Michael Franzese part 1

clients send us talk to you at the beginning of years about sports wagering and lots of other compliance issues you've got a great speaker tonight you heard us talking beginning here and you can't bet on NCAA sponsored sports you can't confirm any information of the woman of any on the NCAA Saban chess boards that goes things like draft keys and fantasy sports anytime to put any money down on you money into a pot relate to the sports of NCAA sponsors you can win something on the other end you end it's a problem so talk about kids and I get a great speaker Michael Franzese video dream this minute you know background so there are other real life consequences to sports way of dreaming and those types of things so pay close attention and we appreciate everybody being here and if you have any questions before you come single Thanks [Music] [Music] my French isn't Michael Franzese was not just a soldier but a couple in the notorious called my family he spent a better part of a decade in federal prison on charges including tax fraud racketeering I drove into Europe I organized around athletes my dear st. Francis was the underboss of the company back to 1960 I went to see my people - morning and they said ok sir but if you're gonna be on the street you know what you know the street the right way his mother it was to become his life he was a made member of organized crime his main forte was making one for the law get a very short period of time he made over 1 billion dollars for the club organized crime family in Britain business I got involved in that's people still guest paintings in the meadow we devised a way to collect the taxes not David go to the taxes and [Music] [Music] I was notorious illness may be sophisticated at times but eventually you've realized it's a white belt on treachery and then 28-hour the driving forces and I began to question what may be the most money for the mob since alcohol Michael was the youngest person listed of Fortune magazine's 50 most lovely powerful mob bosses now as one of people the guys from that list still alive Michael has transitioned from powerful mob boss to now speaking in front of thousands of people each week the law has changed these past 20 years but it's safe to say that my group disease is a rare on Bishop [Music] maybe everyone [Music] how is everybody be honest this is how you like to spend your Sunday that's not really right but we have to do business or not okay we got me for about an hour now I'm going to speak to you for how to ethanal maybe 35 minutes that I'm going to put it up for questions in come on how often in your life have you ever had the opportunity to ask the former mob guy with a lob guy any kind of question that you want you can execute that you want I promise you want to defend me if I want to answer how long do I not have to take the fifth I've done that many times in my life so I promise no problem there but there must be save yourself what the heck's going on with my school there they grab the speakers if something go along a former mob guy what is this guy doing here what you know what could he possibly have to say that benefited me in any way well let me do this before you mind the days first of all I had seven children I applied the Lawrence through sounds five of them went through college all the girls okay unfortunately my two boys that get there but they don't okay thank God for that so I'm a little bit about kids because I've got a bunch of mile ok secondly I'm going to tell you why I'm here and how I got here and you know whatever anybody comes up to you to speak to you about anything you know an adult that's been through some stuff in their life you should listen it's only an hour you may get one or two little things so I can really be helpful to you in your life your guy had told you about gambling women tended to be an expert again you know why because back in the day I had several bookmakers that work it could be bookmakers for those of you that don't know that are people that take bets illegal and normally all day they're associated with organized crime I had 13 of them that order to be at one point in time we have a lot of athletes gambling with us and I'm going to be realized and I'm gonna lightly to this but I'm telling you straight many times we put athletes in compromising positions where they did compromise the outcome of the game that happens and I was responsible for that at one point in time that's one of the reasons on you deal with you tonight the other thing is relationships okay I came out of a bad light spent 20-some odd years on the street okay from about the time I was your age here and as a result that stuff a lot of consequence was over it and I'll tell you this right now you can take this to the bank I'm probably the most fortunate was blessed person that's ever going to walk up on this stage and talk to you about anything and the reason I say that is because had I had been left up to my home to do what I wanted to do and follow the vet but I was not even be dead or in prison with the rest of the model and quite honestly that's what I deserved that's what I learned in my cell that I spent over 20 years on the street everyday in violation of both God's laws and the laws of man and there's only by the grace of God that I'm up here today we're not going to get into all of that that really ever got a little bit on my story but let me tell you how this all started I got to be speaking because if he would've said to me 25 years ago 30 years ago that I'd be up here addressing athletes or any of the thousands of people that I speak to on a monthly basis all over the world I woulda said there are they in line but it just comes to showing you in life you can start off one way and over 180 degrees to the other side sometimes good loving times bad my case very fortunate that I'm here tonight so here's the deal was back in 1994 I was finishing off a 10-year prison sentence and Lompoc federal prison I had been indicted in to complete for racketeering for