Frank Sinatra was scheduled to perform at the opening of Donald Trump’s Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City in 1990, according to his former manager Eliot Weisman whose new book, “The Way It Was” will be released in a few weeks. Newsweek:
According to Weisman, Trump started off the new negotiations saying Sinatra was too expensive for the cost of the 12 dates the singer was supposed to perform, saying he was “a little rich” for the price. Weisman said Trump also decided he was going to drop former Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr, who was dying of cancer at the time, and pop duo Stevie and Eydie, who were the other acts involved in the original deal.
When Trump asked who Stevie and Eydie were, Weisman became furious and alleges he tried to choke Trump with his own tie. Luckily for The Donald, Weisman’s son, who was also at the meeting, was able to stop Weisman before he could do any damage.
Weisman recalled the meeting and told Sinatra by phone everything that happened. The singer was not amused and Sinatra gave Weisman two choices: to tell Trump he should go f*** himself on Sinatra’s behalf, or to give Trump’s phone number to the American pop singer so he could personally call Trump himself to tell him to go f*** himself.
Weisman cheerfully took Sinatra’s first suggestion and told Trump, “Sinatra says go f*** yourself!” There was no twitter in that day, so who knows what Trump did by way of pouting. In all events, Sinatra never went to Atlantic City, and went to Las Vegas instead and forgot all about Donald Trump. Would that it were so simple for the rest of us.