At 100-years-old, mobster John “Sonny” Franzese, is a free man. The reputed Mafia underboss is reportedly in failing health and is confined to a wheelchair. He left the Federal Medical Center in Devens, MA, on Friday. His reign as the oldest inmate in the U.S. Federal Prison system has come to an end.

His son, Michael Franzese, posted to his Twitter account:

According to the Daily Mail, the "U S Bureau of Prisons records show he was paroled at least six times since his original 1967 conviction, but each time ended up back in prison." Franzese was 93-years-old when his most recent sentence for a racketeering conspiracy conviction commenced following a three-week trial.

He was found guilty in 2010 of extorting from a Long Island pizzeria and Manhattan strip clubs – the Penthouse and the Hustler.

Prior to his sentencing, his now-deceased wife, Cristina Capobianco-Franzese, sought mercy from the judge, Brian Cogan, citing their love for one another. However, Maria Scorsone, his granddaughter countered that by telling the judge that her grandfather would find more peace in prison and he would be happier than being at home with his wife, who died in 2012.

Retired FBI agent Robert Lewicki characterizes Franzese as one of kind and says he is the last of a “dying breed.”

Family happy to have former gangster home

Pietro Scorsone, age 42, is Franzese’s grandson. Of his grandfather’s prison release, he said that he is “absolutely happy” he is home and that he loves him.

Although the aging Colombo family underboss has “some prostate issues and doesn’t see or hear very well, Scorsone told the New York Daily News, Franzese is “still very sharp mentally."

Two of Franzese’s sons, Michael and Carmine accompanied to their father to their sister’s house in Brooklyn, NY, where he will spend time with his family, according to the New York Daily News.

As he left a white Range Rover, he was nothing but smiles. Aided by two members of his family, he walked to the front door where he was welcomed with his family’s embraces.

Mobster reportedly recorded telling how to dispose of bodies

While the gangster was suspected of an array of crimes, he was not convicted of all he was thought to have played a role in committing.

That said, CBS News reported that investigators had a tape of him outlining the way to make bodies vanish: Use a “kiddie” pool for dismembering, a microwave for drying, and a garbage disposal for stuffing and grinding body parts. His additional advice on his method was reportedly, “Be patient.”

After an entire day of freedom, his first in eight years, his daughter Loraine Scorsone told the New York Daily News, that she is delighted her father is home and out of prison.

Former FBI agent Bernard Welsh arrested Franzese on parole violations many times. He thinks it’s amazing that the mobster “never gave anybody up,” according to Newsday.

Life of crime began in 1938

Franzese is credited with having had monetary ties to topless bars, record labels, clubs, restaurants, and loan sharking.

According to authorities, he bragged of having killed 60 people in the years he was entrenched in crime. In his prime, he rubbed elbows with former World Middleweight Champion Jake LaMotta, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra at the famed Copacabana nightclub.

His criminal life dates back to when he was a teen in 1938, according to the Daily Mail (UK). He was arrested for assault. He was in the Army for four years but he was discharged, prosecutors contend, after “homicidal tendencies” were displayed.

His prison release on Friday is attributed to time served while he waited for his trial and for his “good behavior.”
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