Cosa Nostra News

UPDATED Gangland legend/longtime Colombo wiseguy John (Sonny) Franzese — who set the record for being the oldest inmate in the federal prison system — was released Friday from a Massachusetts lockup. He's shockingly frail looking but then he turned 100 this past February (we wonder if President Trump sent him the birthday card) and just finished an eight-year bid. Guys facing less time than that have flipped -- nevermind emptying your pockets at 93 years of age. Sonny went to his daughter's house (where else) after jail. He served his sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Mass. for shaking down the Hustler and Penthouse strip clubs in Manhattan.

I get lots of email. Mostly from mob enthusiasts asking me to cover this or that. I have yet to receive a communique from, say, a beautiful women in town seeking someone to show her New York's many unique splendors. Sometimes I get emails from mobsters.

According to  Variety , “God the Father,” a documentary about former mob boss Michael Franzese , is set for an Oct. 31 release. “God the Father,” produced by Moshe Diamant and directed by Simon Fellows, documents the life and spiritual transformation of Michael Franzese , son of Colombo underboss John “Sonny” Franzese . Moonstone Entertainment will preview “God the Father” next week at Cannes. Franzese followed his father’s profession as a mobster, making his reputation in schemes such as an elaborate gasoline bootlegging scheme that involved collecting gas taxes and not paying the government. He renounced the life of crime in 1987 and began seeking redemption as a Christian.

Nick Christophers  -- whom I have interviewed in the past --  is the well-known editor of Mob Candy . He has done me the honor of writing a guest blog  about Spiro Velentzas, who the feds allege was the boss of the Greek Mafia. He is also the one whom then-Gambino boss John Gotti was referring to when he famously declared: "Y ou tell this punk, I, me, John Gotti... will sever your motherfuckin’ head off!" Spiro is serving life in prison. Christophers, for one, doesn't believe the feds had the goods to support their allegations, nor to impose such a draconian prison sentence. Spiro, now in prison 25 years, still declares his innocence. And I agree that there is more to this than meets the eye, as well. "Fat Pete" Chiodo is the main reason Spiro is behind bars. Fat Pete became a rat after the Lucheses (unjustly) had decided he was an informant and moved to assassinate him. 

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.