1. Had the 'privilege' of staying there for a week in 2008 for a convention based out of the LVCC. Absolutely terrible. I mean, I'm all for staying in wherever is the cheapest, but everything there was at least 20 years old, worn past the point of looking dilapidated, the lobby restroom presumably had a man living in it from all the filth and scattered clothing, and there was one person working.
2. In its heyday, the Sahara was a favorite haunt of the Frank Sinatra-led Rat Pack, featuring Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., who also performed here. The resort even had a cameo in the original.

Icons February 15, 2019

The Rat Pack is celebrating its 60th anniversary and Bishop would have turned 102 on Feb. 'Bishop was a very bitter person,' Lertzman told Fox News. 'At the end of his career, he had burned a.

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop - posed outside Sands Casino, Las Vegas, 1960 at 'Summit At Sands' (Photo by GAB Archive/Redferns)

We know them as the coolest cats in entertainment in the early 1960s -- the Rat Pack. But who were they? How many of them were there? Everyone can name the leader, Frank Sinatra, and most people know the next two familiar faces: Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. But then it gets a little fuzzy. The Rat Pack of the 1960s was in the original Ocean's Eleven (1960) -- does that mean there were 11 of them? And the cast of that movie brings up another question -- was the Rat Pack a boys' club, or did they let Ocean's Eleven co-star Angie Dickinson in? And Sergeants 3 (1964) was also a Rat Pack movie; what about 4 For Texas (1963) and Robin And The 7 Hoods (1964)? All these numbers aren't helping.

The very simple question of who was in the Rat Pack has a very simple and definitive answer. But from our vantage point in the 21st century, it's not so simple -- we can come up with big names that we think should have been in the Rat Pack. This Mandela Effect might include Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Tony Curtis, President John F. Kennedy, Sammy Cahn, Cesar Romero, Mel Tormé, Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett, Trini Lopez, Lee Marvin, Telly Savalas... no, now we're on to the cast of The Dirty Dozen (1967), which was definitely not a Rat Pack movie, even though it sort of has a number in the title.

None of those guys made the Rat Pack cut. And as much as we might wish for it to have been a co-ed social club, it wasn't. No Angie Dickinson, no Shirley MacLaine, no Marilyn Monroe.

The Rat Pack of the 1960s was five guys, no more and no less. Sinatra, Martin, Davis and two others. Have you come up with them yet?

The Five

Known for chasing women, drinking booze, and taking pleasure in the nightlife and gambling scene that Las Vegas had to offer, the Rat Pack was a supergroup of entertainment and comedy who often appeared together in concerts, on TV or in movies. They sang, they told jokes, they did comedy sketches -- most of all, they had a blast. The official roster was Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, and of course, Frank Sinatra. All five stars appeared in Ocean’s Eleven, which was filmed in Las Vegas, and frequently performed together at The Sands, also in Las Vegas.

Pack Mentality

Although the group didn’t always perform together, when one member of the Pack was scheduled for a live show, there was always a chance that one or two others might join them onstage. The marquee at The Sands Hotel would often read, “DEAN MARTIN—MAYBE FRANK—MAYBE SAMMY.”

Rat Pack shows were popular not just for the quality of the entertainment, but also for the glimpse into showbiz's most exclusive fraternity. The Rat Pack had their own drinks tray, rolled out on stage during performances. They told stories, made spontaneous jokes at each other's expense, casually dropped names of other entertainers who were friends or rivals, but (obviously) not cool enough to be in the Pack.

There were downsides to the Rat Pack, for sure -- they were social bullies, they didn't respect women. Though their inclusion of Sammy Davis, Jr., was remarkably progressive in the Civil Rights Era, Davis was often the butt of mildly racist jokes onstage. They were rich, flashy, macho and unapologetically hedonistic -- what we fondly remember as 'swagger' might go by less flattering names if we experienced it today.

What most don’t realize about the Rat Packis how the group came to be created. It all started in the home of Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, who lived in Holmby Hills, in western Los Angeles, near Beverly Hills. The couple hosted many late-night parties where several of Hollywood’s mainstream movie stars and entertainers could be found including Judy Garland, Angie Dickinson, David Niven and his wife, talent agent Swifty Lazar, restaurateur Mike Romanoff, and of course, Frank Sinatra.

