Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast - GGACP Rewind: Episode #2: Gianni Russo

Episode Date: January 8, 2026

Actor and alleged wiseguy Gianni Russo, who played the traitorous Carlo Rizzi in 1972's "The Godfather," stops by the studio to talk about people he's bumped off in real life (two, maybe three that he’ll admit to), sleeping with Liza Minnelli and Marilyn Monroe (!?) and taking acting lessons from Marlon Brando. Also, crime boss John Gotti and Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega get mentions! (Did you know that Liza and Noriega briefly toured together in the ’80s? Okay, we made that part up).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All right, I'm not going to ask my audience right now, are you a fan of the Godfather. I assume everyone's a fan of the Godfather with a Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Kahn, Robert Duval, and a lesser-known actor at the time, Gianni Russo. He played the part of Carlo, who marries Connie's Corleone, who's the sister of the other Corleones that Pacino and James Kahn play, Michael and Sonny, and he's horrible. He's like he beats her throughout the whole movie,

And he sets up sunny, and eventually he gets his comeuppance. But Gianni stopped by for an interview, and it was different. It was certainly this guy who's like, no other guy you'll meet. And he talked to us about everything, about his real-life connections with the biggest families. biggest crime families, and also taking acting lessons from Marlon Brando to possible affairs with Liza Manelli and Marilyn Monroe. And a couple of guys, he says he may have murdered. It was a memorable interview.

I'm not sure how much I believe, but I'm certainly not going to accuse him. of lying. Hi, this is Gilbert Godfried, and I'm here with my friend and co-host Frank Santopadry. Hello, and this is the amazing colossal podcast. Now, if there's anyone out there, I mean, how can you not be a fan of the Godfather? It's one of those movies you cannot turn off when it comes on. Comes on, it's like if you watch like a second of it, you got to go, oh, oh, this next scene, I got to see.

And then three hours have gone by. Yes. And one of the, you know, the greatest moment is there's a guy Carlo who marries Talia Shire, who's Michael Corleone and Sonny Corleone's sister. and he turns out to be a real bastard. And a rat, right? Yes, and a rat, and he beats her, and then James Kahn comes after him and beats him up. And then the ending of the Godfather,

I don't think this is a spoiler, because everyone has seen it. Shame on you if it is. Yeah, is when Pacino tells him he's out of the family business, and he's just sending him off, and that's his punishment. and he gets in the car, the front seat, and behind him, Richard Castellano goes,

hello, Carlo, and wraps a court around his name. It is great. And we have him here tonight. Yes. Yes. They dug me up. Yes. Johnny Russo, who played Carlo in the original Godfather.

Johnny, thanks for doing this. What, is an unoriginal one? As opposed to the second dude. We won't talk. about the third one. No, please not. Now, how did you get the part in the Godfather? You want the truth of the L.A. bullshit.

Either one. Well, I'll give you both versions. Anyway, I always wanted to be an actor, and I made a few dollars early on in my life, fortunately. And I read the book, and I'm sitting at the Palm Restaurant many, many years ago. And Rocky comes over to me, And he says, Johnny, that guy wants to talk to you.

And I used to go there every Sunday night before going to Studio 54. Because Sunday night was invitation only. So the guy comes over to me, and his name was Al Ruddy. And I didn't know who Al Ruddy was. And he says, what do you want to talk to me for? He's, well, you know, I know you people. I said, it's all lies. Because I don't know who the guy is.

Maybe he's wired. Long story short, I straighten out a couple of things for Ruddy And Ruddy is the executive producer of Godfather He had the rights He met with Mario Puzzo and he brought it to Paramount And I said, okay, maybe if I can straighten this out for you I don't know if I can But if I do, I want to play Michael, Sonny, or Carlo

Typical Hollywood bullshit Oh yeah, don't worry And now they have a problem, a bigger problem than they really had with Joe Colombo. Now the gates of Paramount were blown off the hinges on Melrose. We've all been to the Paramount a lot. Sure. That's a big gate. And they knew they had a real problem with the mob.

So with the said, Betty McCart, which is an interesting piece of, Hollywood trivia was Ruddy's secretary at the time. Betty McCart later on in life becomes a manager and manages what's his name, a major guy

from Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck. Tom Selleck. She becomes his manager before that. She calls me, says, you know, they really have problems. You better help them. So I said, I'll do. So they all just left. They all ran. Like we're a little rats from L.A.

They take a flight to New York. And they were all hiding in the Sherry Netherlands. Bobby Evans, all of them. Because they think they're going to, you know, they've got to get the strained out. And that Charlie Blue Dawn just bought Paramount, Gulf and Western. And I could say this because I don't care about Charlie Blue Dawn or anybody.

Charlie Blue Dawn had connections with the mob in Milan. And he didn't want that to come out. So that's what the threat And the rumor was all the time About they were ready to pull the plug out Because Charlie Blue Dawn The last thing he wanted to do is make a mob movie And

They're picking the FBI building Down on Madison Avenue About anti-deformation and all that I mean it was all bullshit So I just read the book My ego I'm like I'm a young kid I'm 26 years old

I had a triplex brownstone on 85th and 5th. So you can understand, I had a few dollars. And I wanted to make a movie, but I wasn't going to go try out and read for bullshit. So I said, here's what I'm going to do. I said, I could straighten this out. And I didn't know if I could. And I said, why don't we have a sit-down?

