Michael Franzese, a Heart Changed by God's Grace
After overhearing Jesus’ intercessory prayer for the bloodthirsty mob and brutal soldiers who were crucifying Him and them –- “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do”, – one criminal rebuked the other who was mocking Jesus: “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” [Luke 23:34, 40-43. NKJV]
Radical conversions like that of the penitent criminal still occur today. Jesus still gives the same blessed assurance of God’s pardon, salvation and eternal life to whoever believes in Him just as He did two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
This is exactly what happened to Michael Franzese, a.k.a. Prince of the Mafia, Yuppie Don, while serving a seven-year sentence in federal prison in the mid-80’s. Today, he is a much invited evangelical speaker and founder of Breaking Out, a Christian youth educational group. Here is his story, reprinted from http://www.michaelfranzese.com/story.php:
Michael Franzese was once in the top echelon of the Colombo crime family. He left the mob after converting to Christianity, and has since written the autobiography Blood Covenant.
Indeed, he was the son of Sonny Franzese, a kingpin in New York's Colombo crime family. It was when Sonny was sent to prison that Michael left Hofstra University, where he was a student athlete in pre-Med, to try to help win his dad’s freedom, choosing to follow the path that landed his dad in jail. He began working to help Joe Colombo protest the treatment of Italian Americans, handing out fliers at a rally in Columbus Square, and was standing nearby when Colombo was shot. For Michael, this was his beginning in a life that took him from college jock to Mob Capo, and ultimately made him the target of state, local, and federal organized crime task forces.
Becoming a sworn, made member at the age of 24, he avoided the traditional Mafia domains in favor of the enormously lucrative edges of the legitimate business world. The smart, sophisticated Franzese was long considered an heir apparent to the family's vast power. His ability to make money, which according to the fed’s was more than anyone since Al Capone, won his fame, respect, and rock-star status among mob watchers, but the envy of others in that life.
Michael masterminded brilliant scams, from auto dealerships to union kickbacks, from financial services to the worlds of sports and entertainment, to a multi-billion dollar gasoline tax scheme, all with the help of ambitious tycoons and his own remarkable business acumen. His operations in gambling, loan sharking and corporate crime became a target of Manhattan's famed federal prosecutor, Rudy Giuliani, who indicted Michael on racketeering charges only to come up empty handed in court after promising him 100 years behind bars if convicted. More indictments would follow, however, and in a dramatic turn of events for the onetime Mob caporegime, Michael decided to plead guilty to yet another racketeering indictment, accept a 10 year prison sentence, and then vowed to do the unthinkable-quit the mob, not enter the witness protection program, and not testify against his mob brethren. The Prince abdicated his throne. It’s why he left that makes this story even more incredible.
Michael Franzese earned millions a week at his apex and used his wits and charm to keep the likes of John Gotti from encroaching on his operations. He escaped 5 major indictments and seemed invincible. That was before he met Cammy.
Among many things he was doing, he made movies – his last – Knights of the City, a break dance movie ala West side Story with Sammy Davis, Jr., Leon Issacs Kennedy, and music by Smokey Robinson, filmed in Florida. The imported 50 dancers from L.A. That was the beginning of the end – and the beginning of the unthinkable.
Radical conversions like that of the penitent criminal still occur today. Jesus still gives the same blessed assurance of God’s pardon, salvation and eternal life to whoever believes in Him just as He did two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
This is exactly what happened to Michael Franzese, a.k.a. Prince of the Mafia, Yuppie Don, while serving a seven-year sentence in federal prison in the mid-80’s. Today, he is a much invited evangelical speaker and founder of Breaking Out, a Christian youth educational group. Here is his story, reprinted from http://www.michaelfranzese.com/story.php:
Michael Franzese was once in the top echelon of the Colombo crime family. He left the mob after converting to Christianity, and has since written the autobiography Blood Covenant.
