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. Parent(s) Carmine "The Lion" Franzese and Maria . Please enter your email and password to sign in. John was a little freaked when he headed to L.A. . Lewicki periodically called members of the Franzese ecosystem. He dressed immaculately and got the best tables at the Russian Tea Room and the Copacabana. Thus began a yearslong spiral of homelessness, depravity, and delusion. I think of all the people I called rats and all the ways I hated rats, John says. To be Sonnys son was to be cocooned by the knowledge that dad owned an enviable dry-cleaning business. The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now. But if youre asked to kill someone, Michael said, you got to.. They sent him to New York with real pills, for the sake of appearance, and stacks of cash that would become the Colombos cut.. 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. Hed even arrested him a couple times for parole violations. And A.A.s emphasis on brutal truth was problematic for a guy with a fake identity. 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. found in New York, New York, Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018. It doesnt go away., When Im in this kind of mood, he says, Ill notice where I parked and Im like, Jeez, Im in between two cars.. He married Carolina Pedata De Pompeis on 22 February 1938, in Naples, Naples, Italy. Asked to finger his once-feared father in court, Franzese Jr. a former wiseguy-turned-FBI informant said only, Hes sitting there in the yellow shirt.. Explore. Did Dad kill anyone? John asked. Thanks HairyKnuckles..Hmmmm! 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 "Sonny" Franzese Sr. in the 1960s and at the peak of his powers. Johns final destination remained a mystery as a fortified vehicle deposited him in 2006 and Lewicki in the bowels of the Federal Building in L.A., where two U.S. marshals took over. This life absorbs you. I can put a stop to this and atone for what Ive done., The plan was simple enough. The papers seemed to suggest the real villain here was John, the wayward princeling who had betrayed the last stand-up mafioso. Rats My Boy, read a headline in the New York Post. Category: Richest Business Criminals. former underboss of the Colombo Crime Family Parent(s) Carmine Franzese and Maria Corvola Allegiance Colombo crime family Conviction(s) Bank robbery (1967) . However, his son Michael Franzese says that his father was actually born in 1919. He was not charged of any other crime until June 2008, when he was indicted on several charges such as participating in murders during the Colombo Wars of the 1990s, conspiracy, loansharking, narcotics trafficking, extortion, and racketeering. He was 18 when Sonny magically returned home, having been paroled after just under nine yearsthanks to lax parole codes and God knows what. He was the son of the late Dominick and Carmella Romeo Franzese. The old man was a pain in the ass, constantly ordering John to check the rearview for feds. John was seeking a high when he arrived at the palatial house in Los Angeles that Michael shared with his wife and kids. During their conversation, Franzese said that he had killed several persons and would apply nail polish on his fingertips before the murders, so that his fingerprints were not found at the crime scene. This is your new life.. Franzese who now has a pacemaker, hearing aids and a broken hip had been tipped in the 1960s as a potential new Colombo boss. Franzese Sr. is standing trial on charges of shaking down a pair of strip clubs and a pizzeria on Long Island. Johns life was a mess. It wasnt like in the movies, when they implant a microchip in your ear or hide a bug under your cazzone. Suge Knight vs Sonny Franzese. But to be a rough-hewn New York paesan in Indianapolis was to draw notice. boss Carmine 'Junior' Persico. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. read he was a Colombo and was really tight with massino, theres some pics of him on here. He is portrayed by actor Tony Lip. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. ), Were all partners, Michael and Sonny told John. John found a small apartment in Santa Monica. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather, http://books.google.ie/books?id=0ZygQJNYnte&f=false, http://s14.postimg.org/b3wgksahd/image_1.jpg. He meant Anthony Flemmo, an old associate. Try again later. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Soon he said to hell with the money and took coke instead. Michael Franzese (born May 27,1951) is a former New York mobster and caporegime of the Colombo crime family who was heavily involved in the gasoline tax rackets in the 1980s. Your dad would have to cooperate, Lewicki replied. Colombo associate-turned-government informant Gaetano "Guy" Fatato recorded one of his conversations with Franzese. Charges against him included loansharking and extortion. I wanted to change my life, John said. There are a lot of Carmine Franzese during the 70's and 80's. Its true, okay? His eyes narrow. and his mob protector, ex-Colombo captain Michael Franzese, both of whom eventually became . Carmine's brothers, Theodore Persico and Alphonse Persico, followed in their brother's footsteps and worked as capos in the Colombo Crime Family. Theres nothing your fathers going to be able to do for you, he said. His parents marriage had become a crucible of rage and violence. Ill try and avoid asking you direct questions about your father. FAITH.. John (Sonny) Franzese. According to the FBI, his father considered having an associate whack his own son. Always did. Try again later. He should plead guilty and give his son a break, she shouted at him. 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. Maria Corvola . And there was still the matter of Sonny, who again defied expectations. GREAT NEWS! Franzese became known as the oldest mobster in history, surpassing the age of 100 and becoming the only centenarian in federal custody. John was nine in 1970 when Sonny began serving a sentence of up to 50 years at Leavenworth. Since then, he has publicly renounced organized crime, became a devoted Christian, created a foundation for helping youth, and became a motivational speaker. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The Franzeses, including John, would offer a polite no and hang up. 19.4k Followers, 1,776 Following, 1,026 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Julia Marie Franzese (@juliegrls) cemeteries found in Middle Village, Queens County, New York, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He forbade Johns tendency to break out in song, in a kind of altar boy vibrato (Men dont sing like that) and made him read Machiavellis The Prince. Date of Birth: Oct 27, 1940 - Jun 10, 2002 (61 years old) Place of Birth: The Bronx. Franzese worked in the gang run by Joseph Profaci in the late 1930s. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Tina reportedly followed Sonny into the bathroom and urged him to plead guilty and give John a break. John was home in Indianapolis when Sonny was sentenced to eight years in prison. Palma Campania, Citt Metropolitana di Napoli, Campania, Italy. Please reset your password. John was in a Manhattan strip club in the early 80s when everything changed. If Lewicki was a bit more persistent with John, he had his reasons. But he says the main selling point came when Lewicki suggested that Johns cooperation might take legal heat off his parents. Search Bethpage Obituaries. The caller was Rob Lewicki, an FBI agent assigned to New Yorks organized crime unit. You got to rip the guts out, Sonny said, because itll come back to haunt you.. Wanted them dead. In moments like this, when hes visited by the past, his impish warmth briefly betrays a clenched ferocity that evokes his father. After eight years in prison, Sonny Franzese was released on parole in 1978. Lets pick a place., They met on a secluded park bench in Roslyn. This surprises him. I never beat you. Watkins Glen: William J. Franzese was born in Montour Falls, NY on March 25, 1931. Marshals Service, administered a psychological evaluation and pressed him about states and cities. 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. 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. 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 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. They would provide a means for me to change my life.. The sons testimony horrified his brother, Michael Franzese, a former made member of the Colombo crime family who became a born-again Christian. Is there any way you can guarantee that my dad wont go back to jail? John asked. He was so desperate that hed taken to guzzling bottles of Tabasco for any barfly willing to pay $100 for the show. The byzantine itinerary, which allowed marshals to spot anyone who might be tailing John, ended in Oklahoma City, where a marshal in a cowboy hat spirited him to a hotel room and confiscated his ID and his cell phone. Ad Choices. 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. After three hours, John pointed out the time. John Franzese Jr. has been looking over his shoulder since 2006, when he became one of the most famous turncoats in Mafia history. Made guys never discussed past killings. Hes still a wiseguy after all these years. One day, while wandering through a music store, something caught his eye: a CD by his ex-client Christopher Williams. Youre gonna do things the right way, Sonny would say, referring to everything from schoolwork to table manners. You gotta go, Sonny said. The family is taking it very hard.. But as John moves through the restaurants parking lot, he stops cold; a half smile tightens his aquiline features. She was a good woman. His mother returned his gaze. I dont care about anything anymore, Sonny