Because you all read the movie, the book, obviously. You know, most of them didn't know what a sit-down was. They told it was a chair. so I go down to the league office which was on Madison Avenue and I meet with Senior I said you know you're missing a great opportunity you're selling these stupid buttons

for a buck a buck of button support the Italians I can make a better deal for you he's what are you going to do am I talking too long not at all right when you say senior you mean Colombo yeah Joe Colombo

I said this is an opportunity you can get the script, read it. What's bothering you? I'm sure they'll let you straighten out because I knew they couldn't read it anyway. So Barry Slotnick, who's still my attorney, was their attorney at the time. So I said, let Barry read it.

What's bothering you, let it straighten it out, and I'll get you to world premiere to Godfather in every city. Now you sell the ticket for $100, $150. You're making a lot of money. That's all they were interested in making money. They didn't care about defamation. They're all killers.

So now I bring them all there. The next morning, they come. And, I mean, Stanley Jaffe, Blue Dawn Newton show up, Bobby Evans, all of them, Francis, and we all sit down. And here comes the entourage. Butterass, Joe Jr.

Every guy you can boozy DiCicco, they got names that were not even in the book. We all go to the meeting. They all agree. Okay, we're going to let this guy, you know, let him read it. And whatever we don't want in it, we'll take it out. And I said, you know, if this happens, you'll get the cooperation from the unions. You'll get the locations you want. But we get the world premiere the night before it opens in every major city.

They all agreed. So now they're all getting up. And I look at Joe, because I already had my deal with Joe. I said, Joe, what about me? And my God, I swear to God, it was so funny to see all these power houses. He goes like this. And they all sit back down. He's, what are you going to do for my boy here?

He's, well, no, we're going to give my part. No, we understand. I said, oh, excuse me. Joe, can I talk? He said, yeah, talk. I said, I made a deal with you, Mr. that if this movie gets made, I play Michael, Sonny, or Carlo. And he thought I was an idiot.

He says, well, are you in the union? We'll talk to your agent. I said, I'm not in the union, and I don't have an agent. He's well, you know, he can't, you know. I said, excuse me, this is New York City. It's a Taff Hartley state. You give me a contract. I'll join the union.

They're all looking at each other. They said, well, you know, and maybe you know this and maybe you don't. Maybe the audience don't know this. They said, what we cast Michael is James Korn. Sonny is Carmine Kareedi. Because when they read the book, they thought he should be this big guy. Carmine Karede was on Broadway.

We're a man full of LaMontia. And they said, we didn't cast Kalo yet. I said, I'll play Kallon. So, Joe, can I play Kalli? He's, yeah. He's playing Kolo. He's okay, he's Kolo. That's how it happened.

And that's how I became an actor. But, I mean, it's an amazing run. I don't think anybody made more money than me in the 44 years. I capitalize on this every way there is. And now I heard a story, and this is why I feel like I have to be extra nice to you and extra polite. Now, you actually killed two people. Three. Three?

Don't sell them short. I, wait. Where'd you hear the Vegas ones? I, I, whichever. I'm not going to tell you. I'm not going to say, shut the fuck up. I'll tell. And listen to me.

I love his voice. Yes. How many windows are you break it down? Tell us, just pick the murder you want to talk about and follow it with the murders I could talk about. My lawyer was sitting where. I mean, I would kick me under the table. See, there is no statues on murder.

Oh. So I can only talk about the ones I was convicted on. Okay. Or tried on. I'm fine with that. So. But they were all self-defense. Yeah.

Can you? See, what I do, I, like, let's say this poor guy gets mad at me. I let him cut me first, and I kill him. And you're the witness. He cut me first. And I would be the first one to just throw him under the train and say, No, he attacked him first. That's right.

Yes, I wouldn't want to be. So how did you find that out? No, I heard you talking about it. One was a guy, I think you were managing a casino or something. No, I owned a casino. State Street, yeah. Okay. Oh, that day, that was Lorenzo Morales.

Oh, okay. He underbossed Pablo Escobar. And so could you tell us that story? Oh, sure. I can tell you any of me. I don't give a shit about nothing. You don't know about me. I believe me. Look, if you killed three people, it wouldn't surprise me. I didn't say I killed three. I'd killed three that I was tried on. There may be more out there. I don't know.

Well, just the ones that we have some evidence on. Right. We talk about it. Not enough evidence for conviction. I never slept in the jail. So you are managing a... You own a casino. It's called Johnny Russo State Street. I'm sorry.

A legend. I'm sorry, sir. No, Sinatra performed for me. Everybody performed for me. And in the casino, this guy, what was his name again? Lorenzo Morales. He was attacking his girlfriend. Yeah, you know the story well.

Yeah, so. Let me set it up for you. He walks into the casino. He's giving everybody a hundred dollar bills, which is not abnormal in my place. And he opens the check with a bottle of crystal and a bottle of Louis the 13th, which at that time was maybe $15,600. We're talking about the 80s. Yeah.

