American former New York mobster and caporegime of the Colombo crime family, and son of former underboss Sonny Franzese
Michael Franzese (born May 27, 1951) is an American former New York mobster and caporegime of the Colombo crime family, and son of former underboss Sonny Franzese. Franzese was enrolled in a pre-med program at Hofstra University, but dropped out to make money for his family after his father was sentenced to 50 years in prison for bank robbery in 1967. He eventually helped implement a scheme to defraud the federal government out of gasoline taxes in the early 1980s.
By the age of 35, in 1986, Fortune Magazine listed Franzese as number 18 on its list of the "Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses". Franzese had claimed that at the height of his career, he generated up to $8 million per week. In 1986, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison on conspiracy charges, released in 1989, rearrested in 1991 for a parole violation, and ultimately released in 1994. Soon after, he retired to California and is now a motivational speaker and writer.
There are ways you can find people to help you market your company on the Internet. If you have the right people helping you, you can get the word out. Newspaper and TV ads are expensive. If you can get the word out through social media, that's a big advantage.
People going into a business have to have a plan. It's helpful to write it out, even if you're the only one there to see it and execute it. It's your bible. Stick to it, unless things happen in the market that cause you to change your plan. I do that myself.
I'm the strongest advocate you can imagine for doing things honestly and paying your taxes. Take advantage of every tax break you're legally entitled to. But I follow the letter of the law, because the consequences are severe if you're caught. I was a perpetrator at one time and suffered severe consequences. It is difficult in some places, but if you live in places like California, move somewhere else to save some money.
Unlike stocks, where in our country, you go to sleep, everyone tells you everything is wonderful, you wake up and everything is gone.
God has a purpose and plan for your life and nothing can stand in the way of it - except you. Are you ready to listen? It's time to stand up and be bold for Jesus.
You can't micromanage. People who try to do that often fall on their faces. Incentivize those who work with you so you get the best work you can. Every career is a team effort, even if you're the one in front.
I say, "This is my objective" and when I stick to it, I succeed. When I deviate, I'm in trouble. Do what you do best and delegate the rest. There are things I do better than others, and there are things I'm horrible at and I delegate those.
I've seen many lives destroyed. I've seen more people have problems with gambling than I have with drugs and alcohol. And there are some serious consequences if you get in over your head.