Frank Sinatra Tribute Raises Money for Sandy Victims

Frank Sinatra Tribute Raises Money for Sandy Victims

: Published on Monday, December 17 2012; Written by Katie Marzullo

Last week not only marked the last time we will encounter a date with a same-number sequence (12-12-12) in our lifetimes, but it also happened to be the 97th birthday of the late, great Frank Sinatra… naturally!

It was serendipitous timing, to be sure, as Ol’ Blue Eyes was famously born and raised in Hoboken, New Jersey, a town that is still reeling from the effects of one Hurricane Sandy earlier this Fall. One could only imagine that, if The Voice was still alive, he’d do any and everything to get his beloved homestead back on its feet. But in lieu of his presence, Phil Viardo decided to take up the task instead.

It only stands to reason too – producer and manager Viardo is not only a huge fan of Sinatra but shares a birthday with the legend as well! To that end, Viardo threw his 7th annual Rat Pack Ball both in honor of the singer but also as a perfect way to raise some extra dough for charity via the Rebuild Hoboken Relief Fund.

“Frank was always one of my idols,” Viardo said, “So I started the Rat Pack Ball with the intention of giving tribute to Frank as well as the Rat Pack Era itself. It gives everyone in town a chance to get all fancy and go out on the town as they did in the hey day of true Hollywood glamour. It also presented a good opportunity to raise money for charity. We have raised money for homeless kids, to save whales and other causes; but this year, Rebuild Hoboken just made real sense.”

Sebastian Anzaldo regaled the VIP attendees with his take on Sinatra’s classics, including three duets with R&B star Eric Benet. Other folks on hand at the Lexington Social House to get their Rat Pack on were Adrianne Curry (“America’s Next Top Model”), Gretchen Rossi (“Real Housewives of Orange County”), and George Gray (“The Price Is Right”).