December 3, 2025 • 10 mins
A Mafia insider and authentic Hollywood tough guy reveals the explosive secrets he's learned (and kept) for decades in this shocking tell all that unveils the hidden worlds of film and organized crime-from who shot JFK and murdered Jimmy Hoffa to the truth about Marilyn Monroe's death.The Kennedys, Marilyn, the Vatican, Vegas, The Godfather, the Mob, and more .During a cursed childhood in a Manhattan neighborhood teeming with Italian immigrant Gianni Russo fended for himself at an early age. It was a quality that didn't go unnoticed by Frank Costello-father figure, mentor, and legendary crime boss. Thanks to Costello, Gianni was only twelve when his luck would change for a lifetime. All of it charmed-and thrilling. With it came Hollywood glamor, Vegas risk-takers, political conspiracies, sex, murder, shadow governments, and secrets. The stories Gianni Russo could tell . .. Now he does in this bombshell confessional. This is the inside account of the Sicilian Mafia, Cosa Nostra, what really transpired in those Mulberry Street clubs, and who whacked whom-including how mobster Tony Spilotro and his brother really died, finally revealed for the first time. This is Gianni, buddy of Frank Sinatra, and intimately more with Marilyn Monroe. What's the cover-up behind her death, JFK's, and Jimmy Hoffa's? It's all here. So is the clandestine role of the pope as the sacred boss of bosses, the glory days and downfall of Las Vegas, and the colorful behind-the-scenes tales of Gianni's role in the greatest movie ever made, The Godfather. The go-getter Frank Costello once called "The Kid" shares his shocking, exhilarating, sometimes violent, and always riveting life with the dealmakers of Hollywood and the Mob. Gianni Russo lives to tell, and spills it all.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm not just a podcaster. I'm a podcast connoisseur. That
means I listen, I study, I pay close attention. But
when it comes to variety, how many times have you
gone to somebody's streaming website and went nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. Okay,
now you know why we created aro dot net a
R r OE dot net, seventeen different styles of podcasts
(00:23):
to choose from. Enjoy your exploration. Hello, and good morning.
How are you doing, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Good morning, and thank you for having me on. I
appreciate it absolutely.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I'll bet you there are a lot of people you're
going to be sharing a conversation with today that have
been waiting a lifetime to share this conversation with you,
because you seem to be the needle in the haystack
right now. And wait till they get their hands on
this book and they'll understand what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
It's amazing for me because I just realized that James
Spatterson just released a book last week about the last
days of Melon Monroe, and he's talking about Marlin, which
rank Sinatra and all of us off in cal Neva.
I didn't see James Patterson there.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Oh oh, no, oh, my god. You know, speaking of that,
one of my favorite entire subjects in this book is
that buddy of Frank Sinatra, and intimately more with Marilyn Monroe.
If you knew what that does to a man's heart,
because you're sitting there going yeah, yeah, and you just
feel it within your words, sir, Oh.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It's amazing. Well, I mean I fell in love with
her as just a kid the fifteen and we became friends.
I was with her the last five years of the life,
unfortunately to the way she tragically disappeared, which is all
in my book, Mafia's Secrets, obviously, But no, I mean,
she was an unbelievable person, very low esteem and just
(01:51):
gave herself literally gave herself physically to too many guys.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Yep, yep, yeah. I gotta ask you a question here
in the way that I've been blessed to talk with
a lot of US soldiers, senators as well as speakers
of the House, they have to go through an editing
process in order to get their books out. I mean,
I've read this book, I've got this book beside me
right now. How did you get this past the censors
of the family.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
What do you mean. I flew to sist Way and
went talked to them.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Oh God, damn.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Jet to pick me up.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
I mean, it's got photographs in at Gianni that are
just priceless. I mean, I can't keep my face out
of these black and whites. It's such a time in
history that just really embraces the imagination.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Well, you know, the mafia has always been an intrigue
from Bogot to Cagny whatever, and I just was born
into it and not realizing, you know, the significance of
these stories, and now I'm finding it out just through
my books. This is my third book, basically, and I
(03:04):
cannot believe the receptionists getting all ready.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Well, that's one thing I've always loved about your writing.
I always feel like that you are in the middle
of this gigantic field and all of this history is
coming through you because somebody has chosen you, Gianni, to say, hey, look,
tell the story, but tell the story the way it was.
