[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. [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. That was my parish, Franzese said. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, with their vaudeville-style act of songs and jokes, were regulars onstage. His son Michael, who initially followed his father into the mob, eventually left organized crime and became a born-again Christian and motivational speaker. 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. [15] In 1978, Franzese was released[5] on parole but returned to prison in 1982 for a parole violation. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. Mike said he knows the shooter and he has a tape to this today which discusses where Hoffa was killed. Franzese was born in Naples, Italy, to Carmine Franzese and Maria Corvola on February 6, 1917, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. 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. Michael, 67, flipped while facing his own prison sentence for racketeering and conspiracy and later left the mob to become a movie producer and evangelical pastor. 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). And Amazing Grace was the recessional performed by Black Franz Liszt and his vocalists. His son Michael, who initially followed his father into the crowd, eventually left organized crime and became a born-again Christian and motivational speaker. I wouldnt turn around., Sinatra was used to being in charge, but not when Sonny was around. He repeatedly refused. You have notifications blocked. Following the 2008 arrest, it was the racketeering charges that stuck, allowing authorities to take Franzese to trial. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather. 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.. His father, eyes cast downward, said: Listen, it broke my heart. The elder Franzese was born in Sicily, moving with his family as a child to Brooklyn. In 1931, Franzese was straightened out, or inducted into the mob, when he was just 14, his son John said. Franzese returned to his family in Brooklyn after his release in 2017 from the Federal Medical Center in Danvers, Mass., leading a quiet life far from the spotlight of his youth. We had Joe Valachi, and if you would have opened up, it would have destroyed the Mafia. ice Hockey As for how many people John Franzese killed and disposed of this way, that remains uncertain. In 1970, when Franzese was 10 years old, his father began serving a 50-year sentence for conspiring to rob banks. Lets bring her back again so I can have a shot at it. 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. informant caught Franzese on tape describing his favorite was to dispose of corpses: dismember them in a kiddie pool, then cook them down in a microwave before stuffing them into a garbage disposal. He laughed along with his companions; they were always kidding around. He dressed like the gangsters of lore and was seen in the company of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. Some mid level wiseguy, as Sonny Franseze was at that time, might have been a stepping stone on her way up to Sinatra and Jack Kennedy. In time, according to FBI records, he acquired businesses, among them the Le Tique Disco and Decameron Room in Levittown, the Apple Orchard Restaurant in Roslyn and the El Elegante in Hicksville, all now defunct. Alert, animated and with slightly graying hair, he claimed to have struck up relationships with Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and the 1950s television star Dagmar. She closed by reading a note her Sonny Grandpa had written to her. Only now he gets to feel holy and forgiven while he cashes the checks. He was well-regarded by his criminal associates, who used him to broker deals between feuding mob factions. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Serious loss at any age, said his son Michael. And he said to me, [On]account of you, we could have broke the Mafia up. Franzese was more open about his own family. Jimmy Hoffa claimed to have in his possession "seamy" material about John and Bobby Kennedy. Sonny knew them wellHe was a good guy, Dean Martin. Once you appeared at the Copa, you could go anywhere in the world. By 1967, Franzese had gone into the music business, running Buddah Records and such groups as the Shirelles. [34] Due to this, Michael had initially believed that he had been adopted by John after the disappearance of Grillo, who Michael thought to be his biological father. Yet he was tried for murder only once, and he was acquitted. In 2010, at the age of 93, he was indicted for attempting to shake down two night spots and a pizzeria. ! She was hard as a rock.. Later, he would become convinced that his affair with Monroewho was rumored to have been involved with Kennedys brother, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, toowas what brought the wrath of the U.S. government down on him. Tough loss at any age, his son Michael said. I got my hands in there. Upon reflection, what he meant was that everyone in any work situation was ultimately always going to put themselves first, even if subconsciously. Following Monroes death a host of conspiracy theories emerged, but on the tapes Masters is clear about the reason why she died. the news I killed a lot of guys you're not talking about four, five, six, ten. Jayne sat down, and they began flirting. Wikimedia CommonsOne of John Franzeses many mugshots. I couldnt do that. 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. 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. Family business. He also became known as someone who would act ruthlessly on his bosses orders. He beat three of the cases the homicide and home invasion trials ended in acquittal, and the bookmaking case was resolved with a plea to a misdemeanor but he was convicted of a conspiracy to rob banks across the country and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Though its unclear exactly how John Franzese died, it is clear that his death closes yet another chapter in the ongoing history of gangs in New York. What the hell are you doing? He said, Youre nothing without an education, you got to he smart about life.. [28] Franzese was released from the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts, on June 23, 2017, at the age of 100; he was the oldest federal inmate in the United States and the only centenarian in federal custody at the time of his release. The pastor said, I will make a phone call, Maurice recounted. Be the best.. Jeffrey Basinger/Newsday via Getty Images. 