Ep. 19 The Godfather’s Carlo Rizzi on the Making of the Movie and Who Really Killed JFK

Today's episode of "We the 66" is with none other than "The Godfather" actor Gianni Russo, who played the drunken, abusive son Carlo Rizzi in the iconic film. Russo overcame insurmountable odds to land that role: First, he was a child with with polio, and second he had never had a movie role in his entire life. He went from zero acting experience to starring in what many consider to be the greatest movie of all time. How did he get there? Well, he would tell you it came down to his mob connections. He started working for Frank Costello as a kid and gradually rose the ranks, beating his polio and allegedly sleeping with Marilyn Monroe along the way. After starring in "The Godfather," he became a successful nightclub owner in Vegas. On one fateful eve in 1988, he shot and killed a man in his club. The bad news, Russo says, is that the guy was an underboss for Pablo Escobar. Among many others, Russo recounts the outlandish tale of going down to Colombia to see Pablo Escobar and ask for forgiveness. He says Escobar only granted him forgiveness because he loved the Godfather. We discuss the mafia's involvement with various the most important figures and events of the mid-20th century, from JFK to Ronald Reagan.