THE MAN BEHIND THE STORIES
Gianni Russo
Follow Gianni beyond the microphone.
GIANNI’S LIFE & LEGENDS
A life with
no ordinary chapters.
New York nights. Las Vegas tables. A place in cinema history.
Explore the people and places behind the voice.
NEW YORK · GIANNI’S PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS
Carlo GambinoA New York connection. A lifetime of stories.
Carlo Gambino is part of the New York world Gianni revisits in his memoir and on the show. Recalling his childhood recovery from polio at Bellevue Hospital, Gianni says his nurse, Dolores Barone, was Gambino’s niece and looked after him during his stay. In later interviews, he describes working in New York’s mob circles and recalls Gambino’s protection. “Mentoring by the Mob: Carlo Gambino” returns to Gambino’s story and Gianni’s memories of their connection. Explore the people, work, and relationships that shaped his years before Hollywood, told through Gianni’s own recollections.
Gianni’s account · 2025 Gangsters Inc. interview ↗ Gianni’s 2019 VICE interview ↗THE WORLD BEFORE. THE LIFE THAT FOLLOWED.
Step back.
Stay for the stories.
From the 1920s to today: places, music, and screen stories.
A visual journey into the world behind Gianni’s stories.
1920sNEW YORK AFTER DARK
Before the first chapter.
Jazz rooms, art deco, and the supper-club culture that came before Gianni’s own story.
CULTURAL BACKDROP
1930sLITTLE ITALY, MANHATTAN
The old neighborhood.
Tenement streets, corner shops, and the neighborhood traditions that preceded his childhood.
CULTURAL BACKDROP
1940sMANHATTAN & STATEN ISLAND
New York beginnings.
Born in Manhattan, Gianni grew up in Little Italy and Staten Island—the roots of a New York life.
GIANNI’S ROOTS
1950sTHE NEW YORK SUPPER-CLUB ERA
A room full of music.
The singers, orchestras, and late-night rooms that form the musical backdrop to his stories.
THE MUSIC & THE MOOD
1960sMIAMI & THE NIGHTCLUB WORLD
A young man heads south.
Gianni’s official biography recalls his first Miami trip at eighteen and his early work around nightclubs.
GIANNI’S RECOLLECTIONS
1970sHOLLYWOOD & LAS VEGAS
The screen. The showrooms.
The Godfather arrived in 1972. Film sets and the world of live entertainment became lasting chapters.
A LIFE IN ENTERTAINMENT
1980sLAS VEGAS · STATE STREET
After hours at State Street.
Gianni recalls building his State Street restaurant into a Las Vegas gathering place. Hear the story of its beginnings and the nightlife around it.
HEAR THE STATE STREET STORY
1990sFILM SETS & TELEVISION
Beyond Carlo. Behind the scenes.
From The Freshman and Super Mario Bros. to Striptease and Any Given Sunday, Gianni revisits his screen roles and the people and craft behind the productions.
HEAR THE FILM & TV STORIES
2000sHOLLYWOOD · FILM & TELEVISION
Another call. Another set.
The Family Man, Red Dragon, Seabiscuit and Prison Break carried his screen career into a new decade. Start with his memories of Seabiscuit and the world behind the film.
HEAR THE SEABISCUIT CONVERSATION
2010sTHE MEMOIR & THE MICROPHONE
A lifetime becomes a story.
Hollywood Godfather was published in 2019, and the podcast began that year. Revisit the introduction that brought Gianni’s stories to a new listening audience.
HEAR THE ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION
2020sGIANNI, JEANIE & THEIR GUESTS
The conversation keeps going.
New guests, listener mailbags and fresh conversations keep the stories moving. Join Gianni and Jeanie with filmmaker Miles Stephenson to explore cinema and the making of a documentary.
HEAR THE FILMMAKER CONVERSATIONOriginal period-inspired illustrations. The 1920s and 1930s set the cultural scene before Gianni’s birth. Life details: Gianni’s official biography ↗
THE PEOPLE IN THE STORIES
Familiar faces.
Extraordinary company.
PLACES. PEOPLE. A LIFE LESS ORDINARY.
Every chapter.
Another world.
From the Copa to the Corleones.
Follow the stories that made Gianni.
01 / GIANNI’S CHAPTERS
Copacabana
New York nights, great performers, and the world behind the velvet curtain.
Step into the story →
02 / GIANNI’S CHAPTERS
Cal Neva
Pine trees, a state line, and the resort at the center of so many stories.
Step into the story →
03 / GIANNI’S CHAPTERS
State St.
Dinner, music, and the after-hours world of Gianni Russo’s State St.
Step into the story →
04 / GIANNI’S CHAPTERS
Marilyn Monroe
Gianni’s memories of Marilyn, told in his own voice.
Step into the story →05 / GIANNI’S CHAPTERS
Carlo Gambino
Gianni’s recollections of Carlo Gambino, their New York connection, and life before Hollywood.
Step into the story →06 / GIANNI’S CHAPTERS
The Godfather
Carlo Rizzi. A first film role. A lifetime of stories beyond the screen.
Step into the story →07 / GIANNI’S CHAPTERS
Marlon Brando
Gianni remembers the actor behind Vito Corleone.
Step into the story →08 / GIANNI’S CHAPTERS
Frank Sinatra
The songs, the showrooms, and Gianni’s memories of Sinatra.
Step into the story →Historical context meets Gianni’s own recollections. Personal accounts and archive photographs are identified in each chapter. Scene artwork is illustrative.
BEYOND THE EPISODE
Stay in good company.
KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING
The Hollywood Godfather Podcast
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FOR YOUR EARS
Listen to the audio show.
The weekly conversation, wherever you listen.
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Likes, comments and notifications use your chosen platform’s account and available features. Questions for the mailbag go to the show through Ask Gianni.