SEASON 18 / EPISODE 335
The Mailbag: Secrets of Hollywood's Past
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IN THIS CONVERSATION
The story behind the story.
In this episode of the Hollywood Godfather, hosts Gianni and Jeanie dives into their favorite segment, the mailbag, where they answer listener questions about Frank Costello’s mob involvement, Gianni’s interactions with various Hollywood legends like Tony Curtis and Jack Benny, and anecdotes from Gianni’s personal experiences in the mob and entertainment industry.
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Transcript source
The publisher supplies an automated transcript. It has not been editorially reviewed and may contain errors in names, dates or dialogue.
Open publisher transcript (text/vtt) ↗
LITTLE ITALY · GIANNI’S EARLY YEARS
Frank CostelloBefore Hollywood, a different kind of mentor.
Before Hollywood, there was Little Italy. In Hollywood Godfather, Gianni recalls Frank Costello taking him under his wing during his New York childhood. He presents Costello as a powerful early influence on the life that followed. Gianni says he worked for Costello as a messenger for years and viewed him as a mentor. On the podcast, he revisits this relationship in “Mentoring by the Mob: Frank Costello.” This chapter presents Gianni’s personal recollections, with links to his memoir and interview.
Gianni’s memoir · publisher synopsis ↗ Gianni’s 2019 VICE interview ↗
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