Sit Down with Michael Franzese

By Michael Franzese

From a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family to a man transformed by faith, Michael Franzese shares his extraordinary journey like no one else can. In Sit Downs with Michael Franzese, Michae... more

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How many episodes does Sit Down with Michael Franzese have?

The podcast currently has 127 episodes available.

Sit Down with Michael Franzese episodes:

March 26, 2026 Mexican Presidential Insider Reveals How Cartels Really Run the Country
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
Today I sit down with Enrique De La Madrid – son of a former Mexican president and one of the few people who actually understands how deep the corruption runs. We get into the cartels’ new gas tax scam that mirrors the exact gasoline hustle I ran back in the life, how cartels kidnap opposition and rig elections, why parts of the Mexican government are effectively in business with organized crime, and what that really means for your safety, tourism, and the future of the drug war. This one will change the way you look at Mexico, the cartels, and our own government on both sides of the border.
Mexican Presidential Insider Reveals How Cartels Really Run the Country
🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]
0:00 – Cartels rigged Mexico's elections. Real facts.1:05 – Welcome & introducing Enrique De La Madrid2:11 – Son of a president, ran for office himself6:32 – Mexican government is in bed with cartels7:00 – The cartel gas tax — straight from my playbook9:37 – Witnesses who knew the truth were killed10:14 – Cartels moved way beyond just drugs19:27 – Did Mexico's president take $20M from El Mencho?20:43 – Fentanyl is 1,000x more profitable than cocaine22:43 – Cartels kidnapping politicians to steal elections25:29 – Trump labeled cartels terrorists — was it smart?28:47 – El Mencho dead — what happens to CJNG now?30:35 – Is Mexico actually safe to visit right now?33:19 – Cartels launder money through Puerto Vallarta businesses35:07 – The "narco peace" — what it really means36:26 – I recognize this — it's the mafia's old extortion playbook40:00 – Should US troops operate inside Mexico?43:34 – Why aren't we teaching kids about drugs instead?46:04 – Will Enrique run for president of Mexico again?47:03 – Michael's closing thoughts: this is happening here too
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54min
March 24, 2026 Ex-Mob Boss & Ex-CIA Agent: Iran, Israel, and Epstein Are All Connected
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
I thought I understood Epstein, Israel, and the war in Iran… until this conversation.
In this sit down, CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou walks me through why he believes Epstein was working as an access agent, how Israel and Mossad might sit at the center of more than we think, why the Kennedy files still aren’t fully released 60 years later, and what’s really behind the Iran war and Trump’s decisions. I don’t say this lightly: this one actually made me rethink some things.
Ex-Mob Boss & Ex-CIA Agent: Iran, Israel, and Epstein Are All Connected
🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]
00:00:00 – Introduction: Epstein Was A Mossad Spy?00:01:03 – Meet Ex-CIA Agent John Kiriakou00:06:15 – How Epstein's Spy Network Worked00:14:07 – 3 Million Documents Still Being Hidden00:20:09 – The CIA's Secret Kill List00:22:55 – Is The Iran War Israel's War?00:25:15 – Netanyahu Threatened Trump With Nukes00:27:47 – Iran Never Had A Nuclear Program00:32:25 – Why They Won't Release The Documents00:36:12 – JFK Files They're Still Hiding00:41:31 – 10,000 Documents All Point To Israel00:42:40 – Why Israel Wanted Kennedy Dead00:43:06 – How Israel Controls American Politics00:49:00 – Inside The Prison Epstein Died In00:55:23 – Mossad's Blackmail Files On Everyone00:57:47 – CIA Agent: Epstein Was Murdered00:58:20 – Did America Bite Off Too Much?01:02:20 – Why NATO Won't Join The War01:05:04 – Bill Clinton & The Epstein Deposition01:06:52 – The Truth They'll Never Tell Us
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1h 14min
March 19, 2026 Ex-Mob Boss cooks chicken Parmesan (Secret Franzese Family recipe)
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/👨🏻‍🍳 Get The Exclusive Mafia Apron Here: https://franzesewine.com/apron
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
I’m back in the kitchen people. And today I’m making one of my favorite old-school Italian-American dishes: chicken parmesan. This is the kind of meal that brings back memories of family, tradition, and the simple way we used to eat at home, and I’m showing you how I make it step by step the way it should be done.
I’m keeping it simple, fresh, and delicious — just like the best family recipes always are. Along the way, I share a few stories, a few tips, and a little of the history behind the food, the wine, and the way we grew up around the table.
Get The Chicken Parmesan Recipe Here: https://franzesewine.com/chicken-parm-recipe
Ex-Mob Boss Cooks Real Chicken Parmesan (Secret Franzese Family Recipe)
🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]
00:00 – Introduction: I’m back!
02:27 – Cooking brings back memories
03:16 – My grandfather made wine
05:00 – My onion trick in sauce
06:03 – Fresh basil brings memories
08:20 – Organic is the way to go
08:56 – My grandma’s meatballs set the bar
10:28 – Step 1: Always Pound the chicken thin
11:47 – The Paul Castellano chicken story
15:47 – Flour, eggs, breadcrumbs
16:48 – Stories of My Grandparents
18:03 – My grandfather Was A Racist?
21:11 – Tootie the Lion: My Other Grandfather
22:23 – Step 2: Fry The Chicken
23:14 – Chicken parm isn’t from Italy
23:34 – Mozzarella, not parmesan
24:00 – I always drink wine with food
24:42 – Our 50th anniversary wine
25:28 – Europe makes healthier wine
27:54 – Step 3: Pasta has to be al dente
29:27 – Step 4: Sauce, cheese, and oven
31:20 – Food brings people together
34:19 – Step 5: Into the oven it goes
35:48 – My made-man anniversary
38:04 – The pairing is perfect
39:27 – Cherry wine grew on me
42:27 – Which Wine Pairs Better?
44:56 – Whats Next on Cooking With Michael?
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50min
March 17, 2026 Anabel Hernández: The Woman the Cartels & Mexican President Want Dead
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
The rule of law doesn’t exist in the shadows.
We’ve all seen the headlines about El Mencho, El Chapo and the cartels, but the headlines are just the “front.” For twenty years, Anabel Hernández has been digging into the basement of the Mexican government—and what she found is a virus that’s reached the highest levels of power.
She’s survived raids, assassination attempts, and a life in exile for one reason: She knows where the bodies are buried. And more importantly, she knows who gave the order to dig the graves.
In this sit-down, we aren’t talking about “street crime.” We’re talking about the business of a failed state. This is the reality they don’t want you to see. This is the truth that costs lives.
Anabel Hernández: The Woman the Cartels & Mexican President Want Dead
🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]
Backbone Media Group

