09:05 GMT 29 Apr 2011. When Kennedys Learned of Marilyn Monroe & Sonny Franzese's Relationship: Michael Franzese 5,011 views Jun 27, 2022 Watch full Franzese podcast:. Culture They planned to buy an engagement ring, and the woman had the money in her purse. In 1970, when Franzese was 10 years old, his father began serving a 50-year sentence for conspiring to rob banks. His father, Carmine (The Lion) Franzese, had considerable prestige in the Mafia, according to Treasury Department records. When he made his entrancestriding briskly, confidently, and with a slight smilea frisson of excitement rippled through the crowd. 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. However, Franzese ultimately beat the case. [4][40] He was buried on February 28, at St. John Cemetery following his funeral at Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.[41]. Interview with Michael Franzese, Mafia Boss Get Michael's Business Book: https://amzn.to/3khW1gvGet Michael's Tell-ALL Book: https://amzn.to/39ZsSCaSubscribe. Queens, New York. That was my parish, Franzese said. Al then lived in Miami after Alcatraz with his mind gone. In a frail voice, Mr Masters can be heard on the recordings saying: The night before she died, the last time I saw her, was in Lake Tahoe at the Cal-Neva Lodge. So I ran away. [17], In 2006, Franzese discussed techniques for mob murders with Gaetano "Guy" Fatato, a Colombo associate, not realizing that Fatato was a government informant and taping the conversation. But it wasnt announced until two years later. 82.4k. [4], In 1967, Franzese gained a financial interest in a new recording company, Buddah Records. Franzese looks far younger than he is and remembered details of the various criminal charges against him with clarity, particularly those surrounding the bank robbery conspiracy that he insists he was not involved in. He was well-regarded by his criminal associates, who used him to broker deals between feuding mob factions. Theres no money in crime no more, he said. In 1966, he was charged with murdering a rival gangster and dumping the body into a bay after chaining cement blocks to the victims feet. Asked about the prosecutors and judge who sent him to prison, who have all died, Franzese said, Ill meet them in hell.. Franzese was born in Naples, Italy, to Carmine Franzese and Maria Corvola on February 6, 1917, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. You wouldnt help us. I said, Go and F yourself! And I walked away from him.. [34][35] Franzese had four more children with Capobianco, who died in 2012. I didnt want to talk to him. Screwed his mind up.. Ruggedly handsome with a swagger many women found irresistible, he frequented the citys top clubs, especially the Copacabana, where Frank Costello boss of the Luciano mob family, which was the precursor of todays Genovese family was a silent partner and Franzese was an honored guest among the celebrities. He also infiltrated and began to make money through the owner of Calla Records, Nate McCalla, until the recording label ceased operations in 1977, and McCalla was murdered execution style in 1980. By one account, Franzese became a full-fledged made member of the Mafia at 14, the same year Al Capone went to prison, two years before the end of Prohibition forced organized crime to find primary sources of income other than bootlegging. national In addition to his interests in the entertainment industry, John Franzese also became notorious for his racketeering, fraud, and loansharking schemes. After Frank Uale, aka Frankie Yale, owner of the Harvard House bar in Coney Island, became the first hoodlum in New York killed with a Thompson submachine gun, his funeral procession had 36 flower cars. 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.. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. And of course to take our zinc and our vitamins, she said. The film is based on Joyce Carol Oates . On a side note sonny is so old, looking at the era he came up in he mustve seen it all, stories would be insane to listen to. And I got in her, her drawers. He recounted a time when he was starting out in music and grew weary of playing classical works. [10] After he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1986, Michael was ultimately released in 1994 and retired to California in 1995. And I get her close and Im kissing her and I got my hands on her backside and I put them under her dress. Gioino, Catherina and McShane, Larry (June 24, 2017). ; 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. The renowned tough guy spent his time in prison without ever igniting his mafia comrades following a 1967 conviction that was widely considered an organized crime both internally and externally. Cassatos