Advertise on podcast: Table In The Back

Nine years. That's how long it's been since Sammy "The Bull" Gravano and Ben Friedland last sat across from each other — back when the "table in the back" wasn't a podcast set, it was a corner of a federal prison yard where two protected witnesses learned to survive. In this reunion episode of Table In The Back, Sammy and Ben pull no punches. They break down what it really means to do time inside ADX and the federal system — the psychological warfare of solitary, the guards who tried to break them, the ones who treated them like human beings, and the survival tricks nobody talks about (yes, including switching religions for better food and smoke breaks). Ben opens up about the night he was robbed at gunpoint by his own associates — the moment that flipped him from high-level trafficker to government witness. Sammy answers the "coward's way out" accusation head-on, the way only he can. And both men land on the same truth: cooperation isn't weakness — it's what happens when the life you bled for turns on you first. This is raw. This is unfiltered. This is Table In The Back.

This ain’t your average sit-down. Sammy “The Bull” Gravano sits down with his own daughter Karen Gravano, the Mob Wives star who grew up in the shadow of the life. Karen opens up about what it was really like being raised as Sammy’s daughter, watching the streets shape her childhood, and later stepping into the spotlight on Mob Wives. She talks family loyalty, the weight of the Gravano name, and the stories she’s never told on camera. For the first time in a long time, father and daughter break it all down together — the past, the legacy, the misunderstandings, and what being a Gravano truly means. Just blood, truth, and two generations talking straight. Pull up a chair. You ain’t gonna wanna miss this sit-down. Welcome to Table In The Back.

This ain’t your average sit-down. Sammy “The Bull” Gravano finally meets Nicholas Turturro — the guy who played him in Witness to the Mob. Nick tells the story of how he landed the role, how Robert De Niro gave him the nod, and what it was like carrying the weight of Sammy’s name on screen. Back then, he wanted to sit with the real Bull, but it never happened… until now. For the first time, the actor and the man himself break bread, trade stories, and even pull apart a couple of scenes from the movie. No Hollywood script here — just two wiseguys talking straight. Pull up a chair. You ain’t gonna wanna miss this sit-down. Welcome to Table In The Back.

Get ready for a wild ride as Sammy kicks off a brand-new year of Table In The Back with America’s toughest and most controversial sheriff, Joe Arpaio, in the hot seat. Arizona’s own powerhouse newscaster, Troy Hayden, will be steering the ship through this explosive showdown. It’s going to be intense.So, pull up a chair, grab your drink, and prepare for a night of raw, unfiltered conversation. Welcome to Table In The Back.

Welcome back for Part Two of this once in a life time sit-down with Sammy's former Warden from the Federal ADX Supermax, Robert Hood. Every topic from prison reform, personal childhood events, Warden Hood's personal conversations with Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, national security threats from inside the ADX, the torturous psychological effects from isolation, Sammy's incredible resilience and the tactic she used to keep his sanity, and how Bob used compassion to decipher the human element of the inmates... NO TOPIC WAS OFF LIMITS!!! So pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy the finale of this very special Table In The Back like you've never seen before!

Join Sammy for this once in a lifetime sit-down with his former Warden from the Federal ADX Supermax, Robert Hood. In this extraordinary meeting you'll hear the two men let us into their worlds inside the ADX as only they can tell it. Every topic from prison reform, personal childhood events, national security threats from the inside, the torturous psychological effects from isolation, Sammy's incredible resilience and the tactics he used to keep his sanity, and how Bob used compassion to decipher the human element of the inmates, NO TOPIC WAS OFF LIMITS! So pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy part one of Table In The Back like you've never seen it before!

In the conclusion of this epic sit-down, the two discuss the many people turning witness, the difficulty of turning away from The Life, atonement for the past, and life after the Mob. It's been an incredible ride, and these two are just getting started... Salute!

Join Sammy in part two of this legendary Table In The Back, as he sits down with Mafia Royalty Anthony Ruggiano Jr. The two discuss their first encounters with John Gotti, the Castellano hit, a planned hit on Sammy, Roy DeMeo, and never before heard stories that can only be told by these men. This is truly history in the making! Pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy part two of Table In The Back! Anthony Ruggiano YouTube: @AnthonyRuggiano Instagram: @anthonyruggianojr Patreon: Reformedgangsters.com Website: AnthonyRuggiano.com

Join Sammy in part one of this legendary Table In The Back, as he sits down with Mafia Royalty Anthony Ruggiano Jr. The two discuss the origins of the Gambino family, his father Fat Andy, the Ruggiero tapes, and never before heard stories that can only be told by these men. This is truly history in the making! Pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy part one of Table In The Back! Anthony Ruggiano Jr. YouTube: @AnthonyRuggiano Instagram: @anthonyruggianojr Patreon: Reformedgangsters.com Website: AnthonyRuggiano.com

Michael and Sammy discuss what's going on this country from the eyes of two high-level ex-criminals over homemade Italian good. Molto bene!

Ex-Gambino Captain and former Underboss sitdown just like they would have, back in the day. This is Cosa Nostra at it's finest.