John Franzese
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 | February 6, 1917 |
| Died | February 24, 2020 (aged 103) New York City, U.S. |
| Other names | "Sonny" |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated at Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts |
| Spouse | Cristina Capobianco-Franzese |
| Children | 7 |
| Parent(s) | Carmine "The Lion" Franzese and Maria Corvola |
| Conviction(s) | Bank robbery (1967), extortion (2010), parole violations |
| Criminal penalty | Imprisonment 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- ↑ Bureau of Narcotics, Sam Giancana Mafia: The Governments Secret File on Organized Crime.(pg. 454)[1]
- ↑ "LAW AND ORDER; In the Can" New York Times November 3, 2002
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Inmate Locator". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ↑ "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.
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