At the age of 89, the original Jersey Boy, Frankie Valli, has been dragged into a “heartbreaking” situation because of his eldest son’s drug addiction, say family sources.
Francesco Valli, 36, has been accused of threatening to kill his father, allegedly owes his brothers tens of thousands of dollars and has spent time in jail after an arrest for drug possession, The Post has learned.
It is the second time Frankie has suffered from a child’s use of drugs: In 1980 his daughter Francine died of an accidental drug overdose aged just 20.
From left; Emilio Valli, Frankie Valli, Francesco Valli and Brando Valli attend the 3rd Annual New Jersey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on May 2, 2010, in Newark, New Jersey. WireImageOn Monday, Emilio Valli — Francesco’s younger brother — was granted a temporary restraining order after telling a court that the troubled would-be actor had made repeated threats to harm both him and their famous father.
Emilio, 29, claimed that both he and Frankie now fear for their safety after Francesco attempted to break into his dad’s property in Encino, CA. on April 5.
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The filing, seen by The Post, says that while waiting for law enforcement to arrive after the attempted break-in, Francesco “repeatedly physically threatened to harm or kill” both their father and Emilio, something the family says is “part of a pattern for the past several months.”
Emilio noted in the filing that the family believes Francesco is “addicted to opiates,” and that while Frankie has been financially supporting his son, he’s now made that support contingent on Francesco agreeing to enter a residential drug treatment program.
Emilio Valli this week applied for a restraining order against his older brother Francesco Valli , after telling a court he had threatened both him and their father. United States Courts Brando Valli his twin Emilio Valli, producer Junior Roy, Olivia Valli, Antonia Valli, Dario Valli, Frankie Valli and his fourth wife Jackie Jacobs pose at the Los Angeles opening night for “Pretty Woman The Musical” at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, in June 2022. The only missing family member is Frankie’s troubled son Francesco. Getty ImagesHe also stated his brother has destroyed Frankie’s property and also stole, then sold, his personal items.
When reached by phone Wednesday, Emilio declined to comment.
But a family source admitted to The Post, “It’s heartbreaking. The family is doing as well as can be expected… they just need a little bit of time to work this out.
“All families go through good and bad times, there are triumphs, failures and joys in every family across the nation, and the Valli family is no different, but because Frankie Valli is an icon, the magnitude of all of this is that much greater.”
Francesco has dabbled in acting, with appearances in movies like “The House Bunny” and “Reach Me,” before apparently becoming addicted. Emilio works in real estate in Malibu and Brando is a musician.
For Frankie, there are two things that he truly cares about; his family and his work, said the source.
The original Jersey Boy, Frankie Valli, with his first wife, Mary Mandell. She died in 2007. Tragically both their daughters Celia and Francine died in 1980. Singer Valli with his second wife, Mary Ann Hannigan. The pair wed in 1974 and divorced after 8 years of marriage. MediaPunch via Getty Images“His music is his life’s work, his passion, his life’s blood, that and his family mean the world to him.”
Francesco has been ordered to have no contact with his dad or brother, and must stay at least 100 yards away from their homes, their cars and their workplaces.
“Since cutting off [Francesco] financially, [Francesco’s] threats have escalated as well as the sale of personal property of our father, and increased attempts to access the property of our father,” Emilio wrote in his filing.
Despite the family tragedy, Frankie performed to a sell-out crowd at Radio City Music Hall in NYC in March and was thrilled to be home back East, the source said.
Valli with Francesco – the oldest of his three sons with his ex-wife Randy, in London in 1993. PA Images via Getty Images Frankie and Randy Valli were still fighting in the courts just months before her death from leukemia in July 2014.He told People in 2008, “It’s unconditional love with your kids,” adding that he spoke to his children every day, no matter where he was.
A judge will decide whether to fully grant the restraining order at LA Superior Court on April 29.
Francesco was arrested in June 2020 on charges of felony taking a vehicle without consent and possessing a controlled substance.
He finally agreed a plea bargain last week to serve a year’s probation for misdemeanor taking a vehicle without consent and time served, having spent two nights in county jail at an undisclosed time over the last four years.
Frankie Valli wed his fourth wife, Jackie Jacobs, last year in Las Vegas. They’re seen at Clive Davis’ pre-Grammys bash in February 2023. FilmMagic Frankie Valli became a huge star with his band, The Four Seasons, seen together in 1963. From left, Valli, ommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio and Nick Massi. Getty ImagesFrankie has been married four times and has had six children by his first and third wives.
The “Four Seasons” frontman — whose life story was turned into the Broadway show “Jersey Boys” featuring all his biggest hits including “Walk Like a Man”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Sherry” — first became a father in 1957 when he married Mary Mandell, who had a daughter named Celia from a previous relationship.
The couple had two more daughters, Antonia and Francine, before they divorced in 1971.
In 1980, Celia died in a car accident aged 26, followed just six months later Francine’s death from an accidental drug overdose.
“When that happened, I lost it for a bit,” he told the Los Angeles Times in December, referring to a bout of substance abuse that lasted until he swore off booze more than 40 years ago.
Antonia, now 65, married Gerry Polci, the drummer of her father’s band, the Four Seasons, in 1987.
They had two children, Olivia, born in 1993, and Dario, born in 1994. The pair have since divorced.
Vallie’s life-story was turned into a huge Broadway hit, Jersey Boys.Olivia portrayed her late grandmother Mary in the 2019 off-Broadway production of Jersey Boys is now finishing up a tour playing the lead role of Elpheba in “Wicked.”
Frankie married his second wife Mary Ann Hannigan in 1974 and divorced after 8 years, then married Randy Clohessy, in 1984.
Clohenssy was 23 and from Rego Park, Queens, when she tied the knot with the star, then 49, in St Patrick’s Cathedral.
The couple had three sons together — Francesco and twins Emilio and Brando — before a bitter public split which began in 2004 and saw them warring in court over money.
Jersey Boys went on to win four Tony awards The production garnered four Tony Award wins in 2006; for stars John Lloyd Young and Christian Hoff, lighting designer Howell Binkley and for the top prize Best Musical.Randy died aged 54 on July 4, 2014, after being diagnosed with leukemia, and left her $6 million Malibu home to her three sons who were just 26 and 19 when they lost their mom.
Even that inheritance has been overshadowed by tragedy. In 2018 it was badly damaged by the Woolsey wildfire, which devastated Malibu.
And then in April 2022, Emilio and Brando jointly sued Francesco, saying that he had made it impossible to rent out the five-bedroom, 4,500 square foot home which boasts a pool with views over the Pacific.
According to a filing, seen by The Post, the twins said the three brothers agreed they would rent out the property back in June 2017 to cover its $12,000-a-month running costs but that the twins had been “largely unable to communicate” with their brother for long periods of time.
The Valli boys inherited this $6m home from their mother. But the twins sued Francesco claiming he tried to get in the way of them renting it out and that they could not communicate with him for long periods of time. Google EarthAnd when they did sign a lease — after a lawsuit against State Farm over the damage done by the fire — Francesco threatened to move in himself and “disturb” the $20,000-a-month tenants.
The Post has tried to reach out to Francesco and Brando.
A rep for Frankie told The Post, “Frankie is saddened by these unfortunate events and appreciates that his privacy will be respected as he works out these family issues.”
Frankie married wife number 4, Jackie Jacobs, 60, a former CBS marketing executive whom he met at dinner at a LA restaurant, last June.
