Michael Franzese

Michael Franzese (born May 27, 1951) is an American former mobster, author, and public speaker who was a caporegime in the Colombo crime family during the 1980s. The son of Colombo underboss John "Sonny" Franzese, he became one of the highest-earning mob figures since Al Capone, generating hundreds of millions of dollars primarily through a massive gasoline bootlegging scheme before pleading guilty to racketeering charges in 1985. After serving prison time, Franzese publicly renounced the mafia, converted to Christianity, and established a career as an author, motivational speaker, and media commentator, hosting a popular YouTube channel where he breaks down organized crime history, pop culture depictions of the mob, and contemporary political issues.