When it Comes to Frank Sinatra Memorabilia, Heights' Mike Conti Has It All

Slowly and carefully, Mike Conti flips through a large stack of Frank Sinatra records. The albums are in perfect condition and appear to look about as brand new as they did the day they came off the presses, decades ago.

“A needle has never touched these records,” Conti, who happened to be dressed in a Frank Sinatra T-shirt, explained. The records are just a small sampling of the tremendous amount of memorabilia Conti has collected most of his life in tribute to “Ol’ Blue Eyes.”

Upon walking in his living room, one will instantly see Conti is a huge fan. The walls display photos, records, plagues, musical plates and then some. A large life-size cut-out of the singer sits towards the back of the room in front of shelves which houses stacks of books, all about just one person, of course – Sinatra.

Conti said he used to display the memorabilia at shows but in more recent years he’s stopped but he’s always open to sharing with people who are interested in seeing some of the items. By being part of the New Jersey Historical Society, some of his Sinatra memorabilia was brought to England to be shown in a display. He still has all those items as it was all safely returned to him after the show.

Like Sinatra, Conti was born in Hoboken. And like Conti, Sinatra lived in Hasbrouck Heights for a time.

Conti said he is often asked about how he has managed to collect all these items. He started saving things back when he was in his 20s and he just never stopped. The second biggest question he hears is how does he keep track of it all and remember the stories behind them. Conti said he’s simply just logs everything he collects. Most of his items are rare and can't be found anymore.

In addition to never-played record albums, he most certainly has a collection of records he has listened to, as well as CDs and tape cassettes. Shelves are filled with video cassettes of Frank in concert or in films. Conti has made some of his own posters out of photos and other Sinatra related memorabilia he’s collected.

Also on display in his living room are original paintings of Frank done by a mutual friend – Lucille Buccini. She and her husband John performed with Frank Sinatra up at the Rustic Cabin in Englewood. Buccini even gave Conti many items she had from Frank over the years including notes and photographs. He even has an old menu from the Rustic Cabin which is still in perfect condition, a reminder that one could once get clam chowder for 20 cents back in the day.

Conti’s collection includes all Sinatra items big and small. A pillow on one of his sofas is covered in just about every Frank Sinatra pin he could find. On his fridge hangs a poster from the Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational golf tournament he went to years ago. He also has mugs and T-shirts from that event. Lining the walls on the way down to his basement are photos, plagues, mugs, statues and more.

The photos he has span Sinatra's his entire life. Some show him as a young boy, others with the fellow members of the Rat Pack and his later years as well. Conti even has Sinatra’s driver’s license and his birth certificate.

One entire wall of his basement showcases different T-shirts which pay homage to the famous singer. A bar in the back corner displays bottles and bottles of wine which showcase ‘Ol Blue Eyes’ all which were sent to him from California.

Conti steps behind the bar to unveil an item which is probably his most favorite out of the countless things he has collected over the years. He pulls back the cover and there is a portrait of Sinatra entirely in black and white except for the eyes which are painted in such an infectious blue that one may feel like the eyes are almost real.

Conti knew he had to have this item when he first laid his own eyes on it. He said the guy who was selling it actually thought Conti was crazy for wanting it but he just knew he couldn’t leave without purchasing it.   

Although he has spent most of his life collecting all this memorabilia in honor of the “Chairman of the Board” Conti surprisingly never actually met him in person, although he did see him perform at Sands in Atlantic City and countless other clubs. He did have the opportunity to write to him once but regrettably he never did.

He has met Frank’s daughter Nancy Sinatra who Conti said enjoyed talking to him about her father. He’s met Barbara Sinatra, Frank’s wife, as well.

Conti’s passion for paying homage to Frank Sinatra even extends past his garage. His car sports a license plate devoted to famed singer.  In fact one time his license plate even drew attention to a fan who wound up coming to Conti’s home to see all this memorabilia. He’s also had people from the Sinatra Society come in to view his collection.

Summing up why he has taken the time to collect all this memorabilia on Frank all these years, Conti simply said, “I cherish everything.”