Michael Franzese
Franzese in 2009
Born
Michael Grillo

(1951-05-27) May 27, 1951
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Other names"Yuppie Don"
"Prince of the Mafia"
Occupation(s)Mobster (former), motivational speaker, writer
Spouses
  • Maria Franzese (first wife)
Camille Garcia
​
(m. 1985)​
Children7
Parent(s)Sonny Franzese
Cristina Capobianco-Franzese
RelativesJohn Franzese Jr. (brother)
AllegianceColombo crime family (former)
Conviction(s)Racketeering conspiracy, tax conspiracy (1986)
Racketeering (1986)
Criminal penalty10 years' imprisonment and ordered to pay $14.7 million in restitution
Nine years' imprisonment (concurrently) and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2020–present
Genre(s)Motivational speaking, storytelling, interviews, movie reviews, political commentary
Subscribers1 million[1]
Total views130 million[1]
100,000 subscribers
1,000,000 subscribers2023
Last updated: March 18, 2023
WebsiteOfficial website

Michael Franzese (/frænˈziːs/)[2] (né Grillo; born May 27, 1951) is an American former mobster who was a caporegime in the Colombo crime family, and son of former underboss Sonny Franzese. Franzese was enrolled in a pre-med program at Hofstra University, but dropped out to make money for his family after his father was sentenced to 50 years in prison for bank robbery in 1967. He eventually helped implement a scheme to defraud the federal government out of gasoline taxes in the early 1980s.

By the age of 35, in 1986, Fortune Magazine listed Franzese as number 18 on its list of the "Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses".[3] Franzese had claimed that at the height of his career, he generated up to $8 million per week. In 1986, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison on conspiracy charges, released in 1989, rearrested in 1991 for a parole violation, and ultimately released in 1994. Soon after, he retired to California and is now a motivational speaker and writer.

Early life

Franzese was born May 27, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York to John "Sonny" Franzese, a Colombo crime family underboss, and Cristina Capobianco-Franzese, although Michael had initially questioned who his actual biological father was.[4] Franzese had initially believed that he had been adopted by John after his mother divorced Frank Grillo, whom Franzese thought to be his biological father.[5] Michael says he had gone by the name "Michael Grillo" until he was 18 years old.[6]

However, it was later discovered that John, already married with three children, had gotten the 16-year-old Capobianco, a cigarette girl at the Stork Club in Manhattan, pregnant with Michael, so Capobianco married Grillo to avoid having a scandal surrounding having a child out of wedlock. After the mob allowed John to divorce his first wife, Grillo disappeared, and John married Capobianco.[5]

Franzese later moved to Long Island. His father originally did not want him to be involved in organized crime.[7] However, in 1971, Franzese decided to drop out of college to help his family earn money when his father was sentenced to 50 years in prison for bank robbery in 1967.[8]

Franzese became acquainted with his father's friends such as Joseph Colombo, and according to Franzese, later became inducted as a made man on Halloween night 1975 under acting boss Tommy DiBella.[9] As part of the ceremony Franzese took the blood oath and swore omerta.[10] He took the oath alongside friend Jimmy Angelino, Joseph Peraino Jr., Salvatore Miciotta, Vito Guzzo Sr., and John Minerva — all of whom except Miciotta died violently over the next 20 years.[11][12][13][14][15] Although Franzese recounts this ceremony had taken place in 1975, the membership books reportedly were not reopened until 1976. They had been closed since 1957.[16]

Franzese was briefly mentored by Colombo soldier Joseph "Joe-Joe" Vitacco (1927–1980).[6][17] During the late 1970s, Franzese met with future Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, who was then a soldier. Angelo Ruggiero was also present. Franzese was contacted by a flea market owner who complained that his partner was using and selling drugs at the market in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Franzese agreed to frighten him and become the new partner. Franzese sent Colombo soldier-turned informant Anthony Sarivola and another member who remains unidentified.[18] Gotti however claimed that the scared-off partner was an associate of his. Franzese later expressed admiration for Gotti, citing his strict mobster lifestyle and his overwhelming ego.[19]

