E109 - Inside The Mafia: Violent Stories & Most Feared Bosses | Michael Franzese

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Michael Franzese was pulling in $10 million a week from a gas tax scheme that made him one of America's most powerful mobsters. Then he did something almost nobody survives: he walked away alive.

In this conversation, Franzese strips away the Hollywood mythology and breaks down what real power looks like when your life depends on reading people correctly. We unpack the brutal stress of criminal operations, why most "tough guys" don't last, and how the negotiation tactics that kept him alive now close business deals.

00:00 Introduction to Michael Franzese 03:49 First arrests and early surveillance from law enforcement 06:08 Building businesses and the multimillion-dollar gas tax scam 08:00 Knowing it wouldn’t last and how the scheme eventually collapsed 11:04 What he misses about mob life and the lifestyle 12:40 Cleaning millions in cash and dealing with foreign banks 15:30 Whether the mob still operates in New York and Italy today 18:10 Reputation, respect, and fearing the people above you 19:33 Reflections on Frank Costello and doing business without violence 22:02 Applying mob skills to legitimate business and negotiation 23:31 Taking a plea deal and liquidating assets before prison 26:30 Solitary, diesel therapy, and finding faith behind bars 29:06 Rumours, witness lists, and suspicion after leaving the life 32:14 The few mobsters who actually walked away successfully 34:49 Becoming a global speaker and finding purpose in storytelling 39:20 Pizza, vending machines, and building a new empire 51:05 How the Armenian wine business unexpectedly took off 57:16 Delegation, treating people well, and earning respect 01:02:51 Missed opportunities, like skipping Starbucks stock early on 01:05:46 Wanting peace, purpose, and more freedom in his 70s 01:11:36 The weight of regret, purpose, and giving advice to youth 01:16:44 Faith, fear of hell, and the path to redemption 01:29:47 Beating the odds while nearly everyone else ends up dead or jailed

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» Follow Michael« YouTube: @michaelfranzese Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelfranzese_/?hl=en Wine: https://franzesewine.com/ Community: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/