{"podcast":{"title":"Sit Down with Michael Franzese","slug":"sit-down-with-michael-franzese-7319588","podcast_index_feed_id":7319588,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/michaelfranzese","website_url":"https://michaelfranzese.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/2982b1a0-be34-11ef-86e3-030508d7362a/image/347cd59af14223d2c2088e1f8c29f53c.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Michael Franzese","episode_count":149,"summary":"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, Michael dives into raw, unfiltered stories from his life in the mob, his path to redemption, and the lessons he’s learned about faith, family, and overcoming life’s struggles. With gripping interviews and practical insights, this podcast will inspire, challenge, and entertain","last_synced_at":"2026-06-20T18:19:28.898423+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sit-down-with-michael-franzese-7319588"},"episode":{"title":"DEA Legend Reveals the Most Disturbing Cartel Rituals You’ve Never Heard Of","slug":"dea-legend-reveals-the-most-disturbing-cartel-rituals-you-ve-never-heard-of","published_at":"2026-03-03T22:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sit-down-with-michael-franzese-7319588/dea-legend-reveals-the-most-disturbing-cartel-rituals-you-ve-never-heard-of","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sit-down-with-michael-franzese-7319588","url":"https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/ZZMNM3731602954.mp3?updated=1772576528","audio_url":"https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/ZZMNM3731602954.mp3?updated=1772576528","summary":"🍷 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? partnerships@michaelfranzese.com Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"🍷 Have you tried my wine yet?: https://yt.franzesewine.com/ 💪🏼 Join Franzese Family: https://michaelfranzese.com/family/ I’ve sat with mob bosses, cartel…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3975,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sit-down-with-michael-franzese-7319588/episodes/dea-legend-reveals-the-most-disturbing-cartel-rituals-you-ve-never-heard-of/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sit-down-with-michael-franzese-7319588/dea-legend-reveals-the-most-disturbing-cartel-rituals-you-ve-never-heard-of.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}