those of you that know that that's a big tool that the government uses against organized crime racketeering the influence corrupt organization Act I have to imitating the dime inspection we wanted that being acquitted in court and this one here are two the plea i spending on continued prison sentence the last three years they had made a hole I was in solitary confinement 24 hours a day six by eight cell that was an income now I was in there actually for twenty nine months for seven days and every day while I was in there okay I would write the ward because the reefs they had made there is allegedly profit protection I won't away from that life not allowed to do that it was a contract on my life people would try to hurt me and so while I was in prison they didn't want to put me out on the yard figured I would get hurt was all nonsense I would have been okay out of the auto I was in Lompoc California but they were really trying to give me the business because they wanted me to cooperate testify against my former associates I refused to do that and as a result they gave me a very tough time in prison so I'm in the hole 29 months and seven days every single day I look the board at a yellow pad paper that's all they gave us down there and a pencil rather or the right reward warden let me outta here there's no mob guys down on this yard I can make it out here I'm not afraid okay to let me out took them 29 months and seven days to be exact he sends a correctional officer down to myself Francie's the warden wants to see I said great I know what about let's go I need to get get out of here we get up to the warden's office and as I approach him I'll never forget the door is open he looks at me I've never seen him before and he walks over to his file cabinet opens the drawer and in there all my letters they're required to keep them and he looks at me says parenthesis you're wearing me out with these letters every day I get another one I said every word I got a lot of time on my hands I figure out right here what else we have to do right so he looks at me he says you know just be your persistence alone I'm gonna let you have it you said if you feel like you're gonna get hurt and killed you and asked to go out I think he's stupid he said you're not going to escape then I got six months left to go I'm going to let you out on the art but here's the deal you're gonna have to sign a waiver if anything does happen to you on the Artic you should convert somebody kills you whatever you're not gonna hold up your Christmas responsible I said hey I'll sign anything anymore give it to me so I sign it okay I'm lost twenty pounds I still have the Humphrey blanket at home or they get myself back in shape if you guys start walking the are get to the lake me to get myself back in condition I have a Sony Walkman I even know what that is okay that was those old antique things you know that we used to play music on all that kind of stuff you don't know that was 20 years ago anyway a Sony Walkman I put it on I stopped walking the track and I felt like that was free beautiful day out in sunny California I'm hoping to traffic in about half way around and I hear over the loudspeaker Franzese reported back to the warden's office now I knew that wasn't good news I was what you'd call the central monitoring he made meeting any movement on my behalf and to be approved by Washington DC so I figured they've gotta call the warden in from Washington they said lock me up again and I was preparing my whole speech to get there I'll try to keep myself out when I get to the office against worse I see two guys in suits I don't need to see the bag I see the suit the shoes I knew who that were their FBI agents I figured a pressure on me again just apply another case so when I see them I turn around I smell walking away so guys leave me alone I said you know how about cooperating we'll be back in the hole I'll finish the only time that's it Francie's we need to talk to you too important said guys leave it alone they said get back here it's important I thought maybe something happened with my family they came to deliver a message I didn't know what the deal was so I go back in and we go and sit the office I said guys home not cooperating that deal is gone they should not assume we need a favor from you I said no favors every time you guys asked for something strings attached I'm not doing any favors they said just listen up they said make it sleep they explore the NBA the NFL and NHL they're getting together to do an antigravity video you claimed you turned your life around we're going to give you an opportunity to prove you want to come and participate in this video I said guys for less 10 years you tell me I'm going to get killed now you want me to participate the video I said this is gotta be it said I said want nothing to do with this they said no listen up it's legit you guys you know you have a bunch of bookmakers on the street we know you were involved in athletes we really want you to do this I said guys are my neighbors I said okay listen up if you agree to do this we're going to sweep the pot he said I'm going to bend down I 7.8 years you guys know that would put me here it's well if you agree to do this we're going to take you here for three days this is going to be filled in Chicago we got a hotel room we actually got a suite for you king-size bed room pillows blankets you haven't had that in a while they said you can go down take a dip in a pool order room service pasta macaroni whatever you Italian to you order what you want they said having a blast who's better than you for three days cooperating this video so I thought about it and I say guys I'll tell you what happened down eight years you get my wife from that hotel who make it's okay it's alright they said hey we'll try as it turns out the theater was supposed to take me out as a Monday I'll never forget we had an earthquake that day in Southern California almonds thought they couldn't take me out but society agreed to do it NBA productions that film