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Victor R. Franko
Victor Franko
"Because condemned men don't have to drill!"

Actor

John Cassavetes

Rank

Private

Battles

Operation Amnesty

Birth

1910's, Chicago, Illinois

Status

Deceased as of June 6, 1944

Weapon of choice

M3 'Grease Gun'.

Private Victor R. Franko was a Dirty Dozen member of the team and a former Chicago Crime Syndicate mobster who was involved in the killing and striking of an old man during a botched robbery in London.

Franko did not steal that much. He was arrested for not only murder, but for stealing 2 pounds and ten shillings ( $10.00 in the U.S. ).

Franko was the team's trash talker and wise guy.

Franko is portrayed by talented actor and independent film director John Cassavetes.

Biography[]

Franko attempted to assault Reisman, only to lose and have his face stomped on. Franko later begs Reisman to get him out of the stockade. Originally, he has a distrust at Major Reisman's confidence and due to his ignorance he once tried to escape the military compound where the Dozen was camped. Luckily, he is stopped by Robert T. Jefferson, Joseph T. Wladislaw, and eventually Samson Posey.

Frank refused to shave in cold-water, in which the men were forced by Franko due to his Ignorance on shaving in the field. Franko and the other prisoners were disgraces to Colonel Everett Dasher Breed who disliked the mobster and tried to dry shave him, Franko's ignorance however earned the team's nickname the "Dirty Dozen", which however they didn't mind being called. Franko later decided to follow orders and grew respect to Major Reisman while in war games. Franko, along with Tassos R. Bravos, hijacked and captured an ambulance, which transported the penetration team that would invade Colonel Breed's outpost. As of now and later Franko became a good soldier in the end, but the mission was not over and during the battle at the Chateau in Rennes Brittany, France, Franko's duty is to go up without being seen as his job to cut the phone, however the mission became a disaster when one of the Dozen members betrayed them. Maggott tried to shoot at Franko which due to this he was frightened and cost everyone to be killed during the battle due to Maggott's incompetence, later in the battle that followed Franko however survived the whole mission as he was one of the only four survivors on the Half Track vehicle with Reisman, Bowren, and Wladislaw who survived to that point and also witnessing death of Jefferson to Franko's sadness he thought he was going to survive but unfortunately in the escape Franko was shot in the back by a German soldier while on the Half Track, his body was likely taken back to England to be buried there as possible or taken back to his family to be remembered, Franko's heroic actions would be remembered as he was one of the Dozen's best known recruits to have given the name,

Trivia[]

  • Franko was famous to have sparked the flames for making the Dirty Dozen famous.
  • Actor John Cassavetes wanted to direct the film. Producer Kenneth Hyman had to talk Cassavetes out of it.
  • John Cassavetes was nominated for Best Supporting Actor of 1967 because of his role as Franko. He lost to Dirty Dozen co-star George Kennedy, who portrayed Dragline in Cool Hand Luke.
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