Mikes Film Talk

This 2023 documentary: Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia is all old news. It literally brings nothing new to the table. Director David Harvey rolls out connections and “crossovers” that have been known for years.

What a waste of time and effort.

Although not too much Effort

This documentary is the film version of a cut and paste article. It appears that someone saw the more inclusive documentary Vegas: The Story of Sin City and had a thought.

You cannot mention Las Vegas and not immediately think of Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack, John F Kennedy and the mob. The Mafia, pretty much, started the lure of Vegas. Bugsy Siegel, Lucky Luciano (Who also promoted heavily the idea of gambling in Havana, Cuba.) and a long line of mafiosi who were skimming the casinos.

Wayne Newton, Paul Anka and Showgirls

Vegas “old guys” Newton, Anka and Canadian comic and impressionist Rich Little join a small group of showgirls who tell it all. Great stuff, but, it has all been told before.

Wayne Newton, who has spent pretty much his entire life in Vegas, looks disconcertainly plastic. His face does not move and his eyes are far too wide. Out of the three “Vegas legends” who appear here, Anka is the only one who looks natural. He does not look his age, but he does look natural.

These stories, rolled out by Vegas celebrities helped, apparently, to make a move to do a Frank and JFK documentary.

Back to Sinatra and Kennedy

The second episode of “Vegas: The Story of Sin City” is mostly about the Rat Pack, Sinatra’s obsession with JFK, and the intermingling of the mob with Frank. *To be fair, you could not be in the entertainment business as performer unless you worked for the mob. They owned most, if not all, of the clubs where these singers, comics, etc earned their chops.*

In those days, this was the only way performers could work their way up. Anka, Little, Newton, Sinatra, Martin, et al, all knew the capos, the wise guys, and the hitters. It was all part of the scene and the workplace.

This is common knowledge.

Judy Campbell

Campbell was the woman shared by, at least, three men. Campbell was the mistress of Sam Giancana/Frank Sinatra/Maybe Dean Martin and the new interest of serial philanderer JFK. This was the link, or more accurately, she was the link between the mob and the new president elect.

Campbell was, in the words of the documentary, “a classy dame.” She was indeed. There are stories galore about Judith Campbell Exner. One tale, is that after her breakup with Giancana Judy kept her memoirs under the bed.

Insurance against being murdered in her sleep.

FBI boss J Edgar Hoover learns of this sexual connection and goes nuclear.

Campbell claimed to be a go-between; taking orders and so on to the CIA and the Mafia. The task was assassinating Fidel Castro. Someone the mob disliked intently.

Hoover forced Kennedy to “breakup” with Sinatra.

Waiting for something new

Do not watch this waiting for something new to come up here. This tale of Mafia members mixing with the White House give us nothing different. All these “backstories” are old news.

As long ago as 1991, the James Spada bio of Peter Lawford tells the story of the helicopter landing pad and the sledge hammer. It also reveals that the Pres stayed with crooner/actor Bing Crosby when he came to town. He also makes much of the Mafia and Campbell love triangle.

All old news.

Hoover nixed the friendship between Sinatra and JFK. Frank brutally cut Peter Lawford out of the Rat Pack as a result. Only Sammy Davis Jr stood by the “least talented of the Pack.”

The Assassination

Growing up, it was a thing. “Do you remember what you were doing or where you were when JFK died?

I remember it well. I was 5 and a half. We lived in Sacramento, CA. We were right next to a military base. Cartoons were replaced by coverage of Kennedy’s visit to Dallas. Young me complained a lot about the lack of animation on TV. My mum told me basically to get over it and play outside.

A lady from the base, going from house to house, told us that the President had been shot. I do not remember how my parents reacted. They were, however, drinking grasshoppers as they sat on the lawn.

That old conspiracy theory

Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia offers up the old theory that organised crime, aka the Mafia, were responsible. It brings up the Lee Harvey Oswald problem of rounds fired in so many seconds, et al.

The show does not give us oldtimers any new information. This documentary, however, is an excellent starting point for younger folks who may, or may not, be interested in all this anciently old news.

The assassination of John F Kennedy is still a hot topic. Many books are available about the subject.

A good start

This is a good start for those who are interested. This tale, in shorthand, about the Mafia and the murder of a president, with a famous performer on the side, may intrigue viewers enough to search for more information.

The verdict

I have to give this a 2.5 stars out of 5. It really does not present any new information. However, folks not aware of the Kennedy assassinations may find this a welcome introduction. It is streaming on Apple TV +.