102-year-old mobster: ‘I never hurt nobody that was innocent’

NY Post ^ | 03/28/2019 | Lee Brown

[Phlap]

Longtime Colombo under-boss John “Sonny” Franzese is the living embodiment of the ultimate mob rule — bragging in an interview about refusing to rat despite it making him the oldest federal prisoner at the age of 100.

Wheelchair-bound Franzese, now 102 and living in a nursing home, told Newsday about his life of crime — and how he stuck to the “Goodfellas” adage of “Never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut” despite facing 50 years behind bars.

[dp0622]

That’s the bad thing about FR.

I had to go out and all I really wanted to do is continue this conversation.

Now I’m choosing FR over being physically among other human beings :)

And I’m good with that.

I hope we can continue this conversation another day.

I am still stuck out with other human life forms.

Ciao

[nicollo]

My only takeaway from this story is that the regulatory state creates room for scams.

[dp0622]

They are made for it.

You’re a sharp dude.

Few realize that

[SkyPilot]

No worries dp. When ever you get a chance to continue the conversation, I am still here. Working outside today on the house, but I'll check back later.

Here are a couple of other interesting things about Michael Franzese:

- he was a the last person to speak to Joe Columbo before Colombo was gunned down in Columbus circle

- his nickname in the 80s was the "Yuppie Don", a nickname he hated

- when he was bringing in hundreds of millions per year to the mob via the gas tax scam, the bosses of the other 5 families came to him, asking favors for him to help out some of their other associates who "couldn't scratch two nickels together." Michael, of course, said yes and helped out the other bosses

- said in an interview that the mob was involved in the assassination of JFK

- didn't think much of low level associate Henry Hill, and stated that he elevated his importance in his book Wiseguys and in the screenplay for Goodfellas

- has talked about God openly in prisons around the country, including to current mob inmates

[dp0622]

Henry Hill was so freaking full of sh## in half the scenes in goodfellas.

There was no basement card game shooting.

he wasn’t the innocent bystander the movie at times portrays him as.

He wasn’t suave and debonair. he was an ugly ####.

And in the end he was just another ####ng rat.

I know most of the country doesn’t see someone who puts away bad guys as a stinking worthless rat, but we do here.

Right or wrong. It’s how we were raised.

You weren’t a victim. You did terrible things and enjoyed the life while you were in it.

Then you turn around like the piece of #### you are and squeal. ...SPIT..

This guy Michael was really smart. I think he was in med school and then something happened and he dropped out to join the family.

[SkyPilot]

Henry Hill was so freaking full of sh## in half the scenes in goodfellas. There was no basement card game shooting. he wasn’t the innocent bystander the movie at times portrays him as.

Agree. It's so obvious that Hill was a liar on so many things. I remember watching a program, and a retired FBI agent said Hill's greatest enemy was always Henry Hill. The FBI tried to help him again and again the witness protection program, but he was such a liar and a cheat.

In the movie Goodfellas, he never lays a hand on Billy Batts (William Bentvena). In interviews, he always talked about how "sickening" it was to "witness" his murder. I think Hill participated.

The retired FBI agent said that Hill talked about "roughing this guy up a little bit." The agent said that in reality, Hill and another guy chained him to a car and dragged him. Sure. "Roughed him up just a little bit."

Yes, Michael Franzese was in pre-med, and dropped out of college when his father was in prison in order to financially provide for his mother and siblings.

[dp0622]

Hill’s kids hate him too.

Low life piece of garbage and no loss when he died.

Mike was like Michael from The Godfather in a way.

He left the straight and narrow to take care of the family.