Former LA Mafia boss becomes born-again Christian - Michael Franzese. EX LA MOBSTER BECOME JESUS PREACER. Shallom,
Former mobster Michael Franzese tells Justin Brierley how he turned from a life of mafia crime after finding God in prison – and how he now shares his incredible story wherever he can.
Michael Franzese was born ‘into the business’, as the son of a notorious New York mafia boss. Working his way up through the ranks over the years he became a caporegime (Captain) in 1980, a position he was to stay in for 15 years.
Heavily involved in the gasoline tax scams of the 1980s, Michael experienced the wealth and luxury of a gangster lifestyle - generating up to $8 million dollars a week at his peak.
At the age of 35, Michael was named by Fortune magazine as one of the most powerful mob bosses in America. But he wants people to realise what a precarious life mobsters live. Speaking to Justin Brierley, he explained that, of the 50, “47 of them are now dead and two are doing life in prison”.
Michael was, as he describes, “at the top of my mob game” when, during a film shoot in Florida, he met the woman who would be the catalyst for him turning his life around, Camille Garcia.
“She’s from southern California – there’s no mob out there of any consequence. She didn’t know anything of that life. She saw The Godfather once; to her it was just a movie, a myth. As far as she was concerned, I was a movie producer.”
Michael was smitten, but knew his life stood in “direct contradiction to what her and her mom believed and I respected their faith”. He realised he would need to make some changes in order to win his girl.
He married Camille, and moved out to the West Coast with the idea of doing a couple of years in prison and then keeping his head down. “I figured, maybe after 10 or 12 years the guys in New York would forget about me and I’d live happily ever after in California. That was my plan.”
Smiling, Michael said, “Unfortunately, someone above had a different plan!”
He went to prison for 5 years, and then was out on parole for 13 months in LA. He describes those months as “a horrible time in our lives. I couldn’t get my life together, we had people looking to hurt us, Life magazine wrote a huge story…the way they wrote the article it was like I was becoming a major informant.”
Michael ended up violating his parole and was given the maximum four years - three years of which he spent in the hold.
He really struggled with the isolation: “I was desperate…I turned to the Lord and looked for that relationship. I was challenging God at that point. I wanted to know if he was real, and so, in reading the Bible, I started to read it as if I was preparing for my trial.
“I came out of there believing with all my heart that the Bible is God’s Word and that Jesus was my risen Saviour, based upon what I saw to be the evidence that was very solid. I studied while I was in there – I had nothing but time on my hands, 24-7; what else was I gonna do? It was a time God really used to grow my knowledge and to really change my heart.”
Today, Michael uses his former experiences to benefit others - from business executives to at-risk young people. He tells everyone he meets that “they can change. But change is temporary; transformation through Christ is permanent.”
Michael spends a lot of time with young people, recognising how blinkered their view of a lifestyle of crime can be. While they see the glamour, riches and wealth in films like The Godfather, he challenges them to look beyond those things: “did you see the end of the movie? Who went to jail, who got killed…”
Michael is also in demand as a speaker within churches. He realises his story can be attractive for people to invite those who would never set foot inside a church to hear the gospel message to, as they are often intrigued to listen to a mobster!
As he recognises: “If God can not only forgive me, but turn my entire life around, then he can do that for anyone.”
Transcript (Q&A):
Justin Bierley:
You kind of became a foot soldier initially as it were. You're actually sworn in to this particular way of life, aren't you ? But eventually you came to a pretty senior position of your own.
Michael Franzese:
You know I worked my way up. I was appointed a capo regime or captain back in 1980 and I operated in that capacity for the next 15 years. Some of the things I did that I was uncomfortable with. You almost have to step outside of yourself and do it and that's what I did.
I was defrauding the government out of tax on every gallon of gasoline that was my major scam I would say in that point that netted me hundreds and millions of dollars. The mob life, the gang life, they're evil lifestyles and the reason I say that is because I don't know any family of any member of that life that hasn't been totally destroyed. You know fortune magazine to give you an idea wrote a big article back in 86, 50 biggest and most powerful mob bosses in America. And I was one of the six that were featured out of the 50, 47 of them are dead.
Justin Bierley:
Wow.
Michael Franzese:
And two of them are doing life in prison.
