John Franzese: Difference between revisions
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'''John "Sonny" Franzese Sr.''' (6 | |||
'''John "Sonny" Franzese Sr.''' (February 6<sup>th</sup>, 1917 - February 24<sup>th</sup>, 2020) was an Italian-American mobster who was a longtime member and underboss of the Colombo crime family. | |||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
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However, on March 3, 1967, Franzese was convicted in Albany, New York of masterminding a series of four bank robberies across the country in 1965, and was finally sentenced to 50 years in prison at United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, , after several denied appeals. Franzese's nephew, Salvatore Franzese, reportedly headed Franzese's gambling operations while Franzese was in prison. In 1978, Franzese was released on parole but returned to prison in 1982 for a parole violation. In 1984, Franzese was released on parole again. Until 2008, he was never charged with another crime, although he would return to prison on parole violations on at least six occasions. | However, on March 3, 1967, Franzese was convicted in Albany, New York of masterminding a series of four bank robberies across the country in 1965, and was finally sentenced to 50 years in prison at United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, , after several denied appeals. Franzese's nephew, Salvatore Franzese, reportedly headed Franzese's gambling operations while Franzese was in prison. In 1978, Franzese was released on parole but returned to prison in 1982 for a parole violation. In 1984, Franzese was released on parole again. Until 2008, he was never charged with another crime, although he would return to prison on parole violations on at least six occasions. | ||
In June 2008, Franzese, incarcerated for a parole violation, was indicted on charges of participating in murders during the Colombo Wars of the early 1990s, stealing fur coats in New York City in the mid 1990s, and participating in home invasions by police impersonators in Los Angeles in 2006. On June 4, 2008, Franzese was indicted along with other Colombo mobsters on charges of racketeering, conspiracy, robbery, extortion, narcotics trafficking, and loansharking. On December 24, 2008, Franzese was released from the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn. According to law enforcement, Franzese remained the official underboss of the Colombo family. | In June 2008, Franzese, incarcerated for a parole violation, was indicted on charges of participating in murders during the Colombo Wars of the early 1990s, stealing fur coats in New York City in the mid 1990s, and participating in home invasions by police impersonators in Los Angeles in 2006. On June 4<sup>th</sup>, 2008, Franzese was indicted along with other Colombo mobsters on charges of racketeering, conspiracy, robbery, extortion, narcotics trafficking, and loansharking. On December 24<sup>th</sup>, 2008, Franzese was released from the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn. According to law enforcement, Franzese remained the official underboss of the Colombo family. | ||
Franzese's son, John Franzese Jr. became a government informant. With the help of Franzese Jr.'s testimony, the 93-year-old Franzese Sr., on January 14, 2011, was sentenced to eight years in prison for extorting two Manhattan strip clubs, running a loanshark operation and extorting a pizzeria on Long Island. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 12 years, while Franzese's lawyer asked for leniency based on a variety of ailments, including partial blindness and deafness, gout, and heart and kidney problems. Franzese was denied compassionate release in July 2016. Franzese was released from the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts, on June 23, 2017, at the age of 100; he died in a New York City hospital three years later. | Franzese's son, John Franzese Jr. became a government informant. With the help of Franzese Jr.'s testimony, the 93-year-old Franzese Sr., on January 14<sup>th</sup>, 2011, was sentenced to eight years in prison for extorting two Manhattan strip clubs, running a loanshark operation and extorting a pizzeria on Long Island. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 12 years, while Franzese's lawyer asked for leniency based on a variety of ailments, including partial blindness and deafness, gout, and heart and kidney problems. Franzese was denied compassionate release in July 2016. Franzese was released from the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts, on June 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2017, at the age of 100; he died in a New York City hospital three years later. | ||
[[Category:List]] | |||
[[Category:Male]] | [[Category:Male]] | ||
[[Category:Gangsters]] | [[Category:Gangsters]] | ||
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[[Category:Modern Villains]] | [[Category:Modern Villains]] | ||
[[Category:Villains of World War 2]] | [[Category:Villains of World War 2]] | ||
[[Category:Elderly]] | [[Category:Elderly]] | ||
[[Category:Perverts]] | [[Category:Perverts]] | ||