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Former Colombo crime family capo Michael Franzese pulled back the curtain on the massive gas tax scheme that brought him to notoriety, revealing how the operation raked in millions of dollars per week during the latest episode of Sean Hannity’s podcast.
“I said, ‘I’ll show you more money than you’ve ever seen before…'” Franzese recounted telling his boss.
“I was bringing him $2 million a week,” he added.
A former capo in the Colombo crime family, Franzese rose to prominence after orchestrating the sprawling tax fraud scheme that was later described as one of the largest racketeering operations in the country.
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Sitting down for an episode of “Hang Out with Sean Hannity,” he detailed how the scheme worked.
“It’s very simple: we collect the tax and we don’t pay the government,” he explained.
“And how we devised the scheme not to pay the government, that’s a whole ‘nother [story]. It was very intricate, very intricate, but that was it.”
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Because they were lowering prices at the pump, they earned the title of “Robin Hoods,” Franzese said, detailing that while some of the tax money was taken, “a certain amount” was given back to the consumer because of reduced prices.
“Our gas stations were always crowded because we’re always two, three, four cents less,” he added.
Franzese said he personally took in approximately $3 million to $4 million per week, telling Hannity the operation generated enormous profits.
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“It averaged out to about seven, eight million,” he added.
Hannity’s full interview with the mobster-turned-motivational speaker is now streaming on YouTube, Spotify and other podcast platforms.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
