Did You Know... Frank Sinatra was a Tipping Legend

“Just Duke’em for chrissakes”

Frank Sinatra on Tipping

As for tipping, Frank’s legend towers. Don Rickles once said of Frank “Whoever he tipped could go buy a mansion in Paris”.

Frank called it Duking and almost always in c-notes. He never duked his way into any joint, only on his way out and the bills he duked were always folded three times into small squares so that the duke could be passed in a handshake.

Believe it or not, it wasn’t unusual for Frank duking one or two waiters or waitresses five hundred apiece in one night. Then do it all again the next evening. At one restaurant, the parking attendant brings around Frank’s Carman Ghia. Frank asked the attendant what his biggest tip ever was. The kid says a hundred bucks. So Frank slips him two hundred. Then Frank says to the kid “who was it that gave you the hundred?” The kid answers, “You did sir, last week”.