How Michael Franzese walked away from the Mafia
Michael Franzese could be whacked any time for walking away from the Mafia. Now he’s headed for Melbourne and his favourite Italian restaurant.
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Former Mafia boss Michael Franzese is the only man to turn his back on the mob, not go into witness protection, and live to tell the tale.
Franzese, who was played by Joseph Bono in Martin Scorsese’s classic movie Goodfellas, was the caporegime of the New York Colombo crime family but left in 1995 after serving eight years for a $520m tax dodge.
Several contracts were put out on his life, including one endorsed by his own dad, Sonny.
The 71-year-old said the heat has calmed down because “everyone I ran with is either dead or in prison” but knows he could still be whacked any time “from someone trying to make a name for himself.”
“You need to understand that they didn’t let me walk away,” Franzese told the Herald Sun from his home in California.
“My former boss, Carmine Persico, was very upset. The FBI told me there was a contract on my life from Persico and that my father went along with it. Everybody thought I was going to become a major witness.”
Franzese said being at such a high position and knowing that life inside out meant he could keep one step ahead.
“I understood the mentality of the people that I was going to face. One of the dangers, the horrors of that life, is if you make a mistake your best friend walks you into a room and you don’t walk out again.
“And over my 20 years in that life, I witnessed that, I’ve seen it. So I said ‘well, they’re not gonna walk me into a room. They’re gonna have to work to get me.’
“I moved out of New York. I moved with my wife two or three times because they did send some people out to see me. I moved across the country to California and I changed my whole lifestyle. I didn’t have any patterns in my life; I didn’t walk my dog at the same time or in the same place, I didn’t go to the same restaurant, I didn’t go to any more clubs. I stayed out of every place that could have been a problem.”
He added: “And then what happened? I got violated on parole. And I went back in for three years. And people were saying, Well, if this guy was going to testify, why would they lock him up.
“And nobody went to jail for anything that I did, I didn’t sell my associates short, so the heat went off and then everybody had their own problems.
“Everybody that I ran with was either dead or in prison. So I wasn’t a threat. They were dealing with their own stuff. My boss went to prison for life. My father went back into prison. Everybody I knew was fighting a case. So they kind of forgot about me.
“But don’t misunderstand, even to this day, I can’t go back to Brooklyn. I would be thumbing my nose in the face of the guys that are there now, because I’m very high profile.
“I don’t look over my shoulder. But I’m aware of the fact that I could be a target at anytime. If somebody in that life were able to take me out, it would be meaningful to them. So you have to watch for stuff like that. But I don’t look over my shoulder. I don’t live in fear. I’m 71-years-old. I’ve gotten this far in my life, I’m not going to worry from this point on if I’m going to make it any longer.”
Franzese was 21 and learning medicine at university when his dad got a 50-year-sentence — aged 50 — for masterminding a string of national bank robberies.
He was sponsored by his dad to become a member of the Mafia and quickly rose through the ranks to captain.
“I needed to help him get out of what would have essentially been a death sentence.
“There’s a lot of people think when someone goes to prison the rest of the Family helps them out with all their legal bills and everything else. But that’s far from the truth. When my dad went in, whatever money he had on the street ran out. We basically had to fend for ourselves as a family. I had to take care of my mother, my younger brothers and sisters and pay attorneys. I got involved for money, for sure, but also connections.
“There was a lot that I had to do and being on the street was certainly a benefit in that regard and helping getting things done and I was able to get him out on parole after 10 years.”
But it was his own time in prison that ultimately turned his life around and saw him walk from the most notorious organised crime gang in the world.
Franzese was bringing in up to $15m a week supplying bootleg gas to 350 service stations across the US.
He was charged with racketeering and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He served eight year — with a large stint in solitary confinement — before getting parole.
“It was pretty torturous. I spent 29 months and seven days in solitary. It’s not easy and if anybody tells you differently, they are just not being honest with you.
“But I got through it. I am a person of faith. And that certainly helped me.”
Franzese said he was introduced to Christianity by his now wife of 37-years, Camille, “but when I was on the street, it didn’t really take hold.”
“But when you’re in the hole, you have nothing else to do. I studied my Bible on a daily basis and I came out of there believing in Christianity very strongly.”
Franzese said it was ironically his criminal life that helped him believe in God.
Franzese will be talking about his life at St Kilda’s Palais Theatre in October.
He said the last time he was in Melbourne, “somebody from that life” reached out to him.
“It took me a while to get approved on my visa to come in. Australia gave me a difficult time. But I did make it and I’m already going through the process now to be ready for next year.
“But when I got there, somebody from that life reached out to me, and wanted me to come to their restaurant and have dinner with them. I very nicely sent word, said, ‘listen, it took me so long to get in here, the visa was such a difficult process for me, If I’m seen with anybody, they’ll probably throw me out. So I can’t take the chance’. I said, ‘if you want to come to my show, come to my show and we’ll talk then’. But it was it was interesting circumstances back then.
“I’m not gonna name names, but it was definitely somebody, I can tell you that.”
He added: “My favourite city is Melbourne. I love it. There was a restaurant there called 38 Chairs. I don’t know if it’s still there, I think he might have had to change the name and expand it from 38 chairs, but it was one of the best Italian restaurants that I’ve eaten at in the world. Food was excellent. I’ll definitely visit when I get back.
“I have some great relationships in Australia. Australian people really took to me and I really took to them. And Melbourne is the closest thing to a southern Californian city. I just really love it. “
Michael Franzese’s Australian appearances
Melbourne – Friday October 6 – Palais Theatre
Sydney – Sunday October 8 – Enmore Theatre
Adelaide – Wednesday October 11 – Norwood Concert Hall
Perth – Friday October 13 – Regal Theatre Perth
Book tickets at abstract.net.au
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