Marilyn, Joe & Me: June DiMaggio Tells It Like It Was [Hardcover]

June Dimaggio (Author), As Told To Mary Jane Popp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006

At long last, June DiMaggio, niece of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and a dear friend of Marilyn Monroe for 11 years, tells untold stories of the two legendary, very private stars that are insightful, fun and engaging. She also reveals what her family knew all along: Marilyn was more than a movie star and sex symbol. . . . And her death was anything but suicide. FUN. FAST. MOVING. AND RIVETING Marilyn, Joe & Me is a book no fan or curiosity seeker of Hollywood life and American royalty will want to be without. JUNE TELLS ALL The DiMaggio family was very private then, and still is today. In fact, no book has ever been written by a member of Joe DiMaggio’s clan until now. No other book has firsthand stories told by someone who was there June DiMaggio has been around celebrities since she was a child. A music theater star in her own right, June befriended Marilyn as well as other stars in Hollywood in the ’50s. She well understood that the real light of Marilyn Monroe was much more luminous than the sexy star power promoted by Hollywood. In Marilyn, Joe & Me, we can finally see Marilyn Monroe for who she was—intelligent, warm, funny, generous of spirit, good-hearted, well-read, articulate and a delightful, loving friend. Candid and full of charm and character, June tells it the way it was: She sets the record straight, and she pulls no punches in describing Hollywood behind the glitz and glitter of the studios and cameras. IT'S ABOUT THE TRUTH Now in her late 70s, June finally reveals what the DiMaggio family knew all along: Their beloved Marilyn did not commit suicide—she was murdered. The family never discussed the subject. June’s mother went to her grave knowing the identity of Marilyn’s murderer— sharing it with no one. An article on Marilyn’s death in the December 2005 issue of Playboy included an excerpt from Marilyn, Joe & Me. THE PHOTOS AND THE TREASURES Marilyn, Joe & Me is filled with never-before-published photos that capture the essence of the people and the times: exclusive pictures of Marilyn in the production of her last film, Thes Misfits, and a treasury of DiMaggio family snapshots.

Editorial Reviews

Review

June is the ultimate insider here, and she sheds great light on the 20th century’s highest profile celebrity marriage. --Mitchell Fink, author of The Last Days of Dead Celebrities

The story of the Monroe she knew and the phone call she believes was interrupted by her killer or killers. --Lisa DePaulo, “A Special Playboy Report: The Strange, Still Mysterious Death of Marilyn Monroe”

The real circumstances of Marilyn Monroe’s untimely demise remain one of the last century’s greatest mysteries. --Playboy, December 2005

From the Publisher

As the publisher, I would like to respond to a few of the issues posted here. Many of the reviews critical of June DiMaggio and Marilyn, Joe & Me stem from one self-serving source and are written by people who have obviously not read the book or seen the photos that support June's memoirs.

Moreover, many of the photos posted here with the intention of discrediting June are fatuous: For example, picturing a genuine Marilyn Monroe autograph is irrelevant; a photo taken at Marilyn's funeral that doesn't include June DiMaggio in no way precludes her being there.

If you look at the relevant evidence in Marilyn, Joe & Me--the many letters, photos, and other evidence documenting her account--any objective person would reasonably conclude that June DiMaggio was very much part of the DiMaggio family and associated in the closest way with Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe.

June recounts many family activities, including stories about her Uncle Joe and friend Marilyn Monroe, as well as her career in Hollywood, how she entertained troops overseas, her experiences with stars of stage and screen, and much more. The photos in the book further authenticate her presence and role.

Several are posted in the photo section for Marilyn, Joe & Me, along with others provided by family members. One snapshot taken from the book shows June with her parents, Tom and Lee DiMaggio. Another portrays a relaxing Joe DiMaggio with June cradling his head in her lap. A photo taken at the opening of the Sky Room at DiMaggio's Restaurant in San Francisco shows June standing next to her Uncle Dominic DiMaggio. A fourth picture is a candid photo of Marilyn Monroe presenting Tom DiMaggio with a fishing tackle box as a birthday present in 1954, with Lee looking on.

Additional photos from the DiMaggio family photo album show June and Tom at the Russian River; June dining with her folks; and June with family and friends in the Russian River.

Chances are when you read Marilyn, Joe & Me, you too will be charmed by and amazed at the heartwarming--and shocking--memories June DiMaggio relates about Marilyn, Joe and her own experiences, as well as the photographic album.

