On the 101st Hollywood Godfather Podcast, the hosts introduce a request-driven format and respond to a listener asking for an episode on New Orleans and Carlos Marcello. Patrick argues the American Mafia’s origins trace to New Orleans in the late 1880s, describing the “Sicilian Assassination League,” the 1890 killing of police superintendent David Hennessey, and the subsequent mass lynching of Italian defendants amid rivalry between the Matranga and Provenzano factions. They profile Marcello (born Calogero Minacore), his name change, gambling focus, small 12-man family with major political power, testimony before the Kefauver Committee, and later legal troubles, deportation attempts, and links with Costello and Trafficante. They discuss JFK-era claims involving Oswald, Ruby, and mob figures, mention mob lawyer Frank Ragano, explain “godfather” and initiation symbolism, run a Corleone Fine Italian Foods ad, and answer mailbag questions about Elvis, Connecticut mob history, a planned TV series (targeting fall 2022), holidays, New York’s decline, and Gianni Russo’s $3M boat purchase.

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On the Hollywood Godfather Podcast, Gianni, Patrick and Meghan continue their mentor series by profiling Kirk Kerkorian, described as a self-made billionaire with no mob ties who loved gambling and reshaped Las Vegas through land deals and mega-hotels. They recount Kerkorian’s early life as a pilot ferrying planes to Scotland, his purchase and profitable sale of Trans International Airlines, his leasing land for Caesars, and building the International Hotel in 1969 with Barbra Streisand and Elvis Presley as early headliners, plus later ventures including MGM, Columbia Pictures, and attempted auto-industry takeovers. Russo shares personal stories of Kerkorian’s mentorship, Vegas licensing and zoning battles, and the rapid reopening after the MGM Grand fire. A sponsor message follows, then a mailbag covers magician Jimmy Grippo, Sinatra arranging a Happy Days cast appearance, Russo’s Vatican courier work, and a brief discussion of personal sayings.

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In the first 2022 episode of the Hollywood Godfather Podcast, the hosts review nine law-enforcement-investigated theories about what happened to union leader Jimmy Hoffa after his July 1975 disappearance, including claims he was killed on Tony Pro’s orders, buried under Giants Stadium, dumped from a plane into the Great Lakes, or hidden at various Michigan and New Jersey sites; they note most were unsupported, while a current theory involves a New Jersey landfill where the FBI has conducted a site survey and is analyzing data. Gianni Russo adds a separate account that Hoffa’s car was taken to a Staten Island scrapyard, crushed into a cube, and later used as a coffee table. After a sponsor message, the show shifts to a listener mailbag covering New Year resolutions, family priorities after a loss, Jayne Mansfield, Christmas music and movies, personal confidants, and holiday traditions.

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On the Hollywood Godfather Podcast, hosts introduce former federal agent Joseph Occhipinti, outlining his career from Army MP and Customs to INS special agent, undercover work, and major cocaine seizures, followed by his later clemency from President George H.W. Bush (1993) and full pardon and apology from President Donald J. Trump (2020), plus his founding of the National Police Defense Foundation, Safe Cop, and Operation Kids. Occhipinti describes growing up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, missing the NYPD height requirement, joining Customs, then becoming an INS agent specializing in Dominican organized crime in Washington Heights. He recounts posing as a corrupt official in FBI-monitored stings, meeting Rudy Giuliani during a bribery approach that led to a large cocaine seizure, and creating the multi-agency Project Bodega to target bodega-based drug operations tied to an NYPD officer’s murder. He explains the task force’s consent-search tactics, major seizures, political backlash involving Mayor Dinkins, and a cartel plan to frame him with federal civil rights charges, setting up the next episode.

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On the Hollywood Godfather Podcast, Gianni Russo, Patrick Piccirilli, and Megan Horan welcome actor and real estate developer Brandon Williams, cast to play Russo in Paramount+’s limited series The Offer about the making of The Godfather. After a comedic “top 10 ways to become Gianni Russo,” Williams describes growing up on the streets of Los Angeles, his love of mob films, his Italian wife and son named Gianni, his shift from acting to successful Los Angeles real estate, and how casting director John Papsidera offered him the role and quickly cast him from a self-tape. Williams says he appears in three episodes, including scenes involving James Caan and delivering a tape to producer Al Ruddy, and notes the series largely centers on Ruddy with a strong cast. After a brief book promo and event plug, the hosts answer listener emails about Sinatra Jr.’s kidnapping, Rat Pack entertainers, The Many Saints of Newark, other podcast appearances, and Joe Silvestri of Shelton Health Clubs, then close the show with contact and subscription info.

