John Franzese | |
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![]() Mug shot of John Franzese taken after his arrest. | |
Born | |
Died | February 24, 2020 New York City, U.S. | (aged 103)
Other names | "Sonny" |
Criminal status | Incarcerated at Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts |
Spouse | Cristina Capobianco-Franzese |
Children | 7 |
Parent(s) | Carmine "The Lion" Franzese and Maria Corvola |
Conviction(s) | Bank robbery (1967), extortion (2010), parole violations |
Criminal penalty | Imprisonment of twelve years (1967), imprisonment of eight years (2010) |
John "Sonny" Franzese, Sr. (February 6, 1917[1] – February 24, 2020) was an Italian-American longtime member and underboss of the Colombo crime family. Franzese was famous as the oldest active member of the American Mafia. Franzese was an associate producer of the 2002 movie This Thing of Ours.[2]
Franzese was born in Naples and raised in New York City.
He also helped pay the $22,000 budget of the 1972 pornographic movie Deep Throat and the 1974 slasher movie The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which earned over $30 million from a $80,000–140,000 investment.[3]
Franzese was released from the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts on June 23, 2017, at the age of 100.[4]
Franzese died on February 24, 2020, in a New York City hospital at the age of 103.[5]
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