The series “Mafia Spies” delves into the mafia and Sinatra connections of Palm Springs
Tony Oppedisano talks about the legacy of his friend Sinatra.
Tony Oppedisano talks about the legacy of his friend Frank Sinatra.
Bruce Fessier, Palm Springs Desert Sun
What do the CIA, the Mafia, and a plot to assassinate Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro have to do with Palm Springs? Much more than you might think.
A new six-part docuseries “Mafia Spies,” based on the book “Mafia Spies: The Inside Story of the CIA, Gangsters, JFK, and Castro” by Thomas Maier, will premiere Tuesday on the streaming service Paramount+. Based on recently declassified footage, the series features key figures, including real-life spies, gangsters, honeypots and mistresses, as they uncover a hidden conspiracy between the CIA and the Chicago Mafia aimed at assassinating Castro at a critical time in the Cold War.
In the middle of all the madness is Palm Springs singer Frank Sinatra and his connections to mob bosses. The series looks at his connections to everything that was going on at the time, and local residents also appear in the show (including one who used to work for this newspaper).
Here’s what you need to know.
What is the Paramount+ TV series “Mafia Spies” about?
Paramount+’s new documentary series delves into the 1960s, when the United States and Cuba were at loggerheads. “Castro is impossible to live with,” reads a 1961 CIA memo outlining America’s secret policy of eliminating the Cuban leader by any means necessary.
Based on recently released CIA and FBI memos, the series tells the incredible story of America’s attempt to kill Castro, for which two top gangsters, Johnny Roselli and Sam Giancana, were hired, among others. Many ultimately considered it a “mission impossible” as there were several failed attempts. Castro was head of state of Cuba from 1959 to 2008. He died in Havana in 2016.
Mafia Spies also looks at events during the Kennedy administration, such as the botched Bay of Pigs invasion on the south coast of Cuba and the attempts of then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to prosecute the Mafia. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 is also addressed.
The series features exclusive interviews in the United States and Cuba with notable historians and journalists, including Gerald Posner, Tim Weiner, Geoff Schumacher, Stephen Kinzer, Peter Kornbluh, J. Michael Niotta, Boris Nerey Obregon and Felix Rodriguez. The series also features Giancana’s daughter Antoinette and actor Robert Davi.
What are the connections to Palm Springs in “Mafia Spies”?
While most of the drama takes place in Washington, DC, Miami and Havana, Palm Springs also appears several times in the series.
One of the key figures in the desert was “Ol’ Blue Eyes” Sinatra, who made Palm Springs his home starting in the 1940s. His connections to mobsters were no secret – the Mafia had promoted Sinatra’s career, and he even worked to secure the Mafia’s support to help Kennedy get elected.
In the series, Roselli travels to Sinatra’s desert home to see if the crooner can tell the Kennedy administration to stop harassing the Mafia. When Sinatra tells Roselli he can’t help, Mafia boss Giancana feels betrayed and considers killing the singer.
Additionally, Sinatra is hired by the Mafia to speak to Desi Arnaz, the producer of the hit TV series “The Untouchables.” The Mafia was upset with the show’s portrayal of Italian-American characters and decided to kill Arnaz. The series includes a reenactment of Sinatra and Arnaz’s meeting in Palm Springs.
“Mafia Spies” also includes interviews conducted in Palm Springs with retired Desert Sun arts and entertainment reporter Bruce Fessier, who wrote a five-part series on the Coachella Valley Mafia called “Gangsters in Paradise” in 2014; with Betsy Duncan Hammes, an ex-girlfriend of Roselli and a singer at the El Mirador Lounge; and Emmy Award-winning entertainer Roberta Linn, who was friends with Sinatra.
How can I watch Mafia Spies?
The series will premiere on Tuesday on Paramount+ and weekly on Showtime starting July 22.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ema_sasic.
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