(OT) John Franco Soprano

[Tom]

I knew there was a reason why the Mets didn't cut him last year!!

 

Feds pitch Mets hurler as mob pal

 

BY JOHN MARZULLI

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

Mets reliever John Franco may have pitched his way into another jam - but this one has to do with his alleged ties to mobsters.

 

According to FBI documents, the one-time closer chummed around with several high-ranking members of the Bonanno crime family - even inviting some into the Mets clubhouse before games.

 

Franco also left free tickets for his Bonanno buddies for games at Shea Stadium and on the road, according to a source familiar with the documents.

 

Given the opportunity yesterday, Franco failed to put out the fire on the controversy.

 

In a statement released through his agent, Franco said he would not comment "regarding the specifics" in the documents, first reported by the Web site ganglandnews.com

 

"I am proud to be an Italian-American, and have lived my life in a respectable fashion.

 

"My friends, family and teammates can vouch for my character as opposed to a journalist [Web site author Jerry Capeci] who does not know me or the type of person that I am."

 

Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz declined to comment.

 

Franco could be called as a witness for the murder trial next year of Bonanno captain Vito Rizzuto, dubbed the "John Gotti of Montreal" - creating a major embarrassment for the Mets and Major League Baseball.

 

Franco's tenure with the Mets apparently ended when he appeared in the team's season finale on Oct. 3. Franco did not announce his retirement after the game, leaving open the possibility of his pitching for another team next season.

 

He noted the Mets gave him an open invitation to continue in the organization in some capacity, but that could be in doubt now due to Major League Baseball's strict prohibition against players associating with Mafia members or associates.

 

The documents chronicle debriefing sessions with mob rat Frank Lino, who told agents that he and other Bonanno mobsters, including consigliere Anthony Spero, got tickets from Franco in 1993 for a Mets-Expos game in Montreal, a source told the Daily News.

 

Spero and his crew were in Montreal to meet with the Canadian branch of the Bonanno family to inform them that Joseph Massino was the new boss, the source said.

 

The wiseguys from New York "went out with Mets players after the game," the Web site quotes the FBI report.

 

The Web site also cites an unnamed "Gang Land source" who claims he met Franco in the Mets clubhouse before a home game several years ago and Franco "took the time to say hello and shake hands with everyone in my party."