Michael Franzese, a former captain in the Colombo crime family, recently shared an explosive story about his father, John “Sonny” Franzese. On the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast, Michael recounted how his father became a target of the federal government. The alleged reason? Marilyn Monroe reportedly mentioned Sonny Franzese during an intimate moment with Robert F. Kennedy.
According to Michael Franzese, Robert F. Kennedy, then Attorney General, instructed FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to investigate his father after the incident. Franzese claimed his father had a romantic liaison with Monroe after meeting her at the Stork Club in Manhattan. “Now this is my father telling me this,” Michael elaborated. “She’s with Bobby Kennedy. And he said, ‘One night they were having fun together, and she screamed out my name.'”
John “Sonny” Franzese was captured in police custody in New York City on April 12, 1966. In the aftermath, Michael was curious about the federal surveillance his family experienced, often questioning why his father was a primary target when other mob figures were also in play. His father’s response was revealing. “I didn’t want to tell you while your mother was alive, because I’m respectful,” Sonny reportedly said.
Michael found his father’s explanation plausible, even though he acknowledged his father’s tendency to exaggerate. He explained, “I don’t know if you remember back then, J. Edgar Hoover would never even admit that the Mafia existed because we had something on him back then.”
Beyond the alleged Monroe connection, Sonny Franzese’s criminal activities were substantial. He was arrested in 1967 for organizing bank robberies and sentenced to 50 years in prison, later paroled. In 2011, he faced imprisonment again for racketeering conspiracy charges and passed away in 2020 at 103 years old.
The podcast episode also touched on Michael Franzese’s infamous gas tax scheme, which he claimed generated millions of dollars weekly. The scheme involved collecting gas taxes without remitting them to the government, earning him personally $3 million to $4 million each week.