Mobster Targeted by Government After Marilyn Monroe Incident, Son Claims
A former New York mobster reportedly became a federal government target following a controversial mention by Marilyn Monroe during an encounter involving Robert F. Kennedy. Michael Franzese, ex-captain of the Colombo crime family, relayed this tale shared by his late father, underboss John ‘Sonny’ Franzese, during a podcast appearance on ‘Hang Out with Sean Hannity.’
According to Franzese, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy instructed FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to focus on his father after Monroe allegedly named the mobster in an intimate encounter with Kennedy. John Franzese allegedly had a romantic relationship with Monroe after meeting her at the Stork Club in Manhattan.
‘This is what my father told me,’ Franzese stated about the starlet’s connection with Bobby Kennedy. ‘They were having a good time together, and she mentioned my name.’
John ‘Sonny’ Franzese was pictured in police custody on April 12, 1966, in New York City.
He continued, stating, ‘Kennedy contacted Hoover, insisting, “I don’t know who this Sonny guy is, but lock him up.”’
Highly successful in the Mafia before leaving organized crime, Michael Franzese shared that the story emerged post-2012, after his mother’s passing. He recalls questioning his father on why federal agents continuously monitored their residence rather than targeting other Mafia leaders.
‘I asked, “Why you? Why not Colombo or Genovese?”’ Franzese inquired. ‘It was the first time I posed the question. My father admitted he refrained from sharing the story while my mother was alive out of respect.’
Sonny Franzese’s targeting by authorities seemed credible with hindsight. Franzese added a noteworthy reflection: ‘My father may embellish at times, but this explanation aligns. Remember, J. Edgar Hoover refused to acknowledge the Mafia’s existence back then.’
Throughout the conversation, Franzese explained a lucrative gas tax scheme his family orchestrated. It involved collecting gas taxes without government payment, yielding around $3 million to $4 million weekly.
Sonny Franzese faced arrest in 1967 and subsequent conviction for orchestrating several bank robberies nationwide, resulting in a 50-year federal prison sentence. He received parole but was sentenced again in 2011 for racketeering conspiracy. He died in 2020 at age 103.