told him. May 27, 2018 - Carmine Franzese(Brother of Sonny Franzese) May 27, 2018 - Carmine Franzese(Brother of Sonny Franzese) May 27, 2018 - Carmine Franzese(Brother of Sonny Franzese) Pinterest. Franzese was an associate producer of the 2002 movie This Thing of Ours. Tina had died alone and embittered in 2012. The family was heavily involved in the gasoline tax rackets in the 1980s. In response, QUAGLIARIELLO statesThe only thing we can do is put him in the hospital for several weeks., Two days later, at a residence on Long Island, John told Sonny that Quagliariello wasnt getting the job done. Lets go on the side., John wheeled him into a private room and asked, Are you sure you know who this is?, Its coming to me, Sonny replied. Franzese was unaware of Gaetanos role as a government informer and discussed mob murder techniques with him. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. But in subsequent phone conversations, Sonny kept urging John to see a plastic surgeona campaign John dismissed as delusional until he realized Sonny was again speaking in code. This story has been shared 170,718 times. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Getty. He served as underboss of the Colombo family from 1963 until he was sentenced to 50 years in . He didnt want John to get a smoother face. By now Sonny and the Colombos were aware that John had flipped. When he landed at a second airport, a marshal handed him $1,000 and led him to another gate, where John boarded a flight to Cleveland, where another marshal handed him $1,000. All rights reserved. The latter called Michael: Do you know where your brother is? Carmine A. Franzese was born in 1913, at birth place, New York, to Pietro Franzese and Lorenzina Franzese. . Failed to delete memorial. A perfect location, he says. Sonny didnt believe him. Tutti netted an estimated several hundred thousand dollars annually just with this racket. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Burial. View the profiles of people named Carmine Franzese. When John arrived at Sonnys nursing home, in Queens in, he had a plan. He eschewed nickel-and-dime scams, landing lucrative (and sometimes legitimate) stakes in construction, car dealerships, unions, and the music industry. They were fiercely loyal to Sonny, who by now was the Colombos underboss. Plus $15,000 a month on silk T-shirts, suits, and shoes. It was the first square job hed ever held. John "Sonny" Franzese, Sr. (February 6, 1917 [1] - February 24, 2020) was an Italian - American longtime member and underboss of the Colombo crime family. Your dads not the target, Lewicki said. Sonny died in February 2020, at age 103. 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. John scanned the liner notes until he found the special-thanks section, which included his name. Shortly after he returned home, he picked up a message on his answering machine. To use this feature, use a newer browser. He said that proper handling of the corpse was important and talked about the procedure he followed. Michael thinks that his wife, faith, and refusal to testify against former associates has safeguarded him. Nobodys gonna frisk you, Lewicki said. Keep your receipts.. Both Upper and Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx supported a large group of Palermo-bred and Palermo-oriented mafiosi. The Indianapolis Star profiled his until-then anonymous life and work in recovery in 2019. Franzese was famous as the oldest active member of the American Mafia. But John didnt blame Sonny for leaving him fatherless. It was generally assumed that Genovese had ordered Rupolos murder and Franzese executed it in 1964, as a favor to Genovese. Lewicki handed John a black gizmo the size of a garage-door opener. The envelope-stuffed-with-cash thing felt oddly familiar. As of March 2023, Michael Franzese's net worth is approximately $1 million, making him the 16th richest criminal on the list. When John landed in New York it was the first time hed been in his hometown in nine yearsnot that he saw much. John "Sonny" Franzese Sr. (Italian: [frantseze; -ese]; February 6, 1917 - February 24, 2020) was an Italian-born American mobster who was a longtime member and former underboss of the Colombo crime family.. Franzese's career in organized crime began in the 1930s and spanned over eight decades. This fucking guy, hed bellow. 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. John had connected with his old acquaintance a few years earlier, while Hill was hiding out in Los Angeles. based on information from your browser. Give me a call., All the Franzeses knew Lewicki, an affable Long Islander whod for years been openly investigating Sonny. And apart from that, the old man had lucrative stakes in the music industry (Buddah Records) and porn production (Deep Throat). Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. According to his son, Michael, after hearing about his sentence, Franzese had declared, "You watch. Shortly thereafter, a cop caught John about to inject cocaine while sitting in a limousine, the first in a series of drug-related arrests. While his classmates were wearing caps and gowns, John was peacocking at Studio 54 and driving a modified Datsun 280Z. John was about to be taken for a ride, he says, when one of his cousins happened to walk in. John knew why his classmates and teachers whispered about Sonny. He wavered. The fracas came hours after Franzeses son dropped a bombshell during his testimony inside a Brooklyn courtroom after admitting he has HIV with the defense arguing that the star witness turned on his aging dad because authorities agreed to help pay for his treatment. Hed seen guys sniff out bugs in the weirdest places, including his parents house. When Carmine Franzese was born about 1938, his father, Nufrio, was 33 and his mother, Milared, was 20. Search above to list available cemeteries. Even in exile, even with a price on his head, he never thought of himself as Michael Carter or John Maggio or any other of his new identities. Youre given a gift here, Darryl said. He wouldnt lose another sibling. Sonny's had a very strong hold on the music business for many years. found in U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. But this time felt different, especially when he met a guy named Darryl. The biggest hurdle was the wire. The trial marked the first time that a New York Mafia boss watched his own son (and erstwhile heir apparent) testify against him in open court. But mob wives were expected to make babies and dinner, not shampoo ads. But he testified that he eventually descended into drug addiction, and to turn his life around he decided to begin informing for the FBI. Father and son barely exchanged glances, but the elder Franzese pinched the fabric of his shirt, as if to question if he was the guy being called out by his son. The lion had six sons with John Franzese being the last one born. Those who enter the Federal Witness Protection Program tend to be criminals testifying against criminalsHenry Hill being among the most famous examples. When he left, in late 2002, he was clean. John Franzese was born in Naples, Italy on 6 February 1917, and his family moved to New York City in the United . The top spot had been a revolving door since the 1990s, when an intrafamily power struggle known as the Third Colombo War wrought havoc. His 50-year term for the bank robbery that he had committed years back also ended with this. QUAGLIARIELLO statesWe want a fucking paycheck every week outta the fucking jointHe owes me over 150 large with vig The CW asked QUAGLIARIELLO how far he should go in an effort to get the club under their control. A previously unreleased FBI document details each of Johns 85 taped meetings. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. He was always John Franzese Jr. According to John, the program, run by the U.S. 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. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Hed spent nearly a decade on the straight and narrow. But this is how you stop things like this from ever happening., No. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Try again. We've received your submission. The target is the Colombos. The mortal remains of John "Sonny" Franzese were then carried back out to the hearse. (That guy, Im gonna see him.), Michael was the front man; John was the pleaser who kept things light and friendly. A fellow 12-stepper delivered John to Odessa House, a sober-living facility that at that time provided free housing and treatment exclusively to recovering addicts in the music industry. Onufrio Franzese is 55 years old today because Onufrio's birthday is on 05/04/1967. He said the family is crushed by his brothers betrayal. I found on Findagrave.com. Wandering around the second floor, he spotted a group of patients watching the news. They would provide a means for me to change my life [and] to make up for what I had done.. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. View Carmine Francese results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. If doing so earned him a bullet, then hed die as John Franzese. Your mother beat you, she added. He faced an 8-year prison sentence for crimes, including extortion and loansharking at 93 and was finally released in June 2017. Just stay in our lives now, he said. In the late 1930s Franzese joined the Profaci crime family (later . Despite Johns proteststhe phone held his family and personal photosthe marshal filled the sink with water and submerged the device. When you get better, Michael said, I want you to come visit me.. He clung to his quiet life and still answered to Matexcept during a few nervy calls to some of his siblings. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. It was recognized as the Profaci crime family back then and later became famous as the Colombo crime family. