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 109 episodes available.

Sit Down with Michael Franzese episodes:

January 23, 2026 Ex-Mob Boss Reacts to Jubilee ‘Surrounded’ (Michael vs 20 Cops)
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🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
Jubilee put me in the middle of 20 cops and one FBI agent for their “Surrounded” series and a lot of you have been asking what I really thought about it. In this video I break down how it went, what you didn’t see, and how I feel about some of the answers that came back at me.
We go through the biggest questions from the episode: undercover agents and paid informants, when a sting operation becomes entrapment, whether the FBI and DOJ always “follow the rules,” and why I pushed back so hard when an agent said he’d never seen wrongdoing in 23 years. I also talk about accountability, how law enforcement tools get used on political enemies, and why I still believe we need good cops and good agents even though I’ll call out tactics I think are wrong.

Watch the Jubilee episode, then watch this breakdown, and let me know in the comments if you think I held my own against the 20.

Ex-Mob Boss Reacts to Jubilee ‘Surrounded’ (Michael vs 20 Cops)
Watch Full Jubilee Surrounded Episode Here: https://youtu.be/EEd5cvHnhPQ?si=ml6q0KDFKIjrch7Y
🤝 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 I Wanted More FBI There
01:00 What Jubilee “Surrounded” Really Is
02:01 Why I Faced 20 Cops
05:22 Do Undercover Ops Manufacture Crimes?
07:02 Is This Entrapment or Not?
10:30 Give Cops an Inch…
12:28 Can Cops Break the Law?
13:12 Rogue FBI Agents and Murders
16:32 Arrests vs Truly Safer Streets
20:01 Criminal Migrants and Street Safety
22:35 Why Paid Informants Often Lie
29:12 Michael’s Four Big Takeaways
30:50 My Own Trials and Targets
32:21 Good Agents Still Abuse Power
34:05 2026: Year of Accountability
35:18 Nobody Is Above the Law
38:00 Why This Rant Matters
40:19 Politicians, Presidents and Consequences
41:25 What’s Coming Next on Channel
42:34 Be Safe, Be Healthy, God Bless
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46min
January 21, 2026 The Biggest Mafia War You’ve Never Heard Of
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The Profaci–Gallo war was the first big mob war I remember as a kid, and it changed the Colombo family forever. I was there when my father moved us out of Brooklyn, when guys were getting kidnapped, and when this started turning from a money dispute into open season on both sides.

In this video I break down how Joe Profaci’s $25 “tribute” demand lit the fuse, why the Gallo brothers kidnapped top Profaci men, how my father and Sally “The Sheik” Masaccio went in to negotiate the hostage release, and why Carmine “The Snake” Persico switched sides and tried to kill Larry Gallo. We go through Joe Colombo’s rise, the so‑called peace, the shooting at the Italian‑American Civil Rights League rally, Joe Gallo’s murder at Umberto’s Clam House, and why I now believe the FBI – not Gallo – was behind the hit on Colombo.

