The youngest member of The Rat Pack was born Samuel Victor Moses George Davis Jr., in the Bronx, almost exactly ten years after Frank Sinatra, and eight years after Dean Martin.

Sammy Davis Jr.’s parents were both entertainers who split up when Sammy was three years old.  At that early age, Sammy went out on tour with his dad and his dad’s partner Will Mastin in their dance troupe which, with the addition of Sammy, became known as The Will Mastin Trio.  At the age of eight, Sammy appeared in a movie called Rufus Jones For President.

Sammy served in the U.S. Army during World War II, during which he joined an entertainment unit.  After the war, he rejoined the Will Mastin Trio, but soon moved on to success of his own with solo albums and a starring role on Broadway in a show called Mr. Wonderful.

But more success and excitement was on the way for Sammy starting in 1959, when, at the age of 34 he teamed up with Frank, Dean, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford for a series of movies and one of the most memorable stage shows Las Vegas has ever seen, forever known as The Rat Pack.