GRI Entertainment
399 episodes listed below
Old Hollywood stories, told at table speed.
The Hollywood Godfather Podcast feels like a booth conversation with people who have known each other for years. Episodes move through Hollywood legends, Mafia-adjacent memories, restaurant nights, mailbag check-ins, and warm interviews with familiar entertainers.
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The Hollywood Godfather Podcast is a long-running, interview-centered show about celebrity, memory, and the old routes between Hollywood, Las Vegas, restaurants, music, books, and Mafia stories. It is loose by design. Conversations often begin with a guest introduction and then wander into personal history, dates, family details, old venues, books, paintings, meals, and the practical business of getting everyone on camera or on the phone. The show’s best moments come from that informality. Paul Anka talks about staying busy, stage work, and returning to rooms like the Borgata. Bobby Vinton is introduced through friendship, hit songs, and a wish to stay off camera. Tony Orlando’s appearance turns into a shared memory of Las Vegas and long acquaintance. Federico Castelluccio brings the conversation into acting, film work, and the slow discipline of charcoal art. Michael Benson’s episode reaches toward Gambino, a childhood radio, and the way one object can open a whole life story. Even an episode about AI and scams lands through personal calls to famous friends and worries about fake health rumors. The show does not chase a polished magazine-interview feel. It sounds like people talking across a table, interrupting themselves, praising each other, correcting details, and remembering one more thing before the night ends. Mailbag episodes add to that club-like quality, treating listeners as regulars who know the voices and the rhythm. Event plugs and restaurant appearances are not separate from the program; they are part of its social world. So are books, old records, movie memories, and shout-outs to people scattered around the globe. The result is warm, anecdotal, and slightly unruly. It suits listeners who like celebrity history when it comes with fingerprints on it. The draw is not just who appears, but how casually the past is handled: a song, a mob name, a Vegas room, a painting, or a dinner reservation can all become the next story.
Made for: For listeners who like celebrity interviews with old-school show business texture, Mafia-history echoes, and a lot of conversational warmth. It especially suits people who enjoy anecdotes more than tightly edited profiles.
What sets it apart: The show’s edge is its lived-in access: familiar guests, personal memories, event chatter, books, restaurants, and Mafia tales all mix without much separation. It feels less like a press stop than a standing conversation among people who already know the room.
Welcome to The Hollywood Godfather Podcast. Hosted by The Godfather star Gianni Russo and co-host Jeanie Raymond, this captivating podcast dives deep into Russo’s incredible life, from his history with the mob to his friendships with Hollywood legends, Vatican insiders, U.S. presidents, and iconic figures from around the world. Every Wednesday, Gianni and Jeanie bring listeners behind the scenes of some of the most compelling stories in entertainment and organized crime, often joined by special celebrity guests. Tune in for firsthand accounts of untold stories, candid conversations, and a journey through a life that blends crime, fame, and po...
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Personal recollection and candid guest conversation turn entertainment history into an intimate record of work, endurance and long-standing connections.
Gianni Russo and Jeannie Raymond let personal history set the course, moving between entertainment memories, guest interviews and reflections on resilience.
Gianni Russo turns a Paul Anka catch-up into your invitation to old-school showbiz.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A warm, loose conversation full of Vegas and Atlantic City memories from a guest who still loves the stage.
Paul Anka makes this Legends Series stop feel like an easy walk through shared history. The hosts and guest move naturally from friendship into stories about Caesar's Palace, Jubilation, the Steel Pier diving horse, and the Borgata, so the conversation stays rooted in…
A warm, loose chat where career stories and painstaking charcoal art sit side by side.
The episode keeps finding its best rhythm when Federico Castelluccio talks about charcoal art. The craft details carry the conversation: charcoal pencils, charcoal sticks, erasers, different erasers, and the techniques he picked up all point to the same thing, a steady push…
A loose, warm conversation that keeps boxing talk and community service in the same room.
The episode plays like a loose catch-up more than a polished interview, with Ray Mancini moving from boxing memories to Ohio, then into community service.
A loose, warm conversation that turns Engelbert concert glow into a plain case for gratitude.
This episode starts with Engelbert's concert, then turns into a loose, thoughtful talk about memory, hardship, and gratitude. Jeannie Raymond and Gianni Russo move easily from concert excitement to a Nicholas Cage aside, then into childhood hardship, the polio ward, and the way…
A fond, rambling talk about showmanship, resilience, and remembering out loud.
This episode moves from a concert story about Engelbert into a loose talk about resilience, old memories, and how celebrity connections keep resurfacing over time. The result feels more personal than polished, which suits the mood.
This episode of the Hollywood Godfather podcast features an interview with executive producer Michael Austin, discussing AI-related topics from scammers to entertainment, with a focus on stories and insights.
