McShane writes for the New York Daily News. Africa He loved his children. He was wrong. Because its my principle.. Major Franzese was born in Sicily, moving with his family as a child to Brooklyn. Franzese was released from custody in 2017, at the age of 100; until that point, he had been the oldest inmate in Federal custody. Jimmy Hoffa claimed to have in his possession "seamy" material about John and Bobby Kennedy. Sonny Franzese back in 1966 was one of the pre-eminent organized crime figures in New York, if not the United States. He was, after all, Sonny Franzese. [4] His mother had given him the nickname "Sonny" at a young age. COVID-19 And I get her close and Im kissing her and I got my hands on her backside and I put them under her dress. As a younger man, according to Mafia lore, Franzese was a . The charges, ranging from vagrancy to rape, all followed a strikingly similar pattern they were either dismissed or he was acquitted. vaccine Tennis Within three years, three more followed two for disorderly conduct and one for third-degree assault but none of them stuck. They [would] come up to me, actually pick me up. sport He chuckled as he perused old photos of himself in the tabloids, looking both fierce and dapper in his cashmere overcoat. After the Army, Franzese resumed his street life and racked up 10 more arrests through June 1963. The hell with him. Finally, Franzese stressed the importance of properly dealing with the corpse. In that single year, four different prosecutors filed charges against him. In the 1950s and 1960s, Franzese listed his official occupation as an owner of a dry-cleaning store in Brooklyn. Your wifes a whore? Sonny Franzese was ultimately convicted of the charges and, at the age of 94, was sentenced to eight years in prison. According to law enforcement, Franzese remained the official underboss of the Colombo family. Facts are facts his time is nearly up. A wise guy hosted the game, he explained, butI was the one running it.. China Anything you need, you call me, Cassato said. Your goal in life is to succeed.. I wouldnt talk to him. And he gloated over his own Oceans 11-style celebrity. Other recordings were made with the help of informants. But then, in 1967, he was convicted for his involvement in a bank robbery and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Sonny was tough as nails. What we done in New York is unbelievable, he said. International Be the best.. information Now you may not believe this, but, so help me God, she told it to meshe says to me, I made a lot of pictures. You wouldnt help us. I said, Go and F yourself! And I walked away from him.. [22] John Franzese Jr. testified twice against his father, the last time his father attempted to have him killed; he later lived under witness protection. On August 20, 1962, about two weeks . Then, have a look at some John Gotti facts that tell the story of The Dapper Don., John Franzese, Legendary New York Mob Boss, Dies At 103. A gunman suddenly appeared and took it. He held his staff to high standards and involved himself in all the minutiae of running a club, from supervising the kitchen staff to picking the talent. In 1944, he was dishonorably discharged from the Army for homicidal tendencies," according to court records. Franzeses son Michael remembers that when he and his father were discussing business, his father would routinely lead him into the bathroom of their Roslyn home and turn on the water to drown out their conversation. politics Daniel Bates In New York By It also probably was inevitable. It was a free-for-all, Sonny recalled. 58.0k members in the Mafia community. He had grown up with street guys and had had his own youthful run-in with the law. I wouldnt put a dog in a jail pod., John (Sonny)Franzeseis helped into his daughter's Brooklyn home by family members in June 2017. Credit: Craig Ruttle. He recounted a time when he was starting out in music and grew weary of playing classical works. Franzese is said to have run a craps game and to have gone into loan sharking. Though he evaded capture for years, Sonny Franzeses criminal ways did eventually catch up with him but not before he skated by the law one more time. He hung out with Sinatra and fellow Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr. at the legendary Copacabana nightclub in New York. John Sonny Franzese, center, is escorted to the Elizabeth Street police station in New York after his arrest on a 43-count gambling indictment. Legendary mobster Sonny Franzese dead at 103 - New York Daily News Only now he gets to feel holy and forgiven while he cashes the checks. In October, the Queens district attorney indicted him in the homicide of Ernest (The Hawk) Rupolo, a one-eyed mob hit man from Baldwin. The first hint to someone not in the know only came when the priest, Monsignor David Cassato, offered a joke. He didn't leave the life behind; he just found a way to repackage it. Sonny was born circa 1919. He told the mourners during his homily of a moment after his transfer. Franzese, dark-haired and handsome, allegedly claimed alliances with Monroe and actress Jayne Mansfield. Franzese rose quickly through the mob ranks and became a capobecause he was what is known as an earner, generating steady income for himself and his bosses in the Colombo family, his sons said. There were no flower cars outside the funeral of 103-year-old John Sonny Franzesebut