The late Johnny Carson was beloved for his wild sense of humor and affable personality. Those qualities made him one of the most popular and enduring TV stars in the medium's history. But according to a recent tell-all book, Love Johnny Carson by Mark Malkoff with David Ritz, the late night host incurred the fury of a Mafia crime figure in the 1970s. He allegedly needed to be extricated from hot water by his good pal, Frank Sinatra.
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Carson Allegedly Made Crude Advances on the Crime Lord's Girlfriend
Per the book, Carson, his TV sidekick Ed McMahon, and Robert Coe, McMahon's manager, all were relaxing at Jilly's Saloon in New York, a favorite haunt for celebs. Carson supposedly had a few too many and put the moves on the girlfriend of Joe Gallo, an underworld figure with a famously fierce temper. When Gallo heard his lady friend call out in distress, Carson and his buddies wisely high-tailed it out the door.
Gallo, however, could not let the incident go. According to comic Tom Dreesen, who often graced The Tonight Show's stage, "The word all over the street was 'Carson's a dead man... He's gotta go into hiding.'"
Sinatra Allegedly Stepped in To Help His Pal
Sinatra was a suave, persuasive man. He apparently used his charm to get Johnny Carson off the hook with Joe Gallo. Per the book, the legendary "My Way" singer buttered Gallo up by having him and his family come backstage after a concert. Gallo, delighted, asked Sinatra if he could help him in any manner.
Sinatra then made his move. He answered Gallo with just two words: "Johnny Carson."
Gallo Was Still Seething
Gallo had evidently not forgotten Carson's overtures toward his female friend. He was still raging. Sinatra reportedly did his very best to smooth things over. He humbly said, "He's so sorry. He would come right now on his hands and knees, but he's terrified. I'm asking you to give the guy a break."
Luckily for Johnny Carson, Gallo at last calmed down. He allegedly told the famed vocalist, "You tell Johnny Carson that he breathes only because he knows Frank Sinatra."
What a close call!
