Seal Beach’s Mark A. Thompson has written an interesting book, “Sinatra’s Tailor.” It’s a biographical novel about longtime Long Beach clothier Umberto Autore, who was orphaned and raised by Italian nuns during World War II. It describes the struggles the lad had growing up, including being shot in the face by a German soldier; how he was reunited with family members, and much more.

A lot of the book is about his survival, travels and evolution. He became a Master Tailor in Florence, Italy and immigrated to the United States, where he eventually ended up a designer for famous New York clothier Louis Roth. He also designed clothes for celebrities, sports icons and top executives, such as Jerry Buss, the Los Angeles Lakers owner, Steven Spielberg, and Frank Sinatra.