Bonhams will offer a six-page letter Frank Sinatra wrote in 1964 about the kidnapping of his son at its Unplugged & Unforgettable Music Auction, which starts Tuesday. The handwritten and typed correspondence, addressed to Father Roger Schmit, the chaplain at the prison where one of the kidnappers was serving time, is estimated to fetch as much as $30,000.
Sinatra wrote the note in response to a request from Schmit asking him to forgive the men convicted in the abduction of 19-year-old Frank Sinatra Jr. in December 1963. In the letter Sinatra rejected suggestions that his son staged the incident, criticized the role of the kidnappers’ attorneys and expressed concern about lasting damage to his son’s life and career.
"Their conduct in permitting this claim of ‘hoax’ was, in my opinion, another crime against society," Sinatra wrote in the letter published by Bonhams. He added that "the cloud of suspicion which hangs over [Frank Jr.’s] head will continue to affect adversely his life and his career." The correspondence, described by Bonhams as unusually candid, conveys anguish and defensiveness uncommon in Sinatra’s public statements.
The 1963 abduction was carried out by two amateur criminals, Barry Keenan and Joe Amsler. The kidnappers demanded ransom, and with assistance from the FBI Sinatra paid $240,000 to secure his son’s release. At the time, the defense argued that Frank Sinatra Jr. — a singer-songwriter who died in 2016 at age 72 — had staged the kidnapping to gain attention, a claim Sinatra disputed in the 1964 letter.
Bonhams associate specialist Katie Allen said the letter offers collectors a rare look at Sinatra outside his public persona. "The raw emotion portrayed in this letter reflects a man speaking openly, with less concern for the confines of public scrutiny. It’s this rare vulnerability that makes us especially excited to offer a glimpse into another side of a legend like Frank Sinatra," Allen said. She added that the item is likely to attract buyers interested in Sinatra’s life beyond his entertainment career.
Provenance for the lot traces to the son of a man who was incarcerated at the same prison where Schmit worked. The elder man was employed by Schmit, and the chaplain reportedly gifted him the letter; it has remained in the family since 1964. Bonhams is including that chain of ownership in its auction listing.
Collectors and scholars have long prized personal correspondence from major entertainment figures for what it can reveal about private life and public image. Sinatra, who cultivated a meticulously managed public persona as a singer and actor, left relatively few documents that show such personal vulnerability. Auction houses and collectors have previously paid premium prices for items that illuminate a different side of famous performers.
The letter joins a constellation of Sinatra memorabilia that periodically appears at auction, from recordings and performance attire to contracts and photographs. Bonhams’ Unplugged & Unforgettable Music Auction will feature a range of music-related lots; the Sinatra letter is among those expected to draw attention for its direct engagement with a traumatic episode in the singer’s family life.
Bonhams has not published an opening bid in public materials beyond the auction estimate. Interested buyers and institutions typically consult auction catalogs and specialists for condition reports, provenance documentation and authentication before bidding. The house will accept bids in person, by phone and through its online platform during the sale.