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Muti has done just that with his latest novel, "Cent'Anni: The Sinatra Legend at 100."
The former borough mayor and U.S. Naval Academy graduate will discuss his findings on Ol' Blue Eyes at several events this spring (SEE LIST BELOW).
Muti recalled listening to Frank Sinatra on radio stations such as WNEW and vinyl records "before the days of iPods and music videos."
"My Italian-American family tended to like the Italian-American singers," Muti said. "I was really inundated with [Sinatra's] music when I was a kid."
Ten years before Sinatra's centennial, Muti decided a book on the legendary entertainer would be a good one to add to his collection of legal publications.
"His entire life was a study in contradictions, and he was a tremendously complicated complex individual," said Muti, citing Sinatra's moodiness and vindictive traits during his love affair with Ava Gardner.
Sinatra made four attempted and fake suicide attempts during that romance, he noted.
"I’ve been researching the book learned a lot I didn’t already know," he said. "I thought I knew everything."
Sinatra risked his career when he spoke out in favor of racial and religious tolerances during the 1940s through '60s. That led to his creation of "The House I Live In," earning him an academy award.
"The Cyclone [rollercoaster in Palisades Park] would be a wonderful metaphor for the life and career of Frank Sinatra, except that many of Sinatra's downs, jerks and twists were of his own making," Muti's website says.
"The ups were of his own making, too, built upon incomparable talent and an attitude that was pure, unadulterated Jersey boy."
Events:
- Wayne Library: Wednesday, March 30, 12:30 p.m.
- Oakland Library: Thursday, March 31, 7 p.m.
- Ramsey Library: Sunday, April 3, 2 p.m.
- Paramus Library: Tuesday, April 5, 1 p.m.
- Waldwick Library: Wednesday, April 6, 7 p.m.
- Hillsdale Library: Thursday, April 7, 7 p.m.
- JCC Fort Lee: Tuesday, April 12, 12:30 p.m.
- Fair Lawn Library: Thursday, April 28, 7 p.m.
CLICK HERE for more on Muti.
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