have I ever killed someone hi everyone
Michael Franzese here former mob guy
with the Colombo family back in New York
I was a soldier kapa regime at one point
in time lived in that life for over 25
years made a break back in 1995 I've
left that life and ever since I've been
a motivational speaker I've written a
number of books have done a number of
documentaries I'm here today to play
never have I ever not something I would
play back in the day all right got a
bunch of statements in front of me
questions they're going to be asked I
don't know if I've ever been asked these
questions before but we're gonna find
out never have I ever put a horse's head
in someone's bed I have not but I gotta
say that's one of the greatest scenes
ever in The Godfather it's something
that everybody remembers that I can
certainly see my former associates doing
it back then and it was it was great it
was a great scene I wish I thought of
that but no I didn't I never had to
resort to something like that but I know
some other things that were done that
were kind of on that level but we won't
get into all of that never have I ever
had a hit put out on me I have you know
unfortunately when you walk away from
that life you're not allowed to do that
and my former boss Carmine Persico was
very upset when it became public that I
was walking away from that life and he
did put a hit out on me as far as I know
it's never been rescinded you know I
don't know if those things ever go away
so you're not allowed to walk away from
that life when you take that oath you
know it's the oath of omertà of silence
you're not allowed to betray and not
even supposed to admit that there is a
mob or that you were a part of it but
yes I've had a hit put out on me and you
know by the grace of God I've been able
to overcome that challenge and Here I am
never have I ever been to prison I have
spent eight years in prison got a
10-year prison sentence back in 1985 I
pled guilty to racketeering the
underlying Act was tax fraud I created a
huge scam to defraud the government out
of tax on every gallon of gasoline I had
over 350 gas stations 18 companies that
were licensed to collect the tax on
every gallon of gasoline when I finally
got caught my partner testified against
me
other people so I took a plea 10-year
prison sentence 15 million dollars in
restitution five million in forfeitures
went off to do my time
you know prison is is what you make of
it I mean it's yours certainly their to
be punished look whenever your freedom
is taken away that's punishment and it's
rough never have I ever made a bribe I
have yeah you know back in the day we
had a lot of politicians certainly on
our payroll and we used to pay them we
used to fund a lot of their fundraisers
we would go to them and contribute big
dollars in order for them to do our
bidding as a matter of fact in the in a
gasoline business I needed to have
licenses for my wholesale operation had
to be licensed in order to collect the
tax well I had 18 licenses they weren't
easy to get but I was bribing public
officials in order to get him and they
were only too happy to do my bidding and
as a result of that I was able to
actually defraud the government with
help of the government you know it
helped of politicians it was very
accessible to us at the time
never have I ever been an informant I
have not now this is a controversial
thing because I want to straighten this
out I'm glad I had an opportunity to do
this I never put anybody in prison
nothing I ever told the government ever
resulted in anybody going to jail have I
spoken about my former life sure but the
things that I've talked about just about
everybody knows because my former
associates have been captured on tape
and tape recordings and so on and so
forth I will admit to this I did play
kind of a game with the government for a
time I made them believe that I might go
along with them but then in the end I
never did and as a result of that my
parole was violated I was sent back to
prison so I want to make that clear
never been an informant never told
anything to the government that put
anybody in prison with my former
associates never have and never will
never have I ever fired a grenade
launcher while shouting say hello to my
little friend
I have not
I absolutely love that scene I thought
that Pacino was terrific I mean I was a
classic movie he was great in that film
but no I never had to fire a grenade or
anything like that you know I did use
weapons at that time never use the
machine gun either
that was back in the 30s and the 40s and
the 20s we didn't do that we use
short-range pistols at the time so never
had to resort to anything no no high
artillery like that never have I ever
killed someone I'm gonna pull one of
these you know a credibility in in what
I do is very important to me so I never
want to lie to anybody whether it's in
private or in public I will tell you
this that life is a very violent life if
you're part of the life you're part of
the violence there's no escape and if
anybody tells you differently they're
either not being honest with you or they
weren't a made member of that life and
you know I will say this you know murder
in that life was taken very seriously
and I will tell you this about myself
and I'm glad I have the opportunity to
say this I don't judge other people I
don't know their hearts but I was around
a lot of guys that if they had to commit
a violent act it seemed that that was
part of them I'm not going to say they
enjoyed it but they did it with a with
some kind of fervor and when I did it
when I was involved in anything that
might have you know had violence to be
part of it I never felt good about it I
want to make this clear
I never glorify my former life and the
reason I don't do that because I do
believe it's an evil life and I want to
be clear on this I'm not calling the
guys evil I was one of them I just
happened to be very blessed but I don't
know any family of any member of that
life that hasn't been totally devastated
including my own not my wife and kids
you know fortunately God has preserved
them but my brothers and sisters mother
and father had a very very difficult
life as a result of my dad's involvement
in that life so any lifestyle that does
that to families is obviously an evil
life and I will tell you that I am
extremely blessed and very fortunate to
to be where I am today to having to have
left that life
be able to talk about it and hopefully
be a source of encouragement and hope to
people to make them understand that you
can't get out of a bad situation in your
life you can turn it around for me it's
all about my faith but you know I never
give up hope you know do the right thing
and there's always a way out