I Spy
SteveMR200
on Meet the Press and talked about the role of the CIA
in the nation's security. Watching him was the singer
Frank Sinatra, who decided he would offer his services to
the agency. Sinatra told his television producer, Paul W.
Keyes, to arrange a meeting for him with the director.
George was intrigued by Sinatra's proposition and agreed
to fly to New York City the next day. He invited the
singer and his producer for drinks at his brother's
apartment in Gracie Square. He then called Jonathan.
"Are you ready for some guests, including Frank Sinatra,
in your apartment at 6:30 p.m.?"
George had hoped to keep his meeting with Sinatra out of
the press because he did not want to deal with the political
consequences of socializing with a man known to be connected
to organized crime. Sinatra had introduced John F. Kennedy
to Judith Campbell Exner.
She had testified before the Church Intelligence Committee
that Sinatra also had introduced her to the Chicago mobster
Sam Giancana. Her sexual adventures with all three men
established a direct link between the White House and the
Mafia. She later would claim to have carried messages from
Kennedy to Giancana to assassinate Fidel Castro.
In light of these gangland ties, the director of the CIA
might have thought twice before meeting with Frank Sinatra,
but George could hardly wait to meet the Mafia's favorite
movie star.
George showed up early at his brother's apartment on
February 23, 1976, accompanied not by Barbara but by
Jennifer Fitzgerald. They had flown together from
Washington to New York City on a government plane.
"It was a great evening," recalled Jonathan Bush.
"Sinatra made a very sincere and generous offer to
help the CIA in any way possible. He said he was
always flying around the world and meeting with
people like the Shah of Iran and eating dinner with
Prince Philip and socializing with the royal family
of Great Britain.
"He emphasized time and again that his services were
available and that he wanted to do his part for his
country. . . I thought it was kind of nice of Frank
Sinatra. He was very natural and I was spellbound."
--Kitty Kelley (1942- )
_The Family: The Real Story of The Bush
Dynasty_ [2004], Chapter 18
--
Steve