Former Mafia Don to Speak at Chapel Oct. 2

by Jodi Cunningham, student newswriter, (254) 710-1961

Reformed Mafia crime boss Michael Franzese will speak to Baylor University students during Chapel services at 10 and 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 2, in Waco Hall.

Formerly known as "Long Island Don" and "The Prince of the Mafia" to the media and members of law enforcement who followed him, Franzese was the Mafia's youngest and most financially powerful mobster. He has been labeled as "one of the biggest money earners the mob had seen since Al Capone," and was once the primary target of a large government task force assigned to "bring him down."

Even though Franzese was born into a family of crime and sworn into the Mafia at the age of 24, his own "Damascus road experience" led him to leave the mob and pursue Jesus.

Franzese's book, Blood Covenant, tells the story of his early life and his rise of power within the mob. The story details his own conversion to Christianity and how he eventually came to leave the Mafia.

Today, Franzese uses the compelling stories of his past to help others make positive changes in their own lives. Targeting at-risk youth, professional and student athletes, corporate executives and anyone else who might need help making changes in their lives, Franzese captivates audiences with messages of hope.

For more information on Franzese, visit his web site at www.michaelfranzese.com. For more information on Chapel, contact the office of University Ministries 710-3517. Chapel can be viewed live at www.baylor.edu/um.