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1h 5min
March 12, 2026 John Gotti: The Reason We Still Talk About the Mob
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
John Gotti turned murder into a media moment and a crime family into his personal stage.
From the shots outside Sparks Steakhouse to a life sentence in a concrete box, this doc walks you through how a kid from Brooklyn with a chip on his shoulder became the last great “celebrity gangster” – and how that fame turned into a loaded gun pointed at his own head. You’ll see the real power struggle with Castellano, the truth behind the “Teflon Don” trials, what it meant when Sammy flipped, and why the old‑school mob quietly died in Gotti’s shadow.
This isn’t about glorifying the life. It’s about showing you exactly how it ends.
John Gotti: The Reason We Still Talk About the Mob
🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]
00:00 – The Sparks Steakhouse hit on Paul Castellano
00:35 – John Gotti seizes the Gambino family
01:00 – From mob boss to folk hero
01:41 – Michael’s intro and purpose of the series
02:22 – Why John Gotti and Al Capone stand above the rest
03:32 – “He was who he was” – Gotti’s attitude toward being a mobster
03:52 – Why RICO, not Gotti, really killed the Mafia
05:05 – The best Gotti movie Michael recommends
05:38 – Gotti’s hungry beginnings: Bronx and Brooklyn
06:03 – Seeing wiseguys as “the way out”
07:05 – Young Gotti’s brutality, charisma, and explosive temper
08:22 – First big step into the Gambino family under Carmine Fatico
09:09 – Carlo Gambino orders the McBratney hit
09:31 – Gotti shoots in public and gets caught
10:05 – Neil Dellacroce becomes Gotti’s powerful mentor
10:40 – Gambino picks Castellano over Neil – the family splits
11:24 – Gotti the neighborhood hero and the tragedy of his son Frank
12:31 – White‑collar Paul vs blue‑collar John – two mobs in one family
14:07 – Tapes, drugs, and why Gotti knew it was “him or Castellano”
15:28 – December 16, 1985: Castellano and Bilotti are murdered
16:22 – Gotti becomes boss and embraces full‑blown celebrity
17:36 – Beating RICO and becoming the “Teflon Don”
19:22 – FBI bugs the Ravenite – the beginning of the end
21:39 – Sammy the Bull flips and the government’s case locks in
23:01 – Guilty on all counts – the Teflon is gone
24:04 – Life in Marion: 23‑hour lockdown and losing control
26:00 – Throat cancer, Springfield, and Gotti’s final years
27:30 – Death, funeral, and the end of the celebrity gangster era
29:34 – How Gotti’s fall helped transform organized crime
30:10 – Michael’s final warning: no glory in this life
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33min
March 10, 2026 Former Mob Boss Sits Down with the Narcos Agents Who Took Down Pablo Escobar
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
Two DEA agents helped bring down Pablo Escobar, the man who once supplied up to 80% of the world’s cocaine and may have ordered 50,000 murders. Their real‑life story became the basis for Narcos, but Hollywood didn’t show everything. In this sit‑down, Steve Murphy and Javier Peña tell me what it was really like to hunt Escobar with a $300,000 bounty on their heads, what Los Pepes actually did on the ground, and why they call him the most violent narco‑ter*orist in history.
Then we fast‑forward to today: the kil*ing of El Mencho, the CJNG’s terror tactics in Mexico, and the fentanyl and counterfeit pill wave killing almost 100,000 Americans a year. Steve and Javier explain why Mexican cartels are “meaner” than Escobar’s, how they adapt when we bomb drug boats or close one route, and what actually has to change in the U.S. if we want to stop burying our kids.
Real Narcos Agents EXPOSE the Truth About Mexico’s Cartel War
Former Mob Boss Sits Down with the Narcos Agents Who Took Down Pablo Escobar
From Pablo Escobar to El Mencho: What the Real Narcos Agents See Coming Next
🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]
Backbone Media Group