In 1980, Franzese had become a caporegime of a crew of 300.[20][21]

Gasoline bootlegging

In 1981, Franzese was contacted by Lawrence Salvatore Iorizzo, who had developed a scheme to defraud the federal government out of gasoline taxes in 1985.[22] Iorizzo was being hassled by criminals in California and offered Franzese a percentage if he would defend and solve the issue. The pair set up 18 stock-bearer companies based in Panama. Under law at the time in Panama, gasoline could be sold tax-free from one wholesale company to the next.[23] Franzese partnered with the Russian Mafia in Brooklyn in the gas scheme.[24]

The wholesale gas was sold to one company, but shipped to another company while a third company, a dummy company, was sold the gasoline on paper and would forge tax documents for the company that received the gasoline. Franzese's crew was then able to collect and pocket the nine cents per gallon of gasoline in federal tax. Once enforcement agents attempt to collect the tax from the dummy company, it declares bankruptcy and the daisy chain would continue.[24]

This gasoline supplied between one third and one half of all gasoline sold in the New York metropolitan area.[24] According to officials, Franzese kept 75 percent of the profits, making $1.26 million per month, while Iorizzo made $45,000 per month.[24] An associate later testified that Franzese personally made $1 million per week from the gas scheme.[25]

Franzese had claimed that at the height of his career, he generated up to $8 million per week.[26] Revenue officials estimated $250 million in gasoline tax was stolen in New York state per year, before moving on to Florida which was estimated to have lost $40 million to $250 million in stolen gasoline tax.[27] Authorities believe the money was laundered through Franzese's film production company, Miami Gold, to offshore bank accounts in Austria and Panama.[27] Franzese bought a home in Delray Beach, Florida.[9]

In 1986, Fortune Magazine listed Franzese as number 18 on its list of the "Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses".[3] Vanity Fair cited him as one of the biggest money earners for the mafia since Al Capone.[28][29] He was referred to as the "Yuppie Don" in the 1980s,[29] and as "Prince of the Mafia".[30][31]

Entertainment, sports management and other businesses

During the 1970s, he began to enter the world of legitimate business and by the mid-1980s Franzese had a stronghold on various businesses such as car dealerships, leasing companies, auto repair shops, restaurants, nightclubs, a contractor company, movie production and distribution companies, travel agencies and video stores.[32]

By 1980, Franzese was a partner with booking agent Norby Walters in his firm. Franzese's role was to intimidate existing and prospective clients. Franzese would later testify he provided the initial $50,000 to Walters to start his agency booking company with a 25% share of any profits. Additionally, Franzese would assist with any entertainers Walters had problems with by meeting their agents.[33] In 1981, Franzese successfully extorted a role for Walters in the US tour by singer Michael Jackson and his brothers. In 1982, the manager for singer Dionne Warwick wanted to drop Walters as an agent; Franzese met with the manager and persuaded him to keep Walters.[34]

In 1983, the FBI launched an investigation into boxing promoter Don King's organized crime connections and targeted Franzese to introduce an FBI undercover agent, using the alias Victor Quintana, to King. Franzese, who had never met King, says he was introduced to him by civil rights leader Al Sharpton. Franzese claimed he first met Sharpton through the Genovese crime family mobster Daniel Pagano.[35] Quintana was to give the impression that he was buying his way into the boxing world in order for King to reveal his criminal associations, however the investigation subsequently collapsed after Quintana failed to follow through with several hundred thousand dollars.[36]

In 1985, Walters set up a sports management agency with Franzese as a silent partner. At a meeting he agreed to hand over $50,000 in return for a 25 percent interest from the sports agency.[37]

Franzese was the president of Miami Gold, a film production company that produced the 1986 film Knights of the City.[25][27]

