Jilly Rizzo

Ermenigildo "Jilly" Rizzo (May 6, 1917 – May 6, 1992) was an American restaurateur and entertainer. A long-time friend of Frank Sinatra, Rizzo was mentioned in several of Sinatra's recordings and made cameo appearances in several of Sinatra's films. Mr. Rizzo long ran Jilly's saloon, a lounge on West 52nd Street in Manhattan that was a favorite gathering spot of celebrities in the 1960s, especially when Mr. Sinatra was in New York, and can be seen in the 1962 film The Manchurian Candidate. He was also a frequent guest on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, where he would recite one liners in his monotone New York accent. During the 1970s, his night-club was torn down and replaced with Dean Martin's restaurant, Dino's. In 1959, Rizzo married Honey King, who later co-owned Jilly's South with him in Miami. They have a daughter, Abby, and a granddaughter, Kacey. Jilly also had a couple of children with another lady. On May 6, 1992, his 75th birthday, Rizzo was killed when his car was hit by a...