Sincerely,

Hal Lockwood
Publisher, Penmarin Books

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penmarin Books (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883955637
• ISBN-13: 978-1883955632
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,582,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( D ) > DiMaggio, Joe

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quite a Fantasy!, November 27, 2006

By 

Thomas W. Jacobs "tommyj" (Detroit, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marilyn, Joe & Me: June DiMaggio Tells It Like It Was (Hardcover)

This book is absolute drivel! The ramblings & daydreams by an old woman trying to leave her last pathetic mark on this world at Marilyn Monroe's expense by re-writing history as she imagines it to have been!

A single example of the factual distortion in this book involves Marilyn's apperance at John Kennedy's birthday celebration in 1962. June "Bug" tells how Marilyn was "ordered" by 20th Centruy Fox to sing at this event. As detailed and supported by documents & interviews in the book "Marilyn The Last Take" this simply is not true as anybody willing to do a little research would know.

The studio absolutely forbade Marilyn from attending this affair because of her many absences from the filming of "Something's Got To Give" which was now running behind schedule! Her insistance on making the trip to New York was the "last straw" and this actually started action toward her dismissal from Fox.

This book does however, contain some rare private/personal color snapshots from 1954 of Joe DiMaggio's father's birthday celebration which Marilyn attended. These alone are certainly worth the price of this rather poorly written, vague work of fantasy disguised as a memior.

As an added bonus you'll get to look at loads of photos culled from June DiMaggio's "career" that would have never peen published unless they were peddled under Marilyn's name!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Joltin' Joke, March 18, 2007

By 

lewis jackman (Sleepy Lagoon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marilyn, Joe & Me: June DiMaggio Tells It Like It Was (Hardcover)

Precious little Marilyn and Joe here, but waaay too much "me"--Joe's alleged "niece" June DiMaggio, an unknown aspiring actress of the Fifties whose unremarkable story would never have hit print were it not for her very tenuous link to her illustrious shirttail relatives (seems her mother's second husband was Joe's brother--maybe). Hard to tell whether the elderly June is suffering from a failing memory (I'm being charitable here) or (more likely) if this is just a fraudulent attempt to milk a few bucks out of a handful of old DiMaggio family photos of Monroe. But by any standards this hack job is a miserable mess.

Beyond that, a proofreader's nightmare filled with typos, misspellings and tons of information that's just flat-out wrong.

In addition to major mistakes pointed out by other readers, it's Louella Parsons (not Luella), Cobina Wright (not Cabina), Monroe film was titled Don't Bother to Knock (not Don't Bother Knocking), Gloria Swanson's Sunset Boulevard character was Norma Desmond (not Desdemona!!!), Marlon Brando did not appear in film version of The Rose Tattoo, Ann Sothern couldn't have played stage role in Barefoot in the Park in late Forties (play didn't open until '63), last name of Jeanette MacDonald's sister Blossom is Rock (not Seeley), and on and on.

Far too many goofs not to raise eyebrows and red flags with anyone remotely more familiar with this material than clueless co-writer Mary Jane Popp seems to be. (*This* error-riddled drivel is the work of an esteemed "journalist"?!!) Truly a joltin' joke.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Credibility Issues, November 10, 2006

By 

Lebh Shomea (Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marilyn, Joe & Me: June DiMaggio Tells It Like It Was (Hardcover)

I am a researcher/historian who read the book and searched for documentation. The discovery creates credibility issues for the authors, June and Mary Jane. First, June is not a Dimaggio; she was born June M. Elpine on June 11 1923 to Rosetta Louise Rovegno and Albert U. Elpine (California Birth Index). Her birth date is five years earlier than the one she gives in the book. June Elpine was raised by her maternal grandmother; she is enumerated in her grandmother's home 1930 US Federal Census, San Francisco. Her mother was enumerated in the home of her sisters and brother using her maiden name Rovegno. June's Sicilian father was born in Italy and is not located again until his death in 1974 (CA Death Index). Her mother married Tom Dimaggio sometime in the 1940's when June was an adult and not living at home. June was not raised a Dimaggio; nor is she Joe Dimaggio's niece. She may have portrayed herself to her friends as a Dimaggio, but she was not a Dimaggio. Her story loses all credibility on this pivotal point.