▁Cal ▁Ne va ▁L odge ▁& ▁Cas ino , ▁in ▁which ▁San icola ▁had ▁a ▁ 3 3 ▁percent ▁share . ▁ ▁Sin atra ▁once ▁said ▁that ▁San icola ▁was ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁most ▁important ▁people ▁in ▁my ▁life . ▁I ▁couldn ' t ▁have ▁made ▁it ▁without ▁him ". ▁In ▁return , ▁San icola ▁said : ▁I ▁was ▁always ▁his ▁right ▁arm , ▁the ▁strong ▁right ▁arm . ▁I ▁know ▁how ▁to ▁fight . ▁I ▁was ▁an ▁amateur ▁f ighter . ▁I ▁used ▁to ▁step ▁in ▁and ▁hit ▁guys ▁when ▁they ▁started ▁g anging ▁up ▁on ▁Frank ▁in ▁bars . ▁We ▁were ▁both ▁of ▁Sic ilian ▁origin , ▁both ▁It ali ans , ▁so ▁we ▁became ▁good ▁friends . ▁When ▁Frank ▁wasn ' t ▁working , ▁I ▁would ▁ar range ▁a ▁club ▁date ▁for ▁him ▁and ▁go ▁along ▁to ▁accomp any ▁him . ▁We ▁knew , ▁both ▁of ▁us , ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁question ▁of ▁time ▁until ▁somebody ▁bought ▁Frank . ▁Many ▁cred ited ▁San icola ▁with ▁helping ▁Frank ▁divers ify ▁his ▁business ▁interests ▁as ▁a ▁h edge ▁against ▁the ▁rise ▁and ▁fall ▁of ▁popular ity . ▁San icola ▁and ▁Sin atra ▁co - w rote ▁several ▁songs , ▁including ▁" M ist le to e ▁and ▁Hol ly " ▁( 1 9 5 7 ) ▁( with ▁Doc ▁Stan ford ); ▁" Mr . ▁Success " ▁( 1 9 5 8 ) ▁( with ▁Ed win ▁Gre ines ), ▁which ▁chart ed ▁in ▁the ▁Top ▁ 5