Francis Albert Sinatra was born 96 years ago this month, on Dec. 12, 1915.

His neighbor across the street in Hoboken, N.J., was Matteo Giordano, who became Sinatra’s personal chef before opening Matteo’s Restaurant in Los Angeles in 1963. His Waikiki restaurant opened in 1970, and for a while he had another in downtown Honolulu.

Sinatra visited Hawaii often to work or relax. When his career was ebbing, his 1953 role of Private Angelo Maggio in "From Here to Eternity," set in Hawaii, earned him a best supporting actor Oscar and got his career back on track.

Sinatra had read the book and felt the role of "the Maggio character in the novel is me!" He fought to get the part and worked for only $8,000. His next movie earned him $290,000.

At the end of his career, a 71-year-old Sinatra guest-starred in "Magnum, P.I.’s" seventh season in 1987. In his last major television or movie role, Sinatra played a New York City cop pursuing his granddaughter’s killer all the way to Hawaii.

Tom Selleck and co-star Larry Manetti had attended a concert Sinatra gave in Hawaii and dined with him afterward. Sinatra "talked about our show — about particular episodes," Selleck recalls, "so I knew he wasn’t just being polite when he said he was a big fan. Then off the cuff, he just asked, ‘What would you guys think about me doing one?’" Selleck and the producers jumped at the offer.

Sinatra came to town for the filming, and his entourage took over an entire floor in the Colony Surf hotel at Diamond Head.

Parts of the episode were filmed at the International Market Place in Waikiki and at Club Hubba Hubba, Swing Club and Mini Garden on Hotel Street. When Sinatra visits his granddaughter’s grave in New York at the end of the episode, palm trees are visible. New York doesn’t have palm trees. The shot was actually filmed at Oahu Cemetery in Nuuanu.

"I haven’t had so much fun since ‘Eternity,’" Sinatra told them. It was a great partnership. The episode, titled "Laura," was the highest-rated "Magnum" show ever.

Sinatra suggested Selleck could be his new sidekick. "We could do a wonderful romantic comedy. We could be here or in New York or Monte Carlo, and the two of us could go out looking for girls together!"

Tom Selleck was delighted to work with Sinatra. "The biggest thrill of all is that he has accepted me as a peer," Selleck said.

Bob Sigall, author of "The Companies We Keep" books, looks through his collection of old photos to tell stories each Friday of Hawaii people, places and companies. Email him at Sigall@Yahoo.com.