words of forgiveness had added significance because he is also a highly regarded NYPD chaplain. He dated Sinatra and Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr. at the legendary Copacabana nightclub in New York. It was the testimony of his own son (an accomplice-turned-informant) that sealed the prosecutions case. Here Are the Best Reviewed Books of the Month. So I says, What the F are you doing up there?, She said, I dont know. On June 23, 2017, he was released, having spent a total of 35 years behind bars. China [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. "Serious loss at any age," said his son Michael. He said, If you want to play rock and roll, first you have to play blues, then you have to play jazz. By We have estimated Sonny Franzese's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. So all of a sudden, boom, boom, boom, Jayne Mansfield comes walking out. Sonny needed to make room for her at his table, so he told his friend Johnny to leave. [8][9], He was accused of murdering Genovese crime family hitman-turned-informant Ernest Rupolo in 1964 on the orders of Vito Genovese. As for how many people John Franzese killed and disposed of this way, that remains uncertain. Both had immigrated to the United States from Italy. Early on, Franzese had an aptitude for crime. The Cosa Nostra accepts him as a coming king. It was so much part of who I am as a man, good or bad. Play a lot of base ball with peoples kneecaps, eat well (the grilled cheese on the radiata) and have a reason to live (to outlive all the people that wronged you) and you'll look this good at that age. That advice was accompanied by a warning. [32] He also helped to finance the $22,000 budget of the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat, which generated $3050 million, and the 1974 slasher film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which earned over $30 million from a $80,000140,000 investment. As a "made man" for the Colombo crime family, he . And he said to me, [On]account of you, we could have broke the Mafia up. No doubt about it. By 1963, he had been promoted to underboss by boss Joseph Colombo. The mourners who came down the steps included 90-year-old Dr. Louis Barricelli, who grew up with Fanzese and was his physician. Sonny was not at all ashamed of his many infidelitiesI was a run-around guybut it bothered him that he had hurt a man he idolized. Watch full Franzese podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5ZFK-KBINY\u0026list=PLPT_cCpNMvT50d_7cJ55ciKoZEY8q_YPt\u0026index=4Michael Franzese UK tour: https://michaelfranzesetour.com/Michael Franzese YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6hqYXMeeZU\u0026t=64sMichael Franzese Insta: https://www.instagram.com/michaelfranzese_/Michael Franzese Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelFranzeseMichael Franzese inner circle: https://join.michaelfranzese.com/Michael Franzese grew up as the son of Sonny Franzese, the underboss of New York's violent Colombo crime family. It changed the dynamics of these parties, but I think were all better for it.. He was 103. And he apologized for what happened, especially near his church.. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. At the trial, John Franzese Jr. told jurors not to be fooled by his elderly fathers frail appearance (he was dubbed the Nodfather by the press due to his habit of dozing during the trial). He repeatedly refused. He worries about his grandchildren, exhorting them to get an education, and says he has told many younger relatives to go straight, for practical reasons, at least. He chuckled as he perused old photos of himself in the tabloids, looking both fierce and dapper in his cashmere overcoat. After the sentence was announced, Franzeses estranged wife told reporters, Id be shocked if he doesnt live to 100. Interesting interview. Dont forget, I fought everybody.. Sonny knew them wellHe was a good guy, Dean Martin. Once you appeared at the Copa, you could go anywhere in the world. Although Monroe's death was officially ruled a "probable suicide". He was also a regular at the Copacabana and met such stars as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. on a frequent basis. Despite the entreaties of FBI agents and a 50-year prison sentence for a crime he swears he didnt commit, Franzese did his time and never talked. He was released on parole in 1978 (why exactly he was released so early remains unclear). Major Franzese was born in Sicily, moving with his family as a child to Brooklyn. As a younger man, according to Mafia lore, Franzese was a . He then testified against his father, 93 at the time, and later entered the federal witness protection program. Franzese, dark-haired and