If you’re into the mob history and especially the Colombo family, you’re going to want to watch this one all the way through. Let me know in the comments what you think really happened and who was calling the shots behind the scenes.
The Biggest Mafia War You’ve Never Heard Of
00:00 Profaci–Gallo war cold open
00:47 Intro and why this war matters
01:24 Childhood memory of the war
04:55 Profaci demands $25 tribute
07:02 Frankie “Shots” refuses tribute
09:28 1961: war officially begins
09:34 Gallos kidnap Profaci captains
13:32 John Franzese helps negotiate
15:27 Hostages released; Profaci reneges
16:13 Carmine “The Snake” flips sides
17:46 War escalates into open season
18:05 Joe Gallo imprisoned; Profaci dies
20:34 Magliocco plot against bosses
21:45 Colombo made boss; family renamed
22:26 1963 formal “peace” agreement
23:53 1971 League rally: Colombo shot
24:47 1972: Joe Gallo killed
25:25 Gallo faction joins Genovese family
25:40 Michael: FBI killed Colombo
27:59 Future topics: Italy vs U.S. Mafia
30:53 Final safety warning on protests
33:15 Faith, blessing, and sign‑off
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32min
January 16, 2026 Top 10 Worst Moves the Mafia Ever Made
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
Today I’m breaking down what I see as the top 10 Mafia blunders – the bad decisions and wrong moves that gave law enforcement the edge and helped bring Cosa Nostra to its knees.We go from Vito Genovese’s disasters with Joe Valachi and the Appalachin meeting, to Bugsy Siegel’s flash, losing Cuba and Havana, helping elect JFK and getting RFK instead, the Donnie Brasco infiltration, the RICO Act, surveillance, and the way some bosses brought way too much heat on themselves and everybody around them. I explain why each move looked smart in the moment but turned out to be terrible for the life long term.Some of you will say “good, they deserved it,” others will say “the streets were better back then,” but either way this is how the mob really blew it. Drop in the comments which blunder you think hurt the most – or what I left off the list.
Top 10 Worst Moves the Mafia Ever Made
🤝 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
00:58 Intro and recent travel
01:28 Biggest mob blunders explained
02:13 “Bring the mob back?”
03:18 Early days not organized
03:41 Luciano organizes Cosa Nostra
04:13 Membership site invitation
04:43 Blunder 1: Joe Valachi
06:21 Blunder 2: Hoover wakes up
43:04 Blunder 3: Losing Cuba
43:18 Blunder 4: Bugsy in Vegas
43:49 Blunder 5: Lufthansa heist
44:08 Blunder 6: RICO arrives
44:26 Blunder 7: Bonanno’s book
45:38 Mob stories will continue
46:02 Why politics on channel
47:05 “Mafia democracy” in DC
48:02 On Trump and tariffs
48:50 Handling trolls and comments
49:55 Final safety warning
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55min
January 13, 2026 Ranking the Most Powerful Underbosses in Mafia History
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
I’m ranking what I consider the greatest underbosses in Mafia history – the real number‑twos in Cosa Nostra, not the Hollywood versions.We go through 20 underbosses and one “bonus” pick, from guys like Gaspipe Casso, Neil Dellacroce, and Sammy Gravano to quiet power players who almost never made the newspapers, plus where my own father, Sonny Franzese, fits on the list. I break down what an underboss actually did, why some deserve “GOAT” status and why a few end up in the “show‑off” category.Agree, disagree, think I left someone out? Drop your own rankings in the comments and let’s talk about it.Ranking the Most Powerful Underbosses in Mafia History
🤝 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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41min
January 09, 2026 Former Mob Boss Breaks Down the Maduro Capture
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
Maduro didn’t suddenly become a bad guy last week. Obama put a $10 million bounty on him, Biden raised it to $25 million, called him a narco‑terrorist, and then nobody moved.

Trump raises the bounty, Maduro mocks him, and Trump actually goes after him—now everyone’s outraged. So what was that bounty for, just decoration? In this sit down, I break down who Maduro really is, why his own military taking him down matters, and why letting China, Russia, and Iran control Venezuela’s oil in our own hemisphere would be crazy if you claim to care about America.
Former Mob Boss Breaks Down the Maduro Capture
🤝 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
31min
January 07, 2026 Former Mobster Breaks Down Minnesota Somali Scam
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
In this one, I’m looking at the Minnesota Somali daycare and food‑program fraud through the eyes of somebody who actually ran Mafia scams for a living. I ran one of the biggest gas‑tax scams this country had ever seen, so I know what an organized operation looks like.What I see in Minnesota isn’t “sloppy paperwork.” It’s a Somali mafia‑style network: shell companies, fake centers, recycled addresses, money moved into cars, houses, and businesses, all built on weak government oversight and politicians who looked the other way. It’s the same mentality we had in the Italian Mafia—different product, different players, same playbook.I’m not saying every Somali in Minnesota is a criminal. But when billions of dollars are sitting on the table with almost no controls, mob guys, fraudsters, and crooked officials—Italian, Somali, or anybody else—will show up to rob you blind. The names change. The mafia doesn’t.
Former Mobster Breaks Down Minnesota Somali Scam
🤝 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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26min
January 02, 2026 Top 20 Mamalukes of the Year (2025 Dumbest People)
🍷Get your ReMade bottle here: https://franzesewine.com/remade
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
You’ve heard me say “mamaluke” for years. Today I’m finally handing out the official “Mamaluke of the Year” awards.

