Barry Keenan

Barry Keenan is an American businessman who is best known as the mastermind behind the 1963 kidnapping of Frank Sinatra, Jr.

At the age of 21, Keenan was already successful in the world of business, as well as being the youngest member of the Los Angeles Stock Exchange.cite web|url=http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/classics/root/12.html|title=The Sinatra Kidnapping Case|last=Courtroom Television Network, LLC|publisher=Turner Entertainment|accessdate=2008-07-26] A car accident left Keenan penniless and addicted to painkillers; eventually leading him to hatch the scheme and enlist help in the kidnap-for-ransom plan.cite web|url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/65576|title=Man who stole Sinatra|last=Allen|first=Mike|date=2006-05-18|publisher=The Roanoke Times|accessdate=2008-07-26] Keenan, along with Johnny Irwin and Joe Amsler, conspired to kidnap Frank Sinatra Jr.cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE4DF143AF930A15757C0A9629C8B63|title=TELEVISION REVIEW; Unkindness Of Strangers (Doobie-Doobie-Doo) |last=Heffernan|first=Virginia|date=2004-08-23|publisher=The New York Times Company |accessdate=2008-07-26] After successfully nabbing Sinatra Jr. from the Harrah's Lodge at South Lake Tahoe, Keenan made contact with Frank Sinatra, Sr. to make ransom arrangements. Sinatra initially offered one million dollars, but for an unexplained reason, Keenan demanded $240,000; significantly less.cite news|url=http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20051208/LIFE/112080009|title=Kidnapped: The search for Frank Sinatra Jr.|last=McLaughlin|first=Mark |date=2005-12-08|accessdate=2008-07-27] Despite the nature of the crime, Keenan felt that he was somehow bringing the Sinatra family closer together.

Sinatra paid the ransom and the three men released his son. Within days, all three conspirators were apprehended by the FBI. Keenan was sentenced to life plus seventy-five years in prison for his crimes, but only served four and a half years before he was released.cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5277/is_199801/ai_n24340114|title=Deer Island development proposal brings up old Sinatra kidnapping scandal|last=The Mississippi Business Journal|accessdate=2008-07-27]

After his release, Keenan went on to become successful as a real estate developer.cite web|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=1214|title=Frank Sinatra Jr. endures a frightening ordeal|last=A&E Television Networks|accessdate=2008-07-27]

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