In 1952 Frank Sinatra was down on his luck and singing to small audiences at Skinny D'Amato's 500 Club in Atlantic City. He planned to go to Africa to visit his wife Ava Gardner who was there filming the movie "Magambo" with Clark Gable. She had sent him the airfare, but Sinatra was broke.

Seated at a lounge table with Joe DiMaggio and Skinny D'Amato, Frank asked the baseball great for a thousand dollar loan so that he could buy Ava a gift. DiMaggio refused.

When Sinatra was absent, DiMaggio said to D'Amato, "I never loan money to a has been." D'Amato asked DiMaggio to loan it to him. Fiquring the powerful nightclub owner was good for it, DiMaggio gave him a thousand dollars. Later D'Amato gave it to Sinatra. Not loaned, gave.

On top of that, D'Amato bought Sinatra a solid gold watch saying, "This is to remind you that you'll be back on top again. And bigger than before." When Sinatra became the most powerful man in Hollywood a few years later, he never forgot his loyal friend and performed every year at the 500 Club for free.

This story has a lot of different things in it to examine. If you happen to be down on your luck now, or have a close friend that is in a slump, you can see:

1 - The importance of a loyal friend.

2 - The power of a new watch. (Whether you buy it or receive it as a
gift).

3 - The power of good words to a friend that needs encouragement.

4 - The beginnings of Joe DiMaggio's well earned reputation as a
cheapskate.

5 - The paying back of help received in difficult times.

Whether you're up or down, you help a friend or not, you're cheap or giving, you are always relating with people and either building or destroying a career, friendship, or reputation.