gospel music, funny stories, and eulogies from his loving grandkids made it much grander. You should have asked, Did Frank Sinatra know Sonny Franzese?. Credit: Newsday / Ari Mintz, I was a firm believer that if a guy knew something about you, you had to worry about it, he said, referring to the men who actually robbed the banks and later testified that he was the mastermind behind them. NEW YORK Legendary Colombo family capo John "Sonny" Franzese, who rubbed elbows with Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe before a bank robbery rap eventually made him the nation's oldest. Youse made him a superstar. Later a coroner ruled that the death was a probable suicide. I hope so man. He was linked by law enforcement to multimillion-dollar. When the show starts, over there, you know, in the Latin Quarter, the stage goes up, as the show starts, all the lights go out. I went out with a lot of handsome leading men . Franzese told Fatato:[18]. John "Sonny" Franzese reportedly committed his first murder at the age of fourteen. Sonny met actress Marilyn Monroe, not at the Copa, but at the Stork Club, thanks to an introduction by Frank Costello. The Case Sonny Franzese Couldn't Beat - YouTube So I says, What the F are you doing up there?, She said, I dont know. [36] However, in 1971, shortly after his father had been sentenced to 50 years in prison for bank robbery, he decided to drop out of college to help his family earn money. Theres an expression, theres two things in life youre sure of, right? Cassato said. He wanted to talk to me. Screwed his mind up.. He was arrogant. You are spunkier than all the women I met in life. [4], In 1967, Franzese gained a financial interest in a new recording company, Buddah Records. It aint right for something Id never done., But Franzese did the time, he said, becauseI didnt want to rat on anybody., After exhausting his appeals, he entered prison around Easter in 1970, resolute. Patrons of the club knew exactly who he was. He subsequently invested in films like Deep Throat and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Years later, he would talk about it with genuine disbelief. Podell also kept close to Sonny. I told him, Grandpa, I really want to play rock and roll, the grandson recalled. Sonny : The Last of the Old Time Mafia Bosses, John "Sonny" Franzese Wife Claims Sonny Franzese's Son Destroyed His Family Their collective charges included racketeering, gangland hits, the theft of fur coats in New York, and a home invasion in Los Angeles with Franzese held responsible as the underboss of the crime family. He would be the last guy I thought would do that. Legendary New York mobster John "Sonny" Franzese, the former underboss of the Colombo crime family, has died at 103, according to TMZ. But despite the odds, that wasnt the case. Born in 1917 and raised in New York City, John Franzese grew up during a boom era for organized crime and it didnt take long for him to get involved himself. Franzeses first recorded arrest came on Jan. 7, 1938, in Brooklyn for felonious assault. Ukraine One of Monroe's last flings was Giancana, who was arguably the most powerful gangster in the country at that time, and was in Sinatra's circle. celebrities Interview with/about John "Sonny" Franzese : Mafia In 1963, Joe Valachi became the first big Mafia informant, testifying before Congress and giving America its first look inside the mob. Upon reflection, what he meant was that everyone in any work situation was ultimately always going to put themselves first, even if subconsciously. Julie Podell thought I was the best thing that ever happened to him., It undoubtedly had a lot to do with business. So Id have to be a nut to rob banks.. I dont know. When I was away I heard about you.. He thought every girl was, was in love with him. John Jr., 58 Franzeses favorite child wore a wire to gather evidence against the Colombos. 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Sonny Franzese, pictured at age 100, was in prison for much of the latter part of his life. [10][5][4] He was arrested with nine other people on April 13, 1966,[11] and during his trial, the prosecution produced records that claimed that Franzese had killed between 30 and 50 people. Franzese was 21 when he was arrested for the first time on charges of assault in 1938. He apparently assumed his estranged wife would not follow him there. His supporters. He was a good guy. John Franzese, known as Sonny, had been the federal prison systems oldest inmate and its only centenarian when he completed his last stint behind bars in 2017. Mike said he knows the shooter and he has a tape to this today which discusses where Hoffa was killed. The granddaughter had arranged for a gospel group headed by a singer/piano player known on Instagram as The Black Franz Liszt to perform at the funeral. By 1966, Franzeses swagger and success had become too much for law enforcement. Crowd tradition claimed that the early gangster became a man made at the age of 14, and he was soon conducting a crowd-controlled craps game. As for Franzeses own estimate, he killed too many to remember them all but was caught on tape saying, I killed a lot of guys youre not talking about four, five, six, ten.. Hoffa was buried somewhere very wet and deep, out of New York and Jersey. In 1978, he was paroled, only to be sent back to prison five times for consorting with known