Mob Wives

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Mob Wives
logo
Series Logo
Genre Reality
Created by Jennifer Graziano
Starring
  • Current
  • Renee Graziano
  • Drita D’Avanzo
  • Karen Gravano
  • Carla Facciolo
  • Ramona Rizzo
    (season 2-present)
  • Angela Raiola
    (season 2-present)
  • Former
  • Love Majewski
    (season 3)
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes 44 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Running time 40 to 43 minutes
Production company(s) Electus
The Weinstein Company
Left/Right Productions
Just Jenn Productions
Distributor CBS Television Distribution
Broadcast
Original channel VH1
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
720p (HDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Original run April 17, 2011 (2011-04-17) – present
Chronology
Related shows Mob Wives: The Sit Down
Mob Wives Chicago
External links
Official website

Mob Wives is an American reality television series on VH1 that made its debut April 17, 2011. It follows seven Staten Island women after their husbands or fathers are arrested and imprisoned for crimes connected to the Mafia.

Contents

Production history [edit]

The idea for the show came from Jennifer "Jenn" Graziano, sister of cast member Renee Graziano.[1] The second season of the series debuted on January 1, 2012 with two new cast members: Ramona Rizzo and Angela "Big Ang" Raiola.

On May 9, 2012, VH1 announced that the series had been renewed for a third season.[2][3][4] On August 12, 2012, Renee Graziano tweeted that filming was underway for Season 3.[5] It was announced on December 11, 2012 that the third season would debut on January 6, 2013 with a new cast member, Love Majewski.[6]

It was announced on May 14, 2013, by cast member Renee Graziano that Mob Wives has been renewed for a fourth season, although it has not been officially announced by VH1 .[7] Graziano, Rizzo, and Raiola were offered contracts, it is unknown that if D'Avanzo, Facciolo, and Gravano, were offered contracts.[citation needed]

Cast [edit]

cast
Original main cast: Karen Gravano, Drita D'Avanzo, Carla Facciolo, and Renee Graziano.

Current [edit]

Renee Graziano [edit]

Renee Graziano,who describes herself as a "loud, foul-mouthed drama queen", is the daughter of Anthony Graziano,[8] an active leader in the Bonanno crime family. As a result of her involvement in the show, Renee has had a difficult relationship with her father, but they are slowly starting to reconcile their relationship. Renee is currently divorced from Hector Pagan, Jr., who was convicted of running a marijuana distribution ring; they have a son, AJ.[1] Junior was featured on the second season of Mob Wives, in which he betrayed his former wife's family by wearing a wire-tapped watch. He used the evidence gathered by his watch and turned her father into “the Feds”, in accordance with his plea bargain agreement. In season three of Mob Wives, Renee revealed that Junior had written her a letter, in which he admonished Renee to not pollute their son’s mind into thinking he has a bad father for betraying the family.[1][8][9]

Karen Gravano [edit]

Karen Gravano is the daughter of Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, a former underboss of the Gambino crime family and federal informant.[10] She was formerly in a seven-year relationship with Drita D'Avanzo's husband, Lee, before moving to Arizona.[11] The single mother has one daughter, Karina, who makes appearances on the show, as does Karina's father, David Seabrook, who lives in Arizona in a house Gravano owns. On Mob Wives, the couple refer to David as Karen's former fiancé, and in season three, Gravano learns from her daughter that Seabrook is having a relationship with a new woman. Karen and David were involved together as part of Sammy's drug ring in Arizona.[12][13][14][15]

Drita D'Avanzo [edit]

Drita D'Avanzo works as a freelance makeup artist and is of Albanian ancestry. Her husband Lee D'