Famous gangster-turned-leader Michael Franzese spent 11 months in solitary confinement with Lyle Menendez at the Federal Correctional Facility in Los Angeles County.
Lyle and his brother Eric Menedez were convicted of shooting their parents to death in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989 and were serving life sentences, but they ended up in separate prisons after allegedly trying to escape together. It was decided to be divided into
“They were definitely being abused. I mean, they told me things about their father and how they were even more disappointed in their mother because their mother didn't step in and help them. He was controlled by his father,” said prisoner Michael Franzese. He told Fox News Digital that before the case was resolved, he was being held in a federal facility on suspicion of violating parole. “Just from the conversation with me, [the Menendez brothers] — and I take everything with a grain of salt. Because you never know if someone is telling you the truth — but. . . I think the abuse was real and they were scared. ”
The Menendez case is receiving new attention after the release of two Netflix productions, a nonfiction documentary called “The Menendez Brothers.” And “Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez,” a fictional television series based on true events, will air from September to October. Both works detail the siblings' alleged abuse of their parents.
Watch “The Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains” on FOX NATION
The Menendez brothers, Eric and Lyle, stand on the steps of their Beverly Hills home in November 1989. (Ronald L. Soble/Los Angeles Times)
The brothers are also seeking a reduced sentence after spending more than 30 years in prison, and their family supports them. Lyle was 21 and Eric was 18 when their parents were murdered.
“They spent 30-odd years in prison. They're in their 50s now. I think they deserve a break,” said Franzese, a former member of the Colombo crime family. “As far as I understand, they were model prisoners. They're married. Eric has a child, a daughter. I think they've done enough time. And there's so much more. I think this is more of a manslaughter conviction than anything else. ”
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An undated photo of the Menendez family is shown on screen during a panel discussion at CrimeCon 2024 on Sunday, June 2, in Nashville, Tennessee. Brothers Lyle and Eric were convicted of shooting their parents to death in 1989. (Michael Lewis/Fox News Digital)
“I think they deserve a break,” he later added.
Franzese's cell at the Los Angeles County Jail was next to Lyle's. Their cells were off limits, but mirrors in the hallway between the cells allowed them to talk to each other and “even see each other quite a bit,” he said.
Menendez brothers found guilty of murdering their parents, fight for freedom while protected by relatives
Eric and Lyle Menendez listen during a trial in the 1990s. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said his office will review new evidence in the brothers' murder case. (Ted Soki/Sigma)
The Menendez brothers detailed some of the alleged abuse that Franzese suffered at the hands of their father, and Franzese expressed empathy for the young inmates.
“I think the boys were trapped in their own minds.”
“I said, “Why didn't you go and tell your family?'' My father will find out what I did, and I'll be in real trouble. God, I know what he's going to do, it's going to be worse,” Franzese recalled. “And I said, 'What are law enforcement going to do? … I was giving them every alternative to doing what they did.' No, you don't know. My father is a very powerful man. He has very powerful friends, so we don't go to anyone. It was scary, but I had to endure it.”
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Former New York Mafia boss Michael Franzese poses for a photo at REVY restaurant in Sydney, New South Wales. He is in Sydney on a speaking tour. (Max Mason Hubers/Newspix)
The former mob boss stressed that abuse does not justify murder, but that manslaughter charges should be brought against the brothers rather than first-degree murder, and that their abuse charges should be dealt with through court proceedings. I believe that he should have played a larger role in this.
“The boys told me they loved their father. Their father was their hero. Even after something like this happened, they didn't even know what they would do without their father.” Franzese emphasized how conflicted the brothers felt. about their actions and beliefs.
Menendez brothers found guilty of murdering their parents, fight for freedom while protected by relatives
The photo shows a letter Eric Menendez allegedly wrote and sent to his cousin Andy Cano eight months before the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez. (Los Angeles County Superior Court of California)
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The brothers' lawyers argue they should have been convicted. Not murder, but manslaughter. In that case, they would have already been released from prison.
“The Menendez Brothers” premiered on October 7th. According to a press release, the film's producers promised “all-new audio interviews will provide an alternative perspective from the brothers themselves.” It also details the brothers' claims. Their father sexually assaulted them.