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1h 25min
March 05, 2026 Iran: It’s Not Over Yet – Insider Warns What Comes Next
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
Trump hit Iran’s nuclear sites and the world moved on, but people who know the regime are saying one thing: it’s not over. Ashkan is an Iranian insider with deep family ties to the Shah’s old security apparatus, and he lays out what Tehran is planning next – from hypersonic missiles and cheap killer drones to “missing” enriched uranium and how fast they could rebuild a bomb.
We get into the IRGC’s Nazi‑style takeover of Iran’s economy, the brutal crackdowns that left tens of thousands dead in days, and whether this ends with collapse, a counter‑strike on the U.S. and Israel, or a new revolution backed by Reza Pahlavi and the opposition. If you want to know what could actually happen next in Iran – not the sanitized version on the news – watch this to the end.
Iran: It’s Not Over Yet – Insider Warns What Comes Next
Iranian Insider REVEALS the Most Terrifying Secrets of the Regime
🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]

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1h 16min
March 03, 2026 DEA Legend Reveals the Most Disturbing Cartel Rituals You’ve Never Heard Of
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
I’ve sat with mob bosses, cartel associates, and killers, but I have never been this educated on the Mexican cartels as I was in this sit down with DEA legend Mike Vigil. Mike spent 31 years with the DEA, rose to chief of international operations, worked undercover across Latin America, and has gone head‑to‑head with cartels from Colombia to Mexico.

In this interview he breaks down how groups like CJNG and Sinaloa really operate, what changed after El Mencho was taken out, and why retaliation spread across multiple Mexican states. He explains “terror schools,” disappearances, paramilitary tactics, and why killing one kingpin often makes the violence even worse.

We also get into something I’ve said for years: the mafia I was part of is not on the same level as today’s cartels – not in scale, not in weapons, not in how they treat civilians. If you care about what’s happening in Mexico, travel safety, the drug trade, or just want an honest look from someone who’s been on the front lines, watch this one from beginning to end.