Indeed, he was the son of Sonny Franzese, a kingpin in New York's Colombo crime family. It was when Sonny was sent to prison that Michael left Hofstra University, where he was a student athlete in pre-Med, to try to help win his dad’s freedom, choosing to follow the path that landed his dad in jail. He began working to help Joe Colombo protest the treatment of Italian Americans, handing out fliers at a rally in Columbus Square, and was standing nearby when Colombo was shot. For Michael, this was his beginning in a life that took him from college jock to Mob Capo, and ultimately made him the target of state, local, and federal organized crime task forces.
Becoming a sworn, made member at the age of 24, he avoided the traditional Mafia domains in favor of the enormously lucrative edges of the legitimate business world. The smart, sophisticated Franzese was long considered an heir apparent to the family's vast power. His ability to make money, which according to the fed’s was more than anyone since Al Capone, won his fame, respect, and rock-star status among mob watchers, but the envy of others in that life.
Michael masterminded brilliant scams, from auto dealerships to union kickbacks, from financial services to the worlds of sports and entertainment, to a multi-billion dollar gasoline tax scheme, all with the help of ambitious tycoons and his own remarkable business acumen. His operations in gambling, loan sharking and corporate crime became a target of Manhattan's famed federal prosecutor, Rudy Giuliani, who indicted Michael on racketeering charges only to come up empty handed in court after promising him 100 years behind bars if convicted. More indictments would follow, however, and in a dramatic turn of events for the onetime Mob caporegime, Michael decided to plead guilty to yet another racketeering indictment, accept a 10 year prison sentence, and then vowed to do the unthinkable-quit the mob, not enter the witness protection program, and not testify against his mob brethren. The Prince abdicated his throne. It’s why he left that makes this story even more incredible.
Michael Franzese earned millions a week at his apex and used his wits and charm to keep the likes of John Gotti from encroaching on his operations. He escaped 5 major indictments and seemed invincible. That was before he met Cammy.
Among many things he was doing, he made movies – his last – Knights of the City, a break dance movie ala West side Story with Sammy Davis, Jr., Leon Issacs Kennedy, and music by Smokey Robinson, filmed in Florida. The imported 50 dancers from L.A. That was the beginning of the end – and the beginning of the unthinkable.
Michael met Camille Garcia, a beautiful dancer from Anaheim [and a Born-Again Christian] – he saw her getting out of the swimming pool and asked to be introduced. Cammy knew nothing other than he was the producer. He fell in love with her, doggedly pursued her and eventually they married. How she convinced him to take the rap on a racketeering charge and how he managed to become the only high ranking official of the Mafia to ever quit the mob, refuse government protection and live to tell about it makes Michael Franzese a truly motivational, inspiring, and fascinating speaker.
Michael's first book, Quitting The Mob, (Harper/Collins Publishing), was released in 1992, providing a glimpse at the life Michael left behind.
His most recent book, Blood Covenant (Whitaker House, Mar. 2003-now in the third printing), looks at that story from 10 years of changed life, providing insight only time allows. It captures Michael's life from beginning through today, offering a powerful look at the why and how he left his past, and how he is still alive today. As Paul Harvey would say, it is "the rest of the story."
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Here is part of a reader’s review of the book, quoted from amazon.com:
By telling you how he came to completely trust in God, Franzese does a good job of creating the message that God forgives EVERYTHING that you do that is not pleasing to him.
By telling you how he came to completely trust in God, Franzese does a good job of creating the message that God forgives EVERYTHING that you do that is not pleasing to him.
Because many people do not accept the simple concept of God's grace, so many find this book to be a blow off towards the end. It is the exact opposite. Franzese's book explains God's grace and what it did for him in ways that most pastors and other religious leaders cannot explain. That does not make him a fanatic; it means he is telling the truth...a truth many do not understand and therefore refuse to accept. Here is my message: if you are looking for an ending that tells how he paid everyone back or how he fell back into the life, then this book is not for you. However, if you are someone who wants to see a true example of God's grace and the way he can use one person to change someone's life while getting the bonus of knowing the insides of the mafia life, I highly recommend this book to you. - by forevercrane.
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Here is part of a video of the Born-Agin Don testifying about his conversion.
Michael Franzese recently spoke at Shadow Mountain Community Church, San Diego County, California. A DVD video of his talk available at http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/.
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