Don't sit there and been to Hollywood. Story here, tell
me the story.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Well, I'm telling you, yes, they get indicted, and I.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Mean, I mean, one of the things that really caught
my attention very quickly. Was was the fact that they
say that you've got the million dollar smile. Now, one
thing that I've always said about the smile, especially radio people,
we have a candy coated plastic bathroom mere smile. How
did you learn how to smile that bright, that long
and that meaningful?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well, I just I don't know. I mean, my ego
number one. This is my second set of implants because
I didn't like the first one. It's like I have
a Bentley in my mouth. Now I have a three
hundred thousand dollars my smile.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Please do not move. There's more with Gianni Russo right
around the corner. The name of the book Untold Tales
from the Hollywood Godfather Mafia Secrets from Gianni Russo, how
do you feel about what's currently going on with the
sporting industry, Because I mean it came from Adam left Field.
When they name all of these top sports people and
all and then all of a sudden, from out of nowhere,
(04:34):
they say the family was involved, and it's like, oh,
I'm going to be talking with Gianni coming up here.
I want to know not if the family's involved, but
all of a sudden, from out of nowhere. The family
is now back in the story.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Well, you know what, they never were out of the story. Okay,
they talget these guys. I had. I had a casino
in Vegas and these guys were coming up and give
them everything they want. But see what don't realize today
they have saturated the market with gambling opportunities. Every you
could bet any time you want. So they got housewives
(05:10):
going broke. And what they're doing is what the players
are doing. They've been doing it forever. Shave a point issue.
They're not throwing the game, but they're getting so involved.
They wrap them up in these games with celebrities and
women and everything else. Then they find themselves are in
the hall for about two million three may Oh, don't
worry about I'll show you how to work it out. Yeah,
(05:32):
that's all they do is, oh my god.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I've heard the story from NBA players, And he goes,
if you knew what's going on inside those rooms, you
would not really want to know what's going on inside
those rooms. And I'm going, maybe it should be just
a wizard behind the curtain and I'm not taking a
sneak peek.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Well, well, the good news, I hope you're not a
better No, because you're not. You can't win. I never
saw them tear down a casino for no business. Wow.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
But here's the thing, though, I do like to hang
around with people who do win. I won't place the bet,
but I like being around somebody who wins, because, oh
my god, the adrenaline, the excitement, it feeds everything around them.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
And all the perks. I mean, you know, it's I've
been around major players from all over the world. But
you know, it's like you're saying, there's adrenaline that just
keeps calling me, and it's a great high. It's a
natural high. It's you. We're not taking anything and we're
not snorting anything, but it's I've been in this business now.
(06:38):
I mean, in ten days, I can't believe I'll be
eighty three years old. Oh my god, how much type seen?
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yeah, yep. See, that's why I love your writing. And
that's every bit the reason why I created the Channel
View from the Writing Instrum, because if people would just
take the time to share their stories, then I don't
have to write it for you. Write your own story.
My god, Giohnny, you really go into it in this book.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, my next book. You're not going to believe gangsters
and celebrities.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Oh no, that's one of those where TMS he's going
to be following you. What are you doing? Who are
you following?
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Now?
Speaker 1 (07:15):
What's the story? Tell me more? Tell me more.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Yeah, well that's what it's about. Well, you know, I
the intrigue even for myself, Like when I found out
today yesterday actually that James Patterson wrote a book about
Melon Monroe. He was talking about cal Neva. Well, I
was up there that weekend. He said, Sinatra invited it
to cal Neva. It was the last five days of
her life. And I didn't see any James Patterson up there.
(07:42):
But now there's a book simultaneously right now. It just
came out. I can't believe it. But he didn't got
his lives across his steas. I'll tell you that to you.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
When you write, one of the things that I've always
loved about it is the fact that you're first of all,
you're very authentic, and you bring the news to us
as readers. In other words, they like the story with
where you say that we'll never find Jimmy Hoffa. But
yet the mystique of that one of the seven wonders
of the world. Do we really want to find out
where he is?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Oh? I know really where he is. My friend's bidded
on it. He became a two x three square of metal.
They took the axles in the in the block and
motor block out, took the call of statn ow to
breeze and they, I mean the friction of it. There's
no DNA. If they took it apart, you couldn't find him. Wow?
(08:39):
Is square?
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Are you in talks with anybody about bringing this forward
as a series, because I would love to see Martin
Scorsese do each one of these chapters one at a time,
not a movie. I want to see it one at
a time, because that's what you did in writing this book.
