Latest news with #Franco
New York Post
20 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Prosecutors say they have ‘convincing evidence' against Wander Franco with sexual abuse case set to begin
Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic say that they have 'convincing evidence' against Rays shortstop Wander Franco in the sexual abuse case that is set to go to trial Monday, according to a news release issued by the country's attorney general and shared by ESPN. Franco, who hasn't played in MLB since August 2023, is alleged to have had a sexual relationship with a then-14-year-old female. He was placed on administrative leave by the league shortly after making his first All-Star team and later transferred to the restricted list (non-paid) after charges were filed in July 2024. The trial was originally scheduled for December 2024 but was postponed when key witnesses could not be located. 3 Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco attends his trial on charges of sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor and human trafficking, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. AP Franco, 24, is charged with sexual and psychological abuse. Those offenses come with lesser penalties than the original charges of sexual exploitation against a minor and human trafficking. Franco is also being investigated by the league under its domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy until the case is resolved. But he has maintained that his MLB career is not over, as his attorney has proclaimed that 'there is no case against Wander.' 'I did not had a career,' Franco said in December. 'This is not over.' 3 Wander Franco of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field on August 12, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florida. Getty Images 3 Tampa Bay Rays Dominican baseball shortstop Wander Franco, who faces an accusation of molesting an underage girl, leaves court under heavy escort in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on January 5, 2024. AFP via Getty Images During his absence from MLB, Franco was also caught illegally carrying a gun in his vehicle by Dominican authorities. He was granted supervised release after his attorney argued that the gun was licensed. The Associated Press reviewed documents alleging that Franco, through his mother Yudelka Aybar, transferred 1 million pesos to the mother of the minor on Jan. 5, 2023, to consent to the abuse. The mother of the minor has been charged with money laundering because she requested payment after finding out about their four-month-long relationship, according to evidence collected by prosecutors and reviewed by the AP. Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract in November 2021.
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Tonight's Swansea City transfer news as Franco interest revealed and glamour pre-season friendly pulled
Tonight's Swansea City transfer news as Franco interest revealed and glamour pre-season friendly pulled The latest news from the Stadium Goncalo Franco of Swansea City (Image: Getty Images ) Here's your round-up of all the latest Swansea City news for Thursday, May 29. Clubs monitoring Franco Several clubs are keeping tabs on Swansea City midfielder Goncalo Franco, sources have told WalesOnline. Franco emerged as a leading light for the Swans last season following a move from Portuguese side Moreirense in the summer, making 40 Championship appearances, racking up two goals and two assists in the process. His impressive run of form has seen him become a firm fans' favourite, and has also seen him catch the attention of clubs both on these shores and on the continent. Sign up to the Swansea City WhatsApp service to get breaking news and top stories sent to your phone Sources have told WalesOnline that clubs in England, Germany and Portugal are all keeping a close eye on the 24-year-old, although there hasn't yet been any sign of a concrete approach at this stage. Swansea are unlikely to be keen on sanctioning a sale, with Franco seen as a important part of Alan Sheehan's plans for the new season. Nevertheless, the club's financial situation means they may yet be tempted to cash in should the right offer arrive. Wrexham eye Peart-Harris Wrexham are weighing up a potential move for former Swansea City loanee Myles Peart-Harris, sources have told WalesOnline. The winger enjoyed a fairly successful loan spell with the Swans last season, scoring three goals and earning four assists in 29 Championship appearances. His time in SA1 came to an abrupt end back in March after he suffered a back injury in a goalless draw with Preston North End, and he has since been back at parent club Brentford to undergo rehabilitation. Now, newly-promoted Wrexham have identified the Bees man as one of several possibilities this summer, although it's not clear if they would favour a loan or permanent deal. The 22-year-old has one year left on his current deal with the Bees, who recently triggered a 12-month extension. Wrexham are also keen on Peart-Harris' former Swans team-mate Harry Darling, whose future remains up in the air as his current deal winds down next month. Swans forced to pull glamour friendly Swansea have been forced to cancel a glamourous pre-season friendly with PSV Eindhoven - because of the Dutch side's title triumph. PSV pipped rivals Ajax to the Eredivisie title during a thrilling end to the season, winning the a second consecutive title by just one point. That has put the buffers on the proposed fixture at the Stadium, which was due to take place a week before the start of the new Championship season. Sign up to our Swansea City newsletter here. That's because PSV will now be involved in the Johan Cruyff Shield, which is the Dutch equivalent of the Community Shield, where they will meet Go Ahead Eagles. Swans chiefs are still hopeful of organising a clash with continental opposition, but it's not clear who they now have in mind. Article continues below Last summer, the club faced Portuguese outfit Rio Ave, and ran out 3-0 winners courtesy of goals from Jay Fulton, Kyle Naughton and Matt Grimes.
