Sinatra′s mother
Sinatra′s mother was energetic and driven,[17] and biographers believe that she was the dominant factor in the development of her son′s personality traits and self-confidence.[18] Sinatra′s fourth wife Barbara would later claim that Dolly was abusive to him as a child, and ″knocked him around a lot″.[19] Dolly became influential in Hoboken and in local Democratic Party circles.[20] She worked as a midwife, earning $50 for each delivery,[21] and according to Sinatra biographer Kitty Kelley, also ran an illegal abortion service that catered to Italian Catholic girls, for which she was nicknamed ″Hatpin Dolly″.[22][d] She also had a gift for languages and served as a local interpreter.[25] Sinatra′s illiterate father was a bantamweight boxer who fought under the name Marty O′Brien.[26] [unique_solution]He later worked for 24 years at the Hoboken Fire Department, working his way up to captain.[27] Sinatra spent much time at his parents′ tavern in Hoboken,[e] working on his homework and occasionally singing a song on top of the player piano for spare change.[29] During the Great Depression, Dolly provided money to her son for outings with friends and to buy expensive clothes, resulting in neighbors describing him as the ″best-dressed kid in the neighborhood″.[30] Excessively thin and small as a child and young man, Sinatra′s skinny frame later became a staple of jokes during stage shows.[31][32]
Sinatra′s mother was energetic and driven,[17] and biographers believe that she was the dominant factor in the development of her son′s personality traits and self-confidence.[18] Sinatra′s fourth wife Barbara would later claim that Dolly was abusive to him as a child, and ″knocked him around a lot″.[19] Dolly became influential in Hoboken and in local Democratic Party circles.[20] She worked as a midwife, earning $50 for each delivery,[21] and according to Sinatra biographer Kitty Kelley, also ran an illegal abortion service that catered to Italian Catholic girls, for which she was nicknamed ″Hatpin Dolly″.[22][d] She also had a gift for languages and served as a local interpreter.[25] Sinatra′s illiterate father was a bantamweight boxer who fought under the name Marty O′Brien.[26] [unique_solution]He later worked for 24 years at the Hoboken Fire Department, working his way up to captain.[27] Sinatra spent much time at his parents′ tavern in Hoboken,[e] working on his homework and occasionally singing a song on top of the player piano for spare change.[29] During the Great Depression, Dolly provided money to her son for outings with friends and to buy expensive clothes, resulting in neighbors describing him as the ″best-dressed kid in the neighborhood″.[30] Excessively thin and small as a child and young man, Sinatra′s skinny frame later became a staple of jokes during stage shows.[31][32]