Indictment and prison

In April 1985, Franzese was acquitted of racketeering charges.[38] In another case in December 1985, Franzese was charged in both Florida and New York in regards to counterfeiting and extortion from the gasoline bootlegging racket.[22][39] In New York, Franzese was one of nine people indicted on 14 counts.[22] In Florida, Franzese was one of 26 people indicted on 177 counts after a 16 month investigation in Florida called "Operation Tiger Tail".[39]

Iorizzo, who was already sentenced to five years and ordered to pay $1.7 million for his role in the theft of $1.1 million in gas taxes and placed in the witness protection program, began testifying against Franzese and others in their operation in March 1985.[27] On March 21, 1986, Franzese pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of tax conspiracy.[40][22][34] Franzese was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $14.7 million in restitution on the federal charges, agreeing to sell his assets including a mansion in Old Brookville, New York, the Miami Gold production company, and use proceeds from the Knights of the City film.[25][40][34] He then reached a plea agreement and was sentenced to nine years in prison for state racketeering charges in Florida which would run concurrently with his previous conviction.[41][42] He also was ordered to pay an additional $3 million in restitution to the state of Florida.[41]

Franzese was subpoenaed to testify at Walters' trial in March 1989, as Walters had invoked his name to frighten college athletes into signing management contracts, including Maurice Douglass. In exchange for his testimony, he was given immunity from prosecution in the Walters case.[34][25][43] Walters was found guilty, fined $395,000 and given a sentence of 5 years with the judge in the case citing the importance of Franzese's testimony.[44] After Walters' conviction, Franzese was released from prison on parole after serving 43 months.[25][45] In September 1990, Walters' conviction was overturned by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals citing a technicality.[46][47]

On December 27, 1991, Franzese was sentenced in New York to four years in federal prison for violating the probation requirements from his 1989 release.[25] Franzese had been arrested in Los Angeles on a tax fraud accusation and was sent back to New York for the probation hearing.[25] In court, prosecutors complained that Franzese had only started paying the balance of his court-ordered restitution payments earlier that year.[25] The prosecutor said that "Mr. Franzese has led the Government on a long, merry chase for a number of years", adding, "He gave us nothing of value about anyone in Cosa Nostra. We essentially view him as a con man."[25] Prosecutors said that Franzese was no longer considered by the government to be a federal cooperating witness because of his parole violations.[25]

In 1990, Franzese was portrayed by Joseph Bono in the Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas (1990).[48][49] While imprisoned in 1991, Franzese became a born-again Christian after he was given a Bible by a prison guard.[50] He also spent time in solitary confinement.[51]

In 1992, Franzese co-authored his first book, an autobiography, Quitting the Mob.[52] In the book, Franzese discusses his criminal activities, life with his father, and meeting his second wife, Camille Garcia.

After prison

He was released on November 7, 1994, retiring from the mob in 1995 by moving to California with his wife and children; the relocation was also a result of receiving multiple death threats and contracts on his life, including one approved by his father.[21][17][51]

Since his release in 1994, Franzese has publicly renounced and denounced the life of organized crime, stating "I never glamorize my mob life. It's an evil life",[53] and "I don't know one family that's part of that life [mob life] that hasn't been totally devastated".[54] He has since become a motivational speaker for youth, at schools, prisons, and other venues.[55][29] He also speaks at Christian conferences and churches, including Willow Creek Community Church, in 2016.[28]

On July 23, 2002, while appearing on the HBO television program Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Franzese stated that during the 1970s and 1980s, he persuaded New York Yankees players who owed money to Colombo loansharks to fix baseball games for betting purposes. The Yankees organization immediately denied Franzese's accusations.[17]

In April 2013, a documentary called The Definitive Guide to the Mob was released by Lionsgate, with Franzese as commentator.[56] Later in 2013, he appeared in Inside the American Mob, a National Geographic documentary.[49]

