The Copa: Jules Podell and the Hottest Club North of Havana

The Copacabana was the New York hot spot throughout the 1940s, '50s and '60s that hosted the great singers and musicians of the era-Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Judy Garland, The Temptations. Jules Podell, a Russian immigrant, was one of the men responsible for the nightclub's success (the other was business partner Jack Entratter). In this loving and honest memoir, Podell-Raber, Podell's only child, recalls the club's heyday and her life as the daughter of the city's best-known impressario. Augmented by more that 100 b&w photos of the club and performers, Podell-Raber's narrative is filled with memories of attending shows every Sunday night with her mother and meeting the entertainers afterward (Sammy Davis Jr. once gave her a pet puppy). She doesn't, however, shy away from discussing mob boss Frank Costello's involvement in the club, nor does she paint her young life as completely idyllic: ""After a short time I didn't want to be a Podell and live up to a certain standard of perfection."" In the end, with photos and stories, Podell-Raber's nostalgic look at the club and her father show what made the club legendary.