Michael Francis, the former mob figure who now runs a wine business and hosts a popular YouTube channel, sat down for a dinner and Q&A session where he answered questions from fans about his past, his family, and his current life. The event covered everything from his first time getting drunk to his thoughts on modern politics.
Francis said he was not much of a drinker in his youth, and his first real experience with being drunk came later in life. He recalled celebrating his acquittal in a trial prosecuted by Rudy Giuliani by going to Palm Springs and drinking champagne in extreme heat. He said he ended up on the bathroom floor with a pounding headache and nearly drowned in the pool. He said he has not been drunk since, and that he preferred to stay in control of his senses during his years in the life. He said he and his father would order a white wine spritzer and nurse it all night when they went to bars.
When asked about his heritage, Francis said his family traces back to Naples, Italy. His grandfather came to the United States in the late 1800s and had 18 children, all raised in Brooklyn. His father was born on a boat trip back to Italy, which made him a naturalized citizen. Francis said family is everything, and he noted similarities between Italian and Armenian culture.
Francis explained that he moved to California because of his wife, who was born and raised in Anaheim. He said he knew he was walking away from his old life and could not have stayed in New York. He said California was about as far as he could get, and he has come to love living in Orange County. He praised the area for its convenience, restaurants, and access to skiing and the desert.
One fan asked how many bottles of wine he would need to buy to appear as an extra in Francis's upcoming movie. Francis laughed and said the fan was already in, promising him a role. He discussed his history in the film industry, noting that he financed 30 films in his lifetime, including the cult film Savage Streets with Linda Blair. He said he recently sold the rights to that film for $60,000. He said he is not putting any of his own money into the new movie about his life, but he feels good about the team involved.
Francis was asked about a comment he made on a podcast about Democrats being easier to corrupt than Republicans. He said that was his experience, noting that he was a Democrat himself. He said his father hated Ronald Reagan and John Wayne, claiming they did not like Italians. He said the unions were all Democrat and that Republicans were seen as the law and order guys back then.
He also shared his views on the current political climate, saying he has never seen a man attacked the way Donald Trump has been. He said he supports some of Trump's policies but is disappointed with the GOP for not doing more. He said he has little faith in politicians and wrote a book called Mafia Democracy, arguing that the mafia is now in Washington.
Francis told the story of how he met his wife. He was producing a breakdance movie in Florida and brought in 20 professional dancers from Los Angeles. She was one of them. He saw her come out of the pool at a party and asked the choreographer to introduce them. She was 19 and he was 31, and she wanted nothing to do with him for about three weeks. He was persistent, and they have been married for 41 years.
He was asked about the best mob movies and said the most authentic one was the 1996 Gotti film with Armand Assante and Anthony Quinn. He praised a specific scene where Anthony Quinn's character fights for Gotti's life, saying the delivery of the lines was the most real scene he has ever seen in any movie, even better than The Godfather.
Francis said he last spoke to Sammy Gravano about two weeks ago. He said they did not start out on good terms but eventually became friends. He said Gravano is trying and is still the real deal.
A fan asked whether Francis could have avoided indictment by exiting the gas scheme early. Francis said he had a target on his back because of his name. He said he was arrested 18 times, indicted seven times, and went to trial five times. He said someone once told him to make a clean break, but he reasoned that you get as much time for a million dollars as you do for a billion. He said he credits Rudy Giuliani for the reason he is sitting here today, because Giuliani's weak case led to his acquittal, which made prosecutors in another district afraid to use a bad witness against him. He said he took a plea deal that included a $20 million fine and 10 years in prison.
He also told a story about $33 million in a numbered Austrian bank account that he and a partner shared. He said the feds took his partner's half but could not access the money without the full account number. He said he eventually gave up his half to negotiate down his plea, but the money never showed up in any agreement. He said he does not know who got it.