The Holmby Hills Rat Pack

As the story goes, during one particularly loud and carousing night of drinking and partying, Bacall walked into see Bogart and friends enjoying themselves a bit too much. She stopped and said to them, 'You look like a pack of rats.' The name stuck.

Stephen Bogart, son of Humphrey and Lauren, lists the members of the original Rat Pack as follows, with titles as appropriate:

• Frank Sinatra, the 'Pack Master'
  
• Judy Garland, the 'First Vice-President'
  
• Nicole Bassing, 'Den Mother.' Bassing does not seem to have been in show business.
  
• Sid Luft, 'Cage Master.' Luft was a former boxer who worked in the Hollywood film industry, and was Judy Garland's husband from 1952 to 1965.
  
• Bogart, 'Rat in Charge of Public Relations'
  
• Swifty Lazar, 'Recording Secretary and Treasurer.' Lazar was a Hollywood super-agent whose clients included Bogey and Bacall.
  
• Nathaniel Benchley, Historian. Benchley was a writer, son of Algonquin Round Table co-founder Robert Benchley and the father of Peter Benchley, who wrote the shark-hunt novel Jaws. Nathaniel Benchley's most enduring book is probably Bright Candles: A Novel Of The Danish Resistance, which is read by many junior high and high school students to this day.
  

Other official members were:

• David Niven
  
• Katharine Hepburn
  
• Spencer Tracy
  
• Cary Grant
  
• Rex Harrison
  
• George Cukor. Cukor directed numerous Hollywood classics, including The Philadelphia Story (1940), A Star Is Born (starring Garland, 1952), and My Fair Lady (1964).
  
• Jimmy Van Heusen. Van Heusen was a composer who teamed with lyricist Sammy Cahn to write numerous hits for Sinatra and other crooners.
  
• Mike Romanoff, owner of the famous Beverly Hills restaurant Romanoff's.

Frequent guests included:

• Errol Flynn
  
• Ava Gardner
  
• Nat King Cole
  
• Robert Mitchum
  
• Elizabeth Taylor
  
• Janet Leigh
  
• Tony Curtis
  
• Mickey Rooney
  
• Lena Horne
  
• Jerry Lewis
  
• Cesar Romero
  

As you can see, the original Holmby Hills Rat Pack was a much larger club, and it was co-ed. Following Bogart's death in 1957, Sinatra took over as head of the Rat Pack (and briefly dated Bacall), but it wasn't until Sinatra and his buddies became fixtures in Vegas that the five-man lineup was formalized as the second Rat Pack.

Except it wasn't. One of the peculiarities of the Rat Pack story is that the 1960s quintet did not call themselves the Rat Pack. They preferred 'The Summit' or 'The Clan.' Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Lawford and Bishop were called the Rat Pack by outsiders or paparazzi -- but privately, Sinatra hated the name.

It's also said that Davis, understandably, wasn't too jazzed about being in a group called The Clan.

Joey Bishop: The Comedian

Bishop’s path toward the Rat Pack began in the 1950s when he struck up a friendship with Frank Sinatra. He was becoming one of America’s most beloved comedians of the era. Bishop was not as flashy as other members of the group and tended to remain in the background, becoming the crew member who coordinated most of the Rat Pack’s routines. It’s often stated that he played the most minor role in the Rat Pack, but at one point, Sinatra referred to him as the 'Hub of the Big Wheel.' He was also only one of two members -- the other being Dean Martin -- who could get away with telling jokes at Sinatra’s expense. Bishop was the longest-living member of the Rat Pack, passing away of cancer in 1999, at the age of 89.

Peter Lawford: The Socialite

British actor Peter Lawford had made a name for himself before he ever joined up as a member of the Rat Pack. He became John F. Kennedy’s brother-in-law when he married the President’s sister, Patricia Kennedy.

Even with all his entitlements and advantages, there was still trouble with friendships within the pack. He and Sinatra went their separate ways when another of Lawford’s brothers-in-law, U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, shared well-founded objections to Sinatra’s alleged ties with the Mafia. Unfortunately, this event harmed their friendship and they were never close again. Suffering from liver and kidney failure, due to years of substance abuse, Lawford died on Christmas Eve 1984, at the age of 61, from cardiac arrest.