handsome, allegedly claimed alliances with Monroe and actress Jayne Mansfield. How does he know this?. . Franzese's career in organized crime began in the 1930s and spanned over eight decades. But Franzeses commercial side was darker: he had once admitted killing 10 men during a 2006 chat with a mafia informant, with other estimates of his mob murders reaching 60. He is convinced hell get rid of the wheelchair. Over the years, Franzese has listed his legitimate job as a tailor, baker and seller. So I look up and whos looking at meJayne Mansfield. Sonny Franzese back in 1966 was one of the pre-eminent organized crime figures in New York, if not the United States. See? Maurice said. sex John (Sonny)Franzese walks into the federal courthouse in Uniondale on June 18, 1982, as he surrenders to authorities. No doubt about that.. Hoffa was buried somewhere very wet and deep, out of New York and Jersey. For one, investigators said that Franzese had largely been able to avoid murder charges because of his knack for making bodies disappear. They went to the church for help, lacking even the subway fare to get home. But one particular patron never had a problem. Im going to have it with her. Full head of hair - stand up guy. I just want to go to the bathroom! Franzese could be heard pleading. Video In his first extended interviews following his release in June 2017 as the oldest inmate in the federal prison system, Franzese spoke to reporters as he never has, reflecting on a criminal life rooted in New York City and on Long Island that spanned the birth, glory days and current lower profile of traditional organized crime. Under Review. He loved his children. George also said that the person she was really in love with at that moment was Sam Giancana.. [39], Franzese died in a New York City hospital, on February 24, 2020, aged 103. Maybe all the drugs he took. Franzese defies many mob stereotypes. The only other person he mentioned that was there was [singer] Buddy Greco. I wouldnt talk to him. In October, the Queens district attorney indicted him in the homicide of Ernest (The Hawk) Rupolo, a one-eyed mob hit man from Baldwin. Interesting interview. In 2010, at the age of 93, he was indicted for attempting to shake down two night spots and a pizzeria. Lets bring her back again so I can have a shot at it. Doubt she wastes her time with someone like Sonny at that point. Franzese said he remembers crying when he saw him in prison the . Yet he was tried for murder only once, and he was acquitted. I dont get it.. So did FBI agents. He said he got good grades in school, but the allure of the street proved irresistible. When Costello went to prison, Winchell wrote: [The] New York situation is fluid. I watched the interview. Yeah, I seriously doubt it, then. Both had . I did it on spite. 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. . Net Worth in 2022. His father, eyes cast downward, said: Listen, it broke my heart. [1][14] His son, Michael, alleged that when Mishler sentenced his father, Franzese declared, "You watch. ice Hockey She closed by reading a note her Sonny Grandpa had written to her. Jun 23, 2017 at 11:31 pm. Franzese returned to his family in Brooklyn after his release in 2017 from the Federal Medical Center in Danvers, Massachusetts, leading a peaceful life away from the spotlight of his youth. The Hollywood actress is said to have spent the evening with Sam Giancana after taking the singers private jet to Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. photo Ate a lot of crappy jail food. [7][4] He was also a boxing fan of Rocky Graziano. I wouldnt turn around., Sinatra was used to being in charge, but not when Sonny was around. [37], His younger son, John Franzese Jr., was a Colombo family associate before becoming an FBI informant. [1][2][3] His parents had already immigrated to the United States at the time of his birth, and were back in Italy for a visit. [5], Franzese operated out of New York City and New Jersey and was involved in racketeering, fraud, and loansharking. The mortal remains of John Sonny Franzese were then carried back out to the hearse. