Today's MOZEN: To Be Like Frank

F LoBuono

It seems that we have a lot more in common that our first names. Perhaps, that is why I have always been fascinated with Frank Sinatra.

But there's more to it than just a shared moniker. There are other similar elements to our story.

Sinatra's father's family comes from the same village in Sicily as my father's, Lercara Friddi. Located near Palermo, it is an ancient town steeped in history and tradition. Their is no question in my mind that the fact that Sinatra had a Sicilian soul contributed to his intensity and, therefore, his legendarily mercurial personality (more on this subject later). Although thoroughly American, I, too, identify with the depth of the Sicilian soul. Sicily is a place noted for both its savagery and beauty. That dichotomy is in our blood. And, he was a "Jersey kid" from Hoboken. I grew up in Fort Lee. Coincidentally, his parents eventually moved to Fort Lee. He was painfully thin most of his life. I, also, have had a tendency to be thin. In fact, as a young man playing sports, I always struggled to keep my weight up.

Of course, we part ways when comparing our talents. Sinatra, quite simply, is unmatched as a performer. When he sang, it was instantly recognized. NO ONE sounded like Sinatra. Those who knew him said he was never more honest than when he sang. He BECAME the song. It came from his heart and soul. People gravitated to this honesty. It made him a superstar! It has also been said that he lived his personal life that way, too. If he liked you, there was no end to the depth of his giving and compassion. Despite his enormous success, he always made his friends feel as if they were the important ones. On the other side of that coin, if he didn't like you, his anger could be just as intense. Once he cut you out of his life, you simply did not exist to him. This is part of the Sicilian Soul that I mentioned before. There is an intensity to it that is palpable.

In my mind, his acting was just as brilliant as his singing. He poured ALL of himself into every role. Just as with his crooning, he was as honest as he could possibly be. His Academy Award winning role in "From Here To Eternity" is just one of his many brilliant performances. He held nothing back. It was ALL or NOTHING AT ALL. There was no room for compromise. His approach to excellence was apparent not only in his performing but in everything he did. His attention to detail was legendary. He felt it was his responsibility to give everything that he had to anything he felt worth doing. It could make him difficult. But, as in the case with most geniuses, people realized that the end (his brilliance) justified the means.

But, Sinatra was far more than a mere entertainer. He was a cultural phenomenon. He could influence everything from style to Presidential elections! And, he was not shy about that ability. In fact, he used it to foster causes, like Civil Rights, that were dear to his heart. When Sammy Davis, Jr. married Brit Eckland (a white woman) it caused a furor. Many of Davis' friends abandoned him. Not Sinatra. No. Sinatra was loyal to a fault. When Davis was shunned by nightclub owners, Sinatra exerted his influence to make sure that Davis would still find work. He campaigned tirelessly for a young John F. Kennedy because he believed that Kennedy would bring the social changed needed in the Country at the time. Again, in classic Sinatra fashion, when Kennedy eventually spurned him, in a fit of rage, he completed excised Kennedy from his life (again, VERY Sicilian).

His talent, style and influence could only be surpassed by his compassion. In a recent interview, Jerry Lewis called Sinatra the most compassionate and complete person he has ever known. In fact, he even called him "Messiah-like". To illustrate his point he related this story: Sinatra informed Lewis to grab his tuxedo and meet him at Sinatra's private plane at 7 pm. Apparently, Sinatra had gotten wind of a story about the widow of fireman killed in the line of duty in Richland, Ohio and was struggling to make ends meet. Sinatra's plan was to rent out a local arena to put on a fund raising show that night with Sinatra and Lewis as the headliners. Of course, without question, Lewis complied. At his own expense, and WITHOUT fanfare, Sinatra rented the arena, brought in a 35 piece orchestra with all the associated technical talent, and raised over $350,000 dollars for that widow! He did things like this on a regular basis.

Sinatra could also be petty and stubborn. These, too, are traits of the Sicilian Soul. There is a depth to it that allows for both the warmest compassion and the cruelest callousness. Compromise is not easily come by. In Sinatra's case the combination worked brilliantly. Sinatra was always Sinatra.

In this, the 100th year of his birth, we celebrate his extraordinary life and accomplishments. We laud the good and look past the bad. And, it reminds me that I need to share more with Frank than a first name and a culture - I need to BE like Frank.