Mobster John Franzese: Once oldest inmate in US federal prison system dies at 103

One of the Mafia's most fearsome killer, John "Sonny" Franzese, has died at the age of 103 in a US federal prison. According to reports, Franzese was the second-in-command of the Colombo crime family which operated in New York City. Reports have revealed that Frazese worked in the Colombo crime family well his 90s. Reports claim that at the time of release, Franzese was the federal prison system's oldest inmate.

Spent life in and out of prisons

Born in the Italian city of Naples on February 6, 1917, Franzese was the youngest of 19 siblings. Reports claim that he grew up in Brooklyn where his father ran a bakery. Franzese was drafted into the military in 1942 after dropping out of high school. He was later discharged from the military for having 'homicidal tendencies', but Franzese claims that it was a misunderstanding and he only wished to 'kill' the enemy instead of doing kitchen duties.

After returning to Brooklyn, Franzese's boxing and fights gained the attention of the Profaci organisation which later became popular as the Colombo crime family, according to reports. Franzese reportedly partied with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. 

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Franzese was first convicted on March 1967 for masterminding four bank robberies. That year Franzese was also tried for the murder of a suspected informer but was acquitted. According to reports the informer was shot six times, stabbed 17 times and drowned in Jamaica Bay, weighed down with two concrete blocks.

In 2011, Franzese was convicted for various protection payments from three separate businesses. His own son. John jr testified against him which he later claimed was in an attempt to turn his own life around, as per reports. In 2017, Franzese was released from prison at the age of 100 due to his advancing age.

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