When asked about his faith, Francis said it started in solitary confinement. He said he was told he would never get out of prison and that his wife had a breakdown. He said a correctional officer handed him a Bible, and he began studying it seriously. He said he looked at the evidence and concluded that Christianity was real. He said Jesus was either the son of God or he was not, and there is no gray area. He said following Jesus has made him a better person, and he developed a healthy fear of hell while in the hole.
A guest named Phil shared his own story of being prosecuted and convicted, and asked Francis how he forgave Giuliani. Francis said he and Giuliani became friends about three years ago when they appeared on a radio show together. Giuliani told him he was happy he did not convict him and that he believed his transformation was real. Francis said he even contributed to Giuliani's defense fund. He said Giuliani was doing his job, just like Joe Pistone, the undercover agent known as Donnie Brasco, was doing his job.
Francis was asked about the secret to a long-lasting marriage. He said marriage is a commitment and people should look for solutions instead of running away. He said his wife is a strong Christian and that God was the foundation of their marriage. He said they were married only three months when he went away for a long time, and she chose to stay. He said she told him they got married to stay married.
A guest named Stevie from the Bronx shared memories of Francis's father, saying he helped him stop gambling. Francis said his father taught him three words for surviving prison: please, thank you, and excuse me. He also said his father told him to always be kind to the little people, like valet parkers and waiters, because those are the people who make you strong.
Francis was asked about the gas business and whether he could bring gas prices down. He said he controlled about 300 gas stations and would undercut competitors by two cents, then more if they tried to match him. He said he was selling gas back to the major oil companies' stations, and the companies were happy because they were selling more gas. He said the only people who were mad were the FBI.
He also told a story about a meeting with Kroger, where his business partner presented the wine brand with zero sales data. When asked if he ever felt morally bad about stealing from the government, Francis said the government is supposed to take care of the people, and he gave people cheaper gas. He said he paid himself a nice salary, and the meeting ended with Kroger giving them the account.
Francis said he walked away from the life because he saw that every family of every member of that life was destroyed. He said he married a 19-year-old girl and did not want to bring her into that world. He said he made the choice to leave, even though it was hard because of his father. He said he was planning to go back to New York for a war when he was arrested and sent to the hole for three years. He said the war lasted three years, 12 guys were killed, and 18 guys became informants. He said that time in solitary saved his life.
He said he wants his legacy to be that he was a good guy who treated people right. He said he does not need his name on a building.
Francis was asked to choose between Rikers Island and LA County Jail. He said LA County is a sewer. He said he spent two nights at Rikers, which was a hell hole, but LA County was worse. He recalled being locked up with the Menendez brothers and being mistaken for one of them while walking through the prison.
He was asked about Bruce Cutler, John Gotti's lawyer. Francis said he knew him well and that Cutler's partner was his attorney. He said Cutler was a good lawyer but that representing Gotti got a little in his head.
A guest asked whether Francis is more driven by making money or by building things from nothing. Francis said it is more about satisfaction than pride. He said he is driven by the success of whatever he starts. He revealed that his pizza business signed a contract with the United States Navy for 10,000 bases around the world. He also said he is looking at a potential $100 million buyout deal for his brand and YouTube channel, though he admitted the numbers sound crazy to him.
Francis said he filmed a cooking video the day before the event and is working on a digital cookbook featuring recipes from mob movies and personal family recipes. He also said he can get reservations at Carbone's in New York, which he called the best Italian restaurant in the country.
A guest named Robert shared that his family's trucking company hauled gasoline for Francis back in the day. He said they dealt with the Russians in between and that the shell companies would change names every few months. He said the feds eventually came down, but his father never got involved in the scheme. Francis said the movie about his life will be authentic, and he spent about 25 hours with the writer going over the script.
Francis was asked about his Learjet 25A and famous people he traveled with. He said he used it mostly to fly to Florida, Chicago, and Detroit. He said he did not have to pay for jet fuel because he was supplying jet fuel to private jets on Long Island. He also told a story about flying to Manhattan in a Bell helicopter during his trial, and offering rides home to the FBI agents who were stuck in traffic.