And goes into the casino, drops $10,000, comes back. And I didn't care about recreational sports. These guys had all snort and coke at the table. I used to give him glass mirrors. I didn't give a shit. But anyway, so he's doing lines. doing, you know, Louis to 13th and washing it down with Cristyle. This guy didn't have a long night.

And then he got crazy. The girl, the answer argument, he breaks the bottle and sticks it in her face. Oh, man. Now, I'm going to throw a name at you. It became American history or TV history. Stevie Sharapa, remember from the surprise? Oh, yes, yes. Yeah, I know.

Stevie was my doorman at the time. And I hired this guy because they were all big statue football players. I put them all in tuxedos. They got diarrhea when they started. They didn't move. And I'm calling down to the front desk before cell phones and all that. I said, guys, you got a problem on seven. Oh, yeah, you see what he did?

Yeah, I could, yeah, I see it. How about you get over there? They wouldn't move. I swear to God. They wouldn't move. So I walked down and I said, you know, and I wanted to declare myself because I don't know who the guy was with.

Until I heard him speak, I really is, he's not with any of the five crime family. So I go to the table and I said, let me tell you something. I said, this is my home. Do you understand what I'm saying? She no mon. I said, no mon.

What's this? I said, you hear the sirens? They're coming here for you. Now, I don't want to know anything about it. Just get out of here. You know, this lady needs some attention. And he goes for the girl. I said, no, she stays here.

He's no, she comes with me. I said, no, no, no. I'll tell you one more time. Get out of here now. Or you're going to get out of here in a black bag. And with that, he goes for the girl again, but I don't know. He still has the bottle in his end.

He goes to me and he slits my throat. Now, this is going to sound ridiculous to you. So, you went away from that. the mic he slit he slit your throat with the broken bottle fortunately i was agile enough he didn't get my neck he got my chin yeah what really pissed me off jack wise who makes my shirts in beverly hills i waited six months for this this pink sea island con you're worried about some shirt i'm looking down there's blood all over my shirt i said how you fucking pissed me off fuck her get the fuck out of here

he's fuck you so I put two right between his eyes in front of 150 people on my kids and I got 11 of him he goes like this that we'll talk about later he wipes he wipes

he's looking at me I see a hole in his head so I just pick up the gun and I lay the other four in his heart then he goes down only to find out later from the coroner, which I should know, you shoot people in the back and the neck to close them down immediately, unless it spins for five or six seconds,

which is a long five or six seconds when you're looking at a guy in a hole in your head. Who says this podcast as an education? Oh, yeah. But that's murder one. Now, so, but then it doesn't end there. No, it got worse. Yeah. Okay, tell us the second half of this story.

So now, being as vain as I am, they take me to Sunrise Hospital. And, you know, I'm old. Which I learned something that maybe a podcast audience don't realize either. The most traumatized. Now, the girl got stabbed. He got shot. I got my, would have been my throat, but my neck. Yeah.

they come in, they take him first because he's the most traumatized. I said the guy's fucking dead. How about the girl? The girl is bleeding for a half hour. But that's how it goes. Wow. Is that weird?

And didn't you have to have a meeting then after that? Because you kill this guy. You had to go to like South America or something. I went to Bogota. Yeah, okay. I went to Dominican first. Yeah.

Okay. We've done our home. Well, I came up to see John, John Gotti, who we grew up with together, and I said, John, I went to the club of Mulberry Street, and I wasn't supposed to leave because they, you know, this was now Monday, and this happened Saturday night, like 3 o'clock in the morning, I had to wait for Murray Parks, my plastic surgeon to come from Beverly Hills to take care of my neck. I was going to have some ER guy where I'd be walking around

like Cosimo over here. So that night, I realized when I come home, there's a Merry Lito in my apartment. I had a building that I had, called it a Marie Antoinette, the only eight-story high-rise. And there was a whole thing

with the kids and all this. So we brought somebody in from UNLV again that knew the Colombians and what that means. And she said, you're marked for death, but you're going to die last. Your whole family, they kill first, they avenge. So, I left.

And I told, Rex Bell was the district attorney. I said, Rex, I know I'm not supposed to leave for 21 days. I'm out of year. And I fly to New York, and I meet John. John and I were always on the edge. He always hated me. I hated him. Not that I hate, I don't hate anybody.

But he didn't like me because I got to, certain positions in life before he did. So he said, oh, now you were a killer, this, Daniana. I said, John, we got a problem. He said, no, you don't have a problem. I said, I got to get to Bogota. He said, what? He said, I'm going to Bogota.

I'm straightening this thing out. And he was very happy to make the arranges because he thought that was the end of me. I'll never come back. So I go, stop at the Dominican and meet with certain people. They set up a meeting for me. The only thing that felt good for me to meet

was they were going to meet me in the church. That's how stupid I am. And so I met Pablo Escobar. I met her for about two seconds. And I was in the back of a truck with a bag over my head. And they captured me for like 24 hours. And then we started, you know, what they were doing in this torture room with that they had.

and the godfather saved my life he kept looking at me this is a classic story so i know you i said you don't know me i said but pablo you have a daughter the same age as my daughter my children have nothing to do with this and we start talking i swear this is like a joke you couldn't write this stuff the next day he comes down with an eight by ten picture of me god he's you a caller in the god I said, Jesus, why'd you say that? So being in the godfather saved your life? It saved my life, but you know the next 24 hours while we were waiting?

