Michael Franzese is a former Mafia capo who worked with the Colombo crime family in New York. Ranked #18 on Fortune Magazine‘s 1986 list of the “Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses”, throughout the 70s and 80s, he was reportedly making up to $1 million per week from a gasoline tax fraud scheme. Eventually, his world came crashing down when the FBI closed in on him and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Following his release from prison, Franzese found faith and built a legitimate business empire, most notably gaining popularity on his YouTube channel. With close to 2 million followers, this outlet brilliantly balances real-life stories with pop culture. Alongside videos discussing his former life, Franzese also critiques Mafia movies and TV shows in a segment called Mob Movie Monday. He has expressed adoration for movies like Goodfellas, The Godfather, and TV shows like Tulsa King. But, which actor did he think did it best? Well, here are the best gangster roles according to Michael Franzese.
Robert De Niro as Jimmy Conway – Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas centres on the Lucchese crime family. Michael Franzese was active at the time of the events depicted in the movie but was part of the Colombo family. So, he was rather surprised when he popped in a memorable sequence at the Bamboo Lounge where Henry introduces the audience to a plethora of mobsters. Franzese questioned writer Nicolas Pileggi on the scene and he explained how he threw him in their for clout. Although Franzese wasn’t a part of that crew, he did know many of the members, including Jimmy Burke.
In Goodfellas, Burke’s last name was switched to Conway, and Robert De Niro took on the role. Overall, Franzese is a big fan of the movie and ranks it highly. While he has pointed out a few minor flaws, he regards it as one of the most bona fide mob movies of all time. Although he praised Ray Liotta‘s performance as Henry Hill, he stated how the film made him look better than he was. However, he has mentioned how De Niro got the role of Burke pretty much spot on, ranking it as one of the “GOATs”. It’s easy to see why, as De Niro went extremely methodical for his rendition, bombarding Henry Hill on a daily basis with questions about Burke, everything from how he smokes a cigarette to even how he gets ketchup out of a bottle.
Chazz Palminteri as Sonny – A Bronx Tale (1993)
Michael Franzese has stated many times that being a part of the Mafia life isn’t just about stealing and murdering. Of course, those things happen, but he has expressed that some of the nicest people he ever met were in the mob. Simply put; “sometimes good people do bad things” in his own words. To that, it’s easy to see why he resonated so much with A Bronx Tale. The 1993 film focuses on the push and pull dynamics in a relationship between a Mafia boss named Sonny (Chazz Palminteri) and a young kid called Calogero who he mentors. All the while Calogero’s father Lorenzo (Robert De Niro) tries to keep his son on the straight and narrow.
Franzese has labelled the movie as an authentic slice of the mob life and called Palminteri’s role legendary. And there’s a reason it is so authentic: the film is based on Palminteri’s real life. Although Sonny wasn’t the real name, he was a real mobster who schooled Palminteri in his childhood and teenage years. After taking his story to the stage in a one-man play, Robert De Niro attended and was so impressed he offered to turn it into a film. Palminteri agreed, extrapolated the play into a screenplay, and De Niro directed and co-starred.
Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino – The Irishman (2019)
When it comes to iconic on-screen gangsters, Joe Pesci is right up there. Franzese commended his performance in both Goodfellas and Casino, saying he is “electric” in any role. Pesci took home an Oscar for his role in Goodfellas, playing psychotic gangster Tommy DeVito. In Casino, he upped the ante and brought forth an even more unhinged performance as a man just as dangerous. However, Franzese counts his more laid-back role of Russell Bufalino in The Irishman as his best work.
Franzese knew the real Bufalino and stated that Pesci “nailed” the part and “played him to a tee”. Seeing as Bufalino had long passed by the time The Irishman rolled cameras, this makes Pesci’s rendition all the more remarkable. As a more calm and reasonable mobster, the role of Bufalino was a total departure from Pesci’s previous roles, showcasing his versatility as an actor and earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Armand Assante as John Gotti – Gotti (1996)
While Michael Franzese suggests you skip the 2018 movie Gotti starring John Travolta, he has nothing but good things to say about the HBO TV movie of the same name that was released in 1996. Due to being a TV movie, this underrated crime film didn’t get the attention it deserved. However, Franzese sings its praises as the most accurate depiction of the mob ever put on film, and classes Armand Assante‘s performance as John Gotti to be the greatest of all time.
Firstly, this is high praise coming from a man who knew Gotti. Franzese had direct involvement with him on multiple occasions and even got into some mild beef. So, it’s fair to say he knew him well. Assante’s performance is sizzling, perfectly executing the suave demeanour of the “Teflon Don”, and capturing his volatility with precision. Franzese called his performance “absolutely brilliant” and playfully said “Gotti wished he was that character. That’s how good Armand Assante was in that movie.”
Read Next: 5 Underrated Mafia Movies To Add to Your Watchlist
