University of North Carolina Athletics
Franzese To Speak At UNC
September 17, 2007 | Football
Sept. 17, 2007
Michael Franzese is visiting the UNC campus today to speak to various constituencies in the Department of Athletics on the dangers of gambling.
At one point in his life, Franzese was one of the biggest money earners the mob had ever seen since Al Capone. His operations in gambling, loan sharking, corporate crime, and racketeering became the target of federal prosecutors. Although Franzese was charged with these crimes, many times the prosecutors came up empty-handed in court. More indictments would follow, however, and, in a dramatic turn of events, Franzese plead guilty to another racketeering charge, accepted a 10-year prison sentence, and then vowed to do the unthinkable - quit the mob!
Franzese was in the final stretch of his prison sentence, having served seven years in various federal institutions throughout the country. One afternoon he was summoned to the Warden's office. This order is rarely followed by good news. He was met by two FBI agents, which would normally mean even worse news, but this was not so on this day. The agents were there to recruit Franzese to participate in a program designed to educate professional and intercollegiate athletes about the dangers of gambling - he had first-hand knowledge from his involvement with the Mafia. That meeting with the FBI was the beginning of something very new for Franzese.
Franzese is now a man on a mission and is determined to use his compelling experiences of his former life for the benefit of at-risk youth, professional and intercollegiate athletes, corporate executives, and anyone seeking the inspiration to beat the odds and make positive changes in their lives.
