Gene Borrello, a former mobster turned federal informant, was separated from the general prison population and placed in a section with ex-gang members, informants, and high-profile detainees, one of which was SBF.

After leaving prison, he sat down with Tiffany Fong for an hour-long interview, which is available on her YouTube channel. A shorter version was also posted on her X profile.

I got a chance to interview Gene Borrello, a former mob enforcer who was in jail with Sam Bankman-Fried. Gene tells me SBF was on suicide watch, was extorted & did not eat or shower for several days. We also discuss how Sam spends his time in jail, bullying, sentencing & more. pic.twitter.com/nszTXVUrSQ

— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) November 30, 2023

Extortion Attempts Still Occurred

To prevent him from being shaken down and extorted, MDC officials placed Bankman-Fried in a section separate from current gang members. However, at least one extortion attempt occurred, which was stopped by Borrello.

“You’ve never been in a fistfight in your life, and now you’re hanging out with Bloods? I know you don’t want to be there.”

According to SBF’s savior, he stopped the extortionists from forcing хим to bunk with them, getting into a fight with them that sent him to a solitary wing in the unit. Later on, SBF was almost moved to the solitary unit as well due to alleged requests from his parents, who were concerned for his safety.

“He has the body of an 80-year-old man. He has, like, no shape to him, you know what I mean? […] When he talks to you, he puts his head down, he’s very timid, he talks very nervous.”

However, Borrello was released before this could be possible. Instead, SBF allegedly spent his days in jail teaching other inmates about finance and giving out business tips for free. Allegedly, he spent hours daily giving inmates suggestions for financial success once they were released. No mackerel packets were involved.

The former crypto mogul also surprised fellow inmates by explaining that the only luxury he allowed himself was a penthouse in the Bahamas, despite allegedly making a million dollars a day at the height of his career.

“I said, what are you doing with the money? What kind of watch did you have?’ He said, ‘I had an Apple Watch,’ I said: ‘What kind of car were you driving?’ He said: ‘a 2020 Toyota Camry.’ Me and my friends go: ‘So what the f*** did you steal the money for? You wanna look at it?’”

Unrealistic Expectations

Borrello was released before SBF was declared guilty. During their time together, the interviewee noted SBF’s completely unrealistic expectations regarding his sentencing.

Allegedly, Bankman-Fried kept repeating that he believed he would get at most 20 years in prison and still believed he may be found innocent, something Fong had also noticed during an interview with him while he was still under house arrest.

Borrello attempted to warn SBF that Judge Kaplan was the strictest judge in the district. This, coupled with the high-profile and federal nature of the case, practically ensured that a life sentence would be handed out.

“We looked at him like he was crazy. I kept trying to explain to him you’re never going to see the outside again.”

Borrello also stated that he wondered who was giving Bankman-Fried these ideas, considering the good reputation of his lawyers. Possibly, it was nothing but the disgraced moguls’ famed hubris.

If sentenced to the full extent of the law, SBF is looking at 115 years in jail. After sentencing guidelines are reviewed, the former FTX CEO will be sentenced on the 28th of March. His legal team is expected to appeal.