Sit Down with Michael Franzese

Michael Franzese
  • 4.8 (91)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

From a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family to a man transformed by faith, Michael Franzese shares his extraordinary journey like no one else can. In Sit Downs with Michael Franzese, Michael dives into raw, unfiltered stories from his life in the mob, his path to redemption, and the lessons he’s learned about faith, family, and overcoming life’s struggles. With gripping interviews and practical insights, this podcast will inspire, challenge, and entertain

  1. Aug 6

    Mafia vs. Fauci: How Would The Mob Have Handled The Man Who Shut Down America?

    🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/ ✅ Take Control of Your Money and claim $10 in US Stablecoin (USD₮)! Download now at http://wallet.rumble.com/InnerCircle and use the code InnerCircle10. 💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/ Anthony Fauci went in front of a grand jury and took the Fifth 111 TIMES. People — I’m a former mob boss. I took the Fifth. Frank Costello took the Fifth. Joey Gallo took the Fifth. You know why we did it? Because we were criminals, and we didn’t want to incriminate ourselves. So what’s HIS excuse? The man had a preemptive pardon going back to 2014. In this one I break it all down: why that pardon reaches back six years before COVID, what his own diary gave away, the time I DIDN’T take the Fifth — and got acquitted — and exactly how we would have handled a guy like this in my world. Believe me, we wouldn’t have needed to touch him. We got held accountable for everything. Gambling. Extortion. We paid. I did 8 years. So when does Washington pay? Watch how the mob would have handled Mamdani next: #Fauci #TheFifth #RandPaul #MichaelFranzese #Accountability Mafia vs. Fauci: How Would The Mob Have Handled The Man Who Shut Down America? 00:00 What Was Fauci Worried About?00:37 111 Times — What Happened While I Was Away01:20 The Preemptive Pardon — Why Go Back to 2014?02:36 His Own Diary Gave Him Away03:41 Rand Paul Wants Answers — People Lost Everything04:21 He Takes the Fifth — Let Me Explain How It Works04:55 Worse Than Any Mobster — How We Would Have Handled Him06:19 I Took One Shot — I Was One of the Suckers06:57 You Had a Pardon, Fauci. What Were You Afraid Of?07:37 Costello, Gallo & How They Jailed US for Silence09:06 The Pardon Doesn't Cover the States — Tuberville Steps Up09:55 A Dog and Pony Show Until Somebody Acts10:19 The Media Covered for Him — They Buried Trump11:00 Blood on His Hands — Where's the Accountability?12:39 This Isn't About Trump13:08 A Pardon and STILL Afraid to Talk15:17 The Time I Talked to the Feds — And Got Acquitted17:04 He Has Something to Hide — Don't Let Him Gaslight You17:47 Aaron Rodgers Called Him Out18:44 I Paid for What I Did. When Do They?19:26 111 Times. Unprecedented.19:58 Find Me on TikTok — Lives Twice a Week Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Aug 4

