◆ SpookStack

G. his interest in the now defunct Berkshire Downs red Track near Springfield, Mass., at the same time that New England Cosa Nostra bosses al-| men, and his lawyer see aim sOme—wtvice about it, id indignantly, “I can read. mS And when. -the questioning. legedly had heavy investments turned to a horse Sinatra owns, in the track. Sinatra said he bought $55,000 worth of Berkshire Downs stock in late August 1962 purely as an investment, never knew who any of the track's other in- vestors were and said he didn’t know he -had been named a track vice president and direc-; tor until] he read it on sports; pages. Ren. Sam Steiger, R-Ariz., said «4 fadaral ei Gad ICUGL aa Wiretap on the phone of La Cosa Nostra boss Raymond Paftriarea showed he had been informed August 24, 1962 that Sinatra was to be! elected to the track's board. Sinatra showed no responsei to that statement but simply: sat as though waiting for Stei-: ger’s question. But Steiges had: no question on that point, Patriarea, now serving a fed- prison sentence in Atlanta, rane a Ga., for murder conspiracy, was identified by the Justice De- partment in 1960 and 1969 as boss of the New England La Cosa Nostra family, He alleged- ly had $215,000 invested in Ber-| kshire Downs in 1963 and is’ scheduled to testify before the House committee Wednesday. Sinatra was pressed on whether he had invited singer Dean Martin to invest. in the track and replied that it was; conceivable, but that he could not remember specifically doing so. . He said under questioning from counsel Phillips that he had met the late New York boss Gaetano (Three-finger Brown) Luchese about three or four times. Phillips asked if Luchese had introduced him to Sam Rizzo from whom he bought the $55,- 000 Berkshire Downs stock and Sinatra said no. Sinatra said he never partici- pated in operation of the track in any way. He said he never saw Rizzo again after he made the investment. Sinatra was serious and un- smiling through most of the tes- timony but several times dis- played the humour familiar in his film and television appear-, ances. At one point when he started To read a letter to the ‘con | Delaware ciel, ‘the retired i a his head in his ce ™ ¥ a