Nancy Barbato Sinatra was Frank Sinatra’s first wife, and the only one of his four wives who knew him before he became famous. They married in 1939, when he was still trying to make a living as a singer, and divorced in 1951, after he had become one of the most famous entertainers in America.
Their marriage lasted through the start of his career, the birth of their three children, and the move from New Jersey to Hollywood. After the divorce, she did not remarry, and she remained close to Sinatra until his death in 1998.
Her Early Life in Jersey City
Nancy Rose Barbato was born on March 25, 1917, in Jersey City, New Jersey. She came from a large Italian-American family. Her father worked as a plasterer, and she later graduated from William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City.
She met Frank Sinatra in the summer of 1934, in Long Branch on the Jersey Shore, where both families spent time in the summer. She was 17 and he was 19. At that point, neither of them could have known what his career would become.
Their 1939 Wedding
Barbato and Sinatra married on February 4, 1939, in Jersey City, her hometown. The wedding was held at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, and the couple then lived in an apartment house at 137 Bergen Avenue.
These were Depression-era years, and their early married life was ordinary in its work. Accounts of the period describe her working as a secretary while he worked as a singing waiter. The marriage began before recording contracts, film roles, or national fame.
Their Three Children
The couple had three children together:
- Nancy Sandra Sinatra, born June 8, 1940
- Francis Wayne Sinatra, known as Frank Sinatra Jr., born January 10, 1944
- Christina “Tina” Sinatra, born June 20, 1948
The first two children were born at Margaret Hague Hospital in Jersey City. All three children later became known in their own right: Nancy as a singer, Frank Jr. as a singer and conductor, and Tina as an actress and producer.
This is an important point for readers who come across the Sinatra family through later marriages. Sinatra’s three children were all from his marriage to Nancy Barbato. They should not be attributed to Ava Gardner, Mia Farrow, or Barbara Marx, his later wives.
The Move to Hollywood and the End of the Marriage
As Sinatra’s career grew, the family moved into a very different world. He moved into motion pictures in Hollywood, and his fame brought constant public attention, including gossip-column coverage of his extramarital affairs.
Nancy Barbato Sinatra travelled with him to Hollywood and stayed with him through rumours of affairs, according to her New York Times obituary. The strain eventually became public. The couple announced their separation on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1950, after Sinatra’s affair with actress Ava Gardner became widely known.
They first sought a legal separation, then decided to file for divorce. The divorce became final on October 29, 1951. Sinatra married Gardner on November 7, 1951, shortly afterwards.
Nancy Barbato Sinatra received custody of their three children. She became their primary parent, while still remaining in contact with their father.
A Friendship That Continued After Divorce
What makes Nancy Barbato Sinatra’s story different from a simple divorce story is what happened next. Despite the way the marriage ended, she and Frank Sinatra remained close friends for nearly half a century, until his death in 1998 at age 82.
Her New York Times obituary described her as his lasting confidante. That friendship is the reason she is often described not just as a former wife, but as a central figure in his family life even after 1951.
She also kept the Sinatra name for the rest of her life, and she never remarried. That was her only marriage, while his was the first of four.
Her Later Life and Death
After the divorce, Nancy Barbato Sinatra led a quiet life and rarely discussed her marriage in public. Later accounts place her in Beverly Hills, California, where she focused on family and charitable work.
She outlived not only her former husband, but also her son Frank Jr., who died in 2016.
Nancy Barbato Sinatra died on July 13, 2018, at the age of 101. Her daughter Nancy announced the death on Twitter, writing that her mother had passed away peacefully. The place and cause of death were not reported in the obituaries cited here, and that gap should not be filled with speculation.
What Is Not Established About Her Finances
As with other figures who were married to a famous person early in that person’s career, it is tempting to attach a net-worth figure to Nancy Barbato Sinatra. There is no substantiated figure to report in the sources used for this article.
Her former husband’s later fortune is not evidence of her own assets, income, or any divorce settlement. Being married to Sinatra at the start of his career does not establish that she shared in the wealth associated with his later commercial success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Nancy Barbato Sinatra?
She was Frank Sinatra’s first wife, married to him from 1939 to 1951, and the mother of his three children.
When did Nancy Barbato and Frank Sinatra marry and divorce?
They married on February 4, 1939, in Jersey City, and their divorce became final on October 29, 1951.
Did Nancy Barbato Sinatra remarry?
No. She never remarried after her divorce from Frank Sinatra.
Who were Frank Sinatra’s children with Nancy Barbato?
Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra Jr., and Tina Sinatra.
When did Nancy Barbato Sinatra die?
She died on July 13, 2018, at the age of 101.
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