As an actor, Lawford had the privilege of being the first to kiss Elizabeth Taylor on camera. He was also the last person to speak to Marilyn Monroe before her mysterious and untimely death.

Sammy Davis, Jr.: Mr. Show Business

Sammy Davis, Jr. became one of the most well-known entertainers, singers, and dancers during his time with the Rat Pack, and beyond. Among his Rat-Pack friends, he was given the nickname “Smokey.” Sinatra was a protector and defender of Davis, specifically when it came to apparent and prevalent racist practices in Las Vegas. At one point when Davis was denied entrance into the Copacabana, Sinatra used his reputation and swagger to ensure he was allowed. In his career following the Rat Pack years, he became known as “Mr. Show Business” due to his popularity as a singer, dancer, and film star. Known for smoking up to four packs of cigarettes a day, Davis passed away in 1990, at the age of 64, due to complications from throat cancer.

Dean Martin: The King Of Cool

Known as “The King of Cool,” Dean Martin falls into the same class as Sinatra, with his onstage antics as a boozing and gambling playboy. Although he played up his image as a cocktail-drinking and woman-loving comedian, later in life he claimed it was all about his public presence. He was immensely popular not only as an actor and singer but also as a comedian, starring alongside fellow members of t

All women adored him and most men wanted to be him. Known for his class, charm, and sophistication, Sinatra was the main attraction at Caesar’s Palace during his years with the Rat Pack. Along with his high-class reputation, he was also known to be a heavy drinker, an obvious womanizer, and proficient gambler. Sinatra is very well-known for his highly successful career as an actor, and the smooth, mellow voice that made him a most beloved singer. All you have to hear is 'Ol' Blue Eyes' and images of a tux-wearing Sinatra with a cigarette in one hand and microphone in the other immediately pop into your head. The last few years of his life were wrought with medical issues such as heart problems, pneumonia, and bladder cancer. He died in 1998, with his wife by his side, at the age of 82, from a heart attack.

The 'Jack Pack'

Though John F. Kennedy wasn't in the Rat Pack, he was related by marriage to Lawford and did enjoy hanging out with the boys when he came to Vegas. Sinatra, always keen to cultivate friendships with the (ahem) powerful, took to calling his crew the 'Jack Pack' when Kennedy was among them. In the late '50s and into the campaign year of 1960, the Rat Pack backed Kennedy as he campaigned for the Presidency, and supported him initially after the election.

Things got awkward when John F. Kennedy's brother, Bobby, who was the U.S. Attorney General, very publicly declared war on organized crime and the Mafia. Sinatra, who had ties to mobster Sam Giancana, was no longer the ideal drinking buddy for the President. In 1962, after Lawford convinced Sinatra to host the Kennedys at his Palm Springs home, the President opted to stay at Bing Crosby's home instead.

The Jack Pack ceased to exist, and Lawford was bounced from the Rat Pack. Sinatra had him replaced in the next quasi-Rat Pack movie, Robin And The 7 Hoods (1964) -- with Bing Crosby.

Follow Up Question: Who Were The Rat Pack Mascots?

The five core members of the Rat Pack had a few friends, and even though there were no women in the Rat Pack, there were women around. The list of mascots of the Rat Pack included (but was surely not limited to):

• Marilyn Monroe
  
• Angie Dickinson
  
• Juliet Prowse, a dancer and actress
  
• Buddy Greco, a singer, composer and pianist
  
• Shirley MacLaine
  

That's a wrap on the Rat Pack -- more than you need to know, perhaps. We hope by now you've fired up Sinatra At The Sands (1966) and are well into your second serving of gasoline -- what Ol' Blue Eyes called his liquor of choice, Jack Daniel's.

Ring-a-ding, baby, ring-a-ding-ding.

From the Web

Rarely Seen Photos From The 70s for Mature Audiences Only

History Daily

67 Colorized Photos Captured Way More Than Expected

History Daily

Tags: A Brief History Of... Celebrities In The 1950s Celebrities In The 1960s Dean Martin Frank Sinatra Joey Bishop Las Vegas Music In The 1950s Music In The 1960s Peter Lawford Rat Pack Sammy Davis, Jr.

Like it? Share with your friends!

