Anthony Martin Sinatra

Anthony Martin Sinatra (born Saverio Antonino Martino Sinatra;[1]: 22  Italian pronunciation: [saˈvɛːrjo antoˈniːno marˈtiːno siˈnaːtra]; May 4, 1892 – January 24, 1969) was an Italian-born naturalized American, Hoboken city fireman, professional boxer, and bar owner. He was the father of singer and actor Frank Sinatra.

Anthony Martin Sinatra
Born
Saverio Antonino Martino Sinatra

(1892-05-04)May 4, 1892
Lercara Friddi, Palermo, Sicily, Italy
DiedJanuary 24, 1969(1969-01-24) (aged 76)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeDesert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California
Other namesMarty O'Brien
Occupation(s)Fireman, professional boxer, bar owner
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1913)​
ChildrenFrank Sinatra
Firefighter career
DepartmentHoboken Fire Department
Service years1927-1944

Biography

On December 21, 1903, he emigrated to New York City from Palermo, Sicily, on the SS Città di Milano with his mother Rosa Saglimbeni Sinatra, his sisters Angela and Dorotea, and his brother. His father, Francesco (1857-1946), born in Lercara Friddi,[2] was already in the city working in a pencil factory earning eleven dollars a week, and his mother went on to own and operate a small grocery shop. Sinatra himself apprenticed as a shoemaker, until he started prize-fighting, calling himself Marty O'Brien, because Italians were not welcomed in boxing.[3][4]

On February 14, 1913, Sinatra eloped with Natalie Garaventa[1]: 25  (also known as "Dolly"), in Jersey City, New Jersey, as Dolly's parents refused to host a wedding and did not approve of Marty, as he was illiterate, inferior at boxing, and was a Sicilian, whereas the Garaventa family were Ligurian.

The couple eventually moved to 415 Monroe Street, Hoboken, New Jersey. Their only child, Francis Albert Sinatra, was born on December 12, 1915.[5]

Sinatra continued his boxing career until he broke his wrists after 30 professional fights. He then attempted to find marine work but was rejected due to asthma. Dolly helped him find work as a fireman, and he was eventually appointed to the Hoboken Fire Department in 1927, where he attained the rank of Captain without having to take any formal exams.

While still a Captain in the fire department, Sinatra and his wife opened a tavern, called Marty O'Brien's. With sufficient income, the family of three moved to a three-bedroom apartment, only a few blocks away from Monroe Street, but well out of Little Italy, at 703 Park Avenue.

Death

Sinatra suffered a fatal heart attack in 1969 at a Houston hospital.[6] He was buried at the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California; other family members, including Frank Sinatra and Anthony's wife are buried nearby.[7]

In the 1992 CBS miniseries Sinatra (a series about the life of his son Frank), he is portrayed by Joe Santos.

References
  1. Summers, Anthony; Swan, Robbyn (2005). Sinatra: The Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-41400-2.
  2. "FamilySearch: Sign In". FamilySearch. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  3. Frank Sinatra: My Father sinatrafamily.com
  4. Archived copy Archived 2007-10-07 at the Wayback Machine New Jersey Hall Of Fame
  5. Akalin, Ozgun (2011-06-03). "Birth of Frank Sinatra". Frank Sinatra Dedicated Blog. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  6. Kelley, Kitty (10 November 2010). His Way: An Unauthorized Biography Of Frank Sinatra. Random House Publishing Group. p. 334. ISBN 978-0-307-76796-7.
  7. Brooks, Patricia; Brooks, Jonathan (2006). "Chapter 8: East L.A. and the Desert". Laid to Rest in California: a guide to the cemeteries and grave sites of the rich and famous. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press. p. 245. ISBN 978-0762741014. OCLC 70284362.
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