You give it to me that way.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Well, I hope it goes from your mouth to gods,
your years and somebody that picks up on it. Wow,
I believe like you do. It's an authentic story. Their
names that I've been changed to protect me innocent and
let's do it.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Can we spread the rumor that I mentioned in this book?
But you have to change my name just so I
can get some free press?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Where can people go to find out more about what
you're doing, especially all of your books, because man, you're
on a journey right now. That is just mind blowing
to me as a creative.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Thank you. No, I do a weekly podcast. It's Hollywood
Godfather Podcast every Wednesday. It's everywhere, it's Spotify, it's all
over than eighty three countries. I have a million week,
a million followers a week. I can't believe it.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Wow, Well, you got to come back to this show
anytime in the future. Man. I love sharing conversations.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
With you anytime you want. Thank you, Thank your audience
for doing appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Be brilliant today, Okay, sir,
I'm not just a podcaster. I'm a podcast connoisseur. That
means I listen, I study, I pay close attention. But
when it comes to variety, how many times have you
gone to somebody's streaming website and went nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. Okay,
now you know why we created aro dot net a
R r OE dot net, seventeen different styles of podcasts
(00:23):
to choose from. Enjoy your exploration. Hello, and good morning.
How are you doing, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Good morning, and thank you for having me on. I
appreciate it absolutely.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I'll bet you there are a lot of people you're
going to be sharing a conversation with today that have
been waiting a lifetime to share this conversation with you,
because you seem to be the needle in the haystack
right now. And wait till they get their hands on
this book and they'll understand what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
It's amazing for me because I just realized that James
Spatterson just released a book last week about the last
days of Melon Monroe, and he's talking about Marlin, which
rank Sinatra and all of us off in cal Neva.
I didn't see James Patterson there.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Oh oh, no, oh, my god. You know, speaking of that,
one of my favorite entire subjects in this book is
that buddy of Frank Sinatra, and intimately more with Marilyn Monroe.
If you knew what that does to a man's heart,
because you're sitting there going yeah, yeah, and you just
feel it within your words, sir, Oh.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It's amazing. Well, I mean I fell in love with
her as just a kid the fifteen and we became friends.
I was with her the last five years of the life,
unfortunately to the way she tragically disappeared, which is all
in my book, Mafia's Secrets, obviously, But no, I mean,
she was an unbelievable person, very low esteem and just
(01:51):
gave herself literally gave herself physically to too many guys.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Yep, yep, yeah. I gotta ask you a question here
in the way that I've been blessed to talk with
a lot of US soldiers, senators as well as speakers
of the House, they have to go through an editing
process in order to get their books out. I mean,
I've read this book, I've got this book beside me
right now. How did you get this past the censors
of the family.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
What do you mean. I flew to sist Way and
went talked to them.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Oh God, damn.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Jet to pick me up.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
I mean, it's got photographs in at Gianni that are
just priceless. I mean, I can't keep my face out
of these black and whites. It's such a time in
history that just really embraces the imagination.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Well, you know, the mafia has always been an intrigue
from Bogot to Cagny whatever, and I just was born
into it and not realizing, you know, the significance of
these stories, and now I'm finding it out just through
my books. This is my third book, basically, and I
(03:04):
cannot believe the receptionists getting all ready.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Well, that's one thing I've always loved about your writing.
I always feel like that you are in the middle
of this gigantic field and all of this history is
coming through you because somebody has chosen you, Gianni, to say, hey, look,
tell the story, but tell the story the way it was.
Don't sit there and been to Hollywood. Story here, tell
me the story.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Well, I'm telling you, yes, they get indicted, and I.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Mean, I mean, one of the things that really caught
my attention very quickly. Was was the fact that they
say that you've got the million dollar smile. Now, one
thing that I've always said about the smile, especially radio people,
we have a candy coated plastic bathroom mere smile. How
did you learn how to smile that bright, that long
and that meaningful?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well, I just I don't know. I mean, my ego
number one. This is my second set of implants because
I didn't like the first one. It's like I have
a Bentley in my mouth. Now I have a three
hundred thousand dollars my smile.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Please do not move. There's more with Gianni Russo right
around the corner. The name of the book Untold Tales
from the Hollywood Godfather Mafia Secrets from Gianni Russo, how
do you feel about what's currently going on with the
sporting industry, Because I mean it came from Adam left Field.