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. When you hear things that your dad tells you, I need to know that stuff. Carmine Persico was born on August 8, 1933, in Brooklyn. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. The first snort set him right, and the next ones fueled him for six months. He wondered whether Sonny and Michael were cashing in on his efforts. His human interactions were limited to 12-step meetings, diner chitchat, and covert trial-prep sessions with prosecutors. By doing the right thing and stopping a way of life that does that., By the time John stepped down, all the Franzeses were wrecked. Hector "Junior" Pagan. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Minutes earlier, hed been working the room in his particular way, greeting waiters by name and ordering off-menuthe anchovies with garlic and tomatoes for himself, the carbonara for his guestwhile a Buddy Greco song played in the background. According to Michael, the racket earned him up to $8 million a week. Sonny was facing two separate trialsone for murdering a snitch, the other for masterminding bank robberies. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. The victim had been shot, stabbed, and submerged in Jamaica Bay (via concrete blocks affixed to his limbs). By Sandra Peddie sandra.peddie@newsday.com @sandrapeddie Published: Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. John was good with that. She is dealing with a family health matter as cohost Savannah Guthrie tests positive for COVID. 15. He was released from the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center on December 24, 2008. Finally an SUV whisked John to the Brooklyn Federal Court building. Throughout his entire adult life, he was involved in organized crime and other criminal. I have seen this name 2 times. When John Franzese Jr., top right, aided in the prosecution of his own father, longtime Colombo underboss Sonny Franzese, he became an instant targetand a pariah to his own family. Once for the person that told Massino that the 3 capos were loading up with weapons and, the other time about a murder. Upon entering his new life, the feds said, John couldnt bring more than 40 pounds worth of possessions. The next came when he happened past an A.A. meeting. And Jesus. 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. John just picked it up, put it back in his pocket, and kept talking. If at any time we find out youre using drugs, Lewicki said, this stops immediately.. He became known for having . He was doing so well that he recorded a Colombo family member named Michael Catapano speaking with Sonny about John officially being sponsoredthe penultimate step toward getting made. If they catch you, thats on you.. A dead end., Three or four carsitd be done and over in no time. She followed the mobster into the mens bathroom and thats when the two started yelling at each other. This mornings testimony came a day after the 93-year-old mobster sat stoically while his son ratted him out for his life of crime. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Or, at least, none he could see. That was the last time John saw his father. Youre always leakin oil.. The governments trying to frame him. Proof came when Sonnys murder trial ended in an acquittal. He was linked by law enforcement to multimillion-dollar . The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. The younger Franzese recalled becoming a Colombo bagman by 18, with all the trappings and riches that came from being connected to a powerful mobster. Net Worth: $30 Million. When Lewicki happened into a local bakery, Sonny offered him bread and cakes. Before they parted, however, Sonny pointed at Johns face. You know she wasnt well., We all knew she wasnt well, John replied. Please dont run, Sonny said. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. There was an error deleting this problem. He spent about nine months drying out in jail. Any area where the Franzeses knew someone was eliminated. The property is owned by Franzese Carmine S Jr. This fucking guy, John thought. A bit soft and feline, maybe. A system error has occurred. You need to go to a doctor, he said. But everyone liked the little guy who spent his days singing as he romped around Roslyn, a prosperous village on Long Islands North Shore. I dont want to be in business with you. WILLIAM FRANZESE OBITUARY. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. That he wasnt getting paid as suchand that he still lived in his childhood bedroomirked John. He was about 16 in 1976 when Michael revealed that he was a made member of the Colombos, the most violent of New Yorks five families; that he had sworn a blood oath to honor omert, a code of silence; and that their father was the Colombos most feared and powerful captain, or capo.

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