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Gianni Russo opens the Hollywood Godfather podcast by promoting a new membership program at hollywoodgodfatherfamily.com, then welcomes longtime friend Larry Manetti to discuss their 50-year friendship. Manetti recounts meeting Russo at his Chicago restaurant, their move as roommates to Brentwood in Los Angeles, and the celebrity-filled lifestyle they shared. The conversation ranges through friends and figures in entertainment and organized crime, including Alan Smiley, Robert Conrad’s help getting Manetti cast on Baa Baa Black Sheep, Steven Cannell, and experiences in mob-era Las Vegas with comps, gambling stories, and characters like Gene Cimorelli and Yale Cohen. Russo also shares anecdotes involving Sidney Korshak, Teamsters loans, JFK and Marilyn Monroe allegations, and Mario Puzo. They plan to continue the stories in a second episode.

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Gianni Russo, Pat Piccirilli, and Megan Horan discuss how New York City’s private carting (garbage) industry emerged around 1953 and became heavily infiltrated by the mafia, including price undercutting and shakedowns of restaurants and businesses, with the Gambino family said to dominate. They focus on Vincent Squillante, a very short made member and major earner who worked closely with Albert Anastasia and was reportedly near him during Anastasia’s 1957 barber-shop assassination; after Anastasia’s death, Squillante lost protection and vanished in 1961, with theories ranging from Gambino having him killed to a story of women stabbing him. They mention Squillante’s extortion arrest and cellmate Rudolf Abel, Giuliani-era crackdowns that hurt Angelo Ponte’s carting business, Russo’s own near-indictment, a Corleone Fine Italian Foods sponsor spot, and a mailbag covering cookbooks, Little Italy’s changes, football, recent films, and Russo’s relationships with Godfather castmates.

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A Rebroadcast of episode 140

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Gianni Russo, Pat Picirelli, and Megan Horan discuss a New York Post article claiming the five families worry younger mobsters are too tied to phones and social media, citing a fugitive Colombo consigliere, Ralph DiMatteo, caught after his son posted a poolside photo, and another extortionist who sent threats by text. The main topic is Vito Genovese: after the 1957 Apalachin meeting embarrassed the mafia, narcotics chief Harry Anslinger targeted Genovese for heroin trafficking. They describe an informant used to link Genovese to heroin meetings and argue he may have been framed by rivals like Costello and Gambino; Genovese’s conviction led to prison where he marked Joe Valachi for death, prompting Valachi to testify and expose La Cosa Nostra. In the mailbag, they answer questions about Russo’s delayed clothing line, Corleone Fine Italian products, Mort Downey Jr., mafia depictions, Harlem numbers king “Spanish Raymond” Marquez, Greg DePalma, top bosses, and continuing the podcast.

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On the Hollywood Godfather Podcast, Gianni Russo, Patrick Picciarelli, and Megan Horan discuss Richard Kuklinski (“The Iceman”), describing him as a New Jersey criminal convicted of five murders (plus a confessed, unsolved police officer killing) who later claimed involvement in major mob hits to profit from interviews and an HBO special that reportedly paid his wife nearly $500,000. Pat argues many of Kuklinski’s famous confessions (Hoffa, DeMeo, Castellano, Galante) were fabricated, noting organized-crime experts and mob figures denied knowing him. They cover his methods (freezing bodies, cyanide spray), domestic abuse, and how an undercover ATF operation helped catch him; he died in 2006 of natural causes per an autopsy by Michael Baden. The episode includes a sponsor read and a mailbag covering mob initiation, San Francisco, Oscar Goodman as a guest suggestion, Judy Garland/Costello, Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer, Whitey Bulger LSD rumors, the impact of the Castellano hit, and Seabiscuit, then plugs an online petition to reopen Marilyn Monroe’s case.