that he came into the prison and they filmed my portion of the video inside the prison I told him straight out you know how I managed to post papers having put athletes in trouble you know and told them the whole deal and I would say that they spent about a quarter of a million bucks on and I think they had about people almost nightly stir and great albums via the MC and I did my plan so now I get out six months later and basically baseball man be a they approached me directly I didn't realize they featured thing prominently throughout the whole video and they said right this video is having a real impact on our players you know better than most the kind of problems we have the gambling and pro sports we need to come and speak to our players it's an important service you can do for the ladies and I told the head of security for basically baseball I say guys I don't speak to players I don't do things like that and I'll never forget he was a big Irish guy he was a former homicide detective in a door and he looked at me and he said I'm a big tall c'mon guy he can't speak to a few ball plays I said I set it off on ball right so that was in 1996 in 1996 has spoke to every major league baseball player and spring training I've been doing that ever since I visit the teams like this in the place we've had a great burn with that NBA started around the same time NFL start around at the same time I've been doing that ladies for about 23 years in 1998 the answer no later no more mr. Mike I need to take this please why universities and our athletes throughout the country and since that time I've spoken at over 300 some odd universities both division 1 and division 2 and I think we've had a pretty good run and hopefully been able to impart some valuable information because gambling is an issue not anointed you hear that so much with the ladies but the guys I guarantee if this 200 of you in here ok 100 of you gambling on something there's no doubt you know I get I understand you got a stupid you know it's kind of a competitive nature there's more form what to be game when you got something right on right there that's right then I had to spend ok most of you are never going to have a problem but some of you will that some of you will have a serious problem and I'm telling you this I can spend the rest of the evening here telling you about athletes your ratings that have destroyed themselves over gambling issues it's what I've seen in 23 years since I started doing this and it's obviously were not slow before because in some cases I caused that to happen and that's not something I'm proud of people I'm really not okay but it's a reality and that's why I'm the year so you know gonna take a little time I'll tell you a little bit about my life we'll talk a little bit about the gambling gives you a little bit about relationships and then we all commit are some questions some of you might be curious okay I was wrong I was born in Brooklyn and in New York there were five the Mafia families organized crime in this country it's called the Cosa Nostra it's not popular but it's pretty well the same thing similar organizations my dad Sonny Franzese was the underboss of the Colombo family one of the five Mafia families back in the 60s and that's a very powerful position and in that might they have a boss an underboss accomplished captain and a soldier someone who have seen the Godfather there is a position called constantly area Robert Duvall played that role brilliantly but in the Godfather was fictional persona in order to be a sworn may remember that life can take the earth and you do take that oath your father must be a time mom could be a bit of a descent when your dad was media time my dad was extremely high-profile he's kind of like the John Gotti vilage they elope I don't know if any of you heard of John but he was probably the most prominent figure to come out of that life in the last 20 years very very high-profile always under investigation and I grew up a lot different manner than everybody in this room I grew up hating the police I hated the government I hated law enforcement not because my dad taught me that way he was smart he taught me to respect the law but is really because whatever weakest as a kid growing up law enforcement tactics techniques against organized crime very different back then than they are today today everything is very Cober a lot of undercover informants high-tech surveillance within today it can be under investigation not really know about it until it's too late back in my day well my dad was under investigation they want to get it all by a period of about 10 years there was a kid growing up in Brooklyn land on Long Island that was under investigation from seven or eight different law enforcement agencies FBI IRS Brooklyn da in Queens detective you name it they are on him and they all had cars parked around my house 24 hours a day seven days a week I was one of seven kids also whatever we as a family would lead to go anywhere we had a parade of enforcement vehicles following us everybody knew we would come into town I witnessed a lot of things are unpleasant you know that was a rough detail every once in a while the agents got a lot and they did some things that weren't very nice I was one day I was playing ball on the street I was 10 years old and we lived on kind of an incline controls the ball goes over my head it goes down to a two detectives are sitting in the car as the ball approaches the guy that drive aside he gets out he was a big burly guy and he stops the ball with his foot and I woke up to when I said sir can I have my ball back please he looks at me blows his jacket his head is kind of gone in there he says this is for your old man one day pretty scary stuff from you 10 days old I had a lot of skirmishes with him growing up because people have be honest me I love my dad here's my heroin life it was a great father very supportive of me he originally didn't want this leg for me I was an athlete in school they wanted me to continue there and wanted