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Contact us today to discuss having Michael Franzese speak at your next event.  Perfect for Athletic Programs, Church Events, Student Activities Events, Corporate Events,  or Business, Law, and Criminal Justice Schools.

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Audience Reaction
"Speaking of terrific - you were beyond terrific! You were incredible. Thank you for lighting up the crowd and enlightening our players. You message was awesome and the players are still talking. Without question, you are the best speaker we have ever brought on campus."
Ron George, Dir. Player Development, San Diego Chargers

"There is no question that Michael's remarks affected in a very positive way, both Major and Minor League players... you have made a major contribution to baseball..."
Kevin Hallinan, Director of Security, Major League Baseball

"Your presentations to coaches may ultimately impact the lives of thousands of young people across the country. The AFCA members who attended your seminars are now better prepared to fulfill their multi-faceted role as coaches. . . you are a valuable resource to coaches on every level . . . your experiences give you a unique perspective from which all coaches can learn."
Grant Teaff, Executive Director, AFCA
Walter Abercrombie, Direction of Education and Special Projects, AFCA

"...the audience benefited greatly from hearing about organized crime from your unique perspective..."
Roger H. Wheeler, Special Agent in Charge, FBI

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
"The contrast between your former life and your present lifestyle has created quite a subject to relay those experiences to college age young adults. Many students thought your thought provoking subject matter, and the way you connected with the audience was soul searching and captivating. The true-to-life experiences you shared made solid impressions."
Anjanette Biddle, Student Athlete Services

MARSHALL UNIVERSITY
"The one thing that makes his presentation so outstanding is that he is speaking from his experience in the life of crime. He is open and honest with student athletes and that solidifies his credibility. You can only have so many people talk about 'don't gamble and don't get involved with people that can take advantage of you', but to hear it from someone who lived the life Michael did really has a tremendous impact."

"The feedback from the student athletes has been nothing but positive and we would highly recommend him to any college. After the program, student athlete after student athlete came up to Michael to shake his hand and thank him for coming to speak to them. Moreover, several of the coaches stopped by the day after and said that this was, by far, the best program ever put on by the student athletes at Marshall."
Bob Marcum, Director of Athletics
Jeff O'Malley, Associate Athletic Director

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
"Michael came highly recommended by the NCAA and did not disappoint His message was clear and consistent with the bylaws of NCAA and he did an excellent job reinforcing the consequences of associating with gambling. .We found Michael to be very accommodating, and in fact, he was more than willing to present to other audiences during his campus visit in hopes of impacting as many student groups and staff members as possible."
Keith Zimmer, Director of Life Skills