He was trying to get, you know, his brother to come in so we could sit and talk about it. He's playing Michael Caudillon, and we're doing life. That's nuts. Wow. Now, but now the second. in half. Oh, no, the brother. Oh, yes. So they reassure me that

I'm, you know, that they're going to straighten it out, don't worry about anything. So I land in Miami like a movie, and these suits get on the plane. They pick up the end of common. They say, Johnny Russo here. I ain't worried my head. I still have the bandage on. And

they take me off the plane. They have a jet on the tarmac. The DEA. that's how stupid they are. They saw me with John Gotti. They saw me with Noriega. They saw me with Pablo Escobar. They thought I was the new drug guy.

So I'm on a jet handcuffed. And I said, but I'm not getting a clear picture here. I mean, I already talked to, you know, Rex Bell, the DA. I could leave. So what are you talking about? That's why I killed a guy sat in there.

They knew nothing about it. All they were watching, all their film and all that stuff. So then they wanted to set me up as a decoy to get the brother. Because he was like second most wanted man in the world. And I wouldn't go along with it. So I killed him 30 days to the day. Okay, explain to us how that took place. Nobody knew where I was.

I didn't want anybody to know where I was. but I had eyes in the sky in my casino and my club and I get a call from a guy who's very close to me Louis Diaz who's in the DEA and they said they tracked the guy down and he just crossed the border in Texas and you should be to you you know if he drives all night

he'll be there soon and so with that said I go to my club and I'm watching everything and I says there's a guy at the bar and he's drinking with his right hand. So I called the bar, phone. I said, and it was Betty. I said, Betty, that guy in the beige jacket, they don't know where I am. I said, the guy in front of you with the beige jacket. I said, do you know him? He said, no. Let's go talk to him. She says, why? I said, I want to hear if he

has an accent. He said, oh, he has an accent. He's from Columbia. I said, okay. So I miraculously appear, and I figured he's drinking with his right hand, so he's got to be carrying on the left. So I go to him and I put my arm around him. I pull them close to me and sure enough I could feel the stovepipe. And I said, you're looking for me. He's no, no, no, no. I said, let me just tell you something. You see over there, I killed your brother right over there. I'm going to kill you right here. And I could see his face distort. I said, these people have nothing to do with it. Why don't you and I go out in the alleyway and I heard you're this and that and all that? I said, why you challenge me? Okay. And he loved the idea. He knows. He

never got to the cubicle because across my dance one the disco there's a fire exit so with the kick panel I knew once I had him in there I had to take him then because if I got outside this guy was trained I mean this guy was

a maniac so the autopsy ready died of drowning I did a doll and bell on him that was amazing so what was the you beat him I didn't beat him, you know, I took him in a shock position

because he was carrying, he knew he had me. Right. But as soon as I got him down, I started jumping on him. I totally destroyed his rip cage, which punctured his lungs. He really did die or drowning. But what I did do before I left the room, because the statues were over on that, I took his, I took, I always wear a pocket hanky.

I took his gun out and I laid it next to his hand. Just in case. I wish I had myself Orr took pictures and said look at the guy drew on me So with your bare hands You killed a guy with a gun But I'm 10 to be Tai Chi Matsum My hands are still

I'm 72 I move I'm still very flexible It's all it's always I have nine boys And seven grandsons To me it's always It's always makes sure you're in control.

You don't have to be tough, and I'm not a tough guy. Believe me, I'm not. No, you killed three people. That's self-defense. Self-defense. My children. I'm not a tough guy. What would you do if somebody, wait a minute,

if somebody threatened your children, if you have any, what would you do? I think my children would be in a lot of trouble. Because, well, at least you're honest. The guy could come to me and say, Hey, look, we'll kill you unless you want to blow me. And I go, all right, just get me the knee pads. Now, this, this third guy, I didn't, you can't talk about that. Well, thank you for only talking about the two guys you killed, who you're able to talk.

I could talk about the third guy, but it was so early on. in life. Save something for the second half. I was a kid. You were a kid, and you killed someone when you were a kid? When I was having my milk money stolen from me and being bullied in the school, you not being a tough guy, killed a guy.

You should have went to school with me. He had your back. Now, how many children do you have? I have 11. Nine boys and two girls. So you don't believe in birth control, obviously. What's control? That's control.

I believe in births. I love children. I love people, you know. Now, but this, I heard, never cost you a dime having all these kids. Who told you that? You said all of these, I heard you said, that all of these, women that you knocked up or rich. Oh, yeah, I didn't

go anybody broke, but I had a 190 foot boat. You know how many houses I gave up? My last house was 10,000 square feet. I didn't give money. I gave properties. Oh, oh. So you're really there's no way you can get it.

The last house I left. I left 12 brianis hanging in my jewelry. I never went back. I don't argue. I hate arguing to me. It's like crazy. We will return to Gilbert Gottfried's amazing colossal podcast, but first a word from our sponsor. You went out. You dated...

