Celebrating Sinatra’s 108th Birthday, Jim Mahoney, Frank’s Publicist for 20 Years, Recalls Generosity More Than Mob Ties

Jim Mahoney seen in the dressing room mirror behind Frank Sinatra

Mahoney and Sinatra golfing at Canyon County Club Palm Springs, CA

Sinatra meeting with Saturday Evening Post cover artist Norman Rockwell and Mahoney

Celebrating Sinatra’s 108th Birthday, Jim Mahoney, Frank’s Publicist for More Than 20 Years and “Get Mahoney” Author Recalls Generosity More Than Mob Ties

“From Clark Gable to Judy Garland, from The Stones to Sinatra, my job was to keep the sweet smell of success from turning into the foul stench of scandal,” Mahoney commented for the book.”

— Jim Mahoney

LA QUINTA, CA, UNITED STATES , December 12, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “The Mob Wanted to Hang Out with Frank Much More Than He Needed Them”

(La Quinta, CA) – Hollywood insider, Jim Mahoney, whose career spanned more than 50 years during the entertainment industry’s Golden Age, and who was Frank Sinatra’s publicist from his early days at MGM in the mid-50’s, through opening his own agency and representing Sinatra for almost 20 years, recalls memorable moments working with the famed singer/actor and his generosity overshadowing everything else.

“Frank was one of the most generous people I ever met,” says Mahoney, who spent many years working with the superstar as well as the entire Rat Pack, but also enjoying evenings dining with Frank and his friends. “Frank didn’t carry anything but $100 bills on him and he always had a lot of them… We’d walk into a restaurant, and he’d tip the maître d’ and host or hostess, and the owner if he was there, and of course he’d tip the bar staff and waiters who served our food. But he’d also frequently leave crumpled up $100s under the table when we left. I asked him one time, ‘what are you doing leaving bills under the table?’ to which he said, ‘it’s for the clean-up staff afterwards… they deserve a little taste too’. He was incredibly generous.”

“He was generous in ways people never saw, but he did things that left a lasting impression. For instance, there’s a beautiful Catholic Church in La Quinta, CA, down the road from his home in Rancho Mirage. It’s quaintly named St. Francis. There is no plaque and there was never a dedication ceremony, but anyone who knows anything knows that Frank was the saint who built that church,” Mahoney says. “He also paid for Judy Garland’s entire funeral, and many, many more medical procedures and life-events of friends that he never took credit for.”

“People love to draw attention to his mob connections and that BS. There’s a very simple explanation. Frank came from New Jersey where a lot of that element existed, and he grew up with a lot of kids who fell into that racket. He could have too… They were childhood friends, and he was – maybe more than anyone I ever knew – a loyal friend. So, he remained their friends. He was also loyal to the club owners who kept him employed during the ‘Dark Ages’ – what he called the period when he’d lost his recording and studio contracts and couldn’t buy a job. They hired him at their clubs in Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, Lake Tahoe and of course Vegas. The mob owned those clubs, and he appreciated their generosity when he had nothing, but he still had a family to feed. He was loyal and grateful to those guys, and he reciprocated when asked. He never sought out their attention. They wanted to hang out with Frank far more than the other way around, but when they asked for a favor, he was there.”

Mahoney first met Sinatra while working at MGM when he was sent by the studio to pick up his then wife, Ava Gardner, to take her to the airport for location with Clark Gable on “Mogambo”. He later met him again with Debbie Reynolds on a set at MGM and later became friends while, of all things, working as a columnist for the LA Herald Express. Sinatra talked Mahoney into going into the PR business and joining Rogers & Cowan, where they worked together, and later opening his own business where Sinatra eventually migrated. Even after leaving Sinatra’s employment, he went on to become a board member of the Sinatra Foundation and help his wife Barbara with events after Frank’s death. Its all in “Get Mahoney”, and more.

The book is filled with dozens of never-before heard personal stories with some of the most famous figures in Hollywood. It’s also about his dedication to his craft, earning “must read” review from Kirkus here and averaging a 4.5+ review average on Amazon.

“Get Mahoney!” was the phrase desperately cried by stars and their “handlers” whenever they knew help was needed – usually to avoid bad press. Often referring to himself as a “sup-press agent”, Mahoney was acknowledged for his ability to “condition the atmosphere,” which sometimes involved making arrangements with the authorities and media to keep the dirt under the carpet – where it belonged.

Mahoney lives in La Quinta, CA, on the golf course where he won the 1977 Bob Hope Desert Classic Celebrity Pro-Am. He can frequently be found on his patio overlooking the 18th fairway enjoying a cigar and regaling guests with stories you’d think were Hollywood fantasy but were in fact his every-day life for decades, and just another reason the phrase “Get Mahoney” was so pervasive during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

To get your copy of “Get Mahoney” visit www.GetMahoney.com.”

CONTACT: Sean Mahoney
hello@GetMahoney.com
C. 310-867-0670

Sean Mahoney
Get Mahoney
+1 310-867-0670
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