When they name all of these top sports people and
all and then all of a sudden, from out of nowhere,
(04:34):
they say the family was involved, and it's like, oh,
I'm going to be talking with Gianni coming up here.
I want to know not if the family's involved, but
all of a sudden, from out of nowhere. The family
is now back in the story.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Well, you know what, they never were out of the story. Okay,
they talget these guys. I had. I had a casino
in Vegas and these guys were coming up and give
them everything they want. But see what don't realize today
they have saturated the market with gambling opportunities. Every you
could bet any time you want. So they got housewives
(05:10):
going broke. And what they're doing is what the players
are doing. They've been doing it forever. Shave a point issue.
They're not throwing the game, but they're getting so involved.
They wrap them up in these games with celebrities and
women and everything else. Then they find themselves are in
the hall for about two million three may Oh, don't
worry about I'll show you how to work it out. Yeah,
(05:32):
that's all they do is, oh my god.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I've heard the story from NBA players, And he goes,
if you knew what's going on inside those rooms, you
would not really want to know what's going on inside
those rooms. And I'm going, maybe it should be just
a wizard behind the curtain and I'm not taking a
sneak peek.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Well, well, the good news, I hope you're not a
better No, because you're not. You can't win. I never
saw them tear down a casino for no business. Wow.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
But here's the thing, though, I do like to hang
around with people who do win. I won't place the bet,
but I like being around somebody who wins, because, oh
my god, the adrenaline, the excitement, it feeds everything around them.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
And all the perks. I mean, you know, it's I've
been around major players from all over the world. But
you know, it's like you're saying, there's adrenaline that just
keeps calling me, and it's a great high. It's a
natural high. It's you. We're not taking anything and we're
not snorting anything, but it's I've been in this business now.
(06:38):
I mean, in ten days, I can't believe I'll be
eighty three years old. Oh my god, how much type seen?
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yeah, yep. See, that's why I love your writing. And
that's every bit the reason why I created the Channel
View from the Writing Instrum, because if people would just
take the time to share their stories, then I don't
have to write it for you. Write your own story.
My god, Giohnny, you really go into it in this book.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, my next book. You're not going to believe gangsters
and celebrities.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Oh no, that's one of those where TMS he's going
to be following you. What are you doing? Who are
you following?
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Now?
Speaker 1 (07:15):
What's the story? Tell me more? Tell me more.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Yeah, well that's what it's about. Well, you know, I
the intrigue even for myself, Like when I found out
today yesterday actually that James Patterson wrote a book about
Melon Monroe. He was talking about cal Neva. Well, I
was up there that weekend. He said, Sinatra invited it
to cal Neva. It was the last five days of
her life. And I didn't see any James Patterson up there.
(07:42):
But now there's a book simultaneously right now. It just
came out. I can't believe it. But he didn't got
his lives across his steas. I'll tell you that to you.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
When you write, one of the things that I've always
loved about it is the fact that you're first of all,
you're very authentic, and you bring the news to us
as readers. In other words, they like the story with
where you say that we'll never find Jimmy Hoffa. But
yet the mystique of that one of the seven wonders
of the world. Do we really want to find out
where he is?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Oh? I know really where he is. My friend's bidded
on it. He became a two x three square of metal.
They took the axles in the in the block and
motor block out, took the call of statn ow to
breeze and they, I mean the friction of it. There's
no DNA. If they took it apart, you couldn't find him. Wow?
(08:39):
Is square?
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Are you in talks with anybody about bringing this forward
as a series, because I would love to see Martin
Scorsese do each one of these chapters one at a time,
not a movie. I want to see it one at
a time, because that's what you did in writing this book.
You give it to me that way.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Well, I hope it goes from your mouth to gods,
your years and somebody that picks up on it. Wow,
I believe like you do. It's an authentic story. Their
names that I've been changed to protect me innocent and
let's do it.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Can we spread the rumor that I mentioned in this book?
But you have to change my name just so I
can get some free press?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Where can people go to find out more about what
you're doing, especially all of your books, because man, you're
on a journey right now. That is just mind blowing
to me as a creative.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Thank you. No, I do a weekly podcast. It's Hollywood
Godfather Podcast every Wednesday. It's everywhere, it's Spotify, it's all
over than eighty three countries. I have a million week,
a million followers a week. I can't believe it.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Wow, Well, you got to come back to this show
anytime in the future. Man. I love sharing conversations.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
With you anytime you want. Thank you, Thank your audience
for doing appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Be brilliant today, Okay, sir,
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