I want to hear this bullshit. You're talking about Dior-Worick. Yep. She's a dyke. I was going to be it. You're crazy. So you... You didn't go out with her?

I managed you on for about 15 years. Okay. And we're very close friends. You're a very nice lady. And we really shouldn't be talking about her, but no. You never nailed her. What's nailing me? I don't mean.

You're fucking her. No, no, no. Never fucked her. I don't talk about women that, you know, people say I was with Marilyn Monroe. I'm going to talk about fucking and no. That's all I want to know about. Did you fuck Marilyn Monroe? I can't talk about it.

I don't care about your career or anything. I don't have a career. Did you fuck? If I did, it's gone now. I feel like Senator Joe McCarthy. I know. I feel like I'm my stepfather, Frank Costello. Yes.

Gofarer committee. Sir, will you answer my question? Did you or did you not fuck Marilyn Monroe? You know, I should, with you saying that, we should go to Godfather, too. and I should get your brother from Middle East sitting next to me and you will withdraw that question and I want an apology

Let me try to restore some semblance Now what about Liza Manelli Did you fuck Liza Manelli, sir? Liza Manelli We used to party, man Liza and I fell in love with the same girl Oh, okay, here we go Here we go

Melita Escoval I'll never forget it, man So both you and Liza were in love with the same. Did you fuck her together? Yes. You did? Of course. So you, Liza, and this other girl all had a threesome?

I'll tell you a better story. I can't imagine. Is there a better story than that? Oh, yeah. Liza and I destroyed Dionne Warwick's house? How did you and Liza Minnelli and some girl you were, also the two of you are fucking destroy light at

Dionne Wallach's house. Liza and Dion both worked at the Riviera Hotel. And Joe Torre owned it. He was at a Detroit. Every hotel was controlled by a family.

With that said, Liza is staying in the house that Dion bought, was renting to the hotels for the stars to stay. and it was all, I mean, flock and foil wallpaper. Shagros. So we decided to have a fetichini contest, Lyser and I,

she thought she cooked better than I cook. And the supermarkets, fortunately, they were open 24 hours a day. So we go get grocery carts. We can't see what our ingredients are. We invite a bunch of people over. Now, there was a show called the Bear Tried. touch of Vegas. Don't ask me how I know all this. In the lounge at the Stardust. And this girl, Emily, if you're anywhere in the world, I live in New York now.

She used to come out of the ceiling on a silk rope in a cobra body skin. And I'm with Liza and we both look at each other. We said we've got to have her. Oh my God. You had to see, forget the Kardashians' ass. This ass was like, forget the edge. And we did. We parted for many weeks. So you and Liza Minnelli were both nailing this girl. Well, half the cast of that.

And you knew Judy Garland, too. Oh, I love Julie. Tell us a little bit about that. You know what's so funny, Judy Galen was dating. How do you get all this shit? Judy Garland was. We do a lot of research. Judy Garland was dating one of my best friends,

Jimmy Mack, who was a male model. And we used to go all the time to the apartment later on. It was like four or five o'clock in a moment. We'd leave jillies like whenever. And this one particular night, she just closed somewhere and she had all these roses, and she was always stoned out of her mind. So we go there, and we're all in the kitchen.

The son's coming up. And she's in the kitchen cooking. And she cut all the heads of the roses off and is mixing them in eggs, making a fritade with roses. The only reason I'm bringing it up, it's strange that we're just talking about her daughter. And we're sitting down and we're eating.

It's their old smoking grass into what they're doing. And we eat this for Todd. It's phenomenal. With roses? Roses in them. They are edible. They are? Sure.

Okay. But you ready for this? Yes. Who comes out of the bedroom is lies? and Joey, the original kids. That's how long I knew Liza. Joey Luft. Wow.

Yeah. That was before Lorna, yeah. Right. But, no, I'm known. But, you know, I've been on the streets of New York since the 50s. Is that insane? And what city were you in when you were fucking Maryland, mine were all? That's a sad thing because, you know, Marilyn, I had to go to continue.

school. It's so crazy. And I wasn't 16 yet. So, you know, and I'm not going to go to some plumbing school or something. I wouldn't get my hands dirty. So they sent me, they gave me what vocational school I can go to once a week.

So I was always on, you know, Broadway anyway, and I always remembered Wilford Academy up on top of Lindy's on 52nd Street. So I saw I go to the beauty school. So I paid the teachers. off, I wasn't going to that school. What you've got to do? Well, I had the book downstairs.

I worked for, you know, my guy who took me under his arm when I was 12 was Frank Costello. So he had everything. I was at the store club. I was at 21. I was everywhere. Tuts, I was, if you saw the documentary Tuts, did you go into that yet? Not yet. Okay.

But Tuts, sure, I mean, I brought him the three million to rebuilt from the Teamsters. That was like 17. So, I mean, it's a lot of shit. But anyway, I have to now, they're checking me out. So these two faggots. No, they made the guys. Remember Kenneth?

