Michael Franzese

Michael Franzese is a former New York mobster who was a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family.

Born in 1951, he dropped out of a pre-med program to support his family after his father's imprisonment.

Franzese became involved in a major gasoline tax fraud scheme in the 1980s, amassing significant wealth.

By 1986, he was listed as one of the most powerful Mafia bosses by Fortune Magazine.

After serving prison time, Franzese retired from organized crime in 1994 and moved to California.

He has since reinvented himself as a motivational speaker and author, sharing his experiences and insights from his former life in the Mafia.