Motor Trend
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
1966 Shelby 427 Cobra vs. 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder: Gumball Rally Revisited
[This article originally appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of MotorTrend Classic] Given the giddy brew that comprises 1976's 'The Gumball Rally'—dream cars in an illegal race from New York to California (all for glory and a gumball machine), authentic high-speed zooming and vrooming, plenty of anti-establishment gags, plus a steady stream of spectacular stunts and pulchritudinous ladies in shrink-wrapped attire—it's a wonder the movie didn't sweep the Academy Awards. But Gumball took home not a single golden statuette. (In an obvious anti-auto conspiracy, also winning nothing was that year's other big car picture, 'Taxi Driver.') The New York Times, probably put off by Gumball's lack of subtitles, called it 'nothing but one long exhaust pipe.' 0:00 / 0:00 Hel-loooo? We've carefully watched all the big Oscar honorees for 1976—films like 'Network' and 'All the President's Men'—and haven't found a single scene involving a Ferrari Daytona Spyder or a Shelby 427 Cobra. And therein lies the guilty pleasure of 'The Gumball Rally.' For auto aficionados in the Seventies, watching Gumball was like spending 107 minutes inside Willy Wonka's Cheater Slick Factory. After all, owning a car in late-1970s America was a lot like being locked in your room by your parents—without the dirty magazines hidden under your bed. There seemed no end to the things we couldn't do. We couldn't drive over 55 mph—not without Fuzzbusters, anyway. We couldn't buy gas without a reservation. We couldn't own high-horsepower cars without feeling the static cling of Jimmy Carter's cardigan sweater. We couldn't even turn on the car radio, because the Bay City Rollers or Barry Manilow might be on it. Then the first reel rolled on 'The Gumball Rally,' and within 15 minutes the cast had raised a prerace toast that swept aside all societal fouled plugs: 'To internal combustion. And wind in the face.' Okay, 'Macbeth' it isn't. But Gumball fairly glistens with breath-snatching wheels: the sensuous Ferrari, the bulging Cobra, a black Porsche 911, a hopped-up Camaro, a vintage Mercedes 300SL roadster, a Rolls-Royce worth an astronomical '$40,000.' The dialog boasts a few 'Casablanca'-caliber gems, too, including perhaps the most immortal line in car-movie history—when Italian race champ Franco (the late Raul Julia) yanks the rearview mirror off the Ferrari as he declares to teammate Smitty (the late Tim McIntire): 'And now, my friend, the first rule of Italian driving: What's behind me is not important.' Above all, Gumball took our catalyst-choked, fuel-shortaged souls along on a vicarious thrill ride in which the only rule was 'there are no rules.' Who among us hasn't dreamt of doing naughty things with a Porsche right through midtown Manhattan? Who hasn't fantasized about outrunning a police helicopter in a Ferrari that 'must be doing 180 mph'? And who didn't go envy green over the classic, climactic duel between Franco's Daytona and the Cobra of Michael Bannon (Michael Sarrazin) down the semi-dry L.A. River to the finish line at the Queen Mary in Long Beach? Do the pictures on these pages look familiar? They should. That's the same L.A. River you see in Gumball, and those are the actual two cars that appeared in the movie (we look exactly like Sarrazin and Julia, too—at least if you're reading this while seated on a paint shaker). Drive the actual Gumball Rally cars? Who said youthful fantasies never come true? Enthusiasts will recall, of course, that the idea for an illegal cross-country race was hardly original. 'My agent sent me a clipping from the Los Angeles Times about this race from New York to L.A.,' says Chuck Bail, 70, Gumball's producer and director. 'And the more I thought about it, the more I thought, 'What a great idea for a comedy.'' Not finding the idea quite so amusing, though, was then-Car and Driver writer Brock Yates, whose notorious Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash was the illegal race in question and who had plans for his own movie version. 'I was furious about it. Really pissed off,' Yates said. Yet Gumball rolled on. 