Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Italian immigrant parents, Natalina Della (Garaventa) and Saverio Antonino Martino Sinatra, a Sicilian boxer, fireman, and bar owner. Growing up on the gritty streets of Hoboken instilled in Sinatra a strong work ethic and determination to succeed. He began his singing career in small dives, carrying his own P.A. system, and eventually landed work with The Hoboken Four, Harry James, and Tommy Dorsey. With the help of press agent George Evans, Sinatra's image was shaped into that of a street thug and punk who was saved by his first wife, Nancy Barbato Sinatra.
In 1942, Sinatra launched his solo career, instantly becoming the king of the bobbysoxers and the most popular singer among teenage music fans. He also began his film career, appearing in a few small films before striking box-office gold with a lead role in Anchors Aweigh (1945) alongside Gene Kelly. Sinatra won a special Oscar for his part in the short film The House I Live In (1945),which spoke out against intolerance.
Sinatra's career continued to soar, with memorable performances in films such as On the Town (1949) and Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949),as well as a controversial public affair with screen siren Ava Gardner, which broke up his marriage to Nancy Barbato Sinatra and affected his career. Despite a vocal cord hemorrhage that threatened to end his career, Sinatra fought back and secured a role in From Here to Eternity (1953),winning an Oscar for best supporting actor.
Sinatra's subsequent performances, including a cold-blooded assassin in Suddenly (1954) and a heroin addict in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955),earned him critical acclaim and numerous award nominations. He continued to act in films such as Guys and Dolls (1955),The Joker Is Wild (1957),and Some Came Running (1958),often playing parts that mirrored his own personality.
In the late 1950s and 1960s, Sinatra became a prolific producer, turning out films such as A Hole in the Head (1959),Sergeants 3 (1962),and Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964). He also appeared in lighter roles alongside his "Rat Pack" buddies Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., including the successful Ocean's Eleven (1960).
Sinatra continued to act and produce throughout the 1960s and 1970s, appearing in films such as The Manchurian Candidate (1962),Von Ryan's Express (1965),and The Detective (1968). He made his directorial debut with the World War II picture None But the Brave (1965),which was the first Japanese/American co-production.
After a seven-year hiatus, Sinatra returned to acting with the made-for-TV thriller Contract on Cherry Street (1977),which he also produced. He returned to the big screen in The First Deadly Sin (1980),playing a New York detective in a moving and understated performance. Sinatra's final acting performance was in the episode "Laura" of Magnum, P.I. (1987),in which he played a retired police detective seeking vengeance on the killers of his granddaughter.
