Dolly Sinatra’s primary trade was as a midwife. And, as a midwife, she was known not just for delivering babies, but for providing safe abortions for Catholic Italian women across Hoboken, earning her the nickname “Hatpin Dolly.” This was at a time, mind you, when abortion was illegal–Dolly put herself at incredible risk in order to help these women. Not only that, but in 1919, she chained herself to City Hall in support of women’s suffrage. In the 1920s, she became the Democratic leader of Hoboken’s third ward, using her ability to speak both Italian and English to advocate for the rights of new immigrants. She was reportedly very powerful in this position, and essentially ran half of Hudson County due to her ability to deliver votes. She also ran a damn saloon during Prohibition, which is pretty freaking awesome as well. Sinatra said of his mother: “My mother is what you would call a progressive. She decided she didn’t want to be just a housekeeper and studied nursing and is now a graduate nurse. She was always interested in conditions outside her own home. My father, too, but he was the more silent type.” “My mother influenced me a great deal. She was a self taught woman, very bright, had good common sense and was a hard worker … My earliest memories of my father, Marty, are in the kitchen. He did much of the cooking, as Dolly, my mother was a powerful force and dedicated worker in the political arena. She was out there fighting for women’s rights before women even knew they should have them.”