felons, which apparently included almost every guy he knew besides Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. [29][30][31][28], Franzese is listed as an associate producer of the 2003 film This Thing of Ours, which starred James Caan. According to his son Michael, he passed away in a hospital in the New York area, but no further details were given. All rights reserved. Getty ImagesJohn Sonny Franzese is escorted by police in 1967. But his real job was as a gangster, authorities said, and living the high life. She got around in high circles to the very end. Podell insisted that employees and customers alike adhere to a strict dress code. 09:25 GMT 28 Apr 2011 diets Sex and the City: The Spectacular Love Life of Mafia Boss Sonny Franzese ; Parole Violations Are Cited", "Nine Are Arrested in Sweeping Organized Crime Crackdown", Colombo organized crime family acting boss, underboss, and ten other members and associates indicted", "John Franzese Jr. testified against his dad, Sonny and then quit Witness Protection", "Feds: Sonny Asked a Mob Pal to Help Whack His Turncaot Son", "Colombo underboss John (Sonny) Franzese's son admits he sold his dad out for $50,000", "Colombo underboss John (Sonny) Franzese betrayed by son, who'll testify against legendary mobster", "93-Year-Old Crime Boss Gets 12-Year Sentence", "Mobster Sonny Franzese gets 8 years in prison", "Colombo mobster John Franzese, 99, denied compassionate release", "98-year-old inmate's prison funds targeted by feds", "Mafia boss, 93, faces prison after son breaks code of silence", "Penn State Forum Speaker Series Michael Franzese "Life Choices, Life Stories", "Special Report: Michael Franzese talks about quitting the mob", Hundred-year-old mobster's daughter gushes over dad's freedom, "John 'Sonny' Franzese, powerful mob boss who hung out with Frank Sinatra, dies at 103", "Priest at Sonny Franzese's funeral Mass: 'He just kept on going', American Gangster: The Sonny Franzese Story, List of Italian-American mobsters by organization, Collaborations between the United States government and Italian Mafia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Franzese&oldid=1142670143, Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government, United States Army personnel of World War II, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox person with multiple parents, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Cristina Capobianco-Franzese (second wife), This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 19:20. Still do. Then his friend said she really was coming to their table. Yeah, I seriously doubt it, then. Linked by law enforcement to multimillion-dollar bookmaking, loan sharking and extortion rackets and caught on tape alluding to multiple murders he claimed to have committed, he remained mute through more than 35 years behind bars as mob boss after mob boss violated the mobscode of silence in exchange for lighter prison sentences. Sonny met actress Marilyn Monroe, not at the Copa, but at the Stork Club, thanks to an introduction by Frank Costello. But just like everyone else, he couldnt beat death. Nonetheless, Franzese said he has no regrets about his life. He used to come back to me and talk loud, so I could hear him. Crime boss dubbed 'The Nodfather' for dozing off at own trial dies aged He died in a Queens nursing home at the age of 103, having lived long enough to become known as the Nodfather for dozing off in court. Interesting interview. You asked the question the wrong way, Franzese replied. . The procession then departed, taking with it an era and in no need of flower cars. Video I couldnt get a [liquor] license., Asked why he couldnt get a license, he said, smiling, I was a bad guy.. A letter was found recently that appears to confirm the long-held rumor that Bobby Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe had an affair. In college you couldnt bring a phone book with you, Maurice noted, saying Franzese could remember a thousand different phone numbers., He would rattle off these phone numbers, rattle off these names, tell you what to do, Maurice recalled. You know, Ive been away at college for a couple of years, Franzese said. Technology RARE Sonny Franzese Story w/ Marilyn Monroe: Michel Franzese - YouTube Lidia Yuknavitch on Her Philosophy of Teaching, What Should You Read Next? He didnt believe it would get me very far., He counseled her to know and study what others are doing., Do it better, or dont do it at all, she recalled him telling her. His pals included some of the biggest entertainers of the time, and a Newsday reporter would later ask if he knew Frank Sinatra. Its human nature.At the same time, he advised, As a leader, I needed to subdue my ego and do whats best for the organization.. Credit: Newsday / James O'Rourke, Never happened, Franzese said. See? Maurice said. That man can do jail time standing on his head.. One of his paramours was Jayne Mansfield, the buxom blonde star of the 1950s and 60s who was one of Playboys early centerfolds. His father, eyes cast downward, said: Listen, it broke my heart. 