Kenneth and Marks and Claire. Kenneth, Jackie O, built him a salon. He's a hairdresser to the stars. Yeah. Kenneth. And for Jackie O. So they gave me a job as a shampoo boy there because I have to do 100 hours to get my license

and then I'd be 16. I'm out of there and see you later. The third head of hair I washed was Marlon Monroe's. Now, I can imagine the kid 15 and a half years old. Oh, wait, to stay close to the mic. 15 and a half years old. I'm looking at Marlon Monroe. And I didn't even know how long I was just staring at it

because she finally said, is there somebody in the room? Because at Lilly Dashase, I'm 56th and Park, you had a stand starched, and they'd call you, and they'd give you the card, nobody's name was on it, and they'd tell you what rinse they want and this and that, and they give you all the procedures for three days training. You have to get the water, touch their wrist, all that's bullshit. But I'm looking at Mal Monroe. The biggest sex symbol of all time. Amazing. This is the 50s, Johnny, late 50s?

Yeah. And that's when she was in the prime. No kidding. Yeah. So then, you know, and I'm looking at Malam and Roe, I get an erection you cannot. Now I've got to wash this lady's hair. And not only that, I got a towel dry her hair,

wrapper, and walk her to the chair where these two fags waiting. Not even for her, but for my erection. I'm saying, well, how am I going to get away with this? It's insane. So then she started requesting me. me. I would imagine. And then I went to the Waldorf one Saturday to wash her hair because they were hiding

her out from Joe to Madgeau at that time. And I went there on a Saturday. I left on Monday. You figure it out. Wow. Now, what was that like to be there and know you're having sex with Marilyn Monroe? I mean, I can't lie. I came the first two seconds.

Marlon and they're all right. Yes. No. No, it's Wow. The sad thing I was in the last three days before she died. Oh. Up in Calneva.

I knew that what Sam G. And Conner was doing and Sinatra got involved in it, which he had to because they were going to kill them. Sinatra was the go between the president and... Yeah, between Kennedy. Yeah. And how John Kennedy got elected was the deal he made with Costello. And the deal was, we'll get you all the votes. And Joe Sr. said, Kennedy, not Colombo, said that what we'll give you, we'll invade Cuba

and give you the casinos back and we all know that didn't happen and then the biggest mistake John made was make Bobby Attorney General and he hated his whole father's presence and all that bullshit and he went after everybody that put his brother

in office and they got together and said that's when Joe had the stroke so they were going to try to do the same thing they did to Jimmy Hoffa so when they brought Jimmy Hoffer to Chicago they set them up and they got all the pictures of them cross-dressing and all that and that's why till his deathbed he said there was no mafia so they were going to do again

with and sinatra lured them there and joe kennedy showed up and so did bobby john didn't show and that that time joe was in a in a wheelchair already and we're all around the pool and what they did to maryland i'll never forget sam for that and jean connor they mean they strung this girl out so bad and she was screwed up to begin with but they were trying to get john and bobby one more time with her and film it then that would bury it never happened three days later she was with bobby and i registered this in the uh united states congress Literary Congress in a book that I wrote because I have all the documents

that nobody else can do. It will prove I have it. Three days later, she was dead because she was going public because John fucked with her. Bobby did and she wasn't going to

let it happen. And you put this in a book. Oh, it's in a book. And that's why when they want to exhume the body and all of that, It's all bullshit because all they used oxygen to kill her, first of all. And it wasn't the drugs and all the bullshit in the room was nothing. We all have, I forget the technical name of it,

and all groin, oprem, one of the largest arteries. And all you have to do is put air bubbles in it and you'll die. So you exhumed the body, she died of oxygen. So she was going to. and go public about fucking both Kennedys. After the Madison Square Garden birthday. Oh, wow.

Were you at that? Yeah, Jackie went crazy because she wasn't there. And when Malen got up there and said, happy birthday present. That was it. Jackie went fucking nuts. She already had meetings with Joe Sr. that she was going to leave him prior to the

re-election. There would never be, there would never be a Catholic president being re-elected if he got a divorce from his wife. I wish you could see the look on Gilbert's face. Yeah, yeah, this is. Listeners, I wish we were videotaping this one. Yes, this one, I don't know where to go. You've already got two murders that you can talk about.

One you're not talking about, and fucking Marilyn Monroe. Other than that, uh, let's, I don't know how to, I don't know how to do this, but let's go back to the Godfather. Fuck the Godfather. This, this guy's life is weirder and more violent than anything in the Godfather, one, two, or three. you know that's what happens unfortunately it's all good though now now do you keep

what do you have any stories about like brando I love Burndo Brenda was the best man I got a great story about Brando because well it was the first rehearsal it was up in Patsy's restaurant on 119th and it was brilliant that Francis

said that and again I've never been on a set or anything I don't know protocol and they said we're going to have a cold reading the whole cast will be there we'll all get to know each other so I thought they're going to turn the air conditioning on I know that all that's so we get there and everybody's there and I'm so impressed not with the young kids but with Sterling Hayden and Richard Conti and John Morley and then Malam Brando and I was dressed the way I dress you know I never go out without a suit and these guys are coming with combat boots

and they needed baths. They looked at so tough. They were unknowns. Nobody knew who Pacino was. No, but even, but Sterling Hayden was living on a barge in Paris registered as an artist

so they couldn't extradite and fatacivate. This stuff was wild. And you forget that the cast of the Godfather, it's like now you look at it, go, ooh, Al Pacino. and James Kahn. They were nobody's. James Kahn just got a lot of recognition from Brian's song.

