Today is the 4th of July

I am presently watching and listening to C-Span on the television. It is showing some great portrayals of our past presidents.

There is a portrayal of Abraham Lincoln doing the Gettysburg address. So well done. A portrayal of Thomas Jefferson talking about his ideas for the Declaration of Independence. He then takes questions from callers around this nation. Wonderful.

I watch this and think of one man. A man who introduced to me the love and appreciation of this country.

As a young Pit Boss, I was only interested in making sure our casino made money. I had grown up around poolrooms and gambling places and now in Vegas, I felt I was at the top.

I had studied history in school but like so many of us, I just did not pay a lot of attention to it.

Meeting Frank Sinatra and listening to him talk about our country made me realize that we all play a part in it’s growth.

Mr. Sinatra really cared about this country and that we all should help get the right people elected. He didn't care what party it was or who was the most popular. For him it was all about who would make this a better place for the people. By that he seemed to mean that every man should have a chance to have a job and support his family. Every woman should have a chance to raise her children in a safe place and most importantly they get a chance to have an education.

When I spoke at the 1998 FrankFest in Atlantic City, I said:

So for me, it has been my honor to have had this chance to talk with you.

You know I am asked a lot what kind of man he was when he was not on stage and just hanging around the casino. Well, since I got to know him in that way, I would say I don’t look at him as the Vegas big shot or the movie star or the head of the Rat Pack.

I don’t look at him in those terms. From all the talks I have had with him and the help he gave me, I fondly remember the quiet, dedicated man. The professional.

Oh yes, he could be hard to handle at times. He lived life to the fullest. But I got to know the sweet and gentle man.

When you go home in the next few days, I suggest you pull out the 2 CD pack of A Man And His Music and listen to him sing “The House I Live In.”

You will hear his great love for America, his country and it's people - especially the people. He loves the people.

This is the man I know.

Every time there is a national holiday, I find myself thinking about Frank. To me he was more than a singer and entertainer. He helped wake up this young man to some of the more important things in this life and I am forever thankful.