We run through 20 contenders—from Hollywood to politics to sports—and then I give you my top 3, plus a couple of honorable mentions that absolutely earned their spot. Some of you are going to agree, some of you are going to be furious… either way, it’s going to be fun.

I also share a bit about my 50‑year anniversary “remade” bottle and why your circumstances don’t define you—your decisions do. Drop your own Mamaluke of the Year in the comments.
Top 20 Mamalukes of the Year (2025 Dumbest People)
🤝 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 What “mamaluke” means and why I use it
0:32 Introducing Mamaluke of the Year + 50‑year bottle
3:12 How this Mamaluke of the Year list works
3:25 Rachel Zegler – Snow White disaster
4:07 Whoopi Goldberg and “life in Iran”
5:31 Kathy Griffin and “internment camps”
6:09 Dylan Mulvaney and the Bud Light fallout
6:39 Diddy – “Mamaluke is being polite”
6:56 Mayor Mamdami – socialist rhetoric
7:39 NBA gambling scandal – Rozier & Billups
8:01 Jimmy Kimmel and late‑night “political hacks”
8:45 Ilhan Omar – fraud, Somalia and worse than a mamaluke
9:29 Governor Tim Walz – fraud in Minnesota
10:26 Nick Fuentes – Holocaust denial and controversy
10:58 Gavin Newsom – “biggest mamaluke there is”
11:31 Tyler Robinson – Far Worse than a Mamaluke
11:51 AOC – luxury optics and getting rich in Congress
12:30 Letitia James – running on “get Trump”
13:06 Jasmine Crockett – “police aren’t there to stop crime”
14:16 Kamala Harris – not competent for high office
14:43 Stephen Colbert – from jokes to partisan hack
15:19 Jennifer Welsh – attacks on Erica & Charlie Kirk
16:04 Candace Owens – conspiracies and Charlie Kirk accusations
17:12 My top three mamalukes setup
17:30 Mamaluke #1 – goofball governor and fraud questions
18:27 Mamaluke #2 – “total mamaluke” in public office
19:20 Mamaluke #3 - California, missing money, rail boondoggle
20:32 Let him run for president and answer for California
20:37 Honorable mention – Rachel Zegler, talent vs. mouth
21:09 Honorable mention – Whoopi Goldberg and TDS
21:24 Closing and invite for your Mamaluke votes
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24min
December 30, 2025 WTH Happened in 2025? Former Mob Boss Recaps the Years Biggest Stories
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
2025 is just about in the books… and what a year it’s been. From Trump’s second term and a socialist mayor in New York, to the Diddy scandal, the Epstein “files,” and the murder of Charlie Kirk, a lot has changed in this country—and not always for the better.
In this sit down, I’m giving you my honest take on what really happened this year, what nobody’s telling you, and what I think is coming in 2026. Agree or disagree, hear me out and then weigh in.
WTH Happened in 2025? Former Mob Boss Recaps the Years Biggest Stories
🤝 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
December 25, 2025 Why Are People Offended by Christmas?
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
Merry Christmas, my friends. Today I want to talk straight about why no one should be offended by Christmas and why we should never stop celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
This country was built on biblical Christian principles, and you’re going to hear it from the mouths of our own founders and presidents – men like Washington, Franklin, Adams, Lincoln, Jackson, Reagan and others who all spoke about the Bible and its importance.
I also share more of my journey: from a prison cell, throwing the Bible against the wall, to digging into the evidence and becoming convinced that Jesus is exactly who He said He is.
If you’re of another faith, this isn’t an attack on you. I’m not offended by Hanukkah, Ramadan or any other holiday – and no one should be offended by Christmas. This season exists because of the birth of Jesus, and we should never be afraid to say “Merry Christmas.”