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On the Hollywood Godfather Podcast, hosts Gianni and Patrick Piccirilli interview Chicago private investigator Paul Ciolino about Operation Greylord, a 1980s federal undercover probe into corruption in the Cook County court system that led to 93 indictments, including 17 judges, 48 lawyers, and multiple law enforcement and court officials, with many convictions; Ciolino describes entrenched political and organized-crime influence, routine bribery, and notorious courtroom abuses, and notes fallout such as controversial prosecutions like the “Marquette 10.” Piccirilli recounts dealings with ex-cop/lawyer Bob Cooley, calling him untrustworthy and describing a theft incident, while discussing informants and jailhouse snitches. The episode includes a sponsor spot for Corleone Fine Italian Foods and a mailbag segment covering Times Square prostitute murders, favorite foods and travel, Vegas changes, a planned fictional book series, and Russo’s projects, including rap music and a Kansas City TV series.

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In this flashback episode, Gianni Russo, Patrick Piccirelli, and Megan Horan discuss the Bilotti family, focusing on Tommy Bilotti’s role as Paul Castellano’s trusted driver/bodyguard and the planning and execution of the Sparks Steakhouse hit, including disguises, multiple shooters, and later identification through cooperators and FBI bugs. Russo recounts personal stories about Bilotti, Tommy Ernst, and a Jersey shootout, explains why Castellano was targeted (including perceived disrespect to Neil Dellacroce), and describes how fear, money, RICO, and seized assets eroded mob loyalty. They note Bilotti’s brother Joey was brought in and warned after the murder. The episode includes an ad for Corleone Fine Italian products and a mailbag covering hidden mob wealth, Russo’s shoe style (influenced by Dean Martin), his Prison Break experience and residuals, favorite Las Vegas Italian restaurant (Piero’s), the Joe Valachi testimony, and favorite traits of Brando and Sinatra.

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In the final episode of the year, We look into the controversial death of Marilyn Monroe. Co-hosts Gianni and Jeanie discuss the release of Russo's latest book, 'Mafia Secrets,' and James Patterson's 'The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe,' which both address the circumstances surrounding Monroe's death. Russo shares personal recollections from 63 years ago, emphasizing his role as an informant for Frank Costello. He reveals that Monroe's death was a cover-up involving figures like Bobby Kennedy and the Chicago mob, contradicting her official suicide verdict. The hosts reflect on the implications of Patterson's findings, which validate Russo's long-held assertions and recount Monroe's relationships and final days. They also share future plans for the podcast and Russo’s upcoming events, while highlighting their determination to have Monroe’s cause of death reclassified from suicide to homicide by her 100th birthday.

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This episode of the Hollywood Godfather podcast, Gianni & Jeanie pay tribute to Dorothy Kilgallen, a renowned journalist and investigative reporter who died under mysterious circumstances 60 years ago. Guest Mark Shaw discusses his research on Kilgallen's work and death, while New York City Councilman Robert Holden talks about his efforts to honor her memory by renaming a street near her former home as 'Dorothy Kilgallen Way.' They touch on Kilgallen's investigations into the JFK assassination, the challenges faced in reopening her case, and the importance of giving her the recognition she deserves. The podcast also details plans for a public ceremony on November 8th to officially rename the street.

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On the Hollywood Godfather podcast, Gianni and Jeanie welcome back Matt Servitto, who is recovering after contracting type B flu and double pneumonia following a Colorado Springs fan event. The conversation ranges from faith and aging to Gianni’s background (polio, meeting Frank Costello, buying a boat, and his path into The Godfather through Joe Colombo’s Italian Anti-Defamation League meeting), including Gianni’s rehearsal experiences with Marlon Brando and Brando’s acting guidance. Servitto discusses classical training (Oxford and Juilliard), the challenge of competing with “authentic” non-trained performers in film/TV, and how resilience from football helps in an industry defined by rejection. They also address technology and AI, green-screen production, union concerns about likeness and avatars, and hopes that human-made art becomes more valued. Servitto plugs his film A Town Called Purgatory on Tubi and updates his project Batshit Crazy.