Franzese released an autobiographical biopic, God the Father, in 2014, which was released in theaters across 20 cities in the United States.[57][58] The film uses a combination of stock footage, animated recreations, as well as interviews to tell his life story.[57] It cites religion as the motivation for Franzese changing his life.[28]

In March 2015, he appeared in a two-part documentary on the American Mafia with television presenter and reporter Trevor McDonald. He spoke about his wealth, but also the impact of being a member of the Colombo crime family had on his family, and that was why he turned away from organized crime.[59][60][61]

In 2017, he played a reformed mobster in the Kevin Sorbo film Let There Be Light.[29]

Franzese hosted a stage musical, A Mob Story, at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The show opened in October 2018 and was created and directed by Jeff Kutash.[62]

In 2019, Franzese became co-founder of a national franchise of pizza restaurants called "Slices Pizza".[63] Slices serves Sicilian-style square pizzas with ingredients sourced from Naples and Campania, with ovens from Venice. The franchise started in California, and included five branches across the country at its height.[64] In 2022, Franzese founded Franzese Wines, a line of Armenian wines.[65]

In July 2020, he appeared in the Fear City: New York vs The Mafia Netflix docuseries.[66]

In June 2020, Franzese started a YouTube channel.[67] On his channel he tells stories about his past life, makes interviews, and reviews mafia-related films, television shows and video games, and analyzes their accuracy.[63] His subscriber count exceeded 1,000,000 in January 2023.

Franzese is the author of seven books: Quitting the Mob (1992), Blood Covenant (2003),[68] The Good, the Bad and the Forgiven (2009), I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse (2011),[68] From the Godfather to God the Father (2014),[28] Blood Covenant: The Story of the "Mafia Prince" Who Publicly Quit the Mob and Lived (2018) and Mafia Democracy (2022).

Personal life

Franzese has been married twice.[68] Franzese lives in Newport Beach, California with his wife, Camille Garcia, and their seven children.[57] Franzese met his current wife in 1984, while shooting the film Knights of the City[51][9] in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. His wife, a Christian, also influenced him in his decision to leave the mob.[21]

In 2010, Franzese's brother John Franzese Jr. testified against his father Sonny Franzese in a racketeering case after wearing a wire during conversations with his father. Michael described his brother as a "nobody in the mob life", and that his father "felt sick" that one of his sons had "betrayed him like this".[69] His father was sentenced to eight years in prison, and was released from prison in 2017 at the age of 100,[70] dying three years later.[71]