God bless you all. Enjoy the day with your families and never forget what – and who – we’re really celebrating.
Why Are People Offended by Christmas?
🤝 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 Intro - Why do people hate christmas?
0:48 Christmas Day intro and gratitude
2:13 Is Christianity the one true faith?
3:11 Why “Merry Christmas” shouldn’t offend
4:21 America founded on Christian principles
5:19 What the Founding Fathers said about the Bible
7:07 “We can’t celebrate Christmas, it’s offensive”
9:22 Presidents on the Bible and American life
10:17 Jesus’ teachings and “A Man’s Man” book
11:02 Michael’s prison story and finding faith
13:12 Studying the evidence for Christianity
14:43 What kind of man was Jesus?
15:10 No compromise: Jesus as Son of God
16:20 Eyewitnesses, prophecy, and the early church
17:31 “If I follow Jesus, I’ll be better”
18:41 New ministry platform announcement
19:00 Never deny Christmas or Easter
19:36 Why he doesn’t want anyone in hell
21:21 “Father, forgive them…” and our attitude
22:17 Our responsibility: preach the gospel
23:12 Don’t ever be offended by Christmas
23:30 Gavin Newsom, politics, and “Merry Christmas”
24:23 Christmas is for the whole world
24:57 America, the greatest country and its foundation
25:47 Wine, business, and gratitude to supporters
27:04 New products, end-of-year thanks
27:40 Christmas blessing and prayer for viewers
29:00 Final encouragement and Christmas sign‑off
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32min
December 16, 2025 I Was There When the Castellano Hit Shook the Mafia – 40 Years Later
🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/
💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/
Forty years ago today, December 16th, 1985, Paul “Big Paul” Castellano was shot and k*lled in front of Sparks Steak House in Manhattan. It sent shockwaves through New York and through every crime family, and I remember it like it was yesterday because I was deeply entrenched in that life – and three days later I was indicted on a major racketeering case myself.
In this sit down, I walk you through what that hit meant to us on the street, what we really thought about Castellano as a boss, how John Gotti ended up taking over the Gambino family, and why the FBI pressure exploded after that night. I explain why I don’t buy the line that “Gotti alone caused the downfall of the mob,” and why I believe it was the RICO statute – pushed hard by Giuliani and the feds – that did the real damage.
I also share my personal history with Castellano from my early days as a recruit driving top Colombo guys to meet him, how he was viewed as a businessman more than a street guy, the resentment over his money policies, and why a lot of men quietly weren’t sad to see him go. And I’ll show you how the Castellano hit fit into a much bigger story: the government’s war on the mob, corrupt prosecutions, and why even now I’m getting ready to expose cases where good men got railroaded.
I Was There When the Castellano Hit Shook the Mafia – 40 Years Later
🤝 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 Chickens, Castellano, “I’ll prove it”
1:07 Intro, Christmas and today’s anniversary
1:47 December 16, 1985 – Castellano hit
2:29 Indicted three days after hit
3:49 1996 HBO “Gotti” recommendation
4:27 RICO starts destroying the mob
5:25 Sonny’s Market on Long Island
6:11 Bad chicken order, refund dispute
7:00 Summoned to Brooklyn sit down
7:52 Sit down with Castellano over disrespect
9:24 Gotti’s crew and drug rule
10:11 Wiretaps, damaging tapes, Paul pressing
11:15 Gotti decides to strike first
12:19 Setting up Sparks Steak House hit
13:19 Hit goes down, media explodes
14:32 Shockwaves, FBI intensity skyrockets
15:11 RICO, not Gotti, ruined mafia
16:33 Castellano seen as business guy
17:22 Heavy taxes, “White House” resentment
17:52 Support inside Gambinos for k*lling
19:09 Neil passed over for Castellano
19:51 Gotti “Teflon Don” vs Michael
20:16 Tease: upcoming corruption revelations
23:55 DOJ corruption worse than mafia
24:44 Reflecting on Castellano anniversary today
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29min

FAQs about Sit Down with Michael Franzese:

How many episodes does Sit Down with Michael Franzese have?

The podcast currently has 109 episodes available.

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