Sinatra and Me

I enjoyed reading this book more than probably many others over the years. First, as a resident of Palm Springs for years, I can vouch for so many incidents that the author talks about, the sad,. the funny, and the outrageous. This book was like a trip down memory lane for me. It's well written and has enough to give a personal look at Mr. Sinatra and all of his friends, but not be intrusive.

I hope I find out when this author has another book out. In the meantime, I will probably read and reread this book many times.

Mike Michelsen

My mom was the ultimate Sinatra fan and to her dying day had a huge poster of young Frank hanging on her closet door. My father had a passing resemblance to Frank, and I grew up with Frank singing throughout our home. Every birthday, Mother's Day, or Christmas, someone gave mom a book about Frank, a biography, a new coffee table book, whatever was out there. She loved Frank.

And so, I had to read this book. I totally enjoyed Tony Oppedisano's reminiscences about his time with Frank. At times I could smell the cigarette smoke and taste the whiskey; it felt like you were right there. Loved the descriptions of Jilly's and the scenes there. There's just so much here.

Deeply honest and heartfelt, this book is a must for anyone with a love for or an interest in Frank Sinatra. Love the man, love the music -- great book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read Sinatra and Me.

Tony Oppedisano writes affectionately and effectively about his years as Frank Sinatra’s friend, manager and confidante.
Much has been written about Sinatra but this intimate look focuses on the many discussions and revelations made ‘in the wee hours’. From his early days as a teenage idol crooner to his reign as the Chairman of the Board, Sinatra’s journey was peppered with lovers, wives, friends, successes and failures. Tony Oppedisano knew the man and describes the people, places and moments with such flair that I felt as if I was there. His words are atmospheric, his respect and love for Sinatra is palpable. Tony was with Sinatra until the day he died. He was there through it all and his memories make us see the man in a light as vibrant as his career.
I highly recommend this book and thank NetGalley, Tony Oppedisano and Scribner for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

Captivating from start to finish and mandatory reading, in my opinion, for anyone seeking to understand Sinatra at length.

Truly, much has been made about the man and his off-stage endeavors (for better and worse). Where you end up regarding The Chairman is your own adventure, but I think that Oppedisano and Ross’ work here is laid bare for your consideration.

Does it cover every single solitary scandal and triumph? Of course not. The author appears to just be commenting on what he knew/was witness to during his time with Sinatra. Focusing more on the latter stages of his career, we get a very intimate look on how one of the best in show business—or any business, for that matter—dealt with changes, whether they emerged from cultural shifts, old age, and tragedies. It makes some people look pretty good in hindsight, but one person, despite Tony O. making numerous concessions to give the benefit of the doubt, simply doesn’t get out of this with an improved reputation.

The chapters are parsed crisply and cleanly, demarcated to focus on his friends, music, women, etc., with little call-back to other parts of the book. You don’t have to be a Sinatra super-fan to know who’s who; furthermore, and to the authors’ credit, you don’t get too far without also sharing in the sorrows and triumphs.

It was stated that this work was meant to separate myth from reality, and, in that regard, it’s stupendously valuable. Comparing it to other Sinatra biographies, it definitely reads more smoothly (i.e. it doesn’t come off as too academic), and I say that because I know of some fellow readers who get quickly turned off by something bogged down with a lot of citations.

Beyond its unique insight into Sinatra’s inner circle, I believe it also grants new power to the man’s music, especially his work from the mid-1970s and on. It’s not a salacious tell-all, but an earnest, warm tribute from a friend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the advance read.

This memoir of Mr Oppedisano's history with Frank Sinatra was extremely entertaining and gave the reader an insight into Sinatra's personal life. Keeps you mesmerized until the final page. A great read if you are a Sinatra fan.

I have been a Sinatra fan for many years and I was concerned another biography would reiterate what I have already read about him. It seemed what was recounted consisted of what happened that Tony was a witness to and I can appreciate that. It was not boring and read nicely. I’m sure there were more successes and failures that weren’t presented but it was a great read about an iconic musician.

4 Stars

My love for entertainment biographies drew me to this tome, especially since I had only a generic knowledge of ole "Blue Eyes". I was first lured in by Sinatra's music when I saw the delightful sleeper film "Once Around" in the early 90's. The movie was about a close knit Italian family. Their daughter Renata (Holly Hunter) met much older, wildly successful entrepreneur Sam (Richard Dreyfuss) and their unlikely romance was a whirlwind that led to marriage. At that highbrow wedding, Renata's father (played by Danny Aiello) took the microphone from the wedding band to address the couple, summing it all up by singing the song that was swirling around them since their relationship's inception: "Fly me to the Moon". I was swept away by this very romantic song, and later downloaded/purchased Sinatra's infectious live performance of this track.

Author Tony Oppedisano aka "Tony O" met Sinatra at the age of 21 and ultimately became his best friend and work colleague by the time of Sinatra's death. Tony was so trusted by the Sinatra family that he was with him at the moment of death, accompanied him to the hospital morgue and was the last person to lay eyes on him when his casket was closed. Oppedisano was born in Brooklyn to an Italian family, although his reddish hair was an irony. He was like an old soul and loved to sing music like Sinatra's. Performing in clubs, he eventually met and befriended NY club owner Jilly Rizzo. Up until that point Jilly was Sinatra's very best friend and right hand man when Sinatra toured in concert. On December 8, 1972 Tony was at Jilly's and finally met Sinatra. Eventually Jilly, Tony and Sinatra became a trio of best friends, but Tony's ultimate loyalty was to Jilly. Tony moved to California to live and work with his new friends. When Jilly unexpectedly died in a grizzly car accident one night, Tony assumed the role of Sinatra's closest friend and confidant. Sinatra's ultimate happy place was a compound he owned in the California desert, and he and Tony would sit around the pool with Jack Daniels talking into the wee hours of the morning. Sinatra's normal time to get up to start his day was 3pm, so that shows just how long they would jaw into the dawn. They talked about so many things like Frank's enduring love for his first wife Nancy Sr., his view of just how Marilyn Monroe died, his relationship with the mob and his secret charity donations. This book also confirmed a surprising story that was recently revealed in author Bill O'Reilly's new book "Killing the Mob" about the mob contract out on actor/producer Desi Arnaz.

I also enjoyed reading about Sinatra and Tony's friendships with other iconic entertainment stars of the time, particularly Don Rickles (Tony worked with him before and after Sinatra's death) and Dean Martin. It also was very interesting learning of the dynamic of Sinatra's final marriage to Barbara Marx, and her tumultuous relationship with the children from Sinatra's first marriage to Nancy Sr. It was very obvious that Tony was as close as you could get as a friend to Sinatra, which led to a very enjoyable and meaningful first read about this Italian American entertainment icon.

Thank you to the publisher Scribner for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Out of the many books written about Frank Sinatra this had fresh insight, even to fans who have read many biographies about him. The psychological analysis of Sinatra was especially revealing coming from somebody who knew him so well.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I must admit this is one of the best Sinatra books I have ever read! It made you feel like you were there!