Mandala Ventures has announced the launch of “An Evening with Michael Franzese – The Real Goodfella”, a series of multi-city gala events in the UK, headlined by Michael Franzese, the former high-ranking member of the Mafia and now renowned motivational speaker, best-selling author, and star of several global documentaries.
Once dubbed the Mafia Prince, audiences across the UK will have the exclusive chance to engage with the first high-ranking official member of a major crime family to have walked away without protective custody and survived to tell the tale. Michael Franzese will exclusively share a series of untold anecdotes before he opens the floor to questions from the audience in an enthralling question and answer session. Hull will host the coveted show at DoubleTree by Hilton (HU2 8NH) on Saturday 23 July.
The event will include a VIP reception and soiree, three-course gala dinner, a series of VIP experiences ranging from meet and greets with Michael Franzese to being seated on his VIP table, an exclusive after-show party and an on-stage ‘in conversation with’ style interaction with Michael Franzese, hosted by a notable public figure.
Michael will take the Hull audience on a journey, from life growing up as the son of one of the era’s most famous Mob Underbosses to some of the deepest and darkest never-before-told secrets of a former ‘Caporegime’ (Captain) of the revered Colombo crime family who ran New York alongside four other family mobs across multiple decades. Michael Franzese will bare all on criminal operations, high profile celebrity and political associations, run-ins with law enforcement, his imprisonment, finding faith in God, and the threats he faced on his life once he broke his oath of silence (Omerta) and walked away from the Colombo family to live a reformed life.
As he prepares to open the door to his past for the people of Hull, Michael Franzese says: “I’m really excited to be landing in Hull and to share a unique experience with everyone as we unearth some of the untold truths of the Mafia.
“There are not many people who can say they’ve sat on both sides of the divide between the Mafia and the law and lived to tell the tale. It was like a rite of passage for me to become part of the criminal underworld, or as we called it, ‘the family business’. The truth is, I was good at it.
“But I’ve seen the destruction caused by ‘the life’. The pain, suffering, loss it leaves in its wake. I’ve seen families devastated, and wars on the streets. I’ve been marched into a room, expecting never to walk back out. But now, I’m ready to share my story with people and give an insight into what that life really means – and why I simply had to get out.”
Michael Franzese’s Story
At the height of his mob life, Michael Franzese defrauded the U.S Federal Government of upwards of $35 million with a gasoline bootlegging scheme, making him one of the most powerful men in the city and a prime target for law enforcement.
In 1986, Vanity Fair named Michael one of the biggest money earners the mob had seen since Al Capone, with Fortune Magazine listing him at number 18 on the “Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses” list, just five behind the infamous mob boss John Gotti. Joseph Bono even briefly portrayed him in the famous Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas. But in 1995, following several years in prison on racketeering charges, Michael’s life changed.
Guided by a newfound faith in God, he took the unprecedented decision to publicly step away from the mob and denounce a life of ‘evil’ and ‘destruction’. What would follow would be several contacts on his life as the Mob he once served sought after his death. Advised by the FBI that his story could inspire troubled youth and individuals to make the right life choices, today Michael Franzese is a renowned motivational speaker who works closely with troubled and vulnerable youth around the world, connecting with them and sharing his story to help steer them away from a life of organised crime and violence.
Tickets for the Hull show, An Evening with Michael Franzese – The Real Goodfella, are on sale now. More details can be found here.