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. business What we done in New York is unbelievable, he said. Got a tip? Julie Podell thought I was the best thing that ever happened to him., It undoubtedly had a lot to do with business. After being sentenced for a period of 50 years, Franzese offered only this premonitory remark: I bet I do everyone.. He became a boccie player and a handball champion. According to law enforcement, Franzese remained the official underboss of the Colombo family. They didnt come there just to see the show . John Franzese as a free man in 2018. Tough loss at any age, his son Michael said. Common knowledge she was stepping out on Joe Dimaggio while in NY. The victim in that case was a one-eyed, hook-nosed hitman known as the Hawk, whose body was found in Jamaica Bay. Customers came to see the glittering roster of performers onstage, but were just as thrilled when they spotted celebrities, and mobsters, in the audience. The indictments came in rat-a-tat fashion: In March, the Manhattan district attorney charged him with being the muscle man in a $10 million bookmaking ring in the garment district. But one of the actual bank robbers took the stand to say Franzese had overseen the heists. News. 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. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, with their vaudeville-style act of songs and jokes, were regulars onstage. He thought every girl was, was in love with him. But despite the odds, that wasnt the case. Jayne sat down, and they began flirting. In April, the U.S. Attorneys Office charged him with conspiring to rob banks and obstruction of justice. A grandson also spoke. Daniel Bates In New York Franzeses commitment to the mobis so complete that he went along with contracts on the lives of two of his sons, who, unlike their father, cooperated with law enforcement, according to court records and one of the sons, Michael. Though frail, he was all smiles. 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. He is so smart and careful and sufficiently insulated that police are frustrated in every attempt to nail him down. 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. They hit on me like I was Rudolph Valentino. His first arrest came in 1938, for assault. One F.B.I. My father was a chameleon, Michael said. Facts are facts his time is nearly up. 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. A letter was found recently that appears to confirm the long-held rumor that Bobby Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe had an affair. [19] In June 2008, Franzese, still incarcerated, was indicted on charges of participating in murders during the Colombo Wars of the early 1990s, stealing fur coats in New York City in the mid 1990s, and participating in home invasions by police impersonators in Los Angeles in 2006. Before long, he asked her, Whos taking you home?. He is believed to have been elevated to caporegime or captain in the Colombo family in the mid 1950s by Profaci. But he did it." Now, Franzese who once ran in the same crowd as Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Dagmar lives a much quieter life. It's better to take that half-an-hour, an hour, to get rid of the body than it is to leave the body on the street. News According to his son Michael, he passed away in a hospital in the New York area, but no further details were given. Anything you need, you call me, Cassato said. It was May 19, 1962, when Monroe sashayed onto the stage of Madison Square Garden in a skintight, rhinestone-studded dress and sang a breathy Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy during a Democratic fundraiser. He was 103 years old. You should have asked, Did Frank Sinatra know Sonny Franzese?. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. More posturing followed, and Jayne tried to gentle Sonny, telling him not to get too excited. I was just like a big hit with them, he said. After the Army, Franzese resumed his street life and racked up 10 more arrests through June 1963. The procession then departed, taking with it an era and in no need of flower cars. After the 93-year-old Sonny Franzese was convicted, he was sentenced to eight years in prison, where he was widely expected to die of old age. [12] Franzese was later acquitted of the murder. The disclosure was made by George Masters, Monroes hair and make-up stylist, in recordings he made a month before his death in 1998. It is believed it involved the relationship each had with Marilyn Monroe and that the Mafia was using the actress to blackmail the Kennedys. John Franzese was born on Feb. 6, 1917, in Naples, Italy, where his parents, Carmine and Maria (Corvola) Franzese, were visiting. Life in the early '60s was good for Franzese. By 1967, Franzese had gone into the music business, running Buddah Records and such groups as the Shirelles. Sonny frequented all the citys top clubs, but he felt most at home at the Copacabana, with its roster of glittering acts and Copa Girls dance line. Masters also appears to confirm the theory that Monroe was moved around before she died. His supporters. Upon reflection, what he meant was that everyone in any work situation was ultimately always going to put themselves first, even if subconsciously. 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. Only now he gets to feel holy and forgiven while he cashes the checks. 