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Tony KonsilyoRight hand of the legendary actor and singer Frank Sinatra
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Tony Consilio: The Right Hand of Frank Sinatra
- The Sensational Memoirs
- The Dedicated Right Hand
- An Unconventional Friendship
- A Complex Personality
- The Loyalty and Generosity
- A Life of Devotion
- A Lasting Friendship
Tony Consilio: The Right Hand of Frank Sinatra
Tony Consilio was the loyal right-hand man and trusted aide of legendary actor and singer Frank Sinatra. Born and raised in New Jersey, Consilio and Sinatra became friends at a young age and remained inseparable for over three decades. Consilio's biography, titled "Sinatra and Me: The Very Good Years," is filled with shocking stories and intimate details of their time together.
The Sensational Memoirs
The memoirs of Consilio, the right-hand man of the legendary actor and singer Frank Sinatra, have recently been published in Britain. In the memoirs, Sinatra expresses his displeasure with a young artist who behaved inappropriately at a hotel in Atlantic City. In the middle of the night, Sinatra instructed his friend and loyal assistant, Tony Consilio, to buy meat ribs, drench them in sauce, and "throw them in that bitch's face." Consilio, carrying a plate of food, arrived at the artist's door and apologized for the intrusion, stating that Sinatra suggested she try the dish. He then threw the plate at her. This is just one of the shocking episodes portrayed in Consilio's memoir, which has quickly become a bestseller since its release by Tantor Media.
The Dedicated Right Hand
In his memoirs, Consilio reflects on his life as Sinatra's right-hand man, stating, "Frank called me a leech because I was completely devoted to him and never left his side. I knew all his dirtiest secrets. My life in this role was perhaps abnormal, very challenging, and even dangerous, but never boring." The book reveals that Sinatra supplied women to John F. Kennedy, even before he became president. According to Consilio, Sinatra often brought actresses and singers who were willing to do anything for $100. "Believe me, John Kennedy spent a lot of money on women," the book says. Consilio believes that President Kennedy distanced himself from Sinatra after learning about the singer's close friendship with Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana. This gangster, nicknamed Momo, was arrested over 70 times and accused of involvement in over 200 murders. Once, Sinatra asked Consilio to buy plane tickets in his name for Giancana to evade FBI surveillance.
An Unconventional Friendship
The book also delves into the role of this mobster in world history, sparking ongoing debates. "Did he help John Kennedy become president and was he hired by the CIA to assassinate Fidel Castro? Yes, both happened. Was Sam involved in the assassination attempt on John Kennedy? I don't know for sure, but I heard him talk about his desire to get rid of Robert Kennedy (the president's younger brother and U.S. Attorney General)," writes Consilio. "Frank battled inner demons every day," Consilio continues. "He hated going to sleep before sunrise, and he wanted to be surrounded by many people. Solitude frightened him. At the same time, he could be very rude. When the television broke in a Las Vegas hotel, Sinatra threw it into the pool. He did the same thing with a telephone in a Miami hotel, tearing it out of the wall with the wires... Once, I gave him a wrinkled shirt, and he threatened to throw me off the hotel roof. We always had around twenty clean shirts on hand. Frank changed them six or seven times a day and took at least three showers."
A Complex Personality
Consilio recalls an incident involving American satirist Don Rickles, who made a derogatory joke about Sinatra. "Frank ordered me to throw a cake in Rickles's face, which was prepared for his birthday. As I am of small stature and not physically strong, I said, 'I don't like hitting people.' Frank understood and hired a huge guy to do it. And when he decided to end his relationship with actress Juliet Prowse, he sent me to her with a mink coat and a note saying, 'This is your swan song'..."
The Loyalty and Generosity
In his role as Sinatra's right-hand man, Consilio was always carrying around $20,000 to $30,000 in cash - a huge sum for those times. These were his boss's funds, a generous spender who left fantastic tips. "He would give a hundred dollars to the doorman and just as much to the waiter," Consilio reveals. In addition, the star's right-hand man always had about $40,000 worth of jewelry in his briefcase - gifts from Sinatra to women. "He never forgot about his acquaintances," the book states. "If you treated him well, he would repay you. If not, expect unpleasant retaliation... Once, he bought himself a private plane. Friends started asking to borrow it, so he got rid of it." Many took advantage of this weakness of the legendary singer. "During his intense and passionate affair with Marilyn Monroe, the actress would walk around the hotel suite completely naked as she disliked wearing underwear," Consilio writes.
A Life of Devotion
Tony Consilio was more than just an assistant to Sinatra; he was like a caretaker for the legendary singer. For example, he made sure Sinatra got enough sleep and would open the curtains at four in the afternoon. Consilio would walk and feed Sinatra's dog, Ring-A-Dog. At times, the music icon could be particularly rude, and Consilio would get upset. In such situations, Sinatra would comfort him, saying, "If I can't vent on my friend, then who else?"
A Lasting Friendship
Consilio passed away in 2008, but his memoirs have only recently been published. The book was compiled by journalist Franz Duski, who says, "Tony chose to remain silent about many of Sinatra's actions and love affairs. He asked me not to include some stories in our book. He didn't want to have any problems with Frank when they meet in heaven."
