Michael Franzese has led a fascinatingly dangerous life and will share his experiences and insights into collegiate sports and gambling at a 90-minute presentation at the Philadelphia 2005 CoSIDA Workshop the morning of July 6.
Joining Michael will be Rachel Newman-Baker from the NCAA and there will be time for questions from the audience. You may have already heard Michael at one of his extensive speaking engagements around the country addressing athletics departments and student-athletes in conjunction with the NCAA’s “Don’t Bet on It” campaign. I’m sure you will agree that he is entertaining, informative and riveting.
Michael Franzese was alternately referred to by the media and members of law enforcement alike, as the New York Mob's "Long Island Don" and "The Prince of the Mafia." He was once the primary target of a massive, 14-agency government task force that "had one assignment - to bring down the Mafia's youngest and most financially powerful new superstar, Michael Franzese."
At the height of his mob activity, Michael was "one of the biggest money earners the mob had seen since Al Capone, and the youngest individual on Fortune magazine's survey of "The Fifty Biggest Mafia Bosses." (Vanity Fair Magazine).
A brief look into Michael's background provides insight as to why he is sought after to speak about many topics related to organized crime. The son of a kingpin in New York's Colombo crime family, the smart, sophisticated Franzese was long considered an heir apparent to the family's vast power. 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.
He 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 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. 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.
"He 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. Though frequently indicted, he was never convicted of any crime until he met Camille Garcia, a beautiful dancer in one of his films.
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 absorbing and fascinating addition to the speaker's circuit." (Jacket cover - Quitting The Mob, Harper/Collins Publishing.)
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. In the words of Paul Harvey, it is "the rest of the story."
Michael candidly describes for audiences how he survived dozens of grand jury appearances, three major racketeering indictments, five criminal trials, seven years in prison and a Mafia death sentence. He tells how he engaged bankers, corporate executives, union officials and professional and student athletes in a wide variety of financial scams. His open and honest presentations are fresh and unique.
Audiences are captivated by stories of his personal experiences in organized crime and genuinely affected by his powerful anti-crime messages and eye-opening revelations.