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by Larry Nichols (Author), George Mather (Author), Sharon Mather (Author)
Paul Posti was a war hero. During WWII, he was the only person in history to shoot down a German Focke-Wolfe fighter plane with his father's Smith and Wesson, 38 cal. Service Revolver. He later became a executive chef, and a close friend to celebrities including, Clark Gable, Elvis Presley, Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra and the world renown Rat Pack. Frank Sinatra was introduced to Paul's cooking when Paul would give him free meals to help him out. Posti's thoughtfulness and help was appreciated by Frank Sinatra, so what began as a kind gesture turned into a life-long friendship. Posti became Sinatra's personal chef for over 24 years. Along with his employer and owner of The Brown Derby, Bob Cobb, Paul created the now famous Cobb Salad, which he literally concocted on the spot to please a demanding Cecil B. DeMille. He even had occasion to kick a hungry young kid named Elvis Presley out of his kitchen at the Knickerbocker Hotel. Later, Posti and The King became good friends. His dearest friend was probably the legendary Mel Blanc, the man who brought Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and a host of other voices to life. Most of the stars every American knew from the 40's 50's 60's and 70's knew Paul Posti. From the Brown Derby to the Villa Capri, he was the chef to Hollywood's royalty. Posti made his mark as a chef during a time when fine dining was highly esteemed. For him, cooking was not just a job, but rather an art form, He would sometimes say with a smirk, "Cooking is the soul of partying, at all times and all ages."
