When Carmine Franzese was born on 9 December 1910, in Naples, Naples, Italy, his father, Francesco Franzese, was 40 and his mother, Luisa Viola Mammola, was 37. Franzese Sr. is standing trial on charges of shaking down a pair of strip clubs and a pizzeria on Long Island. He was 18 when Sonny magically returned home, having been paroled after just under nine yearsthanks to lax parole codes and God knows what. Officially, this meant he was second in charge; unofficially, he ran the show. He served as underboss of the Colombo family from 1963 until he was sentenced to 50 years in prison . The FBI, in a 1965 report, described him as the most noticeable and burgeoning loan shark in the Greater New York area, who through his shylocking enterprise, was gradually acquiring the night clubs of New York. ). Greg Scarpa, Sr. - "the Grim Reaper" and 30 Year FBI Informant Posted on August 17, 2015 August 24, 2018 by Mike Dickson Greg Scarpa, Sr., was born on May 8, 1928 near Venice, Italy and immigrated to the United States with his parents and brother Salvatore at a young age. Hes still a wiseguy after all these years. Out went the vibrato; in came fistfights and football. His death galvanized the siblings; it gave them permission to openly acknowledge the insanity of their shared childhoods. Joseph Colombo promoted Franzese to the post of the underboss in 1964. from his constant fights with Tina to his immediate relationships with his sons Michael and John Jr. Carmine "Tutti" Franzese was also mentioned in the book and Sonny had a good relationship with him. Add to your scrapbook. At which point John turned to his best friend in Indianapolis, Lisa Gilbreath, and said, I think I might want to see my dad., He waffled for two years. Michael demurred. Make sure that the file is a photo. Cristina succumbed to cancer in 2012, while serving a prison term. I dont care about anything anymore, Sonny told him. I didnt get paid no half a million, John said. Sorry guys for the misinformation. He needed to make a move. As a tape that Franzese Jr. made while wearing an FBI wire was played in court, his father appeared to doze off, prompting his lawyer to nudge him awake. I make a car look good because Im in it.. They are loosely based on the real Gambino and Lucchese crime families. While the federal prison records mention his date of birth as February 6, 1917, according to his son, Michael Franzese, the crime lord was born in 1919. By now John was midway through his mandated evolution. He was at work when he got a call from his local marshal in 2018: We have to relocate you.. He and his high school sweetheart split up, and soon John went clubbing with a different woman every nightincluding one of his former teachers. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. He loved her and berated her; she responded by spending his money. This blip of validation was the first in a series of miraculous stuff that graced him. He saw the FBI stiffs parked outside the house. Franzese's career in organized crime began in the 1930s and spanned over eight decades. "Tutti" Franzese Jr. is actually Carmine Franzese III, he is a grandson of Carmine "Tutti the Lion" Franzese Snr and son of Carmine Franzese Jnr. A system error has occurred. I didnt do it to hurt the family, John would say. Granted, all the families had rat problems. Franzese was an organized crime . Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Franzese was unaware of Gaetanos role as a government informer and discussed mob murder techniques with him. Im an alcoholic., He found part-time work at a small sober-living home, where he did a little of everything: collecting rent checks, helping new guys settle in. found in 1940 United States Federal Census. He meant Anthony Flemmo, an old associate. Would a CD with my name in the credits be enough? John asked. Did Dad kill anyone? John asked. Watch. Gender: Failed to report flower. John Franzese Jr. is just standing there, 60 years old and still wiry, dragging on a Marlboro Light outside a red-sauce place in Wherever, Indiana, when the feeling returns. The Franzeses, including John, would offer a polite no and hang up. John Sonny Franzese, Sr. (born February 6, 1917) is an Italianborn American longtime member and current underboss of the Colombo crime family. The point was to build a rapport and fish for informants. based on information from your browser. Print Share. Franzese was famous as the oldest active member of the American Mafia. Both Upper and Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx supported a large group of Palermo-bred and Palermo-oriented mafiosi. Michael Franzese grew up as the son of the notorious Underboss of New York's Colombo crime family and became a made-member in his twenties. Which city? Youre always leakin oil.. The same went for Tina, with whom Sonny had a fevered relationship. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. In 1942, during the Second World War, the United States Army discharged Franzese for showing "homicidal tendencies. A few years later, in 1947, court papers accused him of committing rape. There he spent hours each day meditating and at last finding a measure of peace. But the idea that a Franzese would betray his own flesh and blood was unthinkable. John was home in Indianapolis when Sonny was sentenced to eight years in prison. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Or Johnny Boy.. The family is taking this very hard, his older brother told a reporter. Explore. John "Sonny" Franzese Sr. in the 1960s and at the peak of his powers. And that was just the King Lear element of the Franzese (pronounced: fran-zees) family saga, an epic stew of betrayals and tragedies, twists and redemptions that suggests a wiseguy version of the British royals. I know they sent you to kill me!, John would have to shed everything (his relationships, his identity) and vanish overnight. Terrestrial Fixed Wireless is a technology used by the ISP to provide . John found a small apartment in Santa Monica. Carmine "Tutti" was a brother of Sonny, not his son. And number two, dont ever dare bring a drug around your nieces and nephews.. Carmine John Persico Jr. (Italian: [karmine prsiko]; August 8, 1933 - March 7, 2019), also known as "Junior", "The Snake" and "Immortal", was an American mobster and the longtime boss of the Colombo crime family in New York City from 1973 until his death in 2019. He was 23 and driving a cream Cadillac Biarritz. A regular at the New York City nightclub Copacabana, Franzese ran his criminal activities from New York City and New Jersey. As of March 2023, Michael Franzese's net worth is approximately $1 million, making him the 16th richest criminal on the list. The marriage produced John Jr. and two girls, Gia and Tina. He apologized for all the times hed vanished, and urged Michael to air any lingering grievances. According to his son, Michael, after hearing about his sentence, Franzese had declared, "You watch. Search Bethpage obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. But to be a rough-hewn New York paesan in Indianapolis was to draw notice. I thought he was Louis son but no. Suddenly a few hundred dollars a month didnt seem worth it. There was a day when that would happen, John replied. Drag images here or select from your computer for John Sonny Franzese Sr. memorial. Months passed before the marshals moved John to a hotel in Texas. He was 100, the oldest inmate in the federal prison system, when he made parole. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. John was the fourth of Sonnys six kids, born in 1960. In February 2020, the infamous short seller woke up in a cold sweat when he realized the pandemic might spell pandemonium on Wall Street, as Liz Hoffman writes in her forthcoming book. Join Facebook to connect with Carmine Franzese and others you may know. John was nine in 1970 when Sonny began serving a sentence of up to 50 years at Leavenworth. A previously unreleased FBI document details each of Johns 85 taped meetings. And he wanted to tell his family why hed done what hed done. Carmine's brothers, Theodore Persico and Alphonse Persico, followed in their brother's footsteps and worked as capos in the Colombo Crime Family. While his classmates were wearing caps and gowns, John was peacocking at Studio 54 and driving a modified Datsun 280Z. During the trial, records produced by the prosecution claimed that Franzese had killed around 30 to 50 people. But everyone liked the little guy who spent his days singing as he romped around Roslyn, a prosperous village on Long Islands North Shore. He clung to his quiet life and still answered to Matexcept during a few nervy calls to some of his siblings. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? However, he was not arrested for the crime. Michael, though, was of a different opinion on Tutti due to an . Palma Campania, Citt Metropolitana di Napoli, Campania, Italy. Sonny wouldnt let his soldiers carry messages to the familys boss, Carmine Persico. Carmine Salvatore Franzese Birth 9 Nov 1881. His transformation thrilled Sonny, who wanted John in the fold. Franzese was finally netted in March 1967, when he was found guilty of masterminding several bank robberies. Michael had already lost their sister Gia to drugs. Net Worth: $1 Million A family fractured. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Franzese also said that wearing a hairnet during a murder would prevent hair from falling at the crime scene and would thus save the murderer from DNA analysis of hair strands. Lewicki handed John a black gizmo the size of a garage-door opener. Thats how long it takes to decide whether to visit a father whod put a hit on you, and who had recently told a reporter, Jesus suffered. It was generally assumed that Genovese had ordered Rupolos murder and Franzese executed it in 1964, as a favor to Genovese. John, like Sonny and Michael, had always scorned drugs. But theres a different story to me., Sonnys son, they called him. Something about one of themhis Yankees cap, the way he sat in his wheelchairdrew John closer to the man, who looked frail and wan. The biggest hurdle was the wire. He is about 15 yrs younger and was a Colombo soldier and associate of joey massino. Today. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Learn more about merges. He helped in financing the films The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Deep Throat and was the associate producer of the film This Thing of Ours., Also Known As: Sonny Franzese, John Franzese Sr, Spouse/Ex-: Cristina Capobianco-Franzese (m. 19572012), children: John Franzese Jr., Lorraine Franzese, Michael Franzese, place of death: New York, New York, United States. I dont care about the money., By 2001, he was shuddering on his mothers couch and certain his pneumonia was AIDS-relatedit wasntwhen he looked up to see a familiar face. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. And Jesus. Youre given a gift here, Darryl said. Peter Franzese. But you expected her to act like someone that was well., Son, he said, referring to drugs, you really stopped doing that shit?, Im proud of you. Neither did Sonny, who wanted John to get made. John would earn the Colombos trust by becoming an earner. The FBI facilitated his new career as a steroids dealer. The first was with a Mob associate: 03/08/2005: CARMINE QUAGLIARIELLO and the Cooperating Witness (CW) met at the Med Cafe, 99 2nd Avenue, New York City. I did it to save it. Eventually, John came to embrace his new reality publicly. Carmine Persico was born on August 8, 1933, in Brooklyn. Franzese was accused of murdering low-level New York mobster and hitman Ernest Rupolo, who worked for the Genovese crime family and later turned an informant testifying against the then-capo and future boss Vito Genovese. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Or, at least, none he could see. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. The Franzese siblings were receptive, up to a point. Asked to identify his father, John pointed at Sonny: Hes sitting there in the yellow shirt. After summarizing his rise and fall among the Colombos, John said: Im not talking about my father as a man. John had connected with his old acquaintance a few years earlier, while Hill was hiding out in Los Angeles. John blew her off. He eschewed nickel-and-dime scams, landing lucrative (and sometimes legitimate) stakes in construction, car dealerships, unions, and the music industry. Hey, Johnny Boy, Lewicki said. Lewicki handed John a black gizmo the size of a garage-door opener. But now he was too drunk-sick to care. John, it pays to have a friend in the FBI, Lewicki began. His parents marriage had become a crucible of rage and violence. former underboss of the Colombo Crime Family Parent(s) Carmine Franzese and Maria Corvola Allegiance Colombo crime family Conviction(s) Bank robbery (1967) . We have set your language to I walk alone in this loneliness, toward this bright spark, knowing beginnings happen thereTRUST. Former Colombo family capo Michael Franzese said this in a VladTV interview when asked about Scarpa's . Rian Johnson, Halle Berry, and More Share Their Inspiration, From the Archive: The Man Who Kept Marilyns Secrets (1991), Listen toVFsLittle Gold MenPodcast for Unrivaled Awards-Season Coverage. Oops, something didn't work. Hours later, Gia died of a cocaine overdose. But he didnt listen. Massino was made on June 14, 1977 in a bar in Queens. They didnt put it all together until 2008, when federal prosecutors charged Sonny and 11 confederates with racketeering, conspiracy, robbery, loan-sharking, drug trafficking, and extortion. The boys were forbidden from reentering their bedroom after shed tidied it up. 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. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? He was impressed. I seriously wonder if he died from natural cause OR did his dad not go to bat with him just like Michael said when Junior called him to the carpet. Oops, we were unable to send the email. They dont like Italians, Tina said. Sonnys given name was John Franzese Sr. Ad Choices. But his masterstroke, which got him promoted to capo, was a huge bootlegging swindle that involved buying gas wholesale, selling it at below-market prices, and pocketing gas-tax fees. You need cars to make you look good, Sonny told him. Carmine married Hope Franzese in 1957, at age 44 at marriage place, New York. The biggest hurdle was the wire. He should plead guilty and give his son a break, she shouted at him. John stayed clean until he didnt. Touch device users, explore by touch or . He was always home for dinner and loved to cook calzones for the kids. There is some confusion regarding his birth year. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. By now Sonny and the Colombos were aware that John had flipped. I found on Findagrave.com. The cousin steered him out of the clubwith firm instructions. Though not mafiosi, they were definitely Mafia-adjacent. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Please dont run, Sonny said. They would come into conflict with an accomplished . We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. One of Johns fellow 12-steppers had sussed out Johns identity and revealed his whereabouts in the comments section of an online news article. John offhandedly told a staffer about his minor link to the business. John was seeking a high when he arrived at the palatial house in Los Angeles that Michael shared with his wife and kids. found in U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010. I thought Tutti the Lion was Sonny Franzese's father. He was born to Carmine "The Lion" Franzese and Maria Corvola in Naples Italy, although his birth year is a source of confusion. Category: Richest Business Criminals. All rights reserved. Years of shooting cocaine and sharing needles had taken a toll. Tina reportedly followed Sonny into the bathroom and urged him to plead guilty and give John a break. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Suge Knight vs Sonny Franzese.