References

  1. 1 2 "About Michael Franzese". YouTube.
  2. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Ex-Mob Boss Reviews Mafia Movie Scenes". YouTube.
  3. 1 2 Roy Rowan; Andrew Kupfer (November 10, 1986). "The 50 Biggest Mafia Bosses". CNN Money. Fortune Magazine. Archived from the original on March 11, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  4. ↑ "A Godfather Betrayed by His Namesake, Part II". nysun.com. May 17, 2007. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Making a killing". smh.com.au. July 10, 2015. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Dannen, Fredric (February 1991). "The Born-Again Don". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  7. ↑ Tayler, Letta (January 6, 1991). "The Franzese File" [The Franzese File. Porche and a pool and not much else, Informing for Franzese]. Newsday. pp. 5, 24, 25. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021. {{cite news}}: External link in |trans-title= (help)
  8. ↑ "At 100, mob underboss Sonny Franzese gets out of federal prison". Newsday. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Keller, Larry (May 24, 1992). "MEMORIES OF THE MOB, INSIDE AND OUT". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  10. ↑ Newton, Jim (April 6, 1992). "Fate of a Jailed Mobster: Films, Fortune or a Bullet? : Mafia: Michael Franzese, an ex-Colombo family capo, says he is 'born-again' and hopes for a Hollywood career". LA Times. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  11. ↑ "TWO SLAIN AND ONE HURT IN A MOB-STYLE SHOOTING". Les Ledbetter. The New York Times. January 5, 1982. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  12. ↑ "HOOD'S TALE UNDERLINED IN LEAD". William K. Rashbaum. New York Daily News. November 16, 1997. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  13. ↑ "A mobster's trail of bodies". David Goldiner. New York Daily News. September 29, 2000. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  14. ↑ COLOMBO ORGANIZED CRIME FAMILY ACTING BOSS, UNDERBOSS, AND TEN OTHER MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES INDICTED"Archived May 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Department of Justice press release June 4, 2008
  15. ↑ Secret, Mosi (March 20, 2014). "After Serving Six Years, Mobster Receives His Sentence". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Five Mafia Families Open Rosters to New Members". The New York Times. March 21, 1976. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  17. 1 2 3 Schwarz, Alan (July 12, 2001). "BASEBALL; From Captain to Coach: Ex-Goodfella's New Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  18. ↑ Loverro, Thom (June 24, 1991). "Even the trial of federal witness Anthony Sarivola bears secrets". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  19. ↑ Franzese, Michael (October 28, 2009). Blood Covenant. Whitaker House. ISBN 9781603741958. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Former Colombo family capo to visit Mob Museum and tell how he left the mafia but lived to talk about it". Las Vegas Sun. October 30, 2007. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  21. 1 2 3 Maloney, Mary-Ann (February 19, 2010). "Special Report: Michael Franzese talks about quitting the mob". KFVS. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "9 LINKED TO MAFIA ARE ACCUSED OF BILKING LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES". The New York Times. December 20, 1985. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015.
  23. ↑ "ON THE LAM with an UBER-MOBSTER". The New Yorker. November 14, 1994. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Siphoning of gas tax dollars". New York Daily News. March 13, 1988. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Lubasch, Arnold H (December 28, 1991). "Mobster Sentenced in Probation Violation". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 14, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Mob boss calls a stock bubble". CNBC. August 20, 2014. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  27. 1 2 3 4 Lednovich, M. Anthony (March 26, 1985). "TESTIMONY LINKS FILM BOSS TO 2-STATE GAS-TAX FRAUD". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 12, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  28. 1 2 3 4 "Former New York crime boss Michael Franzese on walking away from the mob, forgiving his father & cleaning up Chicago". WGN-TV. Nexstar. December 1, 2016. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  29. 1 2 3 4 Purvis, Jerry (February 16, 2019). "Former mobster to speak at Midwest Theater". Star-Herald. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Former mobster recounts his road to redemption". The Telegraph. October 15, 2012. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  31. ↑ Phillips, Kyra (January 21, 2011). "Former Prince of the Mafia Shares His Story". CNN. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Former mobster Michael Franzese is trying to do good in the world as a motivational speaker and author". Business Enquirer. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  33. ↑ Gorman, John (March 15, 1989). "SPORTS AGENT LINKED TO MOB". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  34. ↑ Anderson, Dave (November 3, 1991). "Sports of The Times; Is Don King's Asbestos Tuxedo Turning Toxic at Last?". The New York Times. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  35. ↑ Santora, Marc (July 24, 2002). "Sharpton Says F.B.I. Tape Distorts Truth". The New York Times. The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  36. ↑ Fiffer, Steve; Times, Special to The New York (March 15, 1989). "Crime Figure Testifies to Link With Sports Agent". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  37. ↑ "NEW BREED SAID TO EMERGE IN ORGANIZED CRIME". The New York Times. December 20, 1985. Archived from the original on February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  38. 1 2 "Reputed Mobster Among 26 Charged In Gas-Tax Scheme". Associated Press. December 20, 1985. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  39. 1 2 "FRANZESE ENTERS A PLEA OF GUILTY TO RACKETEERING". The New York Times. March 22, 1986. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015.