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]? Culture He didn't leave the life behind; he just found a way to repackage it. He thought it was a joke. 09:05 GMT 29 Apr 2011. John "Sonny" Franzese Photos. This man was a hardened criminal who needed to pay, regardless of his age. Also Sonny said to him that he was dating Marilyn Monroe and met her at the Stork club. If the club was filled, he would go to the back door and tell workers to set a table on the stage; and they did. Marilyn was gorgeous, forget about it.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. So did FBI agents. [7][4] He was also a boxing fan of Rocky Graziano. [33], Franzese was married to a woman with whom he had three children. 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. But he deflected questions about his mob family, how he ran the rackets, or prominent mob bosses such as Frank Costello and Joseph Bonanno. After he was sentenced to a 50-year stretch, Franzese offered only this prescient observation: Ill bet I do every one.. ; 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. To Sonny, that was tantamount to throwing down the gauntlet. Not that I wanna brag, but I was in demand. 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. Both had immigrated to the United States from Italy. One night while the singer was performing onstage, Sonny struck up a conversation with her. Sonny Franzese (left) with famous boxer Rocky Graziano (center). It didnt hurt that he set aside a nightly table for gossip king Walter Winchell, who liked to mix up his column with items about New York Citys underworld. She replied that her husband, Mickey Hargitay (who was 1955s Mr. Universe), would take her home. Once he was asked if he knew Sinatra, the gangster hurriedly asked the question: You asked the question the wrong way. Kara Goldfarb is a writer living in New York City. Gorgeous and glamorous women were inevitably drawn to Sonny, something he said he never fully understood. The conviction was based, in large part, on tapes made by his son John, who also testified against his father. You are spunkier than all the women I met in life. Daniel Bates In New York, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Beaming Harry and Meghan enjoy date night at private members' club, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' I hope so man. And on June 23, 2017, thanks to good behavior and credit for time served, the 100-year-old Franzese was released from prison. United States of America information And I get her close and Im kissing her and I got my hands on her backside and I put them under her dress. (on-sale March 29, 2022), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window). Here Are the Best Reviewed Books of the Month. Technology She got around in high circles to the very end. The home of John (Sonny) Franzese on Shrub Hollow Road in Roslyn in 1970. Credit: Newsday / Bill Senft, I started buying businesses, you know, he said. John Jr., 58 Franzeses favorite child wore a wire to gather evidence against the Colombos. A couple who had just gotten engaged were walking at dusk through the streets near the church. All the top entertainers in the country, in the world, they all wanted to work there, Sonny said. What's new A wise guy hosted the game, he explained, butI was the one running it.. 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. According to his son Michael, he passed away in a hospital in the New York area, but no further details were given. Did a lot of time. Get the hell off the table., The table erupted in laughter, but Johnny made his exit. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Bizarre moments in Alex Murdaugh double murder trial so far, Stolen car crashes into another car causing building to collapse, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles. He was chasing me all over the place. John "Sonny" Franzese Sr. (Italian: [frantseze; -ese]; February 6, 1917 - February 24, 2020) was an Italian-born American mobster who was a longtime member and former underboss of the Colombo crime family.. Franzese's career in organized crime began in the 1930s and spanned over eight decades. But he built his fortune by theft and violence, and as far as I can see he's still making money off that lifestyle. Asked about that, Franzese said:Cant answer that. They didnt come there just to see the show . He was 103 years old. John "Sonny" Franzese, who was one of the deadliest, richest, and longest-living Mafia bosses, died on February 25, 2019. politics In 1963, Genovese gangster Joseph Valachi appeared before a televised and explosive U.S. Senate hearing on organized crime, revealing for the first time the secrets of La Cosa Nostra. All rights reserved. He worked in the record business and grossed part of the mafias alleged investment in the classic porn movie Deep Throat reportedly securing a piece of his alleged $ 600 million gross. I dont know. Ukraine Health Your goal in life is to succeed.. He could be heard saying on one tape that he had committed numerous murders, but he was acquitted the only time he was ever charged with homicide. . 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. His book on business was called An Offer They Can't Refuse, for fuck's sake. Unblock. I went out with a lot of handsome leading men . After being sentenced for a period of 50 years, Franzese offered only this premonitory remark: I bet I do everyone.. He lived to be 103 years old. She had once asked him how he managed not to imbibe and still fit in during his days as a man about town at nightclubs with the real lookers., He said the waiters only put just enough white wine in the seltzer so others would think he was drinking, she remembered. That advice was accompanied by a warning. John Franzese was born on Feb. 6, 1917, in Naples, Italy, where his parents, Carmine and Maria (Corvola) Franzese, were visiting. [16] Until 2008, he was never charged with another crime,[5] although he would return to prison on parole violations on at least six occasions. By 1935, when he was 18, he said, he was running the largest craps game in New York. coronavirus When Kennedys Learned of Marilyn Monroe & Sonny Franzese's Relationship: Michael Franzese 5,011 views Jun 27, 2022 Watch full Franzese podcast:. He was silent, even though he hated prison. Jesus suffered, he said. But his real job was as a gangster, authorities said, and living the high life. The mourners who came down the steps included 90-year-old Dr. Louis Barricelli, who grew up with Fanzese and was his physician.