Sit Down with Michael Franzese

My Daughter Told Me the TRUTH About Growing Up With a Mobster Dad

October 6, 2026·1h 5m
Episode Description from the Publisher

My oldest daughter Miq sat down with her Uncle John a few weeks ago. She hadn’t seen him in years. Now he texts her five times a day. So I figured it was my turn to sit across from her. I was in and out of prison until she was nine years old. I always thought I was there for my kids, even from inside. Miq told me the truth — how growing up with a father who kept disappearing affected her relationships, her trust, and what she thought a good marriage was supposed to look like. She didn’t even realize it until her late twenties. We get into all of it: 41 years with her mother, and the time she thought we might not make it. Why she wishes she’d seen her mom be more affectionate. Her own rough first year of marriage, and why she refuses to be blindsided the way her mother was. Traditional roles — and yes, I said what I said. And I admit something on camera I’ve never really talked about: I wasn’t a good father to my two daughters from my first marriage. That’s on me. No excuses. I’m praying that changes. Our family has been offered reality shows more than once. We always said no. This is as real as it gets. My Daughter Told Me the TRUTH About Growing Up With a Mobster Dad 0:00 Introduction 2:43 My Daughter, Miquelle 6:02 What Miq Learned Sitting Down with My Brother John 8:52 On Trial with Giuliani When Her Mom Got Pregnant 11:24 Indicted Again a Month After She Was Born 14:01 How My Prison Years Affected My Daughter 17:54 Why Kids Need a Mother AND a Father 20:30 Becoming a Father Figure to My Sons-in-Law 23:32 “Anybody I Marry Has to Have a Misdemeanor” 26:47 What 41 Years of Marriage Taught My Daughter 31:01 Why My Wife and I Argue (Two Glasses of Wine) 32:41 The Rough Patch in Our Marriage 34:36 Marriage Is Tough: Money and Trust 35:45 My Regrets with My Daughters from My First Marriage 46:26 Don’t Keep Your Wife in the Dark About Money 49:37 Men and Women Are Equal but Have Different Roles 53:13 Men, Do Your Job: Provide and Protect 56:30 Praying for a New Grandchild 58:38 Why My Family Turned Down a Reality Show 60:30 You Asked Me to Call You “Friends” 62:36 Final Thoughts: Be Safe, Be Healthy #MichaelFranzese #MiquelleFranzese #FranzeseFamily #FatherDaughter #Marriage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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