Ex-Member of the Columbo Crime Family: Michael Franzese "Prince of the Mafia"

You said earlier that your father had always taught you not to trust the police. You also mentioned that you grew up seeing police and other law enforcement agents do things that made you hate them even more. Which of those negative things do you remember most today?

Y'know, it was actually a compilation of things. I loved my father so much and all the FBI and police tried to do was take him away and hurt my family. So that was the main thought process. But sometimes I would witness agents just kind of get out of control. One day I was playin' ball outside, the ball went over my head and rolled into the street. The agents were parked on my street, as always, and when the ball got to their car one of the agents got out.. Big guy.. And he stops the ball with his foot and lifts up his coat. He had a gun there and said "This is for your old man". I mean, I'm 10 years old.. And that really got me. It just went down from that point. I had a graduation party when I graduated high school and I had over 500 people there, lots of them were my friends from school.. The FBI agents took down the license plate number of all the cars that came to my party and gave them subpoenas to testify in front of a grand jury as to what their business was at my house. Why were they there? What went on? And that kind of harassment just made me dislike them very much.

You mentioned that you were "being groomed to be a Mob Boss", what exactly does that entail?

Basically just learning the life. How to deal with the men, how to handle the position of leadership because that life is very intriguing. And when you're in a position of leadership you have got to know how to handle all the situations that may arise. So my dad was showing me the ropes and the boss was grooming me and telling me exactly what I needed to know. Being the boss of a Mob family is a very tenuous position. You do something wrong or gain resentment from the men... they take you out. Leading in that life is different than anything else.

You talked a lot about your father, and your close relationship with him throughout your childhood. Even today, with him in prison, you still have a close relationship with him. What I was wondering was, how was your mother through all this?

My mother became very bitter and angry, and sad. Very sad. In her view, my father destroyed her kids. Both my sisters died, my brother was a mess, and me going off into the same life.. She wanted me to go to school. And then being without a husband for all those years.. And my mother to this day is devastated without him. It impacted her in a bad way.

What was one of the major events that made you realize that Mob life was no longer the life for you?

One of the main things was the night I was called upon by the boss and brought into a room based on the amount of money I was making and turning in. I was getting very popular, making billions of dollars, and it made the boss very nervous. And that night I walked into a room that I didn't know I was going to walk out of. After it was over, and after they questioned me, I was very angry. I had found out that my dad had actually betrayed me. He was in the room before I was and he didn't think to help me. I was on my own. And it was something I always kept in the back of my mind. I trusted my father with my life and he betrayed me. Not too long after that I met my wife.. And it was as if many things were preparing me to leave the life. And when the time came, I did.

You said earlier that the movie Goodfellas was the most accurate depiction of Mob life that Hollywood will get. At the end of the movie however, when Henry Hill goes into witness protection, he ends the movie by saying he hates it. He hates not having the money, the glamour, and the respect that he once had as a gangster. Despite the negative parts of it, do you ever look back and miss the life?

Goodfellas characters, and old friends of Michael Franzese,
Tommy DeSimone, Henry Hill, and Jimmy Conway.

Absolutely. Ab-so-lute-ly. The thing that was so attractive about that life, for me, was the camaraderie amongst the men. It was very strong. It was a brotherhood. I got your back, you got mine. It was very powerful and I miss that a lot. And y'know, you're always gonna miss the perks. I'd walk into a restaurant and get the best table I want. Every one treats you right. I miss all the money, gettin anything I want. And of course those things are attractive. But would I ever go back for that? No. It's not worth it.  I got seven kids. Two are already through with college. That's worth it.

Coach Herman Boone "One vision. One objective. One heartbeat."

So Coach, we've all heard of the famous Titans from TC Williams High School who went the distance and accomplished things that most people believed they couldn't. But out of all the time you spent with your team, what makes you remember the Titans?

One of the most memorable moments for me then and now is knowing that group of young men, who could not stand to be within 5 feet of eachother, not only came together as a team to win a state championship and become second in the nation.. but also became life-long friends.. and to this day keep in contact with eachother and myself. They rid themselves of the hate they were taught by their parents, and saw eachother as brothers despite their differences.

Every coach has a way of reaching their team and inspiring them to work harder and play harder. What tactics did you use to help your team come together in such a prejudice society?

I think the biggest thing I did was let them know they had no choice in the matter. When I first got there they told me I was too black for the white kids, and wasn't black enough for the black kids. And that's when I decided that it was not going to be a democracy. It was a dictatorship, and I was the dictator.

What is your definition of a successful team?

My definition of a successful team would be a group of people with one vision, one objective, and one heartbeat. They come together and work together in harmony. I always tell aspiring football coaches that a successful team plays with one heartbeat.. And if they ever hear two heartbeats, somebody better kill that other sucka.

After having lived through a time of racial disperity and prejudices, are there any specific lessons you learned that you think everyone should know?

Well prejudices have been here since the beginning of time. Many cultures believe that there are cultures less important than theirs; cultures that are inferior to theirs. But I've learned that if you believe in your God.. If you believe in your values.. If you believe in your core values, and your family values..Then that's all that is truly needed for you to survive.