Penny Chavers

Writer

The Rat Pack is the epitome of Mad Men-style old-school cool. As Colin Bertram of Biography tells us, the legendary group of entertainers were originally acquaintances who used to hang around at Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall's home in Los Angeles. Before their most famous line-up, they had a Who's Who list of satellite members that included David Niven, Spencer Tracy, and Robert Mitchum. They were by no means a 'men only' club, either: Early on, legendary ladies such as Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn counted themselves in the group's ranks. In fact, the Rat Pack didn't even really want to be one. They actually liked to be called 'The Summit' or 'The Clan.'

Still, regardless of their full list of members or original naming aspirations, history has come to know the group as the Rat Pack, and Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop are considered its core members. As effortlessly awesome as the group appeared to be, there was actually a lot of turmoil and sadness behind the scenes. Today, we'll take a look at the tragic history of the Rat Pack.

Peter Lawford's right hand

If you're hard-pressed to name an iconic Peter Lawford movie, you probably won't be alone. Though his IMDb page shows that his acting career was lengthy and impressive, his entry on the Hollywood Walk of Fame website tells us that Lawford also had a couple of other things playing in his favor. The British-American actor happened to be the brother-in-law of a guy called John F. Kennedy, and in his later years he reaped fame simply from his 'off-screen activities as a celebrity.'

All of that might seem like Lawford led an absolutely charmed life, but in reality, he suffered from a nasty, debilitating injury to his right hand. The details on how he received it vary. The Walk of Fame page says the hand sustained permanent nerve damage when he fell through a glass door at the age of 14, while the book Peter Lawford Story by Patricia Lawford Stewart and Ted Schwartz tells us that Lawford's hand started to atrophy, and the doctors' treatment where his fingers were forcefully opened left the appendage comparatively normal-looking, but lacking in strength. Regardless, the ensuing injury left his hand with enough damage that he was declared unfit to serve in World War II, and he had to learn to hide it.

Sammy Davis Jr. dealt with a lot of racism

If the Rat Pack were giving out prizes for most tenacious entertainer, Sammy Davis Jr. would have been head and shoulders above the competition. As Carmel Dagan of Variety writes, the sole African-American member of the squad faced racism throughout his career, yet managed to shrug off humiliation after humiliation and build a long, enviable career as an entertainer. He wasn't even safe from racism with his fellow Rat Pack members: The group's shows in Las Vegas often involved racially-themed 'comedy,' and he was the punchline.

Some people accused Davis of being an 'Uncle Tom' (an African-American man that was perceived as being servile to white people), while others saw him as a trailblazer who helped tear down racial barriers. As for the man himself ... well, let's just say that he donated quite a lot of money to the civil rights movement over the years.

Sammy Davis Jr.'s marriage troubles

Sammy Davis Jr. may have been a star, but the era's racists (of whom there were many) made it sure that his skin tone often defined what he could and couldn't do in the eyes of the general public. Carmel Dagan of Variety reports that this was especially evident when Davis married the Swedish actress May Britt in 1960. This was a time when interracial marriages were not only ultra rare — they were outright illegal in no less than 31 states. Davis' daughter has even claimed that John F. Kennedy himself reacted to the situation by stopping Davis from performing at his inauguration.

As Lynn Yager's Vogue article on Britt tells us, the marriage was not without implications for either celebrity. Davis was harassed by Neo-Nazis and racists. The era's segregation practices meant that the couple ran into situations where they couldn't share a hotel room, or even drink from the same fountain. Oh, and Britt's own studio, 20th Century Fox, dropped her as soon as they got married.

Sammy Davis Jr. loses his eye

As Bob Cannon of Entertainment Weekly tells us, November 19, 1954 seemed like just another day in the life of Sammy Davis Jr. doing the exact kind of cool stuff you'd imagine Sammy Davis Jr. doing. He was working on a cool movie soundtrack and driving his cool Cadillac down Route 66, the coolest of all roads. Unfortunately, a decidedly uncool and downright terrifying event interrupted his day, when an elderly lady backed out of her driveway and directly into his path. Unable to avoid the crash, the 28-year-old Davis was sent face first into the steering wheel.