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
"I would like to take this opportunity to praise Michael Franzese for his presentation at UT. He spoke to all the male student-athletes at the university, and many of them found lessons in his story. A sophomore member of the men's basketball team said "His story was interesting . . . I'm more aware of the dangers because of this lecture." I recommend Michael Franzese's presentation to any college or university that wants to address the problem of student-athletes and gambling."
Molly Justice
From Out And About
  • Michael, I recently heard you on a previously recorded interview on The Jim Rome Show. I'm currently awaiting federal sentencing . facing a suggested sentence beginning at 57 months. I have lost my home, car, girlfriend, job, all to gambling. While I'm out on bond I've continued to gamble primarily on internet poker and horses even though I'm only 4 weeks away from being sentenced. Nothing has convinced me to seek help until I heard you. I will be attending my first GA meeting this afternoon and the passion I once had for going to the track or playing poker I'm going to try to direct that towards getting better. Everything you said rang so true. I was a division I athlete and played professionally for two years. Thank you for telling the truth. Gambling is a serious problem for many athletes no matter what level. Never having been incarcerated or knowing anyone who has I'm scared to death. I only hope to come out of prison half the man it sounds like you've become. I look forward to reading the book. THANK YOU again.
  • Hi, my name is ____, and I am a compulsive gambler. Sound familiar? Well, if it doesn't, you should attend a gambler's anonymous meeting, and you will hear it in every introduction. I've been battling my disease since I was 8 years old. Back on the road to recovery, I just wanted to reach out to you after watching you on Jim Rome is Burning. keep up the good work, and if there is anything I can do for you as a way of giving back(and "doing I'm sorry", instead of merely "saying I'm sorry"), please don't hesitate
  • Mr. Franzese, I was impressed, amazed and intrigued by your program. I must admit I was not in the least excited to "waste" 2 hours of my night tonight listening to a monotone 400 pound woman talk about sexual harassment (our last required program). But what I found when I arrived was totally unexpected and exciting. While I do not have a problem with gambling, I do know people and have seen the devastation that it causes, and I appreciate in the fullest what you are doing to help. I found myself shocked to be enjoying one of the "required" meetings and was thoroughly disappointed when it was over. I could have stayed and listened the entire night. My roommates and I have to be up at 6 this morning to lift weights and run, but we sat in the living room for 3 hours talking about you when we got back home. We are planning on going again tomorrow night, and sitting in the front row this time. What really shocked me was the frankness with which you spoke. I say this as a believer myself, you are the most bad-ass, fricken smooth, coolest man of God I have ever had the privilege to listen to, and to top it off your are doing it for a good cause. The way that you have turned your life around is something for history books. You truly are an exception Mr. Franzese. I thank you again for doing what you are doing, and for coming to cornfield central and opening up my eyes to a whole other world. Sincerely . . . Northern Illinois Univ.
  • I'm a senior at Rochester High School in Michigan. You just spoke at our school 2 days ago and I have to say you were really intriguing and were a very good speaker (better than any others we've had I might add). You really got me thinking about how one day you can be something and the next day you can be the total opposite. I saw you speak three times and I'm planning on buying your book. I just wanted to tell you that you are doing a good thing- teenagers respect you because of where you've been and they listen to you. You really relate to us and it seems like you understand us a lot. I think you're a very interesting person and yeah, most of it is because you were apart of La Cosa Nostra. I can tell that when you speak, you speak with all your heart and you truly stand behind everything you say. I hope that you'll continue speaking for a long time and hopefully I'll get to see you speak again!
  • I just wanted to say THANK YOU!! So much for coming to Albion University tonight. I'm 18 years old. I'll be honest the past year or so I've had an interest in the casinos. I've never been to one but when you turn 18 it's like a right of passage that you and your friends go to the casinos. My parents would never let me go, because they know what it can do to you if you get hooked. My parents don't gamble at all, however they have seen many people lose so much because they did gamble. I used to get so upset with my parents because all I wanted to do was go out with my friends and go to the casinos. I had no idea how much my parents were watching over me. After hearing you speak tonight I now realize that it's not even worth it. I also just wanted to say that I think you are amazing. Leaving the life you used to have to now try and help other people. You are doing what God has called you to do and that is not always easy. Thank you for coming to Albion and I can honestly say you have touched my life and after hearing you speak I'll never gamble because it's not worth it. Thanks again and God bless you so much.
  • Michael, thank you for your inspiration, it helped me more than you will ever know. i don't want to go into the gory details, but internet poker was taking over my life...and my bank account. i was even thinking, just this morning, how much money i could make by making sports bets with other people and hedging them on an internet sports book (basically bookmaking), but your talk gave my attitude a complete turn-around, thank you so much, i would not only have ruined my life, but the lives of many other people and friends. i think that i have an underlying problem that runs deeper than just gambling and poker...greed, and i am going to talk to a priest about this very soon. . . . Albion University
  • I am a student athlete at Northern Illinois, you spoke to us last week, and I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. Every year they normally set us up with some stupid, uneventful seminar, but this was different and I really liked what ya did.
  • Hi Mike. I attended your student-athlete gambling presentation tonight and a lot of it caught my attention. Especially all of your talk about Texas hold 'em online. My boyfriend is addicted to this and I don't really know how to break it to him that its not a good thing, and that he is in fact addicted. I've tried to talk to him about it but he insists that poker is not gambling and that he's not addicted. That he could stop whenever he wanted but "why would he want to." He is in college but paying for it all himself... just taking out loans. He planned on getting a job but now he's decided that he can make enough in poker to not have to get a job. The problem is right now he's doing okay money-wise with his poker, but I've also seen him lose a lot of money. Like 5 grand. And you were talking to us about how those internet companies sometimes wont let you take your winnings out. He tried to cash out that 5 grand but the company wouldn't let him so he ended up playing with it and losing it all. I've even seen him use, and lose, his friends money. Anyway, the gist of my problem is I don't know how to make him see his problem with an outside perspective, or to get him to realize that it is gambling and it is an addiction. I care a lot about him and I hate to see this consume him like it is. Thank you for your presentation tonight, I thought it was great. You made a mandatory (and usually extremely boring) meeting enjoyable and interesting. Northern Illinois
  • I attended your presentation at Saint Joseph's University, and I just wanted to tell you that it was probably the best and most interesting presentation I have been to. I plan on buying your book in the near future and I hope to hear you speak again sometime. Thanks for coming to Philly and good luck.
  • I just wanted to write you a personal thank you note... for making a difference today. I work on the campus of Clovis High School... you spoke to us today and touched so many there. After your presentation I listened to the conversations among numerous young men and women that they had with their peers. They were in awe of your message and your mere presence. I heard girls giggle about your wife standing you up several times... about how you treat her like a princess... I could hear the pride in their voices that came as a result to your vocalizing their worth and importance. You are truly an inspired and memorable man. I know that you made a difference today... in more than just one teen today... I heard them talk about it ALL day long! THANK YOU... for making a difference today.
Feedback by Wake Forest student-athletes