'I picked every car in the movie,' Bail says. 'The studio tried to force me to use star actors, but my feeling was, the cars are the stars.' Then Bail laughs. 'Also, I wanted to keep the budget down!' Bail remembers the first time he met his 'Franco Bertollini.' 'My agent said, 'You've got to meet this guy, Raul Julia.' And I said, 'I need an Italian!' But unbeknownst to me, Raul had already been prepped on the part. So he auditioned and he was just so Italian, so wonderful. But of course he was a New Yorker. He couldn't drive!' Bail had more difficulty finding his 'Michael Bannon.' 'Finally the studio president said, 'How about Michael Sarrazin?' And I said 'fine,' 'cause we started shooting in three days! But I gotta tell you, Michael was a wonderful choice. While we were filming, though, so many people thought he was Peter Fonda. Used to drive him nuts!' 'Michael was an even worse driver than Raul Julia!' laughs Linda Vaughn, the omnipresent motorsport beauty queen who appears in Gumball as the dishy 'Emergency Plan Alpha' to distract the amorous Franco from the finish line. 'Raul was such fun. I brought my Ferrari 246 to the set to show him how to shift gears, and I think it made Michael jealous—he wanted to go out with me. But the man could not even drive the Cobra! Raul got the hang of it. I was so impressed with how he handled himself. I still have the silk scarf he wears in the movie.' For his four-wheeled stars, Bail had backups. 'We had two of everything,' he says. 'You don't dare do a movie with just one of each car.' Bail's vehicular Noah's Ark included two authentic Cobras (plus one replica that appeared on screen briefly) and two authentic Daytona Spyders. The Cobra you see here, serial number CSX3255, is one of the two genuine cars; both were painted Guardsman Blue during the filming (CSX3255 has since been restored, repainted in red, and fitted with a new hood that lacks a scoop). While shooting, one of the two Cobras (it's unclear which) suffered nose damage during a crash into the L.A. River's concrete wall, forcing Bail to finish filming with the second car (look closely near the movie's end, and you can see the Cobra switch from damaged to undamaged and back again). Like the other film Cobra—CSX3243—the red car is now in private hands in California (see 'Ask the Man Who Owns One'). Gumball also used two genuine Ferrari Daytona Spyders. 'My stuntmen got to dicing with each other while we were filming the night race in Arizona between the Ferrari and the Cobra,' Bail says, 'and the Ferrari driver went off. Totaled the Daytona—and a Panavision camera. Somehow they found me another car in Scottsdale, and I wrote a check for $35,000 so I could finish shooting. At the end of the movie, the studio reimbursed my $35K. Can you believe it? I should've kept the damn car!' The Spyder you see here, serial number 14829, graciously loaned to us from its permanent home at L.A.'s Petersen Automotive Museum ( is likely the second car. According to the best available information, the wrecked Spyder, serial number 16467, was rebuilt, 'crashed' on screen by Kris Kristofferson in 1976's 'A Star Is Born,' and then converted into a 'NART Spyder' (however, one of 14829's earlier owners, former Ferrari racer and repair-shop owner Joseph Crevier, claims his was the Ferrari that appeared in both Gumball and 'A Star is Born'). Eventually, 14829 joined the collection of Noel and Mel (the voice of Bugs Bunny) Blanc before moving to the Petersen seven years ago. Since Gumball, 14829 has been restored and repainted, including new cockpit trim by famed interior specialist Tony Nancy. Both cars are gorgeous. Looking at the two of them side by side on the concrete of the L.A. River, just as they appeared in 'The Gumball Rally,' adolescent memories come flooding back. Why, we drooled over these very machines three decades ago. It's like climbing aboard a time machine and spending a day in 1976 with Farrah Fawcett and Lynda Carter—except the cars won't smack you if you put on a Barry White album. Unexpected for an exotic of its vintage, the Ferrari is a polished jewel (on reflection, perhaps that isn't surprising; this being the model that in the premiere