Former mobster Michael Franzese spoke openly about his violent past and redemption in Christ during a recent interview. Franzese now speaks to audiences across the country and he will star in a documentary to be released in October. He is the son of Colombo underboss John “Sonny” Franzese, and dropped out of college to become a gangster. “I ended up creating a scam to defraud the government out of tax on every gallon of gasoline,” he told Breathecast.
“Unfortunately, if you’re part of that life you’re part of the violence and there’s no way to get around it,” he says. He eventually became a captain in the Colombo crime family, and served time in prison for racketeering, counterfeiting, extortion, and tax fraud. While incarcerated, Franzese, 63, renounced his Mafia oath, and dedicated his life to Christ.
In prison, “The government was against me; my father betrayed me; the boss of my [mob] family had a contract against me; I’m sitting in that cell and I’m alone.” He picked up a Bible and began to read it. “It’s almost as if the Lord said, ‘I know you have enemies, but you come with me and I can take care of that.’ ” Franzese says that evening in the prison cell, God, put him on “the pathway to Jesus who is my hero and my idol in life now.” His Foundation Breaking Out is dedicated to equipping youth to face life’s challenges, especially gambling addiction. The documentary – God the Father – will include archival footage, interviews, re-enactments, and animation.
Source: Christian Post; Wikipedia; Christian Today
BIBLE STUDY: Romans 5:6-11
PRAISE: God that there is hope in Christ even for the “extreme” lost. Pray that the hope of Christ will lead many to abandon lives of addiction and crime.