Iorizzo was being hassled by criminals in California and offered Franzese a percentage if he would defend and solve the issue. In 1981, Franzese was contacted by Lawrence Salvatore Iorizzo who had developed a scheme to defraud the federal government out of gasoline taxes in 1965. In 1980, Franzese had become a caporegime of a crew of 300. Franzese later expressed admiration for Gotti, citing his strict mobster lifestyle and his overwhelming ego. Gotti however claimed that the scared-off partner was an associate of his. Franzese sent Colombo soldier-turned informant Anthony Sarivola and another member who remains unidentified. Franzese agreed to frighten him and become the new partner. Franzese was contacted by a flea market owner who complained that his partner was using and selling drugs at the market in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. During the late 1970s, Franzese met with Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, who was then a soldier. įranzese was briefly mentored by Colombo soldier Joseph "Joe-Joe" Vitacco (1927–1980). Although Franzese recounts this ceremony had taken place in 1975, the membership books reportedly were not reopened until 1976 (they had been closed since 1957). He took the oath alongside friend Jimmy Angelino, Joseph Peraino Jr., Salvatore Miciotta, Vito Guzzo Sr., and John Minerva - all of whom died violently over the next 20 years. As part of the ceremony Franzese took the blood oath and swore omerta. įranzese became acquainted with his father's friends such as Joseph Colombo, and according to Franzese, later became inducted as a made man on Halloween night 1975 under acting boss Tommy DiBella. However, in 1971, Franzese decided to drop out of college to help his family earn money when his father was sentenced to 50 years in prison for bank robbery in 1967. After finishing high school, Franzese entered a pre-med program at Hofstra University in 1969 his father originally did not want him to be involved in organized crime. After the mob allowed John to divorce his first wife, Grillo disappeared, and he married Capobianco. However, it was later discovered that John, already married with three children, had gotten the 16-year-old Capobianco, a cigarette girl at the Stork Club in Manhattan, pregnant with Michael, so Capobianco married Grillo to avoid having a scandal surrounding having a child out of wedlock. Michael says he had gone by the name "Michael Grillo" until he was 18 years old. Franzese had initially believed that he had been adopted by John after his mother divorced Frank Grillo, who Franzese thought to be his biological father.
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