FBI, and CIA and the Mafia. We learn how Sinatra feared for Monroe's safety after being shown photos of a drugged and drunk Monroe by Giancana. And how Sinatra was questioned by the FBI after Monroe's death. And how Giancana then sent Sinatra the skin of a lamb's head (signifying that he was soon to be killed) for his part in the FBI investigation. The author tracks Sinatra's vendetta against Giancana and his struggles to get free from the Mafia's control in later life. This fascinating biography contains exclusive material and has extremely wideranging implications.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #94622 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 226 pages

About the Author
Michael Munn was a personal friend of Ava Gardner when he was a film publicist in 1974. He is now a well-established actor and TV producer in the eastern counties. The author of The Hollywood Murder Casebook and The Hollywood Connection, Michael Mann is considered an authority on the subject of Hollywood murder mysteries and he has appeared in a US documentary and Radio 2's The Mob Rules.

Customer Reviews

An very interesting read
I had little or no knowledge of Frank Sinatra's history before I read this book, all that my friend knew when he bought it me was that i liked a few of his songs. I started reading it, and it hooked me. It was really interesting to see how the mob worked and how frank's links worked. Sometimes the book can seem a little presumptuous about affairs going on and linking them directly with the mob, they may be true, may not be, but still a great read.

Unconvincing Sinatra mob history
It is difficult to escape Munn's assertion about how strong his relationship with Ava Gardner was because relentlessly we are reminded about how "she told him this or that." This may well be to emphasise the credibility of the sources but it is unnecessary. The subject matter is interesting and provides some additional detail to the goings on surrounding the deaths of Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedys but there is the belief that owing to the existence of countless biographies on Sinatra that large chunks of him life can be dismissed. This leaves the read being slightly disjointed and the feeling that this book only serves as a toe-dipping exercise for learning more on Sinatra.

Darker than your average....
I'm a great fan of Frank Sinatra and have read several books about him and the rest of the ratpack. However, I don't think any of them have touched so well on the darker side of his life. Based on conversations Michael Munn had with Ava Gardner and several of Sinatra's friends/associates it gives a real insight into how his connections with the Mafia shaped his career and lifestyle. It also covers his associations with the Kennedys and his almost obsessive need to be friends with people in power.
I almost only gave this book 4 stars as in a way it made me sad. I always knew about his mafia and Kennedy connections but this book was still a real eye-opener. Sinatra could often spit his dummy out if he didn't get his own way. However, I don't think it fair that my feelings on the great man should detract credit from this book.
If you have read enough about his romances, music and movies, read this. It really is fascinating.