In 2019, Michael Franzese opened up about gambling and betting being tied to the mob, and he explained that in the 1970s and 80s, he was dealing with pro athletes and team employees across the country. Michael added that they would run up big debts in the hundreds of thousands, which would lead to his approaching them to pay off the debt. When they couldn't, they would be threatened with the option of shaving points or being hurt. He also explained how referees were in on manipulating games, which you can hear more about above.