Former Mob Boss Interviews DEA Legend: Inside the Mexican Cartels
DEA Legend Reveals the Most Disturbing Cartel Rituals You’ve Never Heard Of
🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]
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1h 7min
February 26, 2026 Mafia vs. Epstein: How Would the Mob Handle a Predator?
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
Everybody’s been asking me one question: “Michael, what would the mob have done with Jeffrey Epstein?” This could be a one‑sentence video – he wouldn’t have lasted – but today I’m going to walk you through exactly how that life would really look at a guy like Epstein.
I explain the code we had about women and kids, why certain behavior was absolutely beyond the line, and why men like my father, Joe Colombo, John Gotti and many others would have seen him as someone who had to be dealt with. I also talk about the other side of the life: the guys who might see a “money guy,” put him under their control, shake him down for millions – and still decide he was too dangerous to keep around.
If you want to understand the difference between the ugly things we did, the lines we still wouldn’t cross, and how a man like Epstein would really be treated in that world, watch this one all the way through.
Mafia vs. Epstein: How Would the Mob Handle a Predator?
🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]
Backbone Media Group

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...more
35min
February 24, 2026 Former Mob Boss Breaks Down the El Mencho Mexican Cartel War
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/

Mexico just took out El Mencho – and the cartels answered by setting cities on fire, trapping tourists and going head‑to‑head with the army. In this sit down I break down who El Mencho really was, how CJNG built its own “military,” what really happened in that operation, and why the retaliation looked like open war.

I’ll tell you what the news isn’t explaining: how a power vacuum like this works, who moves in next, and why this won’t stop the drugs and fentanyl from coming north. And I’ll make it clear how these cartels are nothing like the American or Italian mafia I was part of.

Former Mob Boss Breaks Down the El Mencho Mexican Cartel War

🤝 Book 1 on 1 Call With Me: https://michaelfranzese.com/book-1-on-1-call/
🔥 Check out my store: https://store.michaelfranzese.com/
🎙️ Michael Franzese Podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Eo39qb
📧 Interested in partnerships? [email protected]

00:00 – Mexico on fire after El Mencho
01:06 – Michael’s intro and love for Mexico
02:21 – State Department warnings and first questions
02:41 – Will the U.S. move on cartels?
03:11 – Drugs, fentanyl and Michael’s family tragedy
04:00 – Retaliation for taking out El Mencho
04:07 – Setting up cartels vs mafia comparison
04:28 – How El Mencho was killed in Jalisco
05:24 – U.S. intelligence support and Trump’s pressure
06:08 – Sanctuary cities and drugs pouring into California
07:37 – CJNG retaliation: buses burned, roads blocked, tourists trapped
08:40 – Puerto Vallarta shutdown and Mexican people
09:12 – Who El Mencho was and how CJNG operated
10:20 – Cartels’ military power vs mafia’s limits
11:45 – U.S. indictments, rewards and El Mencho’s family in custody
12:39 – Who benefits: Mexican government, U.S. law enforcement
14:13 – Power vacuum: Sinaloa, local gangs and rising violence
15:23 – Who loses: civilians, tourism and local police
16:02 – What to expect: paramilitary cartels and short‑term fallout
17:51 – Succession, plaza bosses and CJNG’s future
19:09 – Drug flows won’t stop and border politics
19:56 – Travel advisories and “wait and see”
20:27 – Major differences between cartels and the mafia
24:34 – Mafia rules on drugs and correcting online myths
25:39 – How cartels were built on drugs and became paramilitary
27:06 – Why cartels can’t operate in the U.S. like in Mexico
27:39 – Summing up: two totally different organizations
29:21 – Michael’s advice on Mexico travel and staying alert
30:16 – Dangerous world, Dubai safety and health focus
32:22 – Wine, additives and “healthier European wines”
33:29 – Blessing Mexico, the U.S. and the oppressed
33:52 – Christians, Trump and policy vs personality
35:04 – Asking for honest, intelligent political conversation
36:28 – Final sign‑off and “God bless”

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39min

FAQs about Sit Down with Michael Franzese:

How many episodes does Sit Down with Michael Franzese have?

The podcast currently has 127 episodes available.

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