“Life is a negotiation.”
-Michael Franzese
In a brutal life where few survive, one man made millions a week and lived to tell the tale.
Here are the top life lessons from Michael Franzese.
How Did His Life In The Mafia Begin?
Michael’s dad was Sonny Franzese, who was an underboss + made man of the Colombo crime family.
His dad originally did not want Michael involved in organized crime.
However, when his dad was sentenced to 50 years in prison for bank robbery, Michael dropped out of college to help his family make money.
On Halloween night 1975, he was initiated into the mafia with 6 other members (all of which have now been murdered).
This ritual involved taking a blood oath to a code of principles.
His Job Was To Extort Car Dealerships.
This turned into him owning 2 dealerships at the time.
These dealerships also had a:
- Used car lot
- Leasing company
- Body shop
After this success, people approached him with more deals.
He had:
- Nightclubs
- Restaurants
- And a film production company in California.
Then He Found His Big Winner
Michael got into the gas business and devised a scheme to defraud the gov out of tax on gas.
After 8 years he had over 350 stations and 18 wholesale companies licensed to collect tax.
(Placing himself in a massive stream of money).
He sold half a billion gallons a month, taking down 20-30-40 cents per gallon depending on the deal.
This brought in 7-8-10 million dollars a week.
It was the most lucrative operation since the days of prohibition.
This attention and power made him tons of connections and allies with other families.
He started to make a name for himself.
This allowed him to have his own:
- Lear jet
- Helicopter
- House in Long island
- House in Florida
- House in Marina del Rey
And meet tons of dignitaries + celebs.
The only downside was, he was fighting the gov every day of his life.
When you’re making that kind of money, people are watching you. It’s a double-edged sword.
“If too many people get involved, everything goes up in smoke.”
-Michael Franzese
All Of It Ended With 7 Indictments And 2 Federal Racketeering Cases.
After several months of being in court, he won his case.
Then, the partner who started the gas scheme with him turned informant.
He lost his jet, helicopter, and had to do a few years time.
He took a plea deal that wrapped all his offenses into one. It was a negotiation to preserve the rest of his life.
And he did it all without having to put anyone else in prison or ending up in witness protection.
By this point, he saw how mob life had devastated his family and wanted out.
He Knew How To Play Every Situation To Come Out Unscathed.
Michael ultimately navigated his time with the mob with mastery.
He knew it was better to keep it low profile and to never offend the wrong person.
“Dealing with Jon Gotti taught me to make everyone feel like they get what they want out of a deal, while still getting what I want.
You get the credit, I get the money.”
-Michael Franzese
He did the right thing with the right people and always stayed on his guard.
Everyone who wanted to shout off the mountain about being a tough guy got whacked. He saw a lot of people die for the wrong reason.
And Michael escaped this by not creating patterns in my life.
- Not doing things at the same times
- Not going to places where he knew certain people would be
- Etc
He kept the right people around to help keep himself accountable.
And He Did This With Expert Social Skills
1 of the first things you notice about Michael is his charisma.
Charisma is not loud and talkative…
He seems to tell you everything while telling very little.
(Speaking freely and eloquently).
Michael carries himself with the ultimate level of respect without being armed or threatening in any way.
This is because his dedication to his principles inspires respect.
Conclusion
- Serve evergreen markets
- Don’t let too many people get involved
- Let everyone feel like they win during a deal
- Don’t offend the wrong people
- Do the right things with the right people
- Hothead wild cards don’t last
- Don’t create obvious patterns in your life
- Keep the right people around to help stay accountable
- Your dedication to your principles inspires respect
P.S. Enjoy this post? Read “ON! For Him“.
It’s the premium guide to living a higher value lifestyle.
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My name is Mister Infinite. I've written 300+ articles for people who want more out of life. Within this website you will find the motivation and action steps to live a better lifestyle.
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