The Story of Sinatra and Hoboken and What Went Wrong By Anthony De Palma, Jr. Another Myth to Debunk Sinatra's last semipublic appearance in town was at the Union Club, Hoboken's premier gathering place, but it is impossible to pin down exactly when it took place because no records of the affair exist. It almost seems the city has tried to erase everything that conflicts with the myth that Sinatra was booed off the Union Club stage that night and vowed never to return. As far as can be determined from talking to those who ran the affair, Sinatra sang his last song in Hoboken in 1951 or 1952, while his father was a Hoboken fire captain and co-chairman of the local International Firefighters' first annual fund-raiser. To make the bash something to remember, Captain Sinatra brought his son in to perform, Frank drove to Hoboken that night, probably reluctant but unable to turn down his father's request. Tickets for fund-raisers like this are usually pushed down the throats of local politicians and businessmen who, after putting up the money, turn the tickets over to friends, relatives, or anyone else who wants to attend. Because the affair was a dance, many teenagers arrived at the Union Club's Grand Ballroom that night. Years before, when he first broke in with Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra infuriated the egotistical band leader because the crowds that used to swing with Dorsey's big band stopped dancing and listened to the skinny new singer. But by the early fifties, teenagers had gotten over Sinatra. They didn't want to hear him; they wanted to dance. Sinatra expected more respect. There was no cat-calling and no pennies thrown, although local legend claims both occurred that night, but Sinatra turned a bit cool and finished up without fanfare. Adults in the crowd never noticed any difference. Policemen whisked Sinatra out of the room and down a back exit, and he was gone. 
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