The 11th annual Santa Clarita Valley Mayors Prayer Breakfast is coming up, and this year’s keynote speaker comes from the Colombo crime family of New York.
The annual event has been scheduled to be held at the Hyatt Regency Valencia on Thursday, May 7 at 7 a.m.
The keynote speaker of the event is planned to be Michael Franzese, the son of the notorious underboss of New York’s violent and feared Colombo crime family, according to the event officials. At his highest point, he made an estimated $5 to $8 million per week from legal and illegal business including tax fraud and business scams.
He was a captain in the Colombo family and was featured on Fortune Magazine’s list of the “Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses,” according to the National Geographic Channel “Inside the American Mob.”
Franzese uses his experiences of his former life to inspire people to beat the odds and make positive changes in their lives, according to the event officials.
Audiences are captivated by stories of his personal experiences in organized crime and genuinely affected by his powerful anti-crime messages and eye-opening revelations, according to the event officials.
Among the Santa Clarita Valley leaders invited to the event are: Congressman Steve Knight, R-Santa Clarita; Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita; county Supervisor Michael Antonovich; Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Calabasas; Santa Clarita Mayor Marsha McLean; and others.
Members of the Santa Clarita City Council, Castaic Town Council, West Ranch Town Council, Acton/Agua Dulce Town Council, College of the Canyons, William S Hart Union High School District, Saugus Union School District, Castaic Union School District, Newhall School District and Sulphur Springs School District were also invited.
The event is open to the public. Tickets cost $28.50 in advance and $32.50 at the door.
To order your tickets online, visit the website.
Sponsorships are also available by filling out the flyer.
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10 Comments
EXCUSE ME???? You are paying for an ex-mafia guy to talk to you? And you want others to buy tickets to this?
OH, Jeez. Didn’t we just go through this with the LAPD dragging a former Gang boss and hit man in for a fancy show-and-tell at fancy digs downtown?
This guy might well be a stand-up, better-than-you-or-me guy; but how in the heck does that make him a paragon of virtue and honesty when his only claim to fame is as an ex-boss of the Mob?
Is that the true essence of Laissez-faire capitalism in this country? Or is it just in this Valley?
I see that all the Big Cheeses were invited; which one (or ones) invited him here? And which of them actually attended?
That should tell us a whole bunch of interesting things about them.
Jimvs and others,
I have heard Michael Franzese speak in person. I can tell you that, not only is his life story extremely interesting, but his genuine gratitude to the Lord for showing him the way to hope and redemption, is very moving. Truly I tell you, Michael’s talk is a message of faith, hope, redemption, and the power of following our Lord Jesus Christ. It is something you won’t want to miss!
WOW! In 2013 speaker was an anti-gay reparative therapy endorser. In 2014 the speaker was an anti-gay comedian. In 2014
a former Mafia boss… Prayer Breakfasts or Freak Shows?
So the speaker has to be pro-gay??
It’s a prayer breakfast, and they are praying to the God of the Bible. There will be things that some people don’t like because they disagree with what God desires for His people– you and me. That’s OK. It’s a free country (mostly.)
I have never observed any Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast as being anti-gay. They are pro-God, desiring what He desires for us. That will always be offensive to some.
BTW Michael Franzese is a living example of a very bad man who repented and has worked the rest of his life to show the evil of organized crime, and to dissuade people from becoming involved in that evil. He has spoken to many thousands across our country, encouraging them that no matter what they have done, no matter how bad they have been, God will forgive them and give them a new life– f they want it, and if they want Him.
Franzese is the founder and chairman of the Breaking Out Foundation.[6] According to the foundation’s website, Breaking Out is dedicated to educating, empowering, and equipping youth to face life’s challenges, especially gambling addiction.
Franzese has spoken on more than 400 college campuses, speaking to student athletes as an NCAA life skills speaker. He has addressed professional athletes with Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League. Franzese serves as a keynote speaker at corporate events and leads seminars for business and law students. He frequently speaks at Christian conferences, special events, and church services.
He’s been interviewed on the Jim Rome Show, ESPN, HBO, Fox Sports, CNN, CNBC, TBN, MSNBC, Nat Geo, Fox News, The Savage Nation and USA Today.
This is far different from an imprisoned Drug Mafioso being secretly paraded around.
They’re inviting a former mobster to speak as a guest on Tax Payer’s money?
What does this say exactly about the leaders of SCV community? Are they trying to learn how an organized crime syndicate operates to apply to the local government and school districts?
For a long time now, I’ve been observing the actions of the “leaders” of SCV and often times their actions are not in the best interest of the SCV citizens. In some of their dealings, they appear to act like organized criminals themselves. Case in point the some of the school districts administrators or the some of the city council members. Anyone who attends this farce is suspect. I say boycott!
I have heard Michael speak a couple of times at my church. He has a powerful story of redemption to tell. God is using him in an amazing way.
SCV city should not use taxpayer’s money to pay for such a speaker that was “formally” tied to the mob. Even if he was “reformed”, there are many more deserving truly inspiring speakers with great accomplishments that can speak at these kinds of meetings.
Simply put, this is not the kind of person we should be looking up to.
It makes you really question the judgement and motives of the city “leaders” the Politicians and the School District administration in having a former mobster speak as the guest speaker.
What do they really have to gain or learn from such a speaker other than how to act like an organized criminals and apply it to the way that the city is governed and the School Districts are run.
I am not surprised by having seen some of the past actions of the local city and the local school districts that were very questionable and definitely not in the best interest of the SCV citizens or Students.