me to go to school and be a doctor that was his dream for me and I swallowed them a lot never saw a law enforcement as the enemy you know trying to hurt my dad trying to disrupt my family I want to make this very clear right now I did not feel that way anymore I finally realized in my life that they were the big guys we were the bad guys at least most the time look anymore of life anybody can get out of hand without saving people you cannot cannot go against law enforcement today in this country just can't do it they've got too many weapons ok you go that way we going down I spent almost 10 years in prison with a lot of young kids coming into the system 21 22 23 years old mandatory minimum drug sentence is 15 and 20 years and the federal system is no more parole you did 22 to 118 between 17 and a half you doing 85% very very hard for a young person your age to do that kind of time in prison it cannot be a productive member of society almost impossible and I used to minister council to a lot of them because I had a heart for them and they all have the same story came from a broken home the figure in house Mach trying to do her best maybe not trying to do her best he gravitates that a local drug dealer local gangbanger before you done he's doing his bidding ends up in prison or god forbid someplace worse and I know a lot of people that lost their lives in that situation I had told them straight up you don't get away with criminal conduct in America anymore forget about like I said they're too sophisticated too many weapons too many formats on the street your best friend okay you guys have play sports your best friend on the field on the court whatever who has your back because you're trying to win a game get in trouble with him and then pray that he doesn't put you in trouble operate with developing because that's what happens 95% of the time it's a whole different ballgame out there and I want to tell you something this is a lesson for everybody doesn't matter how what age you are okay but especially for young people today remember this if you remember if you forget everything tonight remember this and this life in this world we are who we hang out with we are to be associated and they will let forward you you know you must surround me some of the right people people to leading you in the direction you're going to be strong enough to say go cut the time to move on when I was in prison so many guys that grew up on the street you know a lot of them out of the hood we'd be watching the television together they see a guy that they knew from the hood that's not playing ball whether it be in college or professional sports or they used to say to me straight out that home he hosts me when I get out he owes me and I said all the sudden a good friend together different than what the heck does healing you if he's doing something with his life that's redemptive and you're sitting here because you screwed up why do you want to mess up his life let him get through what he's doing let him have a career and then afterwards if you want to get with him to sit down but that's one thing but let him get through his career you don't owe anybody anything remember that you do you think right don't hurt people what you're doing you need to do to progress yourself take care of your life take care of your family that's what this is all about do the right thing okay be strong enough to resist anybody whether it be a best friend and not okay who's trying to lead you the wrong way because people let me tell you something life is tough enough when everything is good you don't know what happened sometimes got to be this is sickness something happens in the family you're gonna find out a business I got a friend of mine now we're going with a company for 18 years at a high level what was sudden he gets his pink slip job over you never know what happens in this life it's tough enough when everything is good you're doing the right thing you start doing the wrong thing and you stop putting more baggage on your shoulders that you gotta carry around because you screw up before you know it during your thirties forties fifties you say hey what the heck did I do life stops it moved pretty quickly you're in trouble and you do the wrong thing and it's kind of hard sometimes to correct those things later on in life just not everybody a great opportunity here you're in schooling playing sports when you get out of here hopefully gonna have an education and career you're gonna move on with your life the right way take it from me okay because I've made a lot of mistakes and like I said only by the grace of God am I here today and I mean that and that's why I employed some of the technology for you so my dad got the trouble back then he was indicted several times went to trial for some very serious crimes in New York ended up beating three cases twice a grand larceny once we heard went to trial he was acquitted 1966 my dad was indicted in federal court from masterminding a nationwide string of bank robberies he was convicted and in 67 cents to 55 mobile final years in prison was the longest sentence for a bank robbery conspiracy case ever given up to that point 1970 my dad lost ilysm pills they shipped him off to Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas to do his time I was a pre-med student at Hofstra University I was playing football I was devastated when he was 15 when he won in 1550 on top of that my dad would never come out of prison a lot just as an aside today my dad's a hundred and two years old it's a celebrated his birthday at 46 102 he did 38 years of prison on that 50 it was in and out five times each time on a parole violation and each time for associating with another fellow somebody alleged to be in organized crime you can't do that when you're on a federal parole he did 38 here to tell you some people I did that a lot of bad things in his life obviously so did I I went to jail for a crime that I was guilty of a pled guilty I did my time but that particular crime that my dad did all