The Hollywood Godfather Video Podcast

GRI International
  • 4.6 (9)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

Season 21 returns November 4, 2026. New guests. New season. New features! Join Gianni Russo, Carlo Rizzi in the original The Godfather, and co-host Jeanie Raymond for a weekly conversation about Hollywood, the mob, and a lifetime of stories. Every Wednesday, hear personal recollections, guest interviews, and the listener mailbag. Listen, watch, and subscribe: hollywoodgodfatherpodcast.com/subscribe/

  1. May 27 ·  Video

    S20|EP369 - Hollywood, Juilliard, and Back: Moments with Matt Servitto

    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.

    S20|EP369 - Hollywood, Juilliard, and Back: Moments with Matt Servitto

  2. May 20 ·  Video

    S20|EP368 - Tech Talk: Tips and Scams with Mike Austin

    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.

    S20|EP368 - Tech Talk: Tips and Scams with Mike Austin

  3. May 13 ·  Video

    S20|EP367 - The Mailbag - Legendary Lives & Stories

    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.

    S20|EP367 - The Mailbag - Legendary Lives & Stories

  4. May 6 ·  Video

    S20|EP366 - The Baldacci Legacy: Family, Politics, and Real Estate

    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.

    S20|EP366 - The Baldacci Legacy: Family, Politics, and Real Estate

  5. Apr 29 ·  Video

    S20|EP365 - From Mob Ties to Movie Icons with Miles Stephenson

    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.

    S20|EP365 - From Mob Ties to Movie Icons with Miles Stephenson

  6. Apr 22 ·  Video

    S20|EP364 - The Golden Age of Cinema with Miles Stephenson

    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.

    S20|EP364 - The Golden Age of Cinema with Miles Stephenson

  7. Apr 15 ·  Video

    S20|EP363 - From Scammers to Spaghetti: AI in the Spotlight

    On a monthly episode of the Hollywood Godfather podcast, Gianni and Jeanie bring on executive producer Michael Austin to answer listener questions about online safety, scams, and AI. Mike advises never clicking email links, verifying issues by going directly to official websites, checking sender email addresses, and using name-brand security tools such as router-based services (e.g., Netgear Armor) and malware scanners. He warns about public Wi‑Fi, recommending VPNs or hotspots and avoiding banking on shared networks, plus using two-factor authentication, PayPal or protected cards, and being cautious of card skimmers. They discuss current scams involving fake citations, bogus threats, and gift-card overpayment schemes, recommend the YouTube channel Scammer Payback, and cover how AI-generated video and audio are becoming harder to detect, with telltale signs diminishing within a few years. Gianni promotes his book Mafia Secrets and mentions his live show is not filmed.

    S20|EP363 - From Scammers to Spaghetti: AI in the Spotlight

  8. Apr 8 ·  Video

    S20|EP362 - Legends Series: Singing with the Stars: Paul Anka Shares His Story

    Gianni and Jeanie record the Podcast while on location at the Chill Out event in New Jersey and a racetrack, welcoming longtime friend Paul Anka as part of their “Legends” series. Anka discusses how his songs, including “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” are trending on TikTok, and promotes his HBO Max documentary “Paul Anka: His Way” and a planned Broadway show about his life. He shares family details, including five daughters, a 20-year-old son entering the publishing business, and his daughter’s marriage to Jason Bateman. Anka recounts writing “Diana” at 15 and launching his career via ABC-Paramount, outlines upcoming tour stops including Borgata in April and Vegas in May, and talks about staying healthy, avoiding stress, and staying active as he ages.

    S20|EP362 - Legends Series: Singing with the Stars: Paul Anka Shares His Story
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About

Season 21 returns November 4, 2026. New guests. New season. New features! Join Gianni Russo, Carlo Rizzi in the original The Godfather, and co-host Jeanie Raymond for a weekly conversation about Hollywood, the mob, and a lifetime of stories. Every Wednesday, hear personal recollections, guest interviews, and the listener mailbag. Listen, watch, and subscribe: hollywoodgodfatherpodcast.com/subscribe/

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