  • I thought he was a really riveting speaker, and definitely worth attending. However, if it hadn't been mandatory, I honestly probably wouldn't have gone
  • Speaker was commanding and certainly made a powerful argument against gambling. It is encouraging that a man with such an extensive criminal background would be able to do positive work for society. It raises the possibility that there may be better alternatives to locking people up for 25 years-life for non-violent crimes.
  • I thought the man had an awesome story and background to tell, which gave him a lot of credit and definite authority. People seemed to pay more attention because of his background, which I thought was awesome. I think he was worth my time because when are you ever going to meet someone like that again! His life is interesting and he does have a point to get across.
  • I definitely thought he had an awesome story and could relate to us students and kept it light and cracked some good jokes!
  • I thought that the speaker tonight was awesome. His story was extremely interesting and that is why I was so intent on listening. After his talk I am definitely less interested in gambling. The way he explained how the mafia worked, how it employs bookies, and how they can make arrangements with agents was very informative and opened my eyes. What was important to me was how he emphasized how the mafia or bookies can trap you into gambling or helping them once they have you cornered. I would definitely recommend him to other schools.
  • I thought, as well as everyone I have talked to, that he has been the best speaker so far. His speech was entertaining and surprisingly relevant. I know most of us came in thinking that there was no need to hear about gambling but his speech was much more than that. I definitely recommend him and think that he connects well with the audience.
  • I know that I really enjoyed the speaker and I think I am speaking for my teammates on that as well. Thanks. -
  • I thought Michael Franzese was very influential and effective in conveying his message. I further believe that his message was readily received by all in attendance. Having an ex mafia boss speaking 10 feet away from you certainly grabs your attention more than any counselor or ex pro athlete that no one's ever heard of telling you to stay away from gambling (there's nothing quite like having Tom Brokaw and Jim Rome commentate on national television about the man you're about to listen to.) I think in future instances it would be very beneficial to have Mr. Franzese speak again.
  • I really enjoyed him, and I think that he was a great person to bring in to speak to us, he certainly has a very interesting story. I really liked hearing him speak, he was funny and engaging!
  • I'm really glad that the presentation tonight was mandatory. That was by far the best presentation on any subject I have ever seen.