Everytime I look at this picture of adult Frankie seemingly enjoying himself playing with the neighborhood kids, their childhoods full of fun and freedom; I wonder about Frankie's childhood. In his last interview in 1967 he states that while other children in his neigborhood were outside playing he was working in a grocery store and hustling prostitutes to help his mother with the bills. I am not sure wether or not Frankie's mother specifically requested that nine year old Frankie go out and get a job, but I am almost definite that she did not force him and probably didn't know that he was pimping. I feel that he may have felt obligated to do so for some reason. No matter what life on the streets for a little boy was hard surrounded by a bunch of grown gangsters/pimps. I plan on finding out more about his childhood and if that had any effect on his adulthood. Maybe so.
For the last week I have been listing and reading up on this genius. And remembering the fictional movie on his life. That all the time when he was on top he was a CHILD. He came at a time where for BLACKS couldn't just go to any restaurant and set down and eat. They was still hanging us in the fiftys. Society had a hand in the way Frankie ended up. Where was the adults help guiding his life at 13. Making sure he was protected as a child should be.all the man seen was dollars sign. So when he was turning into a man and his voice start to change oh we can't make any more money of him. His not the little cute out in the front kid any more. That cush his spirit.
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