» Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation.
Instagram: Instagram: hackyoumedia
Website: https://hackyou.media/

Michael Franzese was pulling in $10 million a week from a gas tax scheme that made him one of America's most powerful mobsters. Then he did something almost nobody survives: he walked away alive.

In this conversation, Franzese strips away the Hollywood mythology and breaks down what real power looks like when your life depends on reading people correctly. We unpack the brutal stress of criminal operations, why most "tough guys" don't last, and how the negotiation tactics that kept him alive now close business deals.

00:00 Introduction to Michael Franzese
03:49 First arrests and early surveillance from law enforcement  
06:08 Building businesses and the multimillion-dollar gas tax scam  
08:00 Knowing it wouldn’t last and how the scheme eventually collapsed  
11:04 What he misses about mob life and the lifestyle  
12:40 Cleaning millions in cash and dealing with foreign banks  
15:30 Whether the mob still operates in New York and Italy today  
18:10 Reputation, respect, and fearing the people above you  
19:33 Reflections on Frank Costello and doing business without violence  
22:02 Applying mob skills to legitimate business and negotiation  
23:31 Taking a plea deal and liquidating assets before prison  
26:30 Solitary, diesel therapy, and finding faith behind bars  
29:06 Rumours, witness lists, and suspicion after leaving the life  
32:14 The few mobsters who actually walked away successfully  
34:49 Becoming a global speaker and finding purpose in storytelling  
39:20 Pizza, vending machines, and building a new empire  
51:05 How the Armenian wine business unexpectedly took off  
57:16 Delegation, treating people well, and earning respect  
01:02:51 Missed opportunities, like skipping Starbucks stock early on  
01:05:46 Wanting peace, purpose, and more freedom in his 70s  
01:11:36 The weight of regret, purpose, and giving advice to youth  
01:16:44 Faith, fear of hell, and the path to redemption  
01:29:47 Beating the odds while nearly everyone else ends up dead or jailed

» Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life - https://www.digitalplaybook.net/
» Transform your physique - https://www.thrstapp.com/
» My clothing brand, THRST - https://thrstofficial.com
» Discover Bioniq Lab peptide products- https://bioniqlab.com/mike10
10% off with code MIKE10

» Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/

» Join ‪@WHOOP‬ and get your first month for free - join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst

» Follow Michael«
YouTube: ‪@michaelfranzese‬
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelfran...
Wine: https://franzesewine.com/
Community: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/