It Was a Very Bad Year

by Robert J. Randisi

  ‘Ah . . . I don’t know all the facts about that,’ Jack said.

  ‘Believe me, you don’t need to,’ I said. ‘I’ll take care of this when we get back to Vegas.’

  ‘So you really don’t think this is connected to the kidnapping?’ Jilly asked.

  ‘No, I don’t.’

  ‘OK, then,’ Jilly said. ‘I’m gonna go back and sit with Frank.’

  ‘We’ll be along in a while,’ Jack said.

  When we were alone, Jack sat on the bed next to me. The mattress sagged significantly.

  ‘You on the level about this?’

  ‘Oh, yeah,’ I said. ‘They never said a word about the kidnapping, and when I mentioned it they looked confused.’

  ‘You mentioned it?’

  ‘I said the word “kidnapping”. That’s all. I never mentioned Frank or Frankie.’

  ‘Were they gonna kill you?’

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘at least, I don’t think so. Why lie about a message, and needing to hurt me, if they were plannin’ to kill me?’

  ‘And you know who’s behind this?’

  ‘I think so,’ I said. ‘It’s a guy who’s afraid of Jerry, but apparently not so scared of me.’

  ‘OK,’ Jack said, ‘OK. I’m glad Agent Kent was on your ass.’

  ‘I wish he’d been a little closer,’ I said, rubbing my stomach. ‘The worst thing was tasting that spaghetti again.’

  ‘I know,’ Jack said. ‘That was pretty bad going down. Maybe later we can get a couple of steaks upstairs.’

  ‘I hope their steaks are better than their Italian.’

  ‘The Sky Room is supposed to be pretty good.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  ‘I’m gonna check in with Frank.’

  ‘I’m going to make some calls,’ I said. ‘I’ll see you later.’

  He put his hand on my shoulder, squeezed it once, then left. I immediately picked up the phone and dialed Danny’s number in Vegas.

  FORTY-ONE

  ‘Gorillas?’ Danny asked.

  ‘Two of ’em,’ I said. ‘Big, not smart.’

  ‘Eddie, you just described every hood in the book.’

  ‘From the way they operated I assume they work together all the time,’ I said.

  ‘And they look alike?’

  ‘They could wear each other’s clothes,’ I said. ‘In fact . . .’

  ‘What?’

  I had just realized, so I said it out loud to see how it sounded.

  ‘. . . they could be brothers.’

  ‘Ah, brothers who work together all the time,’ he said. ‘That should narrow the field.’

  ‘And they’re probably on their way back to Vegas right now.’

  ‘I’ll alert both airports,’ Danny said. ‘Unless they drove, they should be spotted going or coming.’

  ‘Remember,’ I said, ‘I don’t want revenge. I just want to know who they work for.’

  ‘Yeah, but we both figure it’s Irwin,’ Danny said, ‘so what we need to do is follow them.’

  ‘Right,’ I said, ‘don’t brace them . . . alone.’

  ‘What? No, I’m not about to brace two gorillas on my own. Mike Hammer I ain’t.’

  ‘OK, good.’

  ‘Now you want to tell me why you’re in Reno and what’s goin’ on?’

  ‘I can tell you,’ I said, ‘but you can’t tell anyone else.’

  ‘You’ve got my word.’

  I told him about Frankie being snatched.

  ‘No demand for cash yet?’ he asked.

  ‘No.’

  ‘Sounds like amateur hour,’ he said. ‘The longer they wait, the more chance there is something can go wrong.’

  ‘I was thinking the same thing!’ I said. ‘It sounds messy, right?’

  ‘Definitely. Are you sure you want to make the drop?’ he asked.

  ‘Why not?’ I said. ‘They’re amateurs, I’m an amateur.’

  ‘Come on, you’re practically a card-carrying private eye’s assistant.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘You called Jerry, right?’

  ‘I don’t call Jerry everytime I get in trou . . . yeah, I called him.’

  ‘Good. The big guy will keep you safe. Stay in touch. Let me know where you are.’

  ‘What are you, my fuckin’ father?’

  He was laughing when I hung up. I wondered if we had time to get Jerry to Reno before the kidnappers called with their demands? That’s when Jack stuck his head in.

  ‘They called.’

  FORTY-TWO

  When I got to Frank’s room the gang was all there. Only the FBI men remained in the hall. Frank was pale and had a stricken look on his face.

