A few weeks ago I was at the Fox Studios in New York City preparing to make an appearance on the Cavuto show. Mr. Cavuto invited me to talk about my recently published business book, “I’ll Make You An Offer You Can’t Refuse,” and the “Machiavellian” approach to business some people in the Obama administration appear to be taking. I was chatting with one of the show’s producers, explaining how the mob would lend money to a business and then take control of the company (sound familiar?), when a beautiful, blond woman came bursting through the door of the green room with her entourage in tow.
Turns out she was Miss California, Carrie Prejean, the reigning queen of the state in which I just happen to reside. Cavuto’s producers were able to nab the beauty for an early interview. My wife and I and two of our daughters watched from the green room as Miss Prejean very respectfully stated her belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Before seeing her interview, I was unaware that her response to a question posed to her on the subject during Sunday’s Miss USA competition had quite possibly cost her the Miss USA crown.
On the plane home that evening I read a piece in Newsday about the incident and learned that it was you, Mr. Perez Hilton, who posed the question about gay marriage to Miss Prejean. Apparently, you didn’t care for her response. “That’s not the kind of woman I want to be Miss USA,” you were quoted as saying. “Miss USA should represent all Americans and, with her answer she instantly alienated millions of gays and lesbians and their friends.” You further went on to say on your video blog that had Miss California won the crown, you would have “run onstage and ripped the tiara off Prejean’s head.” You followed that demonstration of courage by calling her a few choice names that even I, a former Caporegime in the Colombo organized crime family, would be too embarrassed to put in print.
For the record, Mr. Hilton, I would like to state that I, too, believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. My wife also shares that belief and we have brought our four children up to believe the same. We have also brought them up to be tolerant of people who do not share our beliefs. In other words, we would not tolerate our children “ripping a tiara off of the head” of a person, had they been judging that contest and the winner was a lesbian. Nor would we tolerate their calling her disrespectful and shameful names. In fact, I wouldn’t even consider breaking your knee caps for disagreeing with my beliefs, Mr. Hilton, and I’m a former mobster.
Miss Prejean had every right to state her beliefs in the honest and respectful manner in which she did. She has as much right to respectfully disagree with same sex marriage as you do in advocating such a union. In my opinion, your response to a young lady who represented my home state with dignity and class brought shame to the very people in this country that you so poorly represented in your position as judge of the competition. My daughters are of college age and have brought their gay and lesbian friends into my home, where they are welcomed and treated with respect. My nephew is gay and even though we disagree on the subject of marriage, we are both die hard Yankee fans and enjoy watching the games together while downing a bowl of pasta. For the record, my nephew is a great cook. My wife and I have friends and associates who are both gay and lesbian. They have no problem what- so-ever with our belief in marriage being between a man and a woman. In other words, they tolerate our opposing beliefs.
I am quite sure that these fine people have been embarrassed by your disgraceful response to a person whose beliefs are in opposition to your own. It is you who have alienated these fine people and their friends, and not Miss Prejean, with your disgraceful display of intolerance to another person’s beliefs. We are blessed to live in a country where opposing views expressed in a respectful and civilized manner are to be tolerated. That’s the law of the land. If, in fact, Miss Prejean was deprived of an award she rightly deserved because of her honest and respectful expression of her beliefs, both you and the organizers of the Miss USA contest should be thoroughly ashamed.
Furthermore, if I were Donald Trump, rather than deciding whether Miss California will be allowed to keep her Miss USA crown, I would be holding a press conference to publicly admonish you for your disgraceful representation of a contest I owned. I am very surprised not to have heard the word’s “You’re fired,” directed at you from the Donald.
I would like to offer you the opportunity to publicly apologize to Miss Prejean and to the millions of Americans, — gay, lesbian and straight, that you have shamed with your childish behavior. It would be a good way to show all Americans that we have the right to respectfully disagree on this subject or any other and not suffer as a result. That’s an offer you should not refuse.
–Michael Franzese
Michael Franzese was formerly a top-lieutenant in New York’s infamous Colombo crime family, whom Fortune Magazine cited as number #18 on its list of the “Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses” in America. He is the author of the best-selling books, “Blood Covenant” and “Quitting the Mob“. Franzese’s most recent book, “I’ll Make You an Offer You Can’t Refuse: Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss,” was released in April.
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