And I didn’t let you mourn him. I didn’t let you help me. That was wrong. Frank is crying now openly. Dino, it’s okay. I never stopped loving you. I never stopped being your friend. I know. And that’s why I’m calling because I need you to know something before I go. What? Dean pauses. The silence stretches. 5 seconds. 10 seconds. Then he says it.
Six words. Six words that Frank Sinatra will carry with him for the rest of his life. You were my best friend, Frank. Frank’s breath catches. Dino, let me finish. You were my best friend for 40 years. The Rat Pack, Vegas, the movies, the laughs, all of it. You were the best part of my life.
And I’m sorry I wasted 8 years. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I’m telling you now, you were everything to me. Frank can’t speak. He’s sobbing. Nancy, standing nearby is crying, too. Frank, you still there? I’m here, Dino. I’m here. Good, because I need you to know one more thing. What? I love you. I always did. I always will. Frank closes his eyes.
I love you, too, Dino. God, I love you, too. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for calling all those years. Thank you for for being you, Dino. Please let me come see you. No, I want you to remember me the way I was, not the way I am now. Can you do that for me? Frank nods even though Dean can’t see him. Yeah.
Yeah, I can do that. Good. Then I’ll say goodbye, Frank. Don’t say goodbye. Say, say see you later. Dean laughs, a weak, broken laugh. See you later, Frank. See you later, Dino. The line goes dead. Frank sits there, phone in his hand, staring at nothing. Nancy comes over, puts her hand on his shoulder. Dad. Frank doesn’t respond. He just sits there crying.
3 days later, December 24th, 1995, Christmas Eve morning, Dean Martin dies at home, alone, quietly. Frank finds out from Nancy. She tells him gently, carefully, but it doesn’t matter. Frank collapses. Actually collapses. Nancy catches him, helps him to a chair. No, Frank whispers. No, no, no. I’m sorry, Dad. I should have gone to him.
I should have been there. He didn’t want that. He wanted you to remember him the way he was. I don’t care what he wanted. I should have been there. Frank Sinatra attends Dean Martin’s funeral on December 28th, 1995. Westwood Village Memorial Park. Hundreds of people, Hollywood royalty. But Frank doesn’t see any of them.
He only sees the casket. He sits in the front row next to Dean’s daughter, Dena. He doesn’t speak during the service. He can’t. If he opens his mouth, he’ll scream. During the ceremony, Frank holds something. A photograph from 1960. The Rat Pack. Sans Hotel. Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter, Joey, all of them on stage. All of them young.
All of them laughing. Frank stares at that photo and he thinks, “Don’t leave me, Dino. Please don’t leave me. But Dino is already gone. After the funeral, Frank goes home. He doesn’t talk to anyone. He goes straight to his study, closes the door, takes out a notebook, and he starts writing.
For the next 3 years, from 1995 to 1998, Frank Sinatra writes in that notebook almost every day about Dean, about their friendship, about the eight years, about regret. Nobody knows about the notebook, not even Nancy. Frank keeps it in his desk drawer, locked, but he writes because he can’t talk to Dean anymore, but he can still write to him.
December 25th, 1995, Christmas Day. Frank writes, “Dean died yesterday. He called me 3 days before. Our last conversation, our last chance. And what did I do? I cried. That’s all I could do. Cry. There was so much I wanted to say, but my throat closed up. I couldn’t get the words out. 8 years. I lost him for 8 years because of pride, because of ego, because I thought he should come to me. But he didn’t come.
He was suffering. He lost his son. And I I wasn’t there for him. Now he’s gone. And I’m here full of regret. I wish I could have told him, Dino, you weren’t just my friend. You were my brother. You were family and every day I lost you, a piece of me died. January 2nd, 1996. Frank writes, “I went to Dean’s funeral today. I couldn’t speak.
The words wouldn’t come. I stood by his casket. The man inside that box was my best friend. 40 years together. The rat pack, Vegas, movies, jokes, songs, laughter. But the last 8 years, silence. And now silence forever. But that phone call, that last phone call, it changed everything. Because in that call, Dino reminded me of something.
Love is stronger than pride. Love is stronger than time. We didn’t talk for 8 years, but he still loved me, and I still loved him. And that that’s enough. February 14th, 1996, Valentine’s Day. Frank writes, “I looked at old rat pack photos today. 1960 Sans Hotel. Dean, Sammy, Peter, Joey, and me. All of us young.
All of us thinking we were invincible. But now Sammy’s gone. Dean’s gone. Peter’s gone. Joey’s gone. Just me left. And I’m so damn alone. But I know they’re waiting for me on the other side. Dean, Sammy, all of them. One day I’ll go to them. And the first person I’ll see will be Dean. And I’ll tell him, “I’m sorry, Dino.
We lost 8 years, but I never stopped loving you. May 10th, 1998. Frank writes, “I’m in the hospital. Heart attack. Second one. Doctors aren’t hopeful, but I’m not afraid because I know Dean is there waiting for me. Last night I dreamed about him. We were on stage Vegas singing Everybody Loves Somebody.” He turned to me, smiled, said, “Come on, Frank.
Let’s sing it together like the old days.” and I walked on stage and we sang. When I woke up, I was smiling. For the first time in three years, I was really smiling because I know soon I’ll see him again. And this time, we’ll never be apart. May 14th, 1998. Thursday night. Cedar Sinai Hospital. Frank Sinatra is dying. Heart failure. Second attack.
The doctors give him hours. Nancy sits by his bed. Frank is sleeping. His breathing is shallow, labored. The machines beep. Frank’s eyes open, blurry. He looks around the room. Then he looks at the corner and he smiles. Nancy doesn’t understand. There’s nobody in the corner, but Frank sees him. Dean standing there waiting. Frank’s lips move. One word comes out.
Dino. Nancy leans in, takes her father’s hand. Dad. Frank looks at her. His eyes are clear, like a final moment of clarity. He whispers something. Nancy barely hears it. I’m coming, Dano. Wait for me. Frank closes his eyes. And on May 14th, 1998, at 10:50 p.m., Frank Sinatra dies. His last word, dino.
The next morning, Nancy goes through her father’s belongings. She finds the notebook. in his desk drawer, small, leather bound, filled with Frank’s handwriting. She opens it, reads the first page. Dean, if you can hear me, know that I never stopped loving you. 8 years of silence didn’t erase 40 years of love. You were my brother and you always will be.