Brian's song. But Pacino did one movie, Panic and Needle Park, that impressed Francis. Francis, that's how that deal, that's a deal that, you know, when they moved him from the gang that couldn't shoot straight and gave Carmine Karidi that part, moved Sonny, James, on to Sonny and Pacino got Michael that's how that happened and then Robert De Niro wound up playing Al Pacino's part in the gang that couldn't shoot straight I know so crazy and of course De Niro audition for those roles I know all of them yeah yeah but what happened was so now the first day I meet Brando I mean I love Brando on the waterfront everything he did so we all get up and say hi I'm Mappuccino, I'm playing Michael, and it goes around the table.

We're all paired off as the family. So they come to me, and I say, you know, I am Johnny Russo, I'm playing Carlo. And so we do, and we was told just to read, don't do anything. I don't know how many actors are here or out in the audience. That's all you do in these table readings. And Francis had the idea, we'll have all this food on the table, and he asked the Italians to exaggerate their mannerisms. So like James Conner, who's Jewish, Malambrindo's,

Polish to see and pick up the things, all their actions. So we get the first break. Now, everybody wanted to talk to Brando. I don't give a shit about me, though, nobody. I went to the back room, there was a Ziganette game that was always there, and everybody knew me. I went to see everybody

in the neighborhood. So Brando calls me over, and everybody that wanted to talk to him, he didn't pay attention to. But the moral of the story is why he did. So he calls me over, and he says, you're playing call, I said, yeah. He says, you're a big TV actor.

I said, no. He says, you have a big movie coming out. I said, no. He said, who'd you study with? I said, study what? He's, well, you're not on Broadway. I know everybody on Broadway. I said, no, I'm not on Broadway, you're right.

I'm on Broadway, but not in a play you mean? So he calls Francis over, Francis Ford Coppola. He says, Francis, he says, this guy's playing Carlo. And Francis, you know, I was a gift. He couldn't say anything about it. He said, yeah, I know. I said, Francis, do me a favor. He said, well, I said, let me talk to him.

Because I could see where this guy was going. He was getting, you know. So I, and I, you know, the club, I know Patsy's like, we used to go up there four or five o'clock in the morning and get pizza. And I was a fact, Tony Solero's, right. So I sit to him, I said, come here a minute. I said, let me tell you something. And I didn't want anybody here.

And I didn't, again, I didn't know protocol. I dismissed the director. Everybody's looking, who the hell is this guy? And then I put my arm around Brandon because I wanted to guide him where I wanted to go. You can't touch him. He was like, God. So I take him out of earshot of everybody else, and I turn around. I said, let me

just tell you something. I know who you are. You fuck this up for me. You what I'm telling you. I'm going to suck. on your fucking heart. You hear me? Don't bust my fucking balls, man. This is my shot. I already told everybody

was playing this part. He steps back and he says, you could do this part. That was great. He thought I was fucking acting. I was ready to knock on the other. And we became the closest friends. And every day he would drive with me,

the next thing and why he came to talk to me, the only reason he came to talk to me. You didn't get fuck about the movie. he says, whose car is that outside? I said, what car? He's the car, you came up in that Bentley, I said, yeah.

He says, because they all came up in Ford Station, wagons, whatever the studio sent them. I said, that's my car. He says, is that you driver? He says, yeah, because that's a Chinese chick drive me.

So they used to drop me off at the Park Lane Hotel, and he was staying at the Ilazai Hotel because he didn't want to be around us. And I never saw my driver. the next morning they came and picked me up. Every morning we'd go to Staten Island where the mall was the first, you know, 10 days we were on the wedding scene.

And you have a little bottle of Cavassier, a little coffee, and he'd go to make him with Dick Smith for like three or four hours. And he screwed my driver for the whole movie. Now there's some great Godfather trivia. So he was, he was into, well, he was into all those different ethnic. Exotic women. Yeah. He's the best.

It was the best. We did the freshman together, too, you know that. Oh. Michael LeBelle, Andrew Bergen. We did three films together. I gotten very involved in films from that point on. I figured this is easy business. But most people don't realize.

And this is Oscar Week. And I just did an interview with somebody. I was in 45 movies that won 10 Oscars. Wow. Who else could say that? I'm not even an actor. Now, I heard, was Brando also giving you pointers on acting? I've had two teachers in my life in the business.

Marl and Brando was my acting teacher, and my singing teacher was Frank Sinatra. Wow. And you were fucking Marilyn Monroe. Oh, yeah, and a couple of them. This is like three. This is a trifecta. So Brando would get together with you and go.

No, he wanted to know because, I mean, Obviously, they were really vested in this movie. Brando needed it as a resurrection for his career. And he worked with me on the whole closing scene. I think the only scene, other than the physical scenes, was the closing scene with Pacino and I, who's an amazing actor. And obviously, I knew I was going to die.