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On the Hollywood Godfather podcast, Gianni and co-host Jeanie welcome back tech expert Mike Austin to discuss staying safe with technology. Austin explains iPhone screen sharing, warns about scams such as fake Venmo “send it back” requests, phishing emails, and the risks of unsubscribing from unknown emails; he advises verifying sender addresses, using aliases when signing up for services, and keeping devices updated with firewalls and security software. He says major databases have been hacked and mentions services like Cloaked to remove personal data, plus call-screening and message filtering features. They discuss algorithm-driven ads, DuckDuckGo, and new AI threats including fingerprint harvesting from peace-sign photos and voice-cloned fraud calls, recommending private social accounts and family code words. Audience questions cover senior safety tips (don’t send money, avoid crypto), Zelle and payment security (prefer credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay), blocking subscriptions via banks, and using Rocket Money.

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Gianni and host Jeanie read listener mailbag questions on the Hollywood Godfather podcast. Russo says a major company wants to adapt his three books—The Hollywood Godfather, The Sixth Family, and Mafia Secrets—into three $50 million feature films over the next three years. He says he was not in Hollywood during Charles Manson’s time, credits engineer Mike Austin for creating the podcast intro music with AI, and describes carrying a shortened hickory cane with a gold-plated skull as a weapon for protection in New York. Russo discusses meeting podcast guest Miles Stevenson through their network, doing fan conventions where proceeds support his education charity Gianni Believes You Can, and planning upcoming dinner shows possibly at Paladino’s in Grand Central. He recounts his restaurant career in Las Vegas, including State Street opened by Sinatra and the Rat Pack, and addresses AI likeness protections and changes hurting Las Vegas tourism.

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On a special Hollywood Godfather podcast episode with hosts Gianni and Jeanie, guest Robert Baldacci discusses launching The Baldacci Group with his 22-year-old son Teddy, affiliated with Keller Williams Portland, focusing on commercial real estate such as multifamily properties and hotels; Teddy’s path from hotel work and doorman duties at The Breakers to notable deals is highlighted. Baldacci recounts his family’s Maine roots and Italian-Lebanese heritage, including the founding of Bangor’s early Italian restaurant The Baltimore/Mama Baldacci’s (established 1933), famous patrons, and family values around food and service. He details the family’s political involvement, noting brother John’s career as congressman and Maine governor and brother Joe’s run for the U.S. House, plus an incident of anti-Italian political ads challenged via the FEC. The conversation also touches on Providence’s Federal Hill, Patriarca-era stories, giving back, and concerns about anonymous social media and AI misuse.

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On the Hollywood Godfather podcast, hosts Gianni and Jeanie welcome back filmmaker Miles Stephenson, who discusses his documentary The Real Godfather about Joe Colombo and how the making of The Godfather intersected with New York’s mafia. Gianni shares stories from his youth, including receiving a radio from Carlo Gambino while quarantined at Bellevue, killing a pedophile that led to his release, and being protected and supported by Frank Costello, who later gifted him a million dollars and left him an apartment. Miles describes his family’s emphasis on education, his mentorship experiences interviewing Jon Voight for a Robert Duvall documentary, and promotes his Instagram. He announces a novel in progress about the Romanian mafia’s origins under communist Romania, outlines his research approach, and the hosts caution him about safety and offer help and contacts.

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On the Hollywood Godfather podcast, Gianni and Jeanie welcome filmmaker Miles Stephenson, 26, a New York–born writer/producer of documentaries. Miles recounts meeting Gianni while producing The Real Godfather documentary about Joe Colombo and The Godfather’s real-life ties, and they discuss Russo’s connections to Frank Costello, Colombo, and on-set stories such as a stolen production van and Lenny Montana’s improvised moment. Miles explains his fascination with the 1967–1975 “New Hollywood” era when the failing studio system gave young directors like Coppola and Scorsese creative control, enabling riskier films shot on location. Russo promotes his books Hollywood Godfather and Mafia Secrets, claims James Patterson validated his Marilyn Monroe account, says Mafia Secrets has a proposed $50M film with director George Gallo, and shares stories involving the Vatican, CIA–mob plots against Castro, and Kennedy-era allegations. The episode ends announcing Miles will return for a second segment.

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