    My Last Sit Down With Sopranos Actor Vincent Pastore - RIP Vinny

    🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/ ✅ Take Control of Your Money and claim $10 in US Stablecoin (USD₮)! Download now at http://wallet.rumble.com/InnerCircle and use the code InnerCircle10. 💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/ This is a sad one, people. My friend Vinny Pastore passed away over the weekend. 80 years old. You knew him as Big P***y on The Sopranos, and as Angelo Ruggiero — a man I knew personally — in the 1996 Gotti movie. He nailed that role. I told him so to his face. Vinny was the real deal. A good actor, a better man. Always had time for a fan, a photo, an autograph. Everybody who knew him will tell you the same thing. Back in 2021 we sat down together — and I’m glad we did. He told me stories you won’t hear anywhere else: how Armand Assante turned into John Gotti right in front of him at the audition, holding Anthony Quinn’s baby on set, his years with Tony Sirico, and how a guy from the Bronx who thought he’d be dead by 50 ended up in the greatest show ever made. We’ve lost too many of these guys the past few years — Ray Liotta, Jimmy Caan, Tony Sirico, Burt Young — and now Vinny. So watch this one, enjoy him the way I got to, and keep his family in your prayers. Rest easy, Vinny. See you on the other side, my friend. 00:00:00 — Introduction00:00:54 — A Sad Day — We Lost My Friend Vinny Pastore00:02:26 — The Great Ones We've Lost — Liotta, Caan, Sirico & More00:04:24 — My 2021 Interview With Vinny — In His Memory00:04:57 — How Vinny Became Angelo Ruggiero — I Knew the Real Angelo00:06:52 — Armand Assante, Anthony Quinn & the Baby on Set00:07:53 — The Bar Scene — Nobody Ever Played It Better00:08:41 — Wine Under the Table — The Freedom They Had on Gotti00:09:51 — Touring the World With the Sopranos Cast00:12:30 — The Secret Casablanca Records Movie00:13:23 — I Was in That Office With My Father — Casablanca & Buddah Records00:14:56 — The Disco Days — My Clubs, His Clubs, Old New York00:18:07 — Why Vinny Walked Away From the Nightlife00:18:52 — "You're Going to Be Dead at 50" — The Night He Chose Acting00:20:22 — Broadway, Chicago & Beating Tony Darrow for the Part00:22:26 — Vinny's Acting Lesson — Take the Two-Line Role00:24:09 — I Asked Him: How Do You Remember All Those Lines?00:27:41 — Tony Sirico — Best Friends From Episode Two00:28:41 — The Day David Chase Called ME About The Sopranos00:30:27 — Getting Whacked — The Truth Behind the Funhouse Episode00:31:51 — "I'm Not Getting Rid of Vinnie" — Tony Fought for Him00:32:30 — Jimmy Caan Told Him: "You Got Robbed at the Emmys"00:33:26 — When The Sopranos Was a Sunday Night Lifestyle00:34:12 — "Don't Beg" — How He Filmed His Final Scene00:34:47 — Liz Hurley Loved My Father — The Mickey Blue Eyes Days00:36:49 — We Made a Commitment On Camera — A Series Together00:41:16 — Vinny & Danny Provenzano — Getting Sick, Making Peace00:43:29 — "I Was Scared, Man" — Vinny Opens Up About Cancer00:46:01 — My Father at 103 — Still a Bull00:49:12 — I Challenged Him to a Pizza Face-Off — Slices vs. Mulberry Street00:53:32 — Two Old School Guys, Two Commitments00:58:44 — "So We Did Grow Up"01:00:13 — Our Goodbye — Mob Movie Monday & See You Soon01:02:02 — My Farewell to Vinny — I'll See You on the Other Side #VincentPastore #TheSopranos #BigPussy #RIP #michaelfranzese My Last Sit Down With Sopranos Actor Vincent Pastore - RIP Vinny 🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/ 🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/ 🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb 📧 Interested in partnerships? partnerships@michaelfranzese.com Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. Jul 29

    The Tates Were Arrested. I Know Them Personally. Here’s the Truth.

    🛡️ See if your SSN is for sale right now. My sponsor Cloaked will tell you for free in 2 seconds here: https://cloaked.com/franzese 🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/ 💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/ Everybody’s talking about the Tates getting arrested in Miami. The UK charges. The extradition. Everybody’s got an opinion. Here’s the difference — I know them personally. I’ve sat with them in Romania. My wife and daughter were with me. I’ve read the case files. I spent 8 years inside the system these boys are about to face. And the British government? They came after ME too — over a photograph. So before you believe what they’re feeding you, watch this. In this one: what I’ve actually seen in the case, my own run-in with the UK, what really happens when the Marshals arrest you, what that Miami jail is like on the inside — and my prediction for exactly how this ends. And I’ll tell you like I always do — I deal in facts. If credible evidence comes out, I’ll be the first to say it. So far? Nobody’s shown me anything. Watch the full video and decide for yourself: are they guilty? 00:00 — Do I Believe the Charges? 00:32 — Croatia, a Wedding & 41 Years Married 01:44 — Why I Stayed Quiet on the Tates — Until Now 02:31 — The DeSantis Conspiracy Nonsense 03:16 — I Speak From Experience — 8 Years Inside 06:02 — Let's Be Honest About Their Remarks 07:17 — Inflammatory vs. CRIMINAL — Know the Difference 08:05 — I Know the Tates. Here's What I've Seen. 09:20 — I Read the Romania Case Files. Garbage. 10:23 — California & Florida — Cases That Fell Apart 12:19 — The UK Came After ME — Over a Photograph 14:17 — Do I Trust the UK? No. Here's Why. 15:08 — The OnlyFans Question Nobody's Asking 17:03 — Are They My Friends? Yes. Here's the Real Target. 17:36 — Society Failed Young Men — That's Why Tate Exists 19:03 — What the Gangbangers in Prison Taught Me 20:05 — Not One Documented Case 21:06 — The Phone & the Jewelry — I Did the Same Thing 23:01 — I Spent Two Nights in MCC Miami. It's a Hole. 24:01 — 202 Exonerated — When Prosecutors Lie 26:06 — The Educators Have Zero Credibility 27:21 — Is This Political? Absolutely. 28:44 — If I'm Wrong, I'll Say It 30:22 — Social Media Is a Sewer 31:24 — Rules of MY Comment Section 33:41 — Don't Trust Government — We Live in a Mafia Democracy 35:18 — To Everyone Calling Me Uncle Mike 36:28 — My Prediction: Extradition, Bail & the Plea 38:30 — "Call Me a Rat" — Setting the Record Straight 39:25 — Giuliani Prosecuted Me. Now We're Friends. 40:22 — How This Ends — They Extort Worse Than the Mob 41:42 — God Bless the Tates #AndrewTate #TristanTate #TateArrest #Miami #Extradition #michaelfranzese Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Jul 24