68.4k members in the Mafia community. That advice was accompanied by a warning. All are sealed, according to the court. Jon Bernthal as Sonny Franzese? : Mafia - Reddit.com When Kennedys Learned of Marilyn Monroe & Sonny Franzese's - YouTube So I ran away. If true, they would rewrite the final act in the actresss life and raise fresh questions about her death. Do you know who my husband is? she replied. But he did it.. This man was a hardened criminal who needed to pay, regardless of his age. They planned to buy an engagement ring, and the woman had the money in her purse. [7][4] He was also a boxing fan of Rocky Graziano. Corona Virus Here I am in a place, theres three hundred fifty people here, and youre the best-looking guy here, too., She says, Sonny, youre the best-looking guy I ever went out with., For Sonny, a woman like Mansfield was simply fun. His son Michael, who initially followed his father into the mob, eventually left organized crime and became a born-again Christian and motivational speaker. I did it on spite. They wanted me to roll all the time, he said over a bowl of pasta e fagioliin the nursing home where he now lives. Also Sonny said to him that he was dating Marilyn Monroe and met her at the Stork club. . economy Both the grandson and the granddaughter recalled Sonny Grandpa saying that you have to listen to gospel music. He died in a Queens nursing home. But he built his fortune by theft and violence, and as far as I can see he's still making money off that lifestyle. His son John Franzese Jr. had testified against him, becoming the first son of a New York mobster to turn state's evidence and testify against his father. His first arrest came in 1938, for assault. His son Michael, who initially followed his father into the crowd, eventually left organized crime and became a born-again Christian and motivational speaker. For one, investigators said that Franzese had largely been able to avoid murder charges because of his knack for making bodies disappear. Al moved to Chicago in the 1920s then Alcatraz after in the early 30s. There was laughter among about 75 people in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at the funeral Mass for Franzese, the charming, menacing mobster who died Sunday at 103. By turns avuncular and crude, he answered questions about his extraordinary life. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather. Email Or Call (888) 847-9869. Younger men are springing up on all sides, including Joey Gallo, Sonny Franzese, etc. She reported, You better believe I started drinking white wine spritzers at work functions. Nick Sorrentino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesJohn Sonny Franzese. He met her at the Latin Quarter, a Manhattan nightclub opened in 1942 by Lou Walters, Barbara Walterss father. Sinatra? report from 1965 described Franzese, then underboss of the Colombo family, as the fastest growing and most prominent shylock in the Greater New York area.. No flower cars accompanied the hearse and the three black limousines that pulled up to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. And of course to take our zinc and our vitamins, she said. He infers that this affair happened later on in time though. Maurice recalled monthly visits to see Franzese at college, as prison is termed in the mob world. I couldnt believe it myself sometimes.. Yet he was tried for murder only once, and was acquitted. Though frail, he was all smiles. Franzese's career in organized crime began in the 1930s and spanned over eight decades. But it wasnt announced until two years later. Now what do you want him to do? We had Joe Valachi, and if you would have opened up, it would have destroyed the Mafia. He was in his new parish when his administrative assistant had announced that a very handsome man had come to see him. John "Sonny" Franzese Photos. I liked him.. He was my hero.. A new account claims she spent the night before her death at his retreat in Lake Tahoe She flew home to Los Angeles early the following. Franzese, widely admired and respected in the Mafia for sticking to his oath of omerta and keeping silent, was finally freed in 2017 at the age of 100. The made members Valachi named included Franzese, and law enforcement became so determined to build a case against him that agents installed a bug in his kitchen as his new home was being built. Cassato turned solemn without being somber at the end of the funeral, saying that Franzese now rested in Gods love and grace. He also said at work not to trust anyone, she recalled. . Meanwhile, this movie star of a mobster even got involved in the film business himself as a financier for both The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in 1974 and Deep Throat, the infamous 1972 pornographic film that shared its name with the informant who helped The Washington Post break the Watergate scandal. I could never give a guy up because I knew what jail was, he said. Longtime Colombo figure John 'Sonny' Franzese dies at 103 advertising He chuckled. Priest at Sonny Franzese's funeral Mass: 'He just kept on going' Marilyn Monroe was supposedly at Cal Neva lodge July28,1962 Weekend - Sinatra got upset with her -he told body guard to throw her out - rumor has it Sam giancana was there (may of plug her by way of the tunnels?) He is convinced hell get rid of the wheelchair. Family business. His procedure was to dismember the corpse in a kiddie pool, dry the severed body parts in a microwave oven, and then run the parts through a commercial-grade garbage disposal. Celebrities, socialites, and sports stars all jockeyed for a coveted table amid the faux palm trees. What's new Mr Platts, 60, a sales consultant from California, said: What if this trip George talks about was a last-ditch effort to get her to agree not to talk [about the Kennedys]? I figured hes a skinny guy, theyd kill him. He was 93 years old at the time. I'm gonna do the whole 50". I killed a lot of guys you're not talking about four, five, six, ten. [4] He became a made man in 1950,[4] and served in the crew of Sebastian "Buster" Aloi, father of former Colombo family acting boss Vincenzo Aloi. It is believed it involved the relationship each had with Marilyn Monroe and that the Mafia was using the actress to blackmail the Kennedys. Ate a lot of crappy jail food. [39], Franzese died in a New York City hospital, on February 24, 2020, aged 103. John Franzese Jr. testified against his dad, Sonny - Newsday Asked about the prosecutors and judge who sent him to prison, who have all died, Franzese said, Ill meet them in hell.. Over the years, Franzese listed his legitimate work as a tailor, a baker and a salesman. Legendary mobster John 'Sonny' Franzese dies at 103 John Sonny Franzese, who was one of the deadliest, richest, and longest-living Mafia bosses, died on February 25, 2019. The money flows in. In a December 2006 conversation secretly taped by a mob associate, Gaetano Fatato, Franzese said as much himself: I killed a lot of guys youre not talking about four, five, six, 10.. That initially struck her as a very lonely way to proceed. By the mid-1970s, John Franzese was widely believed to be one of the Mafias biggest earners since Al Capone, taking home between $1 million and $2 million a week. He repeatedly refused. Interview with Michael Franzese, Mafia Boss Get Michael's Business Book: https://amzn.to/3khW1gvGet Michael's Tell-ALL Book: https://amzn.to/39ZsSCaSubscribe. In addition to his interests in the entertainment industry, John Franzese also became notorious for his racketeering, fraud, and loansharking schemes. During a break in the proceedings, the elder Franzese rolled into the mens room in a wheelchair. government When I was away, I would run five miles a day, every day, he said. [26] Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 12 years, while Franzese's lawyer asked for leniency based on a variety of ailments, including partial blindness and deafness, gout, and heart and kidney problems. Life in the early '60s was good for Franzese. Cassatos words of forgiveness had added significance because he is also a highly regarded NYPD chaplain. Patrons and performers were solicitously attended to by a fleet of uniformed employees, all overseen by the vigilant eye of manager Jules Podell. Mike said he knows the shooter and he has a tape to this today which discusses where Hoffa was killed. He said, Youre nothing without an education, you got to he smart about life.. basketball Franzese said his superior officers liked his quick intelligence and fighting spiritbut that his gambling and liaison with a majors wife probably were what got him into trouble. [12] Franzese was later acquitted of the murder. Getting in wasnt easy. At home, a loving father and husband, but on the street, a hard-core guy who never had regrets, never would admit to any crime, never give anybody up, never violate his Mafia oaths a mobster all the way., After this look at John Sonny Franzese, check out these astounding facts about Al Capone. John Sonny Franzese, in the center, is escorted to Elizabeth Street police station in New York after his arrest on a 43-count gambling charge. United States of America He talked about love at first sight when he met his second wife, Tina, a 16-year-old cigarette girl at The Stork Club, a famed celebrity hangout of the '40s and '50s, as well as the pride and pain he felt about his sons, who joined him as partners in crime before breaking away. He enjoyed his final years with his grandchildren. John Franzese, known as Sonny, had been the federal prison system's oldest inmate and its only centenarian when he completed his last stint behind bars in 2017. He said, If you want to play rock and roll, first you have to play blues, then you have to play jazz. A feared enforcer and dictatorial head of the Profaci (later Colombo) family, he knew where all the bodies were buried, so to speak, and may have had inside knowledge on the JFK assassination. Got A Tip? Death and. Salary in 2022. He knew Frank Sinatra in his heyday, a CBS News article described the New York mobsters conviction. [25], With the help of Franzese Jr.'s testimony, the 93-year-old Franzese Sr., on January 14, 2011, was sentenced to eight years in prison for extorting two Manhattan strip clubs, running a loanshark operation and extorting a pizzeria on Long Island. The cassette tapes were found by his nephew, Jeff Platts, and have now been made public. He vowed to do the whole bid.. I wasnt a guy that was afraid, you know, he said. He is here with us right now, and he wants to make sure Im not gonna say certain things. Franzese, who died on Monday, had lived in New York since he was released. John (Sonny) Franzese is escorted down a staircase by armed officers at Nassau County police headquarters in Mineola on Jan.5, 1967, on his way to an arraignment. Her very personal tribute to the president shocked many of the fifteen thousand people in the audience. In 2010, at the age of 93, he was indicted for attempting to shake down two night spots and a pizzeria.
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