He faced an 8-year prison sentence for crimes, including extortion and loansharking at 93 and was finally released in June 2017. Try again later. John had no ID, no timeline, no guard. He was 100, the oldest inmate in the federal prison system, when he made parole. Salvatore D'Aquila was the first recognized boss of what is now called the Gambino Family, leading a large Palermitani faction in New York City as they emigrated. The younger Franzese recalled becoming a Colombo bagman by 18, with all the trappings . Shortly thereafter, a cop caught John about to inject cocaine while sitting in a limousine, the first in a series of drug-related arrests. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Please dont run, Sonny said. Im talking about the life he chose. (That guy, Im gonna see him.), Michael was the front man; John was the pleaser who kept things light and friendly. John "Sonny" Franzese Sr. in the 1960s and at the peak of his powers. I thought he was Louis son but no. The victim had been shot, stabbed, and submerged in Jamaica Bay (via concrete blocks affixed to his limbs). Out went the vibrato; in came fistfights and football. Franzese was famous as the oldest active member of the American Mafia. When Lewicki happened into a local bakery, Sonny offered him bread and cakes. When the FBI searched Gioeli's house in 2008, among the items they discovered were a photo of Tommy and JoJo in 1972, with broad smiles on their faces in front of a Farmingdale candy store. Tina had died alone and embittered in 2012. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. In 1942, during the Second World War, the United States Army discharged Franzese for showing "homicidal tendencies. A few years later, in 1947, court papers accused him of committing rape. But relations with John remained raw. At other times, John was overcome with gratitude and grace. Always did. Michael was sharper than most wiseguys. This surprises him. I make a car look good because Im in it.. As of June 2016, he had18 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Carmine A. Franzese was born in 1913, at birth place, New York, to Pietro Franzese and Lorenzina Franzese. To many, he is one of the most darkly iconic mobsters ever.