Coach, you've been known as a great leader and have served as an inspiration for many... Who was one of your inspirations growing up?

One of my inspirations was my father. He was not an educated man.. He wouldn't even be able to read his name if you showed it to him on paper. But he was smart. He said things that made you think. One quote he always said, and I've always tried to live by was when he said "The day is going to break whether you want it to or not. So if you ever wake up at day break and you're not planning on making a difference, then go right back to sleep."

Sinead Brink "I usually don't take pride in what I do, but I am proud of myself."

Tell me a little about yourself.

My name is Sinead Brink; I am 18 and a half. I was born February 3^rd, 1993 and I graduated from Quincy senior high in Quincy, Illinois where I have lived for the last 12 years of my life.

Can you tell me a little bit about how you grew up?

Let’s see, the first 6 years of my life were spent in and out of 6 different foster homes. I guess my childhood started to fall apart when my biological parents first met. They weren’t meant for each other. My dad was a drug cartel person. He was part of the cartel who brought hard drugs from California to the Midwest. My mom wasn’t very bright. Alcohol was her addiction of choice. My dad had his drugs and my mom had hers. And in the scheme of all that there was no room for children. So how my parents thought they could raise two kids, is beyond me.

Who mostly took care of you?

My mom worked at mcdonalds and my dad sold drugs all day, so no one really took care of us. And by “us” I mean my older sister and I. Her name is tene. We had each other, and that was about it. We lived on the river front of the Mississippi river in Quincy… and DCFS (Department of Child & Family Services) found us swimming in the river one day and took us into custody. And that is when my life in foster hood began.

What do you believe on of your greatest struggles in life was?

I think that the greatest struggle in life was finding acceptance in such a vacant childhood. I spent so many years contemplating why I was the way I was. Why wasn’t I adopted sooner? Why didn’t people like me? What was wrong with me? Maybe if I was quieter, maybe if I smiled more I would get somewhere in life. All that did to me was make me self-conscious of how I grew up and why I am the way I am today. I believe that I spent so long focusing on what was wrong with me and trying to find the acceptance from the outside world that I could never come to the realization that what I needed was the acceptance of myself. I spent years trying to fit the mold of who I thought I was supposed to be. I still find myself saying “oh I wish I was like…” Or, “I wish I could be,” It’s still a struggle trying to love myself today but I am getting better at it. I think faith has a lot to do with it. If I believe that I am amazing I am. It’s all about self-confidence and belief, that is what leads to perseverance.

Do you think that experience had any impact on the person you are today? If so, how?

My past definitely influenced the present.  I have a hard time trusting people. I don’t like attachments and don’t do them. I am almost 19 and have never been in a relationship. I was never shown how to love and therefore don’t know how to reciprocate the feelings. I want to find that perfect guy out there someday but so far the examples I’ve had weren’t the best. I have a hard time letting bygones be bygones. I have a lot of trust issues, and I know this, but I also embrace my problems and accept them.

Do you feel like you still struggle a lot today?

I think that everyone struggles in some way or another each and every day. I think my biggest struggle is still trying to figure out who I am and what I’m meant to do in this life. I know that I want to make a dent in the world I just don’t know how yet.

How do you plan on using your past experiences in bettering your future ones? (when it comes to things like marriage, kids, school, etc.)

Even with all the hurt I have experienced, I do trust people. I let them in because you only live once and people are sent into ones life for a reason, even if we don’t know it at the time. The people from my past were sent to me to make me stronger and to show me what it is to be brave, which I will be.

What are some of your proudest moments/accomplishments?

I was the student body president of my high school. I got to present a speech at my graduation and was the first one to receive my diploma. I got around $29,000 in scholarships, including grants as well as the opportunity to attend summer school at Mizzou before I was even a freshman. In high school I was the multicultural club president. I was in Technical Honor Society, National Honor Society, I was editor and chief of the school paper, and assistant editor of the year book. I was team captain for cross-country and track and just an overall involved student. I usually don’t take pride in what I do, but I’m proud of what I’ve done with the little support I was provided. 

What inspires you to be the positive and happy person you are today?

I’ m not completely sure. I don’t really have a complete inspiration. Knowing where I came from and where I am now is what keeps me going. I know that I came from nothing and I’ve made something for myself even if it’s a little bit, but what keeps me going is the fact that I know one day I will make a dent in this world and people will remember me, not that helpless little girl or the confused young woman I am now, but Sinead Brink, a name to be reckoned with.

Let’s say there is a girl out there somewhere going through similar experiences, which I’m sure there is. What would you tell her that you wish someone had told you?

As long as you love yourself and others you don’t really need anything else. Because when you love yourself you aren’t missing out on anything. There is a source of strength within being able to do that. When you love others it is a reflection of how you want to be treated; then love will come. A lot of people told me that it will get better, and I never wanted to believe it, but now looking back I can see that even though my problems weren’t completely relieved they did get better and they will continue to get better!