issue of Motor Trend Classic our expert panelists ranked number two on the list of greatest-ever Ferraris). The engine starts easily, the five-speed slots gracefully through the pattern, and the steering quickly shrugs off an initial heaviness to become, as speed builds, quite light and fluid. The four-cam, 4.4-liter V-12 revs like a turbine, and the horses awaken smartly as the tach climbs. Beyond 5000 rpm or so, all 352 of them are racing hard for the 7500-rpm redline, emitting a howl that makes grown men weak in the knees and teenage boys stand in line to watch car movies. Franco and Smitty chose well—you can feel the Ferrari's long legs, its comfort with speed. For an illegal dash across the country, the Daytona would make a brilliant accomplice (and, in fact, in 1971 a Daytona coupe carried Brock Yates and racing legend Dan Gurney to a win in the Cannonball, averaging 80 mph over nearly 2900 miles and once reaching 176 mph). Gun this beauty through the gears, listen to it sing the high notes, and you can only smile and say, as Franco would, 'She is happy.' If the Ferrari is from Venus, the Shelby 427 Cobra is a beast from Mars. Climb aboard the Cobra, and you're tying yourself onto a rodeo bull—hell, this thing might even kick you if you try to climb back out. Twist the ignition, and the race-bred 7.0-liter big-block V-8 crackles and shudders, the flimsy aluminum body quivers like an overgrown Chihuahua, and soon your toes are slow-roasting against the firewall. You're still in neutral. The four-speed shifter juts out of the floor like a crooked cactus but finding the gear notches is effortless. Press in the clutch pedal (precursor to the Nautilus calf machine), tickle the throttle, and…sorry. We unintentionally clenched shut every bodily orifice just remembering how the Cobra charges off the line. All the acceleration clichés come to mind: aircraft-carrier catapults, NASA rockets, teenage girls catching sight of Leonardo DiCaprio. Driving this thing across the country would be pure masochism, but, man, even after four decades the Cobra has lost none of its famed bite. There's so much torque you can start off in fourth gear if you want. Put it in first, and it'd humiliate almost anything made today (it feels way quicker than the 5.3-second 0-to-60 time we recorded on skinnier tires—and with two aboard—in 1966). Legend has it that the Cobra could rocket from 0 to 100 and back to 0 in under 14 seconds—and from the way this one crushed our eyeballs, we believe it. Which car wins our Gumball Rally rematch? Without Emergency Plan Alpha on hand to bust loose a clear victor, we're happy to call it a draw, a question of taste—the Ferrari's Toscanini virtuosity versus the Cobra's shattering heavy metal. Besides, as Franco says in Gumball when yet another young lovely diverts his attention, 'Some things are more important than winning.' 1972 Ferrari 365GTS/4 Daytona Spyder Expect to Pay: Concours ready: $750,000 (perhaps $800,000 or more with Hollywood connection); solid driver: $600,000; tired runner: $500,000 Join The Club: Ferrari Club of America; Our Take Then: 'The Daytona Spyder will provide all the thrills a sane man could want and do it with full security at a level where lesser machinery might feel as though it were reaching escape velocity.'—Chuck Queener, Motor Trend, December 1971. Now: As scene-stealing as it ever was. And rare to boot: This car is one of only about 120 genuine Daytona Spyders built from 1969 through 1974 (thanks to abundant coupe-to-convertible conversions since then, of those original Spyders about 250 exist today). Still feels seriously fast, still feels robust. We'd gladly take one on a cross-country race tomorrow. Currently in the collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles ( 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra Ask The Man Who Owns One The Cobra's owner, a businessman and attorney in California's central valley who prefers not to be identified, says he didn't learn his car was used in 'The Gumball Rally' until after he bought it in 2002. 