  40. 1 2 "Top Suspect In Operation Tiger Tail Pleads Guilty Again". Associated Press. March 24, 1986. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  41. ↑ King, Jonathon; Brennan, Jack (March 23, 1986). "LAWYERS BARGAIN GAS-TAX THEFT CASE". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  42. ↑ Witosky, Tom (March 15, 1989). "Mobster says he was silent partner with Walters". The News-Press. Gannet. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  43. ↑ Croucher, Glenora (June 19, 1989). "Walters, Bloom sentenced to jail, fined $395,000". United Press International. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  44. ↑ Gorman, John (September 8, 1989). "NEW TRIAL REQUESTED FOR CONVICTED AGENTS". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  45. ↑ AP staff writers (September 18, 1990). "Walters, Bloom, convictions overturned on technicality". The Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Appeals court overturns sports bribing convictions". United Press International. September 17, 1990. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  47. ↑ Said, Nabilah (July 21, 2014). "Former mobster Michael Franzese is trying to do good in the world as a motivational speaker and author". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  48. 1 2 Walsh, Katie (July 21, 2020). "What to stream: 'Fear City' and other Mafia picks beyond the usual suspects". The York Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Former mobster: 'God changed my heart'". Chicago Tribune. September 10, 2007. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  50. 1 2 3 Wilson, Jeremy (June 12, 2009). "Former mafia boss Michael Franzese sounds warning over match-fixing". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  51. ↑ Nocera, Joseph (April 10, 1992). "Quitting the Mob: How the Yuppie Don Left the Mafia and Lived to Tell His Story". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  52. ↑ "Former mobster Michael Franzese is trying to do good in the world as a motivational speaker and author". straittimes.com. July 21, 2014. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  53. ↑ "Making a killing". smh.com.au. July 10, 2015. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  54. ↑ Khan, Saher (March 10, 2017). "20 years a mobster, Michael Franzese now inspires gangsters to turn their lives around". WGN-TV. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  55. ↑ KARE 11 Staff (July 25, 2013). "REVIEW: The Definitive Guide to the Mob (DVD)". KARE. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  56. 1 2 3 Marroquin, Art (October 31, 2014). "Ex-mafioso in Anaheim Hills now serves God, not the mob". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  57. ↑ "'God the Father': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. October 31, 2014. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  58. ↑ "The Mafia with Trevor McDonald, ITV, review: 'surreal' – Telegraph". Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  59. ↑ "Trevor McDonald Meets the Mafia and exposes shocking tales – Daily Post". Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  60. ↑ "The Mafia with Trevor McDonald, review: Nice guy Trevor just isn't cut out for the mean streets | The Independent". Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  61. ↑ Radke, Brock (October 24, 2018). "The ambitious, original 'A Mob Story' is worth a visit to the Plaza". Las Vegas Sun. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  62. 1 2 Sadeghi, Chris (June 15, 2021). "Up in 60: Former mafia boss brings new pizza joint to Dallas". WFAA-TV. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  63. ↑ Daniels, Lauren Drewes (June 10, 2021). "Dallas Finally Gets A Verified Mobster Pizza Joint, Plus a Book-Signing This Saturday". The Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  64. ↑ "Former mafia boss Michael Franzese targets international expansion for his wine brand". decanter.com. July 27, 2022.
  65. ↑ Fienberg, Daniel (July 21, 2020). "'Fear City: New York vs. the Mafia': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 7, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  66. ↑ Kranc, Lauren (July 22, 2020). "Who is Michael Franzese of Netflix's 'Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia'?". Esquire. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  67. 1 2 3 Whiting, David (February 23, 2013). "Whiting: Former mob capo juggles past, current 'affiliations'". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  68. ↑ "Son turns on aging father at mob trial". Texarkana Gazette. Associated Press. June 15, 2010. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  69. ↑ "'Sonny' Franzese, oldest federal prisoner, is freed at 100". Associated Press. June 23, 2017. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  70. ↑ "John Franzese, Mafioso Who Consorted With Celebrities, Dies at 103". The New York Times. February 24, 2020. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020.
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