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S E R I E S : " P I G P O R T R A I T S " | 2 0 0
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Many devoted Frank Sinatra fans are well aware of the
infamous “mug shot” of 1938. This scandalous photo was first made public on
December 9, 1998, when the FBI released most of Frank Sinatra’s personal file in a
stunning 1300-page document. Not only was the mugshot released to the public,
there were also a few shocking reports included as well. The first was a document containing reported rumors of
connections to organized crime and the second included intelligence
regarding his clever dodge from the military draft during World War II - a medical
report that released him from military duty due to a perforated eardrum and apparent
mental instability. Twenty-three-year-old Frank Sinatra was arrested on November
26, 1938, in Hackensack, New Jersey, and charged with Sub Title: adultery
and seduction, having been caught carrying on with a married woman. As the
story goes, an old girlfriend accused Sinatra of breaking his promise to marry
her, which in turn tainted her good reputation. This former girlfriend ended up
in a fight with Nancy Barbato, his fiance and eventually his first wife. The
circumstances surround this “catfight” finally led to her accusations of
seduction and adultery

and Sinatra’s ultimate arrests. Who would have known that
he’d soon make a career out of seducing the world with his voice? In Young’s first series, ‘Pig Portraits’ (2002), the
scaled-up infamous mugshots (real and staged) of celebrities awash in fame and
monochrome but also restrained as a result of their actions portray the ultimate
public shame; the subject detained and awaiting the worst jury of them all.
The public.