  ‘They wouldn’t let me talk to him,’ he kept saying. ‘They wouldn’t . . .’

  Raggio looked at me and said, ‘They insisted that Frank Jr. is fine.’

  ‘Did they say how much they want?’

  ‘Yes,’ Raggio said, ‘and we don’t understand it.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘They asked for two hundred and forty thousand dollars.’

  ‘What? That’s all?’

  ‘They could have asked for millions,’ Jilly Rizzo said. ‘Frank would have paid it.’

  ‘That’s hard to understand,’ Jack Entratter said.

  ‘What about the location?’ I asked.

  ‘All they said was,’ Raggio said, ‘they wanted Mr Sinatra to go to LA.’

  ‘OK,’ I said, ‘at least we know that much.’

  ‘He’s going to fly back tomorrow,’ Entratter said to me. ‘You can go with him.’

  ‘Fine. I’ll call Jerry. He can fly to LA and meet us at the airport.’

  ‘Work it out with him,’ Jack said. ‘I’ll make sure the two pilots are coordinated.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘Go,’ Jack said, ‘make the call, and then come back. Frank’ll be able to talk then.’

  I backed out of the room, went to mine and made the call.

  I made the arrangements with Jerry to fly to LA in the morning.

  ‘You can join us at the airport,’ I said. ‘I’m not sure where we’ll go from there. Frank will have to decide where he wants to stay.’

  ‘I’ll be there, Mr G.’

  ‘And since you’ll be flying on Frank’s private plane,’ I said, ‘bring your gun, Jerry.’

  ‘I hear ya.’

  ‘Let me fill you in on something else.’ I went on to tell him about the two hoods who had attacked me on the street.

  ‘They musta followed you there, Mr G., intendin’ to deliver that message.’

  ‘Pretty nervy,’ I said, ‘or pretty dumb, with the FBI around.’

  ‘Well,’ he said, ‘you did put yourself out there, didn’t ya?’

  ‘I did, yeah,’ I admitted. ‘Luckily, one of the feds followed me, or who knows what would’ve happened. They might have beaten me to death.’

  ‘I don’t think they woulda killed you, Mr G.,’ Jerry said, disagreeing with me. ‘They probably woulda just messed ya up some.’

  ‘Unless they’re the same ones who killed Wayne in Vegas.’

  ‘Well, I agree with you that it probably had nothin’ to do with the kidnappin’. Maybe we’ll have to go back to Vegas and find that Irwin guy. I’ll have to make an even bigger impression on him.’

  ‘First things first, Jerry,’ I said. ‘We’ve got to get Frankie back.’

  ‘Yes, sir, we do,’ Jerry said. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow mornin’, Mr G. You tell Mr S. to hang on, ’cause I’m comin’.’

  ‘See ya, big guy. Watch your back.’

  ‘I always do.’

  I hung up, called Danny’s number next. He wasn’t there but I told Penny I’d be in LA the next day, and would call from there to give them a number where they could reach me.

  ‘Watch yourself, Eddie G.,’ she said, before we hung up.

  ‘I’ll do my best, doll.’

  After I hung up I sat there for a few moments. I needed some time to myself. My head was p
ounding, my gut still ached, and it was starting to hit me that Frank Jr.’s life might be at least partially in my hands. That made me nervous as hell. But I was bolstered by the fact that, of all the people Frank could have chosen to do this, he chose me. Nothing I’d ever done for him before had ever been as personal as this, and I was determined to come through for him.

  I stood up, shook my arms out, stretched and then figured – with the help of some aspirin – I could get right back into the game.

  FORTY-THREE

  It came down to me, Jack Entratter, Jilly Rizzo and Frank in his room, first drinking coffee, and then ordering some bourbon from room service. I took the opportunity to tell Frank about Jerry meeting us in the morning.

  ‘That’s good,’ he said. ‘I want him to make sure the exchange goes down perfect, and you get back safe.’

  ‘Where will you be staying in LA, Frank?’ Jack asked.

  ‘I called Nancy,’ Frank said. ‘I’m gonna stay in her house in Bel-Air. When we get Frankie back I’ll have him brought there. His mother and sisters are worried.’

  ‘Everybody’s worried, Frank,’ Jilly said.

  ‘I know,’ Frank said. ‘The word’s got out.’

  ‘How’d that happen?’ Jack asked.

  ‘You know, Jack,’ Frank said. ‘This kind of thing is hard to keep a lid on. I got some calls offering to help.’

  ‘From who?’ Jilly asked.

  ‘Bobby Kennedy, for one.’

  ‘What?’ Entratter said, shocked. ‘What did the boy Attorney General want?’

  ‘He said if there was anything him or his family could do, I should let them know.’

  ‘Have you heard from them since Jack was killed?’ Jilly asked. ‘Since they wouldn’t let you go to the funeral?’

  ‘No,’ Frank said, ‘this was the first time.’

  ‘What did you tell him?’ I asked.

  ‘I said I appreciated his offer, but that me and my people had the situation in hand.’

  ‘You know who he’s gonna think you mean by your people, don’t you?’ Jilly asked.

  ‘I don’t give a rat’s ass what he thinks,’ Frank said. ‘As a matter of fact, I also got a call from Mo Mo.’

  ‘What’d he say?’ Jack asked.

  ‘Pretty much the same thing. If I need any help, give him a call.’

  If Frank had allowed Giancana to get involved, the kidnappers probably would end up dead.

  ‘And what’d you tell him?’ Jilly asked.

  Frank actually smiled, but just for a second.

  ‘Pretty much the same thing. I don’t need either one of them gettin’ involved. I just want to pay the ransom and get my boy back.’

  ‘We all want that, Frank,’ Jilly said.

  ‘We better turn in,’ Jack said. ‘We have to get an early start in the mornin’.’

  ‘Are we all going?’ I asked.

  ‘Yeah,’ Jack said. ‘Jilly and me, we’re stickin’ until the kid is back home safe and sound.’

  ‘I appreciate that,’ Frank said, ‘but Jack’s right. And I need to talk to Eddie for a little bit, alone. So you two get out.’

  Frank was kicking Jilly and Jack out as nicely as he could. The bottle was empty, so they didn’t put up much of a fight.

  When the door closed behind them Frank said, ‘Any coffee left in that pot?’

  I picked it up and shook it.

  ‘A little.’

  ‘Pour it out, kid,’ Frank said.

  I poured and handed him his cup.

  ‘What’s up, Frank?’

  ‘Just wanna give you a chance to back out, Eddie,’ he said. ‘You might be puttin’ your life on the fuckin’ line, here. Jerry’s flyin’ in, he can do the swap if you’d rather not.’

  ‘Frank, I said I was in, and I am. I’m not going to change my mind.’

  ‘You’re a good friend, Eddie,’ he said. ‘A good friend. If we get Frankie back – what am I saying? When we get Frankie back you got a big fuckin’ thank you comin’ to you.’

  ‘It’ll be enough for me to see that kid safe and sound.’

  ‘Yeah, well, we’ll see,’ Frank said. ‘You just might find somethin’ nice on your doorstep. Somethin’ real nice.’

  ‘Frank, I don’t—’

  Frank drained his cup and slapped me on the shoulder.

  ‘Now get out of here so I can get some sleep. We’ll meet in the lobby at seven a.m.’

  ‘Seven,’ I said. ‘I’ll be there.’ I put my cup down, untouched. It was cold, anyway.

  I left the room, walked past two of the FBI men and entered my room.

  ‘Eddie.’

  I jumped. I hadn’t expected to see anybody in my room, so the DA, Bill Raggio, scared the shit out of me.

  ‘Close the door, Eddie,’ Raggio said, standing up from the bed, where he’d been seated. ‘We have to talk.’

  FORTY-FOUR

  I closed the door, locked it, and turned to face the DA.

  ‘What’s this about, Mr Raggio?’

  ‘You know what it’s about, Eddie,’ he said. ‘The exchange. We want it to go off without a hitch.’

  ‘Without a hitch is what I want, too,’ I said. ‘Who’s we?’

  ‘Me and the FBI.’

  ‘And why wouldn’t it go off without a hitch?’ I asked. ‘I’m going to do exactly what Frank wants me to do.’

  ‘That’s what we’re afraid of,’ Raggio said.

  I stared at him, but he didn’t offer anything more than that.

  ‘I’m afraid I don’t understand, Mr Raggio,’ I said. ‘What are you getting at?’

  He started to pace, as if forming his thoughts.

  ‘The kidnappers,’ he said, finally, ‘we want them alive.’

  ‘What are you—’ I started, then realized what he was saying. ‘Wait a minute. You think . . . I’m not a killer, Mr Raggio. Where did you get that idea?’

  ‘You work at the Sands, don’t you?’ he asked. ‘For Entratter?’

  ‘Sure I do,’ I said, ‘as a pit boss.’

  ‘Come on, Eddie. I checked you out today. I spoke to Detective Hargrove with the Vegas PD. He filled me in on your history.’

  ‘My history?’

  ‘When you and some Brooklyn thug named Jerry are around, bodies pile up.’ Raggio pointed his finger at me. ‘Why else would Frank Sinatra send for you to get his kid back? Well, I’m telling you now, I want those kidnappers, and I want them alive.’

  ‘Mr Raggio—’

  ‘I can’t go to LA with you tomorrow. That’s out of my jurisdiction. But I’m going to call ahead to the DA there. The cops are going to be watching you.’

  ‘That’s fine with me, Mr Raggio,’ I said. ‘You tell ’em to do their job, and I’ll do mine.’

  ‘And what is your job, Eddie?’

  ‘Right now it’s to help Frank get his son back. And I don’t intend to kill anybody while I do it.’

  ‘So you say,’ Raggio said. ‘Now you take this as a warning—’

  ‘And take this as a warning,’ I said, too pissed to worry about consequences. ‘Get out of here before I throw you out.’

  ‘Just remember what I said, Gianelli.’

  ‘You remember what I said, Raggio,’ I retorted. ‘Get out.’

  Without another word Raggio left. Moments later there was a knock on the door. I considered not answering it, just in case it was him again. Or maybe this time it was the FBI wanting to ‘warn’ me.

  In the end, I opened it. It was Jack Entratter.

  ‘Can I come in?’

  ‘Sure.’

  He entered, closed the door behind him.

  ‘I saw Raggio leavin’,’ he said. ‘He didn’t look happy.’

  ‘He was here to warn me.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘He says he wants the kidnappers alive,’ I said. ‘Seems he thinks Frank is sendin’ me to kill ’em.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I know. I told him to get out. But he’s gonna cause trouble, Jack. He sai
d he’s going to call ahead to the LA District Attorney.’

  ‘Where did he get that idea?’

  ‘From Hargrove.’

  ‘That bastard! What’s he got to do with this?’

  ‘Raggio checked me out with him. He seems to think since I work for you and the Sands – and I’m friends with Frank – that I’m mobbed up.’

  ‘Then I guess it’s a good thing Frank didn‘t accept Mo Mo’s offer of help,’ Entratter said. ‘That would’ve sealed it for him.’

  ‘And maybe he should have accepted Bobby’s offer,’ I said. ‘That would have kept the cops at bay.’

  ‘Frank’s made his decision,’ Jack said. ‘All we can do is go along.’

  I hesitated a moment, then said, ‘I agree.’

  ‘What about the other thing?’ he asked. ‘The two mugs who grabbed you?’

  ‘I’ve got Danny Bardini working on it,’ I said. ‘When I get back to Vegas we’ll take care of it.’

  ‘OK,’ Jack said, slapping me on the back. ‘Get some sleep. I’ll make some calls of my own to LA. Since Raggio checked you out, it might make sense for us to check him out.’

  FORTY-FIVE

  Frank’s plane was a Martin 404. It had been introduced in 1962, had a cruising speed of 280 mph, and a high speed of 312 mph. I knew all that because Frank told us the night before.

  The 404 was a small business plane that Frank used often, and loaned out to his friends. I knew that Dean used it to fly to concerts and business meetings. He had also loaned it on occasion to every other member of the group.

  We met in the lobby at seven a.m. and took two cars to the airport. The plane was gassed up and ready to go, props already turning. Raggio stayed behind. The lawyer, Rudin, was with us, and two FBI agents – my hero one of them. So that made seven of us.

  We followed Frank up the airstair and inside. We hadn’t stopped for breakfast, or even coffee, but Frank had us served coffee and bagels on board. I wondered if Jerry was getting the same treatment on the plane Frank had sent for him. The pilot had been told to operate at high speed. We’d be in LA within the hour.

  The flight was pretty quiet. I didn’t have a chance to talk with Jack about the night before. I didn’t know yet if either one of us was even going to mention it to Frank. Certainly not in front of the FBI agents.