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. . He apparently assumed his estranged wife would not follow him there. Your wifes a whore? Sonny was born circa 1919. Gorgeous and glamorous women were inevitably drawn to Sonny, something he said he never fully understood. Franzese, dark-haired and handsome, would claim dalliances with Monroe and actress Jayne Mansfield. That I promise.. I couldnt get a [liquor] license., Asked why he couldnt get a license, he said, smiling, I was a bad guy.. To them, it was clear who the top man was, but Sonny, ever magnanimous, quieted them. Wikimedia CommonsSonny Franzese (left) with famous boxer Rocky Graziano (center). What can I tell him? Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan actor, dies after brain aneurysm, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Wayne Shorter, influential jazz saxophonist and composer, dies at 89, Linda Kasabian, Charles Manson follower who helped send him to prison, dies at 73, Search Obituaries & Guest Books on Legacy.com, Honor a loved one, place an obituary notice, Burny Mattinson, animator who was Disneys longest-serving employee, dies at 87, Albie Pearson, an original Angels player known as the Littlest Angel, dies at 88, Walter Mirisch, former motion picture academy president and legendary producer, dies at 101, Paul Berg, scientific firebrand who pioneered genetic engineering, dies, Barbara Bosson, Emmy-nominated actor known for Hill Street Blues role, dies at 83, Leiji Matsumoto, creator of classic space opera manga and anime, dies at 85. 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. Most importantly in his mob career, Franzese was an earner, making money for the family in a variety of ways. In 1963, Joe Valachi became the first big Mafia informant, testifying before Congress and giving America its first look inside the mob. I would win, too., But his bottom line on prison where he spent more than a third of his long life is I hate everything about it.. He enjoyed his final years with his grandchildren. So I jumped in and started helping him. John Sonny Franzese, center, is escorted to the Elizabeth Street police station in New York after his arrest on a 43-count gambling indictment. Because its my principle.. Johnny got up, but couldnt help but protest: Sonny, youre too much. The guy is telling incredible lies. Shell listen to me. 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. Sonny met actress Marilyn Monroe, not at the Copa, but at the Stork Club, thanks to an introduction by Frank Costello. Theres, there is no question about it.. ! Years later, he would talk about it with genuine disbelief. It was a conspiracy to get me, Franzese said in his nursing home. In 1967, Franzese was arrested for a series of bank robberies. The first hint to someone not in the know only came when the priest, Monsignor David Cassato, offered a joke. I started making money and then I opened up a club, another club, another club, and I started making big money. Also Sonny said to him that he was dating Marilyn Monroe and met her at the Stork club. George specifically told me that Marilyn spent the evening with Sam Giancana. Al moved to Chicago in the 1920s then Alcatraz after in the early 30s. He would be the last guy I thought would do that. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover listed Franzese's prison term among the bureau's major achievements for 1967, along with sentences for extortion given to hoodlums Charles Battaglia of Tucson, Arizona, and Sam Battaglia of . Did a lot of time. He was beginning to address the mourners when a glass collar at the top of a burning Paschal candle suddenly shattered. A few years later, during World War II, he was discharged from the Army due to his homicidal tendencies.. Sonny Franzese (left) with famous boxer Rocky Graziano (center). If your husband comes here, Im going to beat him up, he told her. Wikimedia CommonsOne of John Franzeses many mugshots. Sonny Franzese, pictured at age 100, was in prison for much of the latter part of his life. Gardner was beautiful and tempestuous, and everyone knew Sinatra was hopelessly in love with her. Franzese, who died on Feb. 23 at age 103, recalled those nights recently as part of a series of interviews with Newsday over the past two years. /r/Mafia features stories, interviews, documentary and news articles about organized crime around the world. International The night started to wind down at 4 a.m., and they left the club for a hotel. He would be the last guy I thought would do that. He contemplates . Franzese also told Fatato that he put nail polish on his fingertips before a murder to avoid leaving fingerprints at the crime scene.