Colombo Family Father vs Son Courtroom Confrontation

John “Sonny” Franzese

Colombo Crime Family gangster John Franzese known by most as “Sonny” is set to go on trial for murder. This won’t just be another standard mafia murder trial as many in the past years because this one offers an unthinkable mob twist. The Colombo family has been somewhat disfunctional for a while and they will set another first for the Mafia when Father vs Son hit the court room.

John Franzese Jr is set to testify against his mafia father as stated by court papers. John Jr is the troubled and drug abusing son of long time Colombo family member Sonny Franzese. This will with out a doubt be a very dramatic courtroom confrontation and give the trial a level of its own. Franzese’s son turned on his old man and other members of the Colombo family and began cooperating with the Fed’s possibly as early as 1996.

Franzese Jr in 2005 as part of his agreement to cooperate began wearing a wire and taping conversations. He would record multiple incriminating conversations with his father and other Colombo family members and associates having to do with mafia business. Recorded conversations by Franzese Jr implicate his father in extortion scheme’s on New York businesses including Pizzeria’s in Long Island and adult clubs in Manhattan like The Penthouse Executive Club.

On one particular occasion Franzese Jr would catch his father and Colombo Family member Joseph DiGorga approving a plan to obtain protection payments from the Penthouse Clubs ownership who were fearful of possible violence from another rival crime family. It was reported back in 2002 that Franzese Jr has possibly flipped on his old man but in a tear filled plea he assured his father that he would never do something like that. Sonny Franzese would believe his son and allowed him to slip back into the inner circles of the Colombo Family.

The Fed’s did not have an easy time with Franzese Jr either it seems as its reported they dropped the younger Franzese as a cooperating witness several times over the years for drug and alcohol abuse. But the Fed’s continued to bring him back on to the team as he had a lot to offer volunteering to go undercover and wear a wire reporting on his dad’s and Colombo Family business. Seems Franzese’s role as rat for the Fed’s ended in 2006 after he borrowed $10,000 from Colombo Family capo Michael Catapano for “personal use” which for the Fed’s was a no no.

The Mafia has seen its share of first over the last decade as its seen the power decrease as they take more and more shots from the Fed’s and see the ship overflow with rats. But a Mafia Father vs Son courtroom show down would of previously been unthinkable by the old guard is now a reality of today’s Mob.