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Last week on MetsBlog, I wrote a post about having seen the infamous Giuseppe Franco in front of his Beverly Hills salon, while on vacation in California the previous week.
The next day, Giuseppe e-mailed me saying he had seen my post, he was flattered and so we struck up a phone call.
He told me he would be in New York City and at Shea Stadium for last night’s game.
So, yesterday, SNY.tv’s Ted Berg and I went to Shea 
Stadium to interview Dan Murphy, Eddie Kunz and Giuseppe.
First, I should note, this was the first time I had ever set foot on the field in Shea Stadium, which, for me, as a fan, was amazing. Yes, I took time to stop in the dugout, sit on the bench, then walk up the steps, taking pause to lean on one knee like Davey Johnson used to do, before jogging up on to the field, which, I will admit, gave me goose-bumps.
Prior to the game, select fans, media, etc., are allowed to stand on the field, up against the backstop, behind a white, plastic fence, and watch the players take batting practice.
I spotted Giuseppe with his wife and friends standing along the fence watching David Wright and Ryan Church, among others, swinging from home plate.
Giuseppe had his hair spiked, was wearing all black, a ton of tattoos, and he never once removed his sunglasses and – even with Wright and Church only a few feet away – he was clearly the most popular person on the field. In fact, he was approached by not only fans, but also coaches and 
players for handshakes, autographs and pictures.
For what it’s worth, he is a very nice guy, who is very humble, with a ton of energy, and, most importantly, he has a sense of humor when it comes to his ad for Procede.
Ted broke off to interview Heath Bell and Kunz, while I took a moment to speak with Dan Murphy, all of which I will post later in the day or tomorrow.
By the way, Murphy comes across as a serious dude. He looks focused and means business, which I like. He has a look in his eye that says, ‘I’m in the major leagues, and I’m not going back to the minors.’
Later, Ted and I were able to sit down with Giuseppe at his seats in the stands, where we talked about his move to Los Angeles, his salon, and, of course, his ad for Procede, which he doesn’t own – in fact, he doesn’t own anything about it.
To watch our interview with Giuseppe, click play below:
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Holy crap.
The random street shot was awesome, but this just brings it to a whole new level.
The man, the legend. Giuseppe Franco.
Now if he could only close games for us.
I’m shocked…Guiseppe is married to a woman! Sorry if I sound like I am stereotyping him, but he’s married–to a woman!
Nevertheless, if he is a cool guy, then I will accept him and that ridiculous commercial. LOL
Wait….I thought YOU were Giuseppe.
“Go Mets Go”? This guy isn’t a Mets fan.
Wife?
Wow, Matt you look so comfortable…
Giuseppe Franco is a cool guy. On Daily News Live yesterday just before he was going to leave, he said he’d give any of the guys there a free bikini wax if they went to his salon in LA. Love to see Joe Benigno with a bikini wax.
You’d love to see it?
That troubles me.
I don’t think there’s enough wax in the world to get that job done.
he probably would start with a weed whacker!
Just Benigno’s reaction.
Very cool Matt!
Is it really that cold in the Mets dugout, or is it just their at bats with runners on base?
my girlfriend is the manager at a salon that was on a show on the friggin Style channel, where they switched hair sylists, with none other than Mr. Franco’s salon out in Cali.
So she made me watch the show cuz our friend Vinny was the guy to go over to Jersey…
and he seemed kinda cool, but man was he a ball buster. It mighta been for the cameras/show but still. HOWEVER, in his lil side interviews, he did seem like a down to earth cool guy, and u can tell, even though he is in Cali now, he’s east coast to the bone.
And i find myself saying in life, many times, when i disagree with something..saying “who has time for that nonsense?”
–go over to Franco’s in cali i mean
Matt, you never went on the field for banner day? I’m surprised.
dude.. Franco seems like he’s LIT!!
or was lit all through the 80’s
That is awesome! LOL you’ve really hit the big time now!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
this is better than koufax in vero beach
Well, that’s the apex right there, interviewing Giuseppe Franco in the stands at Shea. From here on, it’s all downhill for the cult of Giuseppe.
The only thing that might top this is seeing Manny Ramirez get his hair done by Giuseppe Franco.
Go Mets Go!