Justin Bierley:
Do you want to tell us about about your wife and and the impact she had on your life.
Michael Franzese:
I was producing a film in South Florida. I was at the top of my mob game when I met her and this woman just totally turned my head and my heart around. She was from Southern California. There's no mob out there of any consequence, you didn't know anything about that life. She saw the Godfather once and there was just a movie it was a myth.
Justin Bierley:
Yeah.
Michael Franzese:
And I didn't sit down with her and tell her, 'Hey, guess who I am.' And as far as she was concerned I was a movie producer. When I realized and wanted her in my life and that my life was really a direct contradiction to what her and her mom believed. I respected their faith because it was true to them yeah, and I knew that I had to make some changes if I wanted this girl in my life. So I figured I would you know marry Camille, it's her name, move out to the west coast, do a couple years in prison.
When I get out I had an excuse not to meet anybody in New York was when you're on parole you can't associate with anybody. And I figured maybe up to 10 or 12 years the guys in New York will forget about me, I'd live happily ever after out in California, so that was my plan. Unfortunately someone above had a different plan for that didn't work out that way.
Justin Bierley:
You'd got married but then you went to prison.
Michael Franzese:
Yes.
Justin Bierley:
You were hoping to maybe a few years and then I guess parole and you'd be out again but whatactually happened?
Michael Franzese:
I did get out on parole after five years and then I was on parole for 13 months out in LA. It was a horrible time of our lives. I mean, I couldn't get my life together, you know, we had people looking to hurt us Life magazine wrote a huge story about me and they interviewed me and, you know, I did what I always do is say, 'There is no mob and I don't know what you're talking about. I married a girl. I moved out to the west coast.'
But the way they wrote the article it was like I was becoming a major informant or I was gonna it's just an .. it was titled quitting the Mafia 13. Months later I ended up violating my parole and they throw me back in and they said they were gonna indict me on another case. And they gave me four years on the violation which was the maximum.
And I spent almost three years out of that in the hole, you know, I learned during that experience that we weren't meant to be solo creatures, we were meant to be social. It was very difficult to get through that and if I wasn't ... if I didn't develop my faith during that period of time, I don't think I would it came out of there well.
It was during that time when when I was desperate really because I thought I'd spend the rest of my life in there that. I turned to the Lord and looked for that relationship. I was challenging God at that point. I wanted to know if He was real.
And so in reading the Bible, I started to read it as if I was preparing for my trial. I came out of there believing with all my heart that the Bible was God's Word and that Jesus was my risen Savior based upon what I saw to be the evidence that was very solid.
And I studied while I was in there and nothing but time on my hands 24/7, what else was I gonna do. But it was a time that God really used to ... to grow my knowledge and to really change my heart.
Justin Bierley:
And what kind of reaction do you tend to get when you're traveling the US or other places and talking about your story, especially to people who maybe, you know, have some association or have a criminal past or whatever.
Michael Franzese:
I tell people you can change maybe but change is temporary, transformation through Christ is permanent, even though you may fall back to sin. It's a different thing, you know, you're transformed in a way because Christ is working within you. You have a relationship with Him and I needed those three years for God to work on me, because wouldn't it worked otherwise, you know.
One of the things I tell young people because I spent a lot of my time with them and they'll watch a movie like 'The Godfather' and 'Goodfellas,' and they'll see all of the glamour, they'll see the riches and the wealth and all. And I always tell them but did you see the end of the movie who went to jail, who got killed, whose family ... They don't see that part.
And you know one of the attractive things for pastors that bring me in is that they say, 'Listen, you know, invite your family member, your friend, your neighbor, who would never come in to hear a Gospel message, but they want to hear about a mobster.'
Justin Bierley:
Yeah.
Michael Franzese:
If God can not only forgive me but turn my entire life around then He can do that for anyone, because at one point in time I was probably the worst of the worst, you know, like Paul in a way. And again I don't compare myself to Paul as far as his mission was amazing but we were both bad guys that God reached into and turned around.
Source:
--- That is Michael's Testimony ...
- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - (2 Corinthians 5:17).
- “I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me.”- (Philippians 4:13).
- Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. - (John 14:6).
 Become Jesus Preacher - Michael Franzese){kind=link}
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