'It was a nice surprise,' he says, 'but really I'd always just wanted a Cobra. I used to own a replica, but when I had enough money I started looking for an original.' Why He Likes It: 'Running through the gears! I probably put 300 to 400 miles a year on the car driving it through the twisties. I've had it up to about 140 mph. But the handling is pure 1966. I can't imagine how anyone raced these cars on a road course.' Why It's Collectible: Shelby built only 348 427 Cobras (including 21 competition cars) from 1965 to 1967. Without question, the baddest automobile of the 1960s—it's a dream for many enthusiasts just to see one. Restoring/Maintaining: 'I have my Cobra maintained by a very talented guy named Brian Frick,' says the owner. 'When I bought the car it had already been restored, so I really haven't had to do anything major to it.' Expect To Pay: Concours ready: $700,000; solid driver: $550,000; tired runner: $400,000 Join The Club: Shelby American Automobile Club; Our Take Then: 'Although amazingly tractable and untemperamental for such a powerful machine, this is clearly not a car for everyone. If you want to pretend that every stop light is the grid at Nürburgring or every freeway the Mulsanne straight, forget it. You can't afford the tickets.'—Bob Schilling, MT, September 1966. Now: Still one of the most visceral and exciting rides ever put on four wheels. Fast, loud, unabashedly primal. Might want to go on a low-residue diet before you start it up.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Man reignites father's legacy as Anderson Fireman's Festival returns after 15 years
It didn't take long for Serafino "Sam" Delzotti to become a fixture of Cincinnati's restaurant industry after he immigrated from Italy in 1964. He started his career as a chef at the Lookout House Supper Club in Covington before moving on to Montgomery's Fox & Crow – located in the current Carlo & Johnny's – and the Hearth Supper Club in Mount Carmel, where it's rumored he lured Tony Bennett to perform. In 1980, he and his business partner, Peter Bonnis, opened The Loveland Inn on Loveland-Madeira Road. In 1982, Delzotti, who also worked third shift as a metal fabricator, took an old family sausage recipe and turned it into a side hustle. He debuted his Delzotti Italian Sausage at the Comboni Mission Festival in Anderson and soon joined the church festival circuit, providing Italian-style hoagies for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Festival and St. Veronica's Festival, too. His sausages developed a dedicated following and are now considered somewhat famous on the East Side, where they can be found at Jungle Jim's Eastgate location. Along with being a talented chef, Delzotti was a community fixture who was active in several organizations, including the Knights of Columbus, the Cincinnati chapter of the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America and the United Italian Society of Greater Cincinnati. His death in 2007 at the age of 68 was a blow to not just the city's Italian-American community, but a large swath of the East Side, as well. "His funeral was crazy," his son, Franco, told me. "He knew so many people." After Delzotti's death, Franco, a firefighter in Union Township, took over the business as a coping mechanism. "I do it to keep on the tradition," he told me. It's also a way for him to commune with his father's memory. Franco started his firefighting career at a mentorship program with Anderson Township's Fire & Rescue department. To support his son, Sam started selling his Italian sausage hoagies at the annual Fireman's Festival, a fundraiser that helped raise money for the department. The festival ended in 2010, but you can try Delzotti 's famous sausage for yourself when it marks its comeback after a 15-year absence. The return of the Fireman's Festival is a story in itself. Started in the 1960s, it took place the fire station parking lot on Beechmont Avenue until 1998, when it was absorbed by the Anderson Park District and merged into Anderson Day, which takes place at Beech Acres each July. It lived on until 2010, but according to Mark Cunningham, a firefighter who serves as chairman of the Anderson Township Charitable Foundation, it eventually struggled to find volunteers. Worse, it no longer felt like the special event it once was. "It lost its spirit," Cunningham said. Last year, Anderson Township