‘This is stuff straight out of the movies:’ Former NY mobster leaves witness protection program, faces mafia king father

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — In 2017, someone at a recovery meeting recognized John Franzese — a former mobster who testified against his own father — and posted about it on Facebook.

Not too long after, the FBI wanted to move him.

• Former mobster John Franzese’s journey to Indianapolis and forgiveness
• NY mobster lands in Indy after testifying against father, goes public after years in witness protection

“Take nothing, not even my cat. I was not leaving nothing I loved behind. I already left my family, left my friends, left my life. I’m not doing that anymore. This cat and I and my friends here mean too much to me. I’ve been there, done that,” Franzese recalled.

Franzese would leave witness protection and started to be more open about his real identity.

“I’m not going to live in fear. I’m not saying you don’t get those thoughts. Sometimes, I get squeamish. They go, and 99% of my life I don’t think about that,” Franzese said.

Eventually, his story made it to News 8 Colts Insider Zak Keefer.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done professionally because I’m used to being in the Colts locker room and talking to players and I know that world well. This is a world that I didn’t know well,” Keefer said.

Keefer was writing for the Indianapolis Star when he was assigned Franzese’s story. The two would meet every day for the next several months.

“I mean this is stuff straight out of the movies, it really was,” Keefer said.

“There are times when I had to ask him are you sure you want this story written? Am I putting you in danger? Am I putting myself in danger? We don’t know who’s gonna read this and find out where you are and what their response is going to be,” Keefer added.

But, Franzese was ready. He wanted his story to be out there. It was during this time that Franzese’s father, notorious mob boss Sonny Franzese, was released from prison. Franzese decided to go back to New York to see him, to look his father, the man who Franzese helped put back behind bars, in the eyes.

“It was getting very real. What am I going to tell this man?” Franzese said.

This is the third story in a series we’re calling “INside Story.” The rest of Phil’s stories on John Franzese will air each evening this week on News 8.