The Connect- with Johnny Mitchell

OG Gigavelli is a certified Miami original — born into violence, shaped by the streets, and forged in some of the most brutal prisons in America. OG breaks down a side of Miami history almost never discussed: the Black and Islander underworld that operated alongside — and often beneath — the Cocaine Cowboys era. From Liberty City and Brownsville to federal penitentiaries and near-death prison riots, this is a raw, unfiltered account of survival, crime, and eventual transformation OG came up during the wild 80s and 90s, where robbery was second nature, violence was currency, and the streets raised kids faster than families ever could. He details: -Seeing dead bodies as a child in Miami -Carjackings and robberies in broad daylight -The structure of Miami’s Black drug economy before it was ever “professionalized” elsewhere -Stabbings, race wars, and near-fatal ambushes inside state and federal prison -How Islam and time forced him to confront who he had become This isn’t glorification — it’s documentation. A firsthand account of a world most people only know through movies like Scarface or Cocaine Cowboys, told by someone who actually lived it. Go Support OG! YouTube:  @WhatTheyDoPodcast305  Book: https://a.co/d/2iiDBlo IG: https://www.instagram.com/og_gigaveli TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gigaveli Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 OG Gigavelli's Violent Origins & Miami Streets 05:36 Life in the Miami Hood & Early Hustle 12:00 Structure of Miami Drug Trade 19:03 Island Influence & Culture in Miami Crime 26:27 Transition to Robbery & Early Trouble 33:03 Juvenile Prison: Survival & Violence 40:28 Rising in Street Hierarchy & Prison Politics 45:06 State Prison: Robbing from Inside 53:34 Confrontations, Transfers, & Release 01:01:01 Struggles with Release & Cycle of Incarceration 01:06:34 Running a Trap and Chasing Fast Money 01:13:53 CM: The Harshest Lockdown in Florida Prisons 01:19:21 Post-Prison Hustling & Out-of-Town Moves 01:27:32 The Ecstasy Era & Big Hustles in Tennessee 01:34:08 Getting Caught: Counterfeit Money & Fed Indictment 01:41:58 21 Years in the Feds & Road to Redemption 01:46:11 OG Gigavelli's Books, Podcast & New Message 01:52:39 Miami Legacy, Final Reflections & Sign-Off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this explosive episode of The Connect, Johnny sits down with Danesa White, better known as Bella Barcode — a former Oakland hustler who built a multi-million-dollar fraud and jewelry embezzlement operation before the age of 21. Raised in the heart of the Bay Area hustle, Danesa breaks down how she went from boosting clothes as a teenager to running sophisticated bank fraud, credit card approval schemes, and high-end jewelry thefts across all 50 states. At her peak, she was clearing hundreds of thousands of dollars a day, selling stolen diamonds, watches, and luxury goods to NFL players and major drug dealers — all while living a jet-set lifestyle that included Dubai, Miami, New York, and beyond. -In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Bella Barcode explains: -How early-2000s bank and credit card fraud actually worked -How jewelry stores could be forced into approving six-figure purchases -The psychology of confidence, misdirection, and playing the role -The moment everything collapsed — arrests, probation violations, and a federal case -Serving 7 years in federal prison and what women’s prison is really like -Why she finally chose to tell her story — and the price that came with it Today, Danesa has turned her life around and is inspiring others through her autobiography Recidivism: Beauty Before Bars, proving that survival, accountability, and redemption are possible — even after losing everything. This is one of the most detailed breakdowns of white-collar street crime ever told on the podcast — and a powerful cautionary tale about how fast money can disappear just as quickly as it comes. Go Support Danesa! Website: https://www.itsbellabarcode.com/ Book: https://a.co/d/ajXBp6y IG: https://www.instagram.com/itsbellabarcode_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bellabarcode Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bella.barcode This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: PrizePicks! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CONNECT and use code CONNECT and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Rocket Money! Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to https://rocketmoney.com/connect today. Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Intro & Guest Overview 01:27 Life in Oakland & Family Background 03:35 First Hustles and Growing Up 07:46 Mastering the Bank Fraud Game 13:30 Taking the Hustle Nationwide 20:36 Scaling Up: Diamonds & High-End Stores 25:00 Inside the Diamond Game 34:24 Living Large: Lifestyle & Risks 36:33 Today's Sponsors 39:26 Making Mistakes & Legal Scrapes 43:00 Jewelry Licks & Giant Scores 50:54 How the Scam Actually Worked 55:00 The Downfall: Getting Caught 01:02:08 Federal Prison & Doing Time 01:13:01 Coming Home: Reentry & Building Again 01:18:45 Personal Growth & Female Bosses 01:24:48 Redemption: New Career & Book 01:28:01 Reflections & Life Lessons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it really look like to live as a professional high-stakes gambler at the very top of the casino food chain? In this episode, Johnny sits down with RJ “Chip” Ryan — a legendary blackjack whale who spent decades betting millions per hand in casinos from Atlantic City to Las Vegas to Macau. RJ tells the raw, unfiltered story of how he went from a broke gambler driving to Atlantic City with his last $5,000, to carrying $10 million in checks, flying private jets, rubbing shoulders with billionaires and celebrities, and taking casinos for millions of dollars at a time. RJ is also known to many as “Robin Hood of Las Vegas” from the Cocaine Cowboys universe — the man who helped launder cartel money through casinos, later cooperating with the feds and offering a very different version of events than what’s been told on screen. This episode dives deep into: -The real math and psychology behind winning at high-stakes blackjack -How casinos court, reward, and ultimately try to break whales -Blowing millions in a single night — and coming back the next day to win it all back -Private jets, penthouse suites, celebrity parties, and casino politics The emotional toll of gambling, addiction, loyalty, karma, and survival -RJ’s personal reckoning after caring for his mother, losing everything, and betting his life on one final run This is not a glamorized gambling story — it’s a brutally honest look at the highs, lows, wins, losses, and moral gray zones of a life lived on the edge. Stick around until the end and decide for yourself: Was RJ a genius, a degenerate, a hustler — or all three? This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: Ridge! Take advantage of Ridge’s Biggest Sale of the Year and GET UP TO 47% Off by going to https://www.Ridge.com/CONNECT #Ridgepod CashApp! Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/1ekoiacn #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Cash App Green, overdraft coverage, borrow, cash back offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Betterhelp! This December, start a new tradition, by taking care of you. Our listeners get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/connect Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Intro: High Stakes Gambling Stories 01:19 Growing Up in Philly & The Family Hustle 04:44 Early Gambling Influences & Lessons 08:09 Professional Gambling: Setting Goals 13:19 The Turning Point: Mother’s Illness and Debt 16:35 This Episode Is Sponsored By RIDGE 18:25 Building a High Roller Reputation 29:01 Life as a Whale: Jets, Parties & Big Wins 36:46 Vegas High Roller Lifestyle & Big Losses 43:34 A Word From Today's Sponsors 46:15 International Gambling & Casino Barred Stories 01:00:53 Advanced Blackjack Strategy & Discipline 01:12:12 Vigilante Gambler: Involvement With Law Enforcement 01:28:01 The Robin Hood 702 Charity Era 01:37:08 Australia, Owen Hanson & The Money Laundering Allegation 01:58:46 Confrontations, Lawsuits & Truth vs. Documentary 02:12:08 Working with the Feds: Taking Down Criminals 02:31:02 Cartel Connections & Final Reflections 02:38:44 Outro: The High Roller’s Ongoing Journey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this explosive episode, Johnny sits down with Aaron Peila — a former multi-state Oxy distributor who survived five brutal years inside USP Victorville, one of the deadliest federal prisons in America. From running a massive opioid pipeline across Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest to navigating the violent racial politics of high-security federal lockup, Aaron pulls no punches as he breaks down his story in raw, unfiltered detail. Aaron explains how he built an oxy empire during the height of the opioid boom, how pills flowed through dirty doctors and retirement communities, and why markets like Alaska were paying exorbitant prices. He also opens up about the corruption inside the Bureau of Prisons, the influx of contraband phones after COVID, and what it really takes to survive in a place where everyone has a weapon and people get stabbed regularly. From music-industry ambitions and touring with rap artists…to DEA pressures, federal enhancements, snitches, RICO fears, and the three overdose deaths that nearly put him away for life… to trying to rebuild a life after 14 years inside a system designed to break you — this is one of the most gripping redemption-arc interviews we've ever had. If you want a real look into the American opioid era and the prison machine that chews up everyone involved, this episode is it. Go Support Aaron! Clothing Brand: https://cceapparel.creator-spring.