According to the entertainer's daughter Tracy Davis' book, Sammy Davis Jr.: A Personal History with My Father (via ABC News), the impact fractured several bones in his face. The damage to his left eye was even worse, and the now-useless organ was left 'dangling from his eye socket.' Davis had no option but to get a prosthetic eye and to learn to maneuver on the stage all over again. The incident sent him on a path of much 'soul-searching,' and affected his eventual choice to convert to Judaism.

Sammy Davis Jr. and the mob

Sammy Davis Jr. had to endure much racial abuse over the years, but as Joy Lanzerdorfer of Smithsonian Magazine tells us, Hollywood was quite fond of him ... until 1957, when he started dating Kim Novak, a major movie star and a white woman. The pair realized that their secret relationship could kill their careers, and kept things on the down low. Still, it didn't sit well with the head of Novak's studio. Unfortunately for Davis, Columbia Pictures' Harry Cohn had ties to the Mafia, and ordered a hit on the entertainer. Reportedly, gangster Mickey Cohen delivered a threat to maim and kill Davis to the singer's horrified father. The only way out: Davis would have to marry a black woman and forget all about Novak.

Davis tried to fight back by contacting his own mob connection, Sam Giancana. However, Giancana's reach couldn't protect Davis in Hollywood, and in the end, the singer ended up giving in to the threats. In early 1958, Davis married singer Loray White in a doomed marriage that wouldn't last until the end of the year. According to a friend, the entertainer was so utterly devastated on his wedding day that he got drunk, attempted to strangle his new wife, and later tried to bring a gun to his own head.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Frank Sinatra and draft-dodging

Frank Sinatra was the Captain America of the Rat Pack's Avengers, as well as the guy people tend to mean when they talk about how men were cooler and more stylish back in the day. As an entertainer, Ol' Blue Eyes may have radiated effortless class, but his image was tarnished by one thing that followed him throughout much of his life. According to Erin Blakemore of History, Sinatra was thought to have dodged the draft for World War II, which drew much ire and hurt his early career.

What Casino Did The Rat Pack Hang Out At A

As the story went, Sinatra had paid a hefty $40,000 for a doctor to decide he was unfit for service. However, this appears to have been untrue, seeing as even the FBI looked into the allegations and ultimately decided that Sinatra's dismissal had perfectly legitimate reasons behind it — namely, psychological issues and a punctured eardrum. Yet, the rumors persisted. According to NPR, Sinatra's reputation as a draft-dodger made him 'one of the most despised men in America' at one point, after Pearl Harbor in particular. Military folks also felt that the young singer was doing his level best to hound their women while they were fighting the enemy abroad. According to Sinatra biographer James Kaplan, of course, they were sort of right about that one.

Sinatra and the Feds

Frank Sinatra had tons of admirers and followers over his career, but there was one persistent group of fans he probably could have done without. As Erin Blakemore of History tells us, we're talking about none other than the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The FBI kept a file on Ol' Blue Eyes for over 40 years, and compiled thousands of pages on his life, contacts, and (alleged) shenanigans. They became interested in him due to the rumors of his draft-dodging, and after they decided that these were unfounded, they started looking into Sinatra's social circle. The singer's list of acquaintances included several notable mobsters, including big shot Chicago gangster Sam Giancana, the Giacalones from Detroit, and Angelo Bruno of Philadelphia. Sinatra was never prosecuted for these connections, though at one point he grew quite concerned about the mounting rumors of his association with organized crime folks. In 1950, he even approached the FBI and offered to become an informant, in a possible bid to get in their good graces. The Feds declined. After all, they were also looking into him because of his other suspicious activities, such as supposed Communist sympathies and ... his open support of the anti-racist movement? Truly, it was a different time.

Still, the FBI was also known to assist Sinatra on occasion. The most high-profile one of these was in 1963, when the Bureau caught the three men who had kidnapped the singer's son, Frank Jr.

Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner

To say Frank Sinatra's relationship with actress Ava Gardner had its ups and downs is an understatement of truly colossal properties. According to People, the pair first met in 1943, started dating in 1949 while Sinatra was still married to his first wife, and got married in 1951. In a Vanity Fairarticle by Gardner and her biographer, Peter Evans, the Hollywood legend reminisced about the time she first met Sinatra, who she described as a 'cocky god' who 'reeked of sex.' When the two eventually hooked up, they indulged in shenanigans like drunk-driving through a small town with guns blazing, shooting at store windows and streetlights.

