A Hoodlum Complex: Frank Sinatra, American Mass Culture, and the Mob

Frank Sinatra was one of the most successful recording artists of the twentieth century. He was also one of the controversial figures within American mass culture. From the earliest days of his ascent, rumors abounded with respect to his alleged connections to the criminal underworld. In Episode 24, Pettengill examines these connections that intersect American culture, even in a twenty-first century context. But WAS Sinatra connected? Did a Don, ANY DON, make Harry Cohn...or Tommy Dorsey an "offer they" couldn't refuse? The answers are complicated.