Definitive Guide To: The Mob

THE STORY OF ONE MOBSTER
When I was in high school I took a sudden interest in all things mob related. I read book after book beginning with THE VALACHI PAPERS. For a while it held my interest culminating with finally seeing the film and reading the book THE GODFATHER. While that movie is still one of the best ever made, my interests have dwindled a bit. But when something comes along I still make a point of watching whether it's a TV documentary or something like this new DVD release.

This new DVD first appeared on The History Channel a while back. While it purports to be the definitive guide, it actually gives some of the basics as seen through the eyes of one man, Michael Franzese. The DVD tells the story of how he was the son of a man already involved with the Mafia and how he eventually approached his father about joining himself.

Franzese is a well dressed, successful looking man in the film. He presents himself well but as it progresses he makes it clear that men like him...

An Interesting Documentary
The dust jacket shows that this documentary was originally made for the History channel/
A&E Networks and has now been released in a DVD version.

If you are one of millions that enjoyed watching Godfather, Scarface, Sopranos or the various
other dramatizations of the "Mafia", then you may be interested in this documentary. This
is mostly one man's story, and that man is Sonny Franzese, whose father was in the New York
Colombo family. Despite his father hoping that he'd pursue a more honest career, the acorn
didn't fall far from the tree as the saying goes, and Franzese ended up becoming a
"regimentcapo" or captain for the Colombo family during the late-golden years for the New York
mob families. Franzese is one of the very few "made" men who (he says) exited organized crime
without leaving in a coffin, dying in prison or being in the witness protection program.
Essentially how that happened was a combination of favorable...

Mafia survivor
This is a 90 minute DVD with English and Spanish subtitles. It also has extras of trailers.

Michael Franzese followed his family business with the Colombo family. He tells his story and with that the story of the Cosa Nostra is revealed and examined. There are graphic photos and films - shootings and the deaths of mobsters. There are interviews with other mob members.

We learn how to get into the mob and, make money - $2 million a weeks. Michael Franzese is known as the only man to survive quitting. He tells the story of the Colombo family. The history and structure from the Black Hand with period films, and photos is given with interviews of authors and police.

Franzese was probably able to survive because of the dwindling power of the mob. This is his story and that of a powerful crime syndicate. The film is done well and holds an interest for history buffs and those who are fascinated by this criminal family.

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