this time for he was in as you know my dad was no bank robber I'll take that to my grave okay I investigated in that case the early few years we spoke to everyone is that testified against it they won't get to their testimony said they lied at the trial we gave him life detector test proved that they might at the trial we can never get the conviction overturned and you know how that shows you which one I tell all the young people cuz I was with a lot of gangbangers I go into prisons juvenile halls you don't want to tells you the system is not always fair you put that bullseye on your back okay you get a reputation for being a bad person eventually they're going to catch up with you and I might be personam you didn't do the best way to stay away from that stay away from it just avoid it don't put yourself in a position where you can get yourself at 12 okay just stay away so my dad goes to jail I lose interest in school Joe Colombo was the boss of my family we were very close he kind of took me under his wing stopped eating a lot of my dad's friends there saying like we don't go to school if you know how father is going to die in prison very affected by that ghostly dad let warrant or in the visiting room that I'm not going to school anymore if I not he'll be on there gonna die in here he was upset didn't want it for me we argued a little bit I was a headstrong kid he knew my mind was made up son if they're going to be on the street I need you on the street the right way and his mind the right way there was to become a member of his life he said gone somebody in touch with you do whatever he told my dad at that one time to oppose me if the membership in that light in order to become a member that life we can't just go up to somebody and say I'd like to join I have to do somebody has to propose you bounced review say you have what it takes I was 22 years old I was in kind of like a pledge period I've done with the boss he ran that down to me he said I've heard you want to become a member that's life a flawless end of message I said that's true he said here's the deal from now on 24 hours a day seven days a week they're on call to serve this family the Colombo family that means if your mother is sick and she's dying and you're at her bedside we call you to service you leave your mother you can't serve us from now long window but one in your life before anything and everything when and if we feel you deserve this privilege this not going to become a member will let you know 22 years old the next year and I have always been like a pledge period I didn't do anything that everything I was faulted would improve myself worthy could have been something very medium a lot of discipline in that life a lot of authority a lot of allegedly should make you have a meeting at 8 o'clock you aren't there at 7:30 ululate you can never be late in that life drive the boss comedian sit in the car for five hours god forbid you leave before he comes out you go to the restroom get a newspaper he comes out at midnight the car you're in trouble I know I did that once and I'll pay the price a lot of stuff like that I want to be really honest with all of you tonight if you need to understand again how fortunate I am here to be here and really enjoying the session with you hopefully I gave you information that life at times people is very violent but if you're part of the blanket part of the violence and this no it's created if anybody tells you differently they're either not being honest with you well they weren't a made member that life and that's the expression that's used when you take the old and become officially a number that way Halloween night 1875 I prove myself worthy in their eyes I walked into a role I did with my beloved gentleman that I felt a bit off and became sworn made members of the Corleone family and all that took very seriously back then I take it very seriously tonight even though I don't consider myself a member of the life anymore you come into the life they don't sign a contract there's no retirement age you've probably heard this they say when you leave that my duty to leave in a coffin where you join the government and enter witness protection program obviously and unneeded removed into a room individually very solemn ceremony dimly lit room late at night wanted you to know the seriousness of what you're getting involved in I walked down the aisle applause was seated the head of like a horseshoe configuration underboss constantly everything his left and right all the captain's row long side and then walk down the aisle stood in front of the boss held up my hand took the knife right here my fingers from blood dropped on floor this is a world i cuffed my hands he took a picture of a saint got the ball to cog put it in my hands we live in flame didn't hurt it burnt quickly was mainly symbolic and he said tonight I prefer ncg walk born again into a new life until the close of homes for this thing of ours by the late what you know about this light betrayed her brothers and you will die and burn in hell like the Saint is burning in their hands do you said I said yes I do the other five guys went in devil to appeal you come into the life can come in as his soldier us motivated to do two things one get my dad out of prison I didn't get him out after 10 years told you would happen to my lineage several time get on back said to me I wanted to make money my dad said in this life that big money translates the power not like the real world you saw the DVD need to really go into that right now I was fortunate I knew how to use that life to benefit me in business I was very aggressive on the street went on to bring some different things into the family that hadn't been done before were on to make a very significant amount of money in 1980 the boss of my family was now doing -

Channel: The Georgia Way

Views: 19,117

Rating: 4.8672199 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: fpqNnNuiNpw

Length: 30min 1sec (1801 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 26 2019