Michael Franzese on his Mafia past and dangers of gambling

Michael Franzese used to be a high ranking member of the feared Colombo crime family. At his most affluent, he generated 5-8 million dollars per week from legal and illegal businesses and became one of the biggest money makers in mob history. Michael is the only high-ranking official of a major crime family to ever walk away without protective custody, and survive. We discuss his Mafia past, the dangers of dealing with people involved in crime, how people cross the line driven by greed and lack of understanding of potential consequences, how the mob takes advantage of gamblers, and much more. We also briefly touch upon the story of Michael Jordan's gambling problem and Mr. Franzese's friendship with Joe Pistone, who famously infiltrated the mob under the cover as Donnie Brasco. Buy the book: I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse https://amzn.to/3ekGwBj Where to find Michael Franzese: Website: michaelfranzese.com INSTAGRAM: @mjfranzese TWITTER: @MichaelFranzese FB: Michael Franzese In this interview: 00:02:14 Michael Franzese introduction 00:07:06 Oath of silence 00:08:28 Walking into a room without knowing if he will walkout 00:12:33 Educating people on gambling 00:16:35 Be careful who you associate it 00:20:09 How the mob exploits people's weaknesses 00:22:29 Doing business with the mafia 00:23:48 Monday night business ideas 00:24:23 Taking a Chevrolet dealership from a degenerate gambler 00:25:18 You have to weigh your options very carefully 00:26:09 Michael Jordan gambling (competition) problem 00:27:40 Michael Jordan was asked to step away from NBA because of gambling debt 00:29:08 You will get caught eventually 00:33:29 Is Michael Franzese happier now? 00:34:59 The fours things that can take you down in life really fast 00:35:45 We're making too much money… how to walk away from this? 00:38:34 Don't be a fool, don't compromise your own career 00:40:59 When people have a competitive spirit, they might be an easy target 00:42:17 Henry Kilbane story 00:43:38 The mob life 00:45:46 Walking away alive 00:48:03 The best way to not have a problem… Avoid it 00:49:59 Play your game 00:51:39 I'm good at this, that else I'm going to do? 00:52:35 Joe Pistone (Donnie Brasco) - Undercover FBI agent 00:53:30 Cat and mouse game 00:55:15 Michael Franzese past podcasts, his book, and YouTube channel 00:57:42 Wrapping up 00:58:15 A Mob Story, Michael Franzese's show in Las Vegas