When the
Lebanese Civil War began, Frangieh maintained a militia, the
Marada Brigade, under the command of his son Tony. He initially participated in the
Lebanese Front, a right-wing, mainly Christian, coalition of politicians and militia leaders, but in early
1978 he broke with them over their tacit collaboration with
Israel and his own pro-Syrian leanings. In June
1978, Tony, together with his wife and infant daughter, was assassinated by militiamen from the
Phalangist militia. Frangieh vowed revenge, within a few months, Bashir Gemayels daughter was killed in car bomb then Bashir was killed himself in 1982.
Frangieh remained an ally of Syria. He attempted to make a comeback in
1988, but the National Assembly, which had been expected to elect him, failed to achieve a
quorum owing to a boycott by some Christian parliamentarians enforced by the
Lebanese Forces militia. He died on
23 July 1992, two years after the civil war ended.