Michael Franzese

Michael Franzese's life is all about change. In 1986, Fortune magazine listed him as the eighteenth most powerful mobster in America. At the height of his power, he raked in millions a week through slick scams and used his wits and charm to keep the likes of John Gotti from moving in on his turf. The son of one of the most-feared mob enforcers in New York City, Michael took his own blood oath to join the Colombo crime family in 1975. But a criminal career that skyrocketed from its outset ended in 1989 when Michael quit the mob. Breaking his ties with the Mafia, he found himself part of a new blood covenant when he became a Christian. Now, Michael is a new man with a new mission in life. He travels around the world relating the experiences of his former life with students, pro athletes, business executives, at-risk youth, and anyone else who needs inspiration for life's challenges.