Gianni Russo, broadcasting from the Chill Out convention in New Jersey, interviews longtime friend Paul Anka, who discusses his HBO Max documentary 'Paul Anka: His Way,' which he says has generated strong ratings, and a Broadway show about his life written by Rupert Holmes and scheduled to use a young actor — not Anka himself.
Gianni Russo and co-host Jeannie Raymond interview Federico Castelluccio, who played Furio Giunta on The Sopranos, about his dual career as an actor and fine-art realist painter.
The hosts Gianni and Jeannie introduce their mailbag episode, celebrating over six years of their Hollywood-themed podcast and sharing upcoming expansions and recognition.
This episode features an interview with legendary singer Bobby Vinton, discussing his iconic hits like 'Blue Velvet' and 'Mr.
The hosts interview Dr.
Host Jeannie Raymond interviews legendary entertainer Tony Orlando, reminiscing about their long friendship and his iconic career in Hollywood and Las Vegas.
This episode features an interview with author Michael Benson discussing his new book about Carlo Gambino, the Mafia boss, and personal anecdotes related to Gambino's influence.
This episode of the Hollywood Godfather podcast features co-hosts discussing the entertainment business with guest Chad Erickson, founder of Hot Mics Event, and their recent experiences doing multiple shows in challenging conditions.
This episode explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the entertainment industry, featuring insights from behind-the-scenes experts.
This episode features an interview with actor Matt Servitto discussing his career and the shifting dynamics of the film industry between the East and West Coasts.
Gianni Russo and co-host Jeannie Raymond interview Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini, former WBA lightweight champion, about his foundation's second annual Fight Night for First Responders in Youngstown, Ohio.
Gianni Russo and Jeanie Raymond answer listener questions about his mob connections and Hollywood friendships.
Gianni Russo and co-host Jeanie Raymond discuss a note from Paul Anka and welcome guest Al Sapienza.
Gianni Russo and Jeannie Raymond discuss celebrity news, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's financial troubles and Tyler Perry's mansion listing.
Gianni Russo recounts his involvement with the mob and Joe Kennedy's deal to invade Cuba in exchange for support for JFK's presidency.
Gianni Russo discusses his book and his experiences with Marilyn Monroe and other Hollywood legends.
Gianni Russo and co-host Jeanie Raymond discuss returning to work and helping veterans, blending personal anecdotes with their show's focus on mob and Hollywood stories.
Gianni Russo recounts his last weekend with Marilyn Monroe and reveals a mob figure's prediction of her murder after she refused to sleep with Bobby Kennedy.
Gianni Russo and co-host Jeanie Raymond discuss Russo's life in Hollywood and his connections to mob figures and celebrities.
Gianni Russo and Jeannie Raymond discuss meeting Gene Simmons and Mel Gibson, and the potential for a feature film about Russo's life.
Gianni Russo and co-host Jeanie Raymond discuss the life and legacy of Dorothy Kilgallen with guests Mark Shaw and Robert Holden.
Gianni Russo and Jeanie Raymond discuss current chaos and the podcast's role as a distraction, hinting at upcoming stories about Hollywood and mob connections.
Gianni Russo and Jeanie Raymond pay tribute to Diane Keaton, sharing personal memories from the set of The Godfather and her lasting impact.
Gianni Russo and co-host Jeanie Raymond discuss the film 'Lepke' and Russo's experience working with Tony Curtis, blending Hollywood anecdotes with his mob connections.
Gianni Russo discusses his new casino project at Aqueduct Racetrack and his upcoming trip to Bimini.
Engelbert is all over the room.
Gianni Russo and co-host Jeannie Raymond discuss her recent attendance at an Engelbert Humperdinck concert and a resilience theme running through the episode, including Jeannie's 89-year-old mother surviving a car accident with seven broken ribs and her first words being about 'going car shopping.' Russo announces that his new book 'Celebrities and Gangsters,' written with Michael Benson and distributed by Random House, is pre-selling on Amazon and Barnes and Noble at 25% off before its November 18 release.
Gianni Russo shares his personal history with the mob and Hollywood, reflecting on 9/11 and comparing it to Pearl Harbor.
Gianni Russo and Jeanie Raymond introduce a special guest, legendary singer Engelbert Humperdinck, reminiscing about their long friendship and his visits to Russo's nightclub.
Gianni Russo and co-host Jeanie Raymond discuss upcoming fan events, a new Christmas song, and answer fan mail.
Gianni Russo shares exclusive, never-before-heard recordings from 1969 featuring Sinatra's orchestra and discusses their history.
Gianni Russo and Jeanie Raymond discuss Russo's surreal experiences with life imitating art, including a dream about P.
Gianni Russo shares his life story from polio to The Godfather, then interviews photographer Vito Bocconi about their long friendship and career.
Gianni Russo shares his life story from polio to mob ties and Hollywood fame, discussing his personal relationships with popes and celebrities.