    Mamdani Is Erasing Italians From New York — Former Mob Boss Responds

    Mamdani put out a map of New York's immigrant neighborhoods for the whole world to see — thirty of them. And he left MY people off of it. Little Italy. The Greeks. The Jewish neighborhoods. The Irish. Then he tells us it was an "accident." People — I got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. And that's not all he did. After 55 years, he denied the Italian-American Civil Rights League the license to celebrate Columbus Day. The league Joe Colombo started. My father was part of that fight. I take this PERSONALLY. We built the subways. We built the bridges. We built that city. And this clown wants to erase us from it? Not on my watch. In this one I get into all of it — the map, the permit, the socialism scam they're running on all of you, and what we would've done about a guy like this back in the day. Mamdani Is Erasing Italians From New York — Former Mob Boss Responds 0:00 — "He's a Clown" — The Cold Open0:36 — Greetings From Switzerland (Wedding on Lake Como)1:35 — What Mamdani Did to the Italians2:29 — Two Offenses: The Map + The Columbus Day Permit3:09 — A Word From Franzese Wine4:14 — Little Italy Reacts (Street Interviews)5:57 — "It Wasn't an Accident" — Who Got Left Off7:06 — The Socialism Scam — Bigger Than Any Mob Scam9:02 — Reagan Was Right10:14 — "Mamdani Is a Fraud" — A New Yorker Speaks10:29 — Joe Colombo, the League & 55 Years of Columbus Day11:44 — A Word From Rumble Wallet13:26 — Take Responsibility — Why He Won14:11 — $37 Trillion — The Politicians Did This15:05 — Pelosi & the Insider Trading Game16:53 — Would the Mob Have Stood For This?18:14 — Why Do We Resent Billionaires?19:45 — Newsom Out West, Mamdani Out East20:35 — "You Should Be Ashamed of Yourself"22:09 — Wrap-Up + Ministry Monday Announcement24:00 — One Last Salute From Franzese Wine Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Jul 17

    Most Dangerous Criminal Organizations Ranked By Ex Mobster

    🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/ ✅ Take Control of Your Money and claim $10 in US Stablecoin (USD₮)! Download now at http://wallet.rumble.com/InnerCircle and use the code InnerCircle10. 💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/ I spent 20 years inside one of these organizations — now I’m ranking all of them. The cartels, the ’Ndrangheta, the Yakuza, the Triads, the Russians, the Irish, and yes, my own people. Four tiers: no rules no remorse, ruthless and relentless, dangerous with discipline, and business first, blood last. Where I put Cosa Nostra might surprise you.This isn’t just research. I did business with some of these groups, met their people on the street and in prison, and I’ve talked to the DEA and FBI agents who hunted them. One of these organizations shot down a military helicopter. One brings in $50 billion a year and most Americans have never heard of them. And one of them might be the most violent group on the face of the earth.Tell me where I got it wrong — and if I missed an organization, put it in the comments. I read them. 🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/ 🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/ 🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb 📧 Interested in partnerships? partnerships@michaelfranzese.com 00:00 - Introduction: Built on Blood00:39 - My History With These Groups02:39 - The Rules: Four Tiers of Violence04:04 - Sinaloa Cartel06:18 - Jalisco New Generation Cartel07:50 - Medellín Cartel: Silver or Lead09:04 - MS-1310:21 - 'Ndrangheta: The Quiet Giant14:14 - Yakuza15:48 - The Irish Mob and the Westies17:13 - Whitey Bulger Was Working With Feds18:00 - Cosa Nostra: My Own People20:17 - Where I Put the Mafia23:18 - The Russian Mafia25:13 - Two Rankings for the Russians25:44 - The Triads27:38 - The Final Rankings28:05 - Tell Me Where I'm Wrong29:45 - Why I Do What I Do Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Jul 15