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/aaronpeila/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@peilaroni This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: Hims! To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://hims.com/CONNECT Rag & Bone! Upgrade your denim game with Rag & Bone!. Get 20% off sitewide with code CONNECT at www.rag-bone.com #ragandbonepod Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Intro: Aaron Peila's Story 01:22 Life Lessons From Prison 02:47 Reentering Society and Social Changes 03:47 Prison During COVID: Corruption & Phones 06:06 Prison Gangs & Racial Politics 08:36 Hustling Evolution: Weed to Pills 14:42 The Rise of the Pill Game 20:30 Building a Multi-State Operation22:49 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims 24:29 Shipping, Networks, and Profits 33:33 Money Laundering & Legal Strategy 40:33 Getting Busted: The Pistol Case 49:41 Indictments, Conspiracy, and Betrayal51:57 This Episode Is Sponsored By Rag & Bone 54:15 Federal Sentencing & Prison Transfers 01:15:41 USP Victorville: Arrival & Politics 01:27:18 Race, Cars, and Prison Politics 01:34:37 Putting in Work: Removals and Demos 01:47:00 Violence, Stabbing, and Survival Skills 01:58:12 Hustles and Addiction Inside Prison 02:08:04 Getting Released: Transfers and COVID 02:18:16 Reflection, Growth, and Forgiveness 02:31:18 Life After Release & New Beginnings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Step inside one of the most legendary — and misunderstood — eras in American crime history. For the first time ever, Whitey Sullivan, the right-hand man to Washington D.C.’s infamous drug lord Rayful Edmond, sits down on camera to finally set the record straight. Whitey was there for all of it — from Rayful becoming a teenage millionaire valedictorian and star basketball player… to building a cocaine pipeline from Los Angeles to D.C.… to overseeing multi-ton shipments every single week. He counted the money, managed the crews, and stood beside Rayful during the DEA’s most dramatic kingpin takedown of the 1980s. His power, influence, and empire continued to shock law enforcement for decades. Today, Whitey is breaking decades of silence to reveal: - How Rayful became the most successful urban drug dealer of his generation - The violence, rules, loyalty — and mythology — of D.C.’s streets - The truth about the federal case, the media, and the betrayals - Rayful’s plan to go legit… and why nobody truly walks away - Never-before-told stories of wealth, danger & survival This is the raw, unfiltered story the streets still whisper about — straight from the only man qualified to tell it. This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: Superpower! This holiday, give your loved ones the only gift that keeps on giving — health. Go to https://Superpower.com/gift to get a free $49 gift box with your gifted membership. Rocket Money! Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to https://rocketmoney.com/connect today. Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Intro: Setting the Record Straight 02:25 Rayful Edmond: Origins and Early Hustle 07:57 The Rise: Childhood to Drug Kingpin 18:13 Starting Out Pre-Crack Era 25:21 Transitioning to Cocaine and Expansion 30:57 This Episode Is Sponsored By Superpower 33:36 Running DC: Growing the Empire 41:01 Scaling Up: Bricks, Stash Houses, and Riches 57:41 Life as a Young Insider 1:00:42 This Episode Is Sponsored By Rocket Money 01:02:12 Rayful's Connections and the Colombian Cartel 01:14:48 Organization Structure and DC’s Drug World 01:29:02 The Crack Era: Streets & Violence 01:43:44 The Indictment: Raids and Arrests 01:56:00 Jail, Trials, and Surviving the System 02:14:09 The Second Case: Inside Prison Operations 02:30:09 Sentencing, Appeals, and Release 02:37:13 Coming Home: Release and Final Days 02:44:31 Rayful Edmond's Death and Legacy 02:56:53 Setting the Record Straight: The Real Story Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices