Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were involved in a barroom brawl in Beverly Hills that almost resulted in a fatality, with the details still unclear decades later.
Author and longtime People magazine contributor Scott Huver has penned a new book, “Beverly Hills Noir: Crime, Sin, & Scandal in 90210,” which delves into some of the most scandalous incidents that have taken place in the celebrity-filled city.
“These two were at the pinnacle of the entertainment industry,” Huver told Fox News Digital. “They were at the height of their popularity, earning top dollar, and were iconic figures in 1966 when the incident occurred.”
Huver explained, “For something like this to disrupt their lives… something as trivial as a few harsh words and racial slurs in a bar led to a physical altercation that could have jeopardized their careers if things had taken a darker turn.”
On the night of June 8, 1966, Sinatra and Martin were at the Polo Lounge with Sinatra’s bodyguard/friend, Jilly Rizzo, actor Richard Conte, and several women. Sitting nearby was Frederick Rand Weisman, a prominent art collector and former president of Hunt’s Food, accompanied by businessman Franklin H. Fox. Within minutes, Weisman grew irritated by the loud laughter of the celebrities and decided to confront Sinatra and his group.
Sinatra claimed that Weisman told him, “You talk too f——g loud, and you have a bunch of loudmouthed friends,” before using derogatory terms that Italian Americans typically find offensive, according to Huver. Some reports suggest that Weisman also criticized Sinatra for using foul language in front of women. Sinatra allegedly responded with an antisemitic remark. Weisman reportedly punched Sinatra in the eye before slipping and falling, breaking a cocktail table.
Fox claimed that Sinatra left the room when the fight escalated. Hotel security and Fox tried to separate the men, but Sinatra grabbed a telephone and threw it at Weisman, knocking him unconscious. According to Huver’s book, it’s also possible that after everyone lunged at each other, Weisman slipped and fell. Weisman ended up on the floor, unconscious, surrounded by broken glass and an upturned ashtray.
Huver explained, “We know that Weisman objected to the language used by Frank and Dean, which escalated into a typical barroom confrontation. What we don’t know is who struck first or the exact sequence of events. But it ended with someone hitting Frederick Weisman over the head with a pink telephone from the boothside, rendering him unconscious.”
Weisman underwent a nearly three-hour surgery for a skull fracture and was not guaranteed to survive. Sinatra and Martin left Los Angeles to avoid the police investigation, leading to conflicting accounts of the incident. Weisman eventually regained consciousness but suffered from confusion and memory loss. His family considered pressing charges against Sinatra but ultimately decided against it, possibly due to anonymous threats.
Huver’s book suggests that money was exchanged to keep the staff at the Polo Lounge from providing detailed accounts. Weisman suffered from amnesia for months but went on to live a long, prosperous life, dying in 1994 at age 82. Sinatra, realizing the incident wouldn’t harm his career, quickly moved on, purchasing an engagement ring and marrying Mia Farrow in 1966. The couple divorced in 1968.
The true events at the Polo Lounge remain uncertain, but Huver speculates that a financial settlement may have been made to prevent Weisman’s family from pressing charges.
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