Shecky Greene
Francis Albert Sinatra
written by John L Smith for Las Vegas Review Journal
Shecky Greene returns this weekend to Las Vegas for three shows at the Suncoast, and if they’re not already sold out they should be.
The mere announcement of his return generated calls from Greene’s local fans reminding me of their favorite Shecky tales. It’s a piece of comedy history that is called “the Sinatra story” and details how, in a roundabout way, Ol’ Blue Eyes “saved” Greene’s life.
Greene was tearing up an audience one night at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach when the subject of Frank Sinatra came up. He wickedly whittled away at the Chairman, but after the show found himself being used as a punching bag for some Sinatra sycophants in hotel security.
After a couple rounds, Sinatra comes up and says, “All right. He’s had enough.”
A dozen local fans of Greene have called to tell me versions of that story this week after learning their favorite funny man was making a return to a city that once saw him headline at most of the major Strip hotels. (As I understand it, most of that Sinatra story is true.)
A dozen local fans of Greene have called to tell me versions of that story this week after learning their favorite funny man was making a return to a city that once saw him headline at most of the major Strip hotels. (As I understand it, most of that Sinatra story is true.)
Gambler Lem Banker remembers Greene in his wild, wild days , when the comedian was nearly successful at drinking Las Vegas dry.
“Shecky was a crazy S.O.B.,” Banker says. “We all loved him.”
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I had dinner almost every Monday night with Shecky and comedian Joey Villa. Joey would make us a spaghetti supper that was fit for a fucking king. Shecky hooked me up with his brother Paul– who worked the video counter at Adrays department store– and our crew filled the shelves there with bootleg / duped copies of “Debbie Does Dallas” Anthony “The Animal” Fiato
Hollywood goodfella 
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