John Franzese

Italian-American mobster (1917–2020)

John "Sonny" Franzese, Sr. (February 6, 1917[1] – February 24, 2020) was an Italian-American longtime member and underboss of the Colombo crime family. Franzese was famous as the oldest active member of the American Mafia. Franzese was an associate producer of the 2002 movie This Thing of Ours.[2]

John Franzese
Mug shot of John Franzese taken after his arrest.
Born(1917-02-06)February 6, 1917
DiedFebruary 24, 2020(2020-02-24) (aged 103)
Other names"Sonny"
Criminal statusIncarcerated at Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts
SpouseCristina Capobianco-Franzese
Children7
Parent(s)Carmine "The Lion" Franzese and Maria Corvola
Conviction(s)Bank robbery (1967), extortion (2010), parole violations
Criminal penaltyImprisonment of twelve years (1967), imprisonment of eight years (2010)

Franzese was born in Naples and raised in New York City.

He also helped pay the $22,000 budget of the 1972 pornographic movie Deep Throat and the 1974 slasher movie The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which earned over $30 million from a $80,000–140,000 investment.[3]

Franzese was released from the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts on June 23, 2017, at the age of 100.[4]

Franzese died on February 24, 2020, in a New York City hospital at the age of 103.[5]

References

change
  1. Bureau of Narcotics, Sam Giancana Mafia: The Governments Secret File on Organized Crime.(pg. 454)[1]
  2. "LAW AND ORDER; In the Can" New York Times November 3, 2002
  3. "Mafia boss, 93, faces prison after son breaks code of silence". Tom Leonard. The Telegraph. 8 July 2010. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  4. "Inmate Locator". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
  5. "John Franzese, Mafioso Who Consorted With Celebrities, Dies at 103". The New York Times. February 24, 2020. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

Other websites

change