Entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David, who runs one of the more popular YouTube business development channels (1.1 million subscribers), has been conducting a series of candid “insider interviews.” Readers may recall his interview with a manic Alex Jones in September. Patrick is of Iranian decent, half Armenian and half Assyrian Christian. He came to America at the age of 10. Back in November, he did a heads-up high quality and timely presentation on bear markets and swoons.

Patrick is a good interviewer. He has the ability to probe in a friendly way that engages the insider. Although he’s still a dilettante on certain subjects, in interviews sometimes you can see his jaw drop as if he is newly awakening as a truther. He’s not a deep-dive source — yet — but there are revelations and ample clues to be gleaned because of the people to whom he has access. So it may pay off to keep an eye on this one. So far, he’s done high value interviews on the JFK assassination and the Mafia, which is his main areas of interest. My call is that we can view these interviews as background and confirmation material using our standard discernment or lens.

One key interview for Winter Watch readers and researchers was conducted in July, 2018 with Michael Franzese. Franzese (born May 27, 1951) is a former New York mobster and caporegime (300-500 associates) of the Colombo crime family. He was heavily involved in the gasoline tax rackets in the late 1970s and 80s. Since then, he has publicly renounced organized crime, became a devoted Christian, created a foundation for helping youth, and is now a motivational speaker. Franzese also speaks at prisons throughout the world.

Franzese is the son of Colombo underboss John “Sonny” Franzese, still alive at 101. John Franzese spent 38 years in prison on what Michael calls false charges. He in no way suggested that his father wasn’t a bad guy- but this experience revealed the star chamber methods of law enforcement. Michael states categorically, “If they conduct themselves this way to take down bad guys, they will do it with the good guys too.” How often have we described that on these pages.

Franzese operated from 1975-1986- still in the heydays of the Mob. In 1986, Fortune Magazine listed Franzese as number 18 on its list of the “Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses.”

He went to prison for 43 months and was released in 1989. His involvement in the Mafia was over, and in a first Bet-David interview he describes fleeing to California and going underground. He now says the people who might be inclined to go after him are dead, or in prison.

In 1992, Franzese co-authored an autobiography, Quitting the Mob. In this book, Franzese discussed his criminal activities, life with his father, and interactions with many gangsters from across the United States and Europe.

In June 2013, the National Geographic Channel released a 6-part series called “Inside the American Mob.” On the show, Franzese provides detailed, first hand accounts of his life in organized crime, going all the way back to his childhood.

In May 2016, he appeared on The History Channel on a show called “The Definitive Guide To The Mob.” He explained the inner workings of the mob and how he came up through the Colombo family.

Some Franzese Activities While in the Cosa Nostra

I have broken down the Franzesce interviews in two parts. The first was primarily about life in the Mafia, prison, and his activities since. The second interview below I have segmented from 14:35 to 30:00 so we can focus on three core truth and justice topics discussed. Readers can easily reload to the beginning to see the entire interview.

I parsed Franzese closely throughout his interview. Although he likely has calculated for his personal safety what he can reveal – he is quite frank. I see redemption as his primary motivation. Redemption in the struggle between good and evil, is something I believe in and sometimes happens. These can be confessionals and open a pathway to hidden truths, and should not be just discounted. Our world needs much more of this. As he said himself, there is no upside to what he reveals, nor does he have to say anything. I rate his truth bombs as credible and certainly very interesting- but decide for yourselves.

For other redemptive truth bomb confessionals read: Hidden in Plain Sight: The Truth About Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing

Franzese said that he was contacted by attorney Roy Cohn, who had ties to John Gotti, shortly after he was indicted. Cohn insisted that he would “squash the indictment” for $250,000. Franzese instead offered $1 million and told Cohn to obtain the money after he was found not guilty, however Cohn did not contact back, leaving Franzese to feel that Cohn’s offer was a scam attempt

Franzese claimed that during the 1970s and 1980s, he persuaded New York Yankees players who owed money to Colombo loansharks to fix baseball games for betting purposes.

Franzese first met Al Sharpton through Genovese crime family mobster, Daniel Pagano. Sharpton later helped Franzese with muscle as he targeted the security guard unions in Atlantic City.

Franzese Addresses Other Conspiracy Realities

On Jimmy Hoffa (February 14, 1913 –July 30, 1975), he confirms the traditional conspiracy theory that the Mob couldn’t contain Hoffa’s behaviors when he came out of prison. This kept bringing unwanted attention on the crime families, so they put a contract hit out. This was just before Michael’s involvement in the Mafia, but he knew the person (not named) and inside story of who conducted the hit- and indicated Hoffa’s body will never be found, as it is in a “wet, deep place”.

On the JFK assassination you will hear Franzesce describe the father Joseph Kennedy as involved with mobster activities. The crime families supported JFK, perhaps wrongly believing they could control him. Worse, as has been established elsewhere, Robert Kennedy stepped over the red line in his pursuit of the Mob. Prior to the Kennedys the Mafia had J. Edgar Hoover compromised over his homosexuality.

Franzesce says the Mob played a hand or a role in the assassination, although is not the whole role. He identified Jack Ruby as a Mafia agent directly participating in the assassination and assigned to take out patsy Lee Harvey Oswald. So this is a confirmation of the general conspiracy reality around the “big event” as Howard Hunt puts it.

Read “The Shakespearean Tale of E. Howard Hunt’s JFK Assassination Confession“

Read “Newly Released JFK Files Place Jack Ruby Near the Texas Book Depository Building“

Really my favorite, not to miss part of the interview begins at 18:44 to 21:16 when Michael gives gung ho America pyjama person, Bet-David big truth bombs. He describes the situation today as far more corrupt and “at a level that I can’t believe than it ever was in his day”. He says retired FBI agents that he knows “are sickened by what’s going on now”, and “It seems to be so out of control because people are not aware.” Watch PJ Patrick react at 19:26. Classic!

I would highly recommend Franzese’s book, Mafia Democracy; What Happens When the Government Turn Thug