Gianni Russo, host of The Hollywood Godfather Podcast, is a captivating storyteller with a life as dramatic as the films he’s known for. Best recognized for his iconic role as Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather, Russo brings firsthand Hollywood and Mafia tales to the mic, blending celebrity encounters with real-life underworld experiences. With deep ties to the entertainment industry and a storied past that spans Sinatra to Gotti, Gianni delivers an unfiltered, insider perspective on fame, crime, and everything in between—making each episode a masterclass in charisma, controversy, and classic storytelling.

Co-Host Mike Di Stasio grew up in Boston. A lover of classic movies since his childhood, Mike immediately fell in love with the characters he saw on the big and small screen. “Films back then were simple and the characters they played were complex and you felt bad for them. I’ll always love Bogart, Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman and all the players during Hollywood’s Golden Age. That’s why I try to promote the classics whenever I can, and teaming up on this podcast with Gianni Russo is a match made in Showbiz heaven.”

The friendship between Gianni and Patrick did not have the usual beginnings of boyhood camaraderie. Both Gianni and Patrick were born and raised in New York’s Little Italy and lived a scant short block from each other, but that’s where the similarities end. Gianni sought his future with the Mafia, while Patrick became a New York cop. Their paths crossed a few times, and each was on the other’s radar; distrust and wariness always hovering. However, they became friends and now discuss all the complexities that surround the two diverse worlds of organized crime and police work. 

Julia Claire Schweitzer, our newest addition, graduated from Monash University in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia, with a double degree in Business Management and Design Communication. She just concluded her studies in Musical Theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City, where she currently resides. She is a bubbly yet determined young actress wanting to make her way in the industry, which is why she is the perfect addition to our team as she gives us the Gen Z outlook on current affairs, and can ask the questions that her generation is interested in regarding Old Hollywood, the Italian Mafia and True Crime. 

Megan Horan, a college graduate with a degree in film & television who grew up in suburban Philadelphia and now resides in New York City. A young, intelligent female voice looking to break into the entertainment industry, Megan was chosen personally by Gianni Russo to represent the millennial age group – one that may lack the knowledge of the generation regarding Old Hollywood and the Italian Mafia, yet possesses the interest in the topics. Megan departed at the end of 2022 to pursue her career in the motion picture industry.