    Critics Hate Citizen Vigilante. Audiences Love It. Former Mob Boss Explains Why

    🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/ Critics and audiences are at each other’s throats over Citizen Vigilante, and I’m going to tell you what this fight is really about. This isn’t a review like the critics give — I lived on the other side of this fantasy. A masked vigilante hunting down criminals the system let walk, including a mob boss? I know exactly what happens to a guy like that on the street, and it doesn’t end the way it does in the movie.I break down where this film really came from, why audiences love it, why critics can’t stand it, and the one thing both sides are missing. Plus the story of the time we went hunting for the Son of Sam — the cops came to us for help, and we gave it.Fair warning: it’s a rough, violent film, and I say so. Watch to the end for what I think you should actually do about a system that fails people. Critics Hate Citizen Vigilante. Audiences Love It. Former Mob Boss Explains 🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb📧 Interested in partnerships? partnerships@michaelfranzese.com00:00 - Introduction: Critics vs Audiences at War00:50 - Mob Movie Mondays Is Coming Back01:30 - Today's Movie: Citizen Vigilante02:39 - The Real Story Behind This Film06:15 - Banned in Germany, Boosted by Musk07:34 - Let Me Ask You This08:31 - I'd Go to Jail Gladly11:33 - Let Me Defend the Critics13:11 - The Whole Fight Right There14:36 - Inside the Movie: Key Scenes16:41 - I Put Senators on the Spot18:54 - I Know the Government Is Shady20:06 - Vote Them Out of Office22:16 - The Real Root of Crime25:18 - The Movie's Brutal Climax27:01 - When We Hunted Son of Sam29:17 - The Numbers That Tell Everything32:58 - He's Dead in a Week34:36 - The Moment That Turned Me Off36:11 - You'd Have Loved Our Neighborhood37:36 - 50 Cents and the Hypocrites Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Jul 10

    Which Politicians Could’ve Survived The Mob? Ex-Capo Decides

    ✅ Take Control of Your Money and claim $10 in US Stablecoin (USD₮)! Download now at http://wallet.rumble.com/InnerCircle and use the code InnerCircle10. 🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/ 💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/ I ranked 15 of the most well-known politicians in America on one question: could they have made it in the mob? This isn't political — Democrats and Republicans get sized up the same way I'd size up any guy on the street. Are they cunning? Calculated? Could they pull the trigger if they had to? Three categories: made man (or woman), survivor, or total mamaluke — forget about it. Some of these answers are going to surprise you. There's a president who never would've lasted a week, a governor who'd smooth his way in but end up with a bullet in the head, and a speaker of the house I believe could've pulled the trigger herself. I lived this life for 20 years — I know who makes it and who doesn't. Tell me who I got wrong, and give me a politician I missed. Salud. Which Politicians Could’ve Survived The Mob? Ex-Capo Decides 🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/ 🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/ 🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb 📧 Interested in partnerships? partnerships@michaelfranzese.com Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Jul 8

    Former Mob Boss Reveals What Real Mobsters Actually Ate

    ✅ Take Control of Your Money and claim $10 in US Stablecoin (USD₮)! Download now at http://wallet.rumble.com/InnerCircle and use the code InnerCircle10. 🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/ 💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/ People ask me all the time: Michael, what did you guys actually eat? What was on the table? So today I’m giving you the real mob menu — not what Hollywood shows you, what these men actually loved. Al Capone’s favorite wasn’t a heavy tomato gravy — it was spaghetti with walnut sauce. Lucky Luciano, one of the most powerful Italians in history, preferred kosher pickles and corned beef from a Jewish deli. John Gotti? You’re not going to believe it — Cracker Barrel. I go through them all: Meyer Lansky’s cheese blintzes, Carlos Marcello’s Gulf seafood, Mickey Cohen’s French dip, Raymond Patriarca’s Sunday gravy, Joe Colombo’s table at Rao’s, the Genovese boss who kidnapped a chef because he couldn’t get a reservation, and Henry Hill — who told me himself his favorite was chicken soup. Then I’ll tell you what my father Sonny loved on Sundays, and my own go-to dish. I lived around these tables. Food was everything in that life. Hope I make you hungry. Salud. Former Mob Boss Reveals What Real Mobsters Actually Ate 🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/ 🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/ 🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb 📧 Interested in partnerships? partnerships@michaelfranzese.com Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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4.8
out of 5
91 Ratings

About

From a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family to a man transformed by faith, Michael Franzese shares his extraordinary journey like no one else can. In Sit Downs with Michael Franzese, Michael dives into raw, unfiltered stories from his life in the mob, his path to redemption, and the lessons he’s learned about faith, family, and overcoming life’s struggles. With gripping interviews and practical insights, this podcast will inspire, challenge, and entertain

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Franzese
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    160
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Michael Franzese. All Rights Reserved. "Sit Down with Michael Franzese".
  • Show Website
    Sit Down with Michael Franzese

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