- Giuseppe Franco
I’m an exiled Mets fan living in Boston with no access to SNY — so can somebody tell me who the heck Giuseppe Franco is? Less-than-blissfully ignorant…
oh i can tell u. Giuseppe Franco is God.
Thats it. thats all u need to know
HE’S Giuseppe Franco!
He doesn’t own anything ABOUT the company!!
Who has TIME for that nonsense??!!
HE KNOWS GARY BUSEY!!!!!!!
akleinb,
The commercial is on YouTube.com. It airs between EVERY inning and has for at least two years.
Actually, this is the first year it’s been on SNY. It just seems like 2 years.
I live in DC now and always wondered what the big deal was, but I’ve been house-sitting for my parents back in NY the past week, and now I get it. They literally play the commercial ALL the time. It’s unreal.
You will be banished from metsblog forever for this comment. You will spend an eternity in procede purgatory.
I know, I’m going to have to quit my job and move back to NY. The exile is almost over…
I live in Boston too and I know all about this guy, but then I forgot they dont show commercials on MLBTV and I have extra innings, so thats the difference. (I never paid for it, im feeding off my friends former NHL package that COmcast never shut down…shhhhh)
Well I stupidly committed to DISH Network before they decided not to carry Extra Innings. Thank Gd for XM Radio. I’m just going to play the YouTube clip in between every half-inning from now on so I can feel like part of the group
hes this salon owner in Beverly hills that is selling some hair product…
is it just me or is anyone else not able to hear the sound of the interview?
it’s just you.
I’m kinda done with Franco. My new favorite is the Screaming Big City Slider guy. He’s more versatile of an actor as he pitches many more products like Kaboom, etc…
billy mays! mighty putty!
How about that cockeyed dude, that looks like a cracked out cartoon character selling those ShamWows?
YES. To me the slider commercial is his best work so far.
His tried and true approach is clearly rattling off all of the ‘options’ these pieces of crap offer.
For the sliders, the way he rattles off types of buns and condiments as if the fact that you can put ketchup OR mustard on your slider somehow makes this glorified cross-breed of a foreman grill and a cupcake pan somehow more versatile is pure, unadulterated genius.
Also, does anyone else mishear the ad for Proseal? My head jerks up and I start calling out, “GIUSEPPE?! GIUSEPPE IS THAT YOU???” Then I look up and see it’s just some fool caulking a bathtub.
Sad part is, if you do a side-by-side on the labels, it’s exactly the same substance.
Now that the Mets have Giuseppe (the man is a God!) you wait, the Yankees are going to come out with a two-bit knock off named Luigi and say that he’s the original LA hair guy.
lol Luigi
What I want to know is… The Procede ad is in ad-nauseum in between every inning. I’m sure someone has taken the bullet.. Does it really work??? :-D
“It works! It works!”
Andy Pelaez
lmao
I brought this up last night…Andy looks like he is 19 years old. I want his backstory….the tragic tale of a baliding HS junior who was literally saved when Giuseppe Franco answered his please for a full head of hair to go with his cool-guy earrings/
The interesting part about Andy’s interview is I swear is sounds like he’s saying “so he ran his hands through my hair and said ‘it works!’” “He”? Methinks Andrew might be a tad light in the old loafers. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Like I said before, I can now die in peace.
This is fantastic!!!!
My favorite part of the commercial is when the guy running in the park pulls a hat out of his back pocket as the two ladies approach him looking for directions……. they’re 2 ft from him when he decides to put it on, great cover up buddy.
I want, nay, I NEED a commerical starring all of the SNY All-Stars, including Giuseppe Franco, Robert Wagner, Billy Mays, the hole-in-throat guy, and the finger-amputation lady.
don’t forget our very own Sovereign Bank all star
Man, I almost forgot about hole-in-throat guy!
I want a steel cage match between Giuseppe Franco and the hole-in-the-throat guy
. . . with Busey as the referee
How about Scott Farrel as referee, since he sounds like the whole in the throat guy.
I’d rather be bald than have Gary Busey’s hair.
What is this Kerasome business!!!
I’m getting hives.
You guys are my heroes.
At least Matt got the chance to meet Giuseppe Franco instead of just taking a photo like he said in last weeks post about Giuseppe Franco.