Gardner also noted that lots of people, including some of Sinatra's former partners, advised her against marrying him. Yet, she chose otherwise ... and before their perhaps inevitable divorce in 1957, they had an incredibly intense relationship pock-marked with separations, two abortions, numerous infidelities (on both parts) and several suicide attempts (on Sinatra's part). Despite all this, the pair remained friends until 1990, when Gardner died.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Sinatra's suicide attempts

As easy-going and composed as Frank Sinatra seemed in public, the man had his demons. In an interview with NPR, journalist and Sinatra biographer James Kaplan notes that the singer was rather prone to desperate moves behind closed doors. According to Kaplan, Sinatra made three or four suicide attempts over the years, one of which was severe enough that he could have bled to death. Andrew March of PBS says it was four, and writes that the first one happened during the early 1950s during a career slump Sinatra took pretty hard. The other three happened during his relationship with Ava Gardner.

On one occasion, Gardner reportedly walked in a room where Sinatra was holding a gun to his head. As Gardner tried to wrestle the gun away from the singer, it fired, but the shot luckily missed both superstars. As John Brady's book, Frank & Ava: In Love and War, tells us, Gardner found Sinatra's suicide attempts incredibly difficult, especially since he appeared to think that no one would care if he'd end his life. 'I care,' Gardner said. 'He knows that it would blow me apart and that I will always protect him.'

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

The death of Dino Jr.

Dean Martin's oldest child, Dean Paul, was arguably at least as talented as his father. As Barbara Metzler of Associated Press writes, he had chops as a television performer, and as a musician he'd already had a hit with his band, Dino, Desi, and Billy, which also featured the son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Apart from his entertainment career, he was also a talented athlete and a pilot. Unfortunately, that last talent was the one that cost him his life.

On March 1987, Dean Paul Martin and another crewman were flying a fighter jet out of March Air Force Base, California, when a combination of heavy clouds, a 400 mph speed and a presumably unexpected mountainside caused them to crash and instantly perish. As Peopletells us, Martin initially held out hope that his son might have survived the crash, but when the body was eventually found, the loss weighed heavily on him. According to Martin's friend, Jerry Vale: 'He couldn't handle it. After [Dino's death] it seemed he was just walking through life.'

Dean Martin's long slide to reclusiveness

Dean Martin's public image may have been that of an easy-going guy who liked a drink and a good time and cared for little else, but as J. D. Reed of People tells us, this wasn't strictly true. Just like the Los Angeles Times notes that the whiskey 'Dino' kept sipping during his performances was generally just orange juice, his nonchalant, debonair image was just that — an image.

Martin was actually a shy and somewhat gruff man of few words, and little taste for small talk. By the time his third marriage ended in 1976, he apparently started embracing this side of his personality, to a point that he nearly stopped performing and settled to a semi-hermit state that involved a daily routine of a round of golf, a dinner at his regular club, some drinks, and a Western movie. His seclusion took a turn for the worse in the late 1980s, when a series of people who were important to him — including his eldest son — died over a relatively short period of time. These losses were apparently more than he could take, and he slid further into autopilot. In his last years, though, he did manage to be a bit more social, at least when it came to his family.

The failed reunion tour

What Casino Did The Rat Pack Hang Out At Home

As John M. Leighty of UPI writes, the Rat Pack — well, at least Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. — reunited in 1988 for a tour that was supposed to span 29 cities. As the word 'supposed' might tell you, this didn't go quite as smoothly as planned.

What Casino Did The Rat Pack Hang Out At Walmart

According to J. D. Reed of People, the brunt of the blame lies on Martin, who acted incredibly disinterested about the whole thing. He kept slurring through his lines, forgetting lyrics, and acting so hostile that he actually 'flicked a live cigarette' into the audience during their show in Oakland. Afterwards, an angry Sinatra redecorated his friend's head with a plate of spaghetti. In the end, the tour fell apart after just six or so nights, as Martin headed straight to Los Angeles, citing kidney problems ... yet appearing in Las Vegas only days later, joking, 'Frank sent me a kidney, but I don't know whose it was.'

Where Did The Rat Pack Hang Out In Vegas

The incident effectively destroyed the decades-long friendship between Sinatra and Martin. The pair only reconciled mere weeks before Martin's death.