trustee Josh Gerth reached out to Cunningham, suggesting they try to bring the festival back. And finding a suitable location for it was easier than Cunningham thought. He and Gerth met with the management of Belterra Park, a horse racing and gaming facility on Kellogg Avenue, who said they could use the space, including its restrooms and food and beer vendors. With the infrastructure already in place, the decision to bring it back was simple. The festival's return is also a boon to the community. Unlike the old days, when proceeds helped pay for equipment, including ambulances, for the fire department, they will now go toward the Charitable Foundation, a 501c3 whose primary job is to serve as caretakers of the Anderson Firefighters Memorial at Beech Acres Park, as well as to support to firefighters and other community members in need. Along with those Delzotti sausage hoagies mentioned above, the Fireman's Festival will feature three additional food trucks. More food and beer options are available inside the park. Live entertainment includes the Dan Varner Band, DJ Glen Hock, the Naked Karate Girls and the Michelle Robinson Band. While the festival is open to all ages, Cunningham said the entertainment is geared more toward adults and teens, so you might want to leave the kiddies at home. If you want to make a day of it, there are several horse races scheduled this weekend. The Anderson Township Fireman's Festival takes place at Belterra Park, 6301 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township, 5-11 p.m. Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31. For more info, visit This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Minor miracle revives Anderson Fireman's Festival after 15-year hiatus
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
James Franco-Starrer ‘Hey Joe' Acquired for U.S. Release by Glass House Distribution
'Hey Joe,' an Italian drama in which James Franco plays a U.S. Navy sailor stationed in post-World War II Naples, has been picked up by Glass House Distribution which is planning a North American release via both theatrical and digital platforms. The gritty film, directed by Claudio Giovannesi ('Gomorrah' TV series, 'Piranhas'), was sold to Glass House by Italy's Vision Distribution during the Marché du Film in Cannes. More from Variety 'I Only Rest in the Storm' Review: A Sprawling Narrative That Demands Patience and Attention 'Girl on Edge' Review: A Mother and Daughter Hit Thin Ice in Zhou Jinghao's Alluring but Unsatisfactory Skating Drama 'Mama' Review: A Housemaid Abroad Gets an Unpleasant Homecoming in an Intriguing Character Study That Veers Into Melodrama Franco, who has been struggling to fully reenter Hollywood after facing sexual misconduct allegations that he discussed with Variety when 'Hey Joe' premiered in Italy, recently attended the amfAR Cannes gala and donated a painting to the auction. In 'Hey Joe,' Franco plays Dean Barry, an American sailor who in 1944, at age 23, disembarks in war-torn Naples. He falls in love with a young, very poor, local woman named Lucia. A couple of years later, Dean is forced to leave Lucia, alone and pregnant, to go back to New Jersey. He eventually returns to Naples to find the woman and her son, Enzo — but the city has changed a lot and Dean must navigate these challenges leading up to a surprise finale. Franco speaks both English and Italian in the film. 'We were captivated by 'Hey Joe' from the first screening,' said Tom Malloy, president of Glass House Distribution in a statement. 'It's a rare blend of American and Italian storytelling, grounded by an emotionally resonant performance from James Franco. We believe this film will resonate strongly with audiences and critics alike during awards season,' he added. The statement noted that Glass House plans to release 'Hey Joe' in late 2025 'during the heart of awards season' targeting both theatrical and digital platforms. 'Hey Joe' is produced by Italy's Palomar in tandem with RAI Cinema and Vision Distribution which released the film in Italy to meager box office results following its Rome Film Festival launch last year. Screen International was first to report this news Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
