Recently, Michael revealed to DJ Vlad that Amanda had once fantasized about joining the police department, an organization that Michael spent the majority of his early years trying to avoid. Another reason was a concerted crackdown on Mafia crime that caught up most of those who wanted him dead. John (Sonny) Franzese arrives at a relative's home in Brooklyn after his Friday release from federal prison. Michaels part in the Colombo crime family was almost inevitable. Even now, more than 20 years after finding God in solitary confinement, ex-Mafia boss Michael "Mikey" Franzese still weighs the odds like the wily mobster of old. Venero Mangano, dubbed "Benny Eggs," was the underboss of the notorious Genovese crime family before becoming the most senior leader outside prison after boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was inprisoned in 2007. Promoted as "An Evening with The Godfather", the tour was delayed while Australian immigration authorities pondered "character" issues before granting Franzese's visa. The 43-year-old actress will take on the role of June George, the . Once a feared caporegime, or captain, in New York's Colombo crime family - and the biggest Mob "earner" since Al Capone - Franzese is here to publicise two Australian speaking events, in Sydney on July 22 and Melbourne on July 23. Here, we explore in detail the supposedly unusual and exciting life of now a motivational speaker and writer, Michael Franzese. They told him they were taking him somewhere to help him straighten out. Founder and chairman of the youth counselling Breaking Out Foundation (now called Michael Franzese Ministries), he's addressed more than 400 college campuses and countless churches and Christian conferences, charging between $US5000 and $US10,000 for a religious engagement and more for corporate events. The Church of the Apostles was told by Michael: When I was freed from jail in 1995, the chief of the organized crime strike squad appeared on television and declared, I wouldnt want to be in Michael Franzeses shoes. Moving on to the path, Michael became an official member of the mob in 1975. Who had thought, years later the same man would get to portray his real-life events on the global platform of Netflix. "But I didn't. The first was one he co-wrote called Quitting the Mob. Colombo underboss John Sonny Franzese got into a heated fight with his wife outside the Brooklyn courtroom where he is currently on trial for racketeering and the war-of-words got ugly. Nine years younger than Michael, John jnr, a drug addict from age 18, went on to testify against his father in an extortion case that led to Sonny's current jail term. Medically Assisted Treatment saves lives. I believe that was Mikes difficult task. "Everybody else is in prison for life, or dead. ", He points out that he didn't leave jail as an evangelist: "I was recruited from outta prison by pro baseball leagues to come and speak to their athletes about gambling. John (Sonny) Franzese arrives at a relative's home in Brooklyn after his Friday release from federal prison. Franzese Jr. made history on Wednesday. Michael Franzeses wife, Camille Franzese, is actually his second wife, but after meeting her in 1984 and getting married, they remained together. SHE'S HERE!!! A collection of experienced writers and editors, we aim to provide relevant and informative articles related to your favorite celebrities. Franzese with his wife Cammy, daughters Julia, Amanda and Miquelle, and granddaughter Olivia (from right) (PIC: Michael Franzese). "I'm a guy's guy. (Let alone turned the tale into a lucrative industry.) Concerning height, Michael Franzese stood beyond 5 feet 10 inches in stature. "And it's true: people are infatuated with the Mob lifestyle.". ", Jackie D'Amico estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. I never beat you. To his horror, all that changed in 2008-09 when two undercover police informants wearing bugging devices recorded 200 hours of Sonny singing like a bird about Mob crimes, including murders and the importance of properly disposing of bodies. But he was sweet. They doctored the tapes.' 155 Reply [deleted] 12 days ago [removed] Michael Franzese, the son of John "Sonny" Franzese, an underboss of the Colombo crime family, recounts his spiritual transformation. Several of her stories can be found on Harvard Universitys Nieman Foundation for Journalism website, selected as examples of exemplary narrative journalism. Franzese family sit down If you would like . "We hadda get rid of [competitors]," Franzese says. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Press J to jump to the feed. "I miss it still," he confesses. But look, I'll never be outta the woods, which is why I changed my whole lifestyle. Join Facebook to connect with Amanda Franzese and others you may know. 133K followers. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users While as an author, he wrote six books, including an autobiography. He wanted me to be a doctor; I went to college to be a doctor. "Dad enjoyed a nice, quiet and well-earned night at home," Michael said Saturday via email. The crack epidemic was the first attempt, Yup and now the tranquilizer they are adding to it makes it even worse. View the profiles of people named Amanda Franzese. Franzese still makes dramatic play of the contract the Mob took out on his life around this time, and how his own father approved the hit from prison. On the set he met the beautiful Cammy Garcia, a 19-year-old born-again Christian dancer who became his second wife early in 1985. That became the motivating force in my life: to please him, because I was so grateful he never turned on me.". I like being around men and having their camaraderie we had good times, I won't deny it. The eldest of all, Julia Marie Franzese, with 15.7 thousand followers on Instagram, is an actress. She was a journalism instructor at California State University Dominguez Hills for 12 years until 2016 and coaches JV girls tennis at Los Alamitos High School. In February of 2020, Michaels father passed away at the age of 103. Thanks for your well wishes and appreciate your continued prayers." All Rights Reserved. His empire included car dealerships, gambling rackets, high-rise construction and the production of B-movies. Log in to see their photos and videos. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. God the Father: Directed by Simon Fellows. Which just showed that this guy still doesn't understand the life [Mafia ways]. They married that July in Beverly Hills and bought condos on Long Island and in Brentwood. And, at the age of 94, he was sentenced to prison on extortion charges. While his son testified, Franzese Sr. fiddled with his hearing aide and got up a few times to use the bathroom. He also owned multiple homes and financed movies, living a much more fast-paced life. He became a target for the crime family after leaving the gang. ", When he visited the old man inside and asked why he'd blabbed so appallingly, Sonny reverted to denial mode. "The evidence for Christianity is very strong, and it just became real for me. "I mean, get them outta the business a lot of Arabs and Turks were in the business then, and we blew up a couple of their gas stations and stuff like that.". Were working to restore it. She appeared in the 2011s and 2016s movie, the musical Dance Angels, and My B.F.F., respectively. Colombo underboss John "Sonny" Franzese got into a heated fight with his wife outside the Brooklyn courtroom where he is currently on trial for racketeering and the war-of-words got ugly . But most of the loot came from an audacious bootleg gasoline scheme that generated almost $US50 million a month and brought him, personally, $US2 million a week. And, when he went to prison for bank robbery in the '60s, Michael dropped out of pre-med school to help take care of his family. Praise God! It's a great feeling, as many of my friends know. More ppl die from fent thinking it's snow than you think. (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Larry Mazza- Biography Larry Mazza is well-known as a gangster and an American actor. He wanted me to be an athlete; I was an athlete. he laughs. His life has been full of ups and downs. His daughter is actress Julia Franzese. An Anaheim native tells about standing by her man, the Yuppie Don. SHE'S HERE!!! He acknowledges that its a miracle that he is still alive to recount the events of his criminal career. . The Church of the Apostles was told by Michael: When I was freed from jail in 1995, the chief of the organized crime strike squad . 412 following. "I had immunity, so I just talked mostly about what I did, and tried to keep everybody else out of it. "Sonny's a character. He's written a number of books, including Quitting the Mob (1992) and I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss (2009), and appeared in numerous TV documentaries. Did he kill him? "So then my mother suddenly had all these kids in the house, and she didn't treat them very well, not well at all," Franzese says gravely. It served him well for decades as one of the wiliest, under-the-radar mobsters in the. Further, born in the year 1951, the Brooklyn, New York native turned 69-years-old in 2020. But the good times didnt last long. I give thanks for all you have done, and I will sing of your mercy and your love. '", Born in Naples in 1917, Sonny was described in a 1991 Vanity Fair article as "a shark-eyed, bull-necked hoodlum a legendary enforcer given credit for dozens of murders; a man who had been tossed out of the US Army as a 'psychoneurotic with pronounced homicidal tendencies'. While studying dance at Cal State Fullerton, she got a chance to go to Miami as a back-up dancer on the set of the movie Knights of the City.. 1,039 posts. amandafranzedwards Follow 112 posts 2,571 followers 271 following Amanda Franzese NASM-CPT Senior Instructor @gritcycle Tue + Thur 9:30am campsite.bio/amandafranzedwards This Account is Private Already follow amandafranzedwards? Fear City: New York vs The Mafia is now streaming on Netflix. Michael Franzese grew up celebrating his birthday every year on the 27th of May. Father and son barely exchanged glances, but the elder Franzese pinched the fabric of his shirt, as if to question if he was the guy being called out by his son. "I could go back into the [illegal] gasoline business," he suddenly suggests, apropos of nothing. I can't explain it was just a transformation of the heart. "He took the stand, swore to tell the truth and then lied through his teeth to save his own skin," said Michael, who followed his father into the Colombos before walking away from organized crime. /r/Mafia features stories, interviews, documentary and news articles about organized crime around the world. The Yuppie Don became the first high ranking member of the Mafia to publicly walk away from a life of crime and into a life of Little League coaching and churchgoing. The bathroom the supposedly unusual and exciting life of now a motivational speaker and writer, Michael grew... And exciting life of now a motivational speaker and writer, Michael Franzese it just... 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