CEO of FM Media Company, Frank Mann passed away unexpectedly in Florida on April 20th, 2024, at the age of 62. He was born in White Plains, NY and resided in Margaretville, NY for most of his life. Franky was a man of many interests and talents and had a varied and extensive professional life encompassing publisher, “Brand” organizer, builder, and craft beer developer of “Naughty Pig Beer”. Franky’s latest business idea, “ArtVestor” was planned to be a forum for accomplished artists to find investors to share in “Partial” ownership of their works.
His entrepreneurial pursuits brought him on annual treks from New York to the Carolinas, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. At the time of his death, Franky was working on his personal memoir to beat cancer on his own terms which he named “Franky Mann’s INDY tour: I’m Not Dead Yet”. The unfinished manuscript is a compilation of the endless friends, restaurants, hotels, music venues, medical personnel, health gurus, and fabulous places he documented on his quest to keep a vital, hopeful, and fulfilling quality of life throughout his courageous journey toward the end. It was his hope to create a foundation to raise money so others could go on their own INDY tour.
In his earlier years Franky had coordinated with his father Frank Mann, owner of Alta Log Homes in Halcottsville, NY to build several speculation homes for the company. He also renovated a lake front property in Cooperstown, NY. However, Franky’s heart was torn between the publishing business and the entertainment sector of music/dinning/unique craft beers. Ultimately, the latter won out.
Franky’s first major independent business venture was when he published the “Yellow Pages” for all businesses within the counties of Delaware, Chenango, Greene, Schoharie, Ulster, and Otsego in upstate New York. He next published “Eat, Drink be Social” a book of hotels, restaurants’, music venues and available entertainment venues in upstate NY for tourists, visitors and residents who wanted to take advantage of all the entertainment options the area had to offer.
As Franky moved to more ‘branding’ enterprises, he did a few annual “Saratoga Beer, Bourbon and Scotch Invitational” tasting events to offer the public celebratory drinking/eating/music. During these business ventures in the Saratoga, New York horse country, he hosted a ‘pub’ television interview show with local pub owners and patrons. His love of making new friends and partying in everyday places was a personal trademark. Franky had always tried to stay active in the music venues for Woodstock, NY and was instrumental in producing the “Woodstock Blues Festival” and Woodstock Guitar Festival”. He also started an annual golf tournament in memory of his father, called the “Frank Mann Senator’s Cup” held in August at the Hanah Country Resort, Margaretville.
After completion of high school at Berkshire Academy in Massachusetts, Franky graduated from the University of Miami in Florida.
He his predeceased by his parents, Frank and Mary Ann Mann of Margaretville, NY. The surviving family includes his brother and sister-in-law, David and Mary Luz Mann of Halcottsville, and his sister Karen Mann of Margaretville, NY.
Beyers Funeral Home of Leesburg will announce a “Celebration of Life” in his memory soon.