And Brando said to me, how are you going to make this believable when you're 36 feet by 18 feet on the screen? It's a close-up on you. People are going to know you bullshit. And he started to teach me about it. Because I watched him. Even when he set up his office,

he said, put a fish tank here, get me to cat. Because even though he was in control of this family, he wanted those subtleties where he's stroking his cat, he's feeding his fish. He says, when he hands you the airline ticket, he said, I want you to look down. even though you know these guys are killers and you believe

he's not going to make his sister a widow look down and make sure there's a ticket these little subtleties like they're going to waste $29 on the airline ticket but all of that work man

and get a drink and when they give you the drink don't drink it let Pacino pull it up to your mouth they're trying to calm you down before you tell them who really approach coached you. They already knew it was either Buzzini or to tell you. But, you know, that's the guy. So acting lessons from Marlon Brando. But you're ready for this? Yes. The day was shooting the scene, he was already released from the film. So now he shows up. And everybody's going crazy because

they thought on the call sheet somebody screwed up. And he only came up to see that I did it right. Wow. That's a great story. And he was there going, I'll teach you acting if you let me fuck that Chinese driver. That's where I've been done. Just give me that fucking Chinese girl, and I'll teach you how to act. I didn't ask him to.

He wanted to. That is amazing. It is amazing. Acting lessons from Brando. Is that amazing? Now, what about, now, James is that famous, Great scene where James Kahn beats you on. It's all full of shit.

James Kahn is tough. Are you fucking nuts? He's that asshole. James Kahn. He thinks he's Sonny Cordillian, this guy. And don't forget, this is my first film, so I don't know. He chips my elbow, breaks my two ribs. I think, wow, this is a tough business.

Did you rehearse that scene a lot? and block it really a lot you had to and then you got hurt anyway and then he ad libbed that little bat he wanted that bat right the thing he throws at you when he gets out of the car hits me right on the freaking head right I wanted to stop the same but I figured this is my first

one let me make you go Jimmy I don't I mean Jimmy why not be nice I'm the nicest guy in the fucking leave me alone look believe me I would never be disrespectful just in a couple

in the first two minutes of talking to you. Did he add lib biting your hand on the railing as well? No, a lot of that, a lot of that, he did a great study, and a lot of it was written in the book. But Jimmy, you know, you're supposed to pull punches, which still pisses me off is the fact that they had cameras on, they had it covered every way. That one punch that he misses me, I react to.

Why did they leave that in the film? It's always a strange shot. I know. But that aside, it looks like you're getting the hell beat out of you. Oh, no, and he did. Yeah. I mean, he did. So you hated James Scott?

I didn't hate him. There was no reason to do what he did after I found out later. Because when I'm crawling out to the hydrant, that's when he drop kicks me. He lifts me up in the air. We choreographed that three days. You're supposed to touch me? I'll react to it. But he lifted me up, man.

Like my, you know, his fuck you. He was really pissed that I got that part. Because he studied, you know, he went to dancing lessons. He's from Queens. Jimmy, you know. That explains a lot, John. I never went to any school, you know. Not even undergraded.

And what was it like working with Pacino? I love Pacino. So today. Al, we did any given Sunday. It was a big movie. Oh, wow. a big movie. That was one of a big return on that one.

No, I mean, it's crazy from a guy from Marbury Street with no training. How I did all these movies. I'm about to do a major movie. What are you doing now? I'm about to do the Whitey Bulger story. Good for you. Oh my God. With Johnny

that's great. That's great. Congratulations. That was the one Originally, the Departed is based loosely. Loosely, yeah. On the Wittleson character. Yeah, he did. But they're taking it to another level. And I heard the real Widey Bulger makes Nicholson look like a sweetheart.

Like the male. He had a butcher shop with no meat. Who are you playing in the film, John? I can't tell you that. Well, don't push him on it, whatever you do. I have no attention of pushing them on. You know what? Here's what I'll do.

If you're still on the air, I'll come back with shooting this summer in Boston. That would be wonderful. Well, that's the classic line if you're still on the air. I know show business to... Yes, believe me. I'm not going to disagree with anything he says. No, no, no. I'm not arguing.

What? Oh, wow. Uh, well, we, we, we have to... I thought one of my ex-wives walked in the room. We got to let our sound guys get to another gig, actually. Oh, yeah, okay, please. Thank you, vote, for inviting me. Oh, thank you.

I'm speechless. Yeah, I, believe me. I'm speechless. I'm scared. I'm fascinated. I'm everything. I'm a little turned on, quite frankly. I'll give you my number.

Don't ever be afraid again. Yeah. As a matter of fact, I have an erection stronger than the one you had from Maryland. Just hearing you talk. Godfather fans us was a treat. Thank you, John. Thank you. So we were talking to, we are still talking to Johnny Russo, and we're wrapping up now.

This was, and we have to have you back for more. It'll be my pleasure. Yeah, well, I thank God it's your pleasure because I don't want to piss you. you off. And thank you, Johnny Russo, Carlo, in the Godfather. And I'm Gilbert Gottfried, and my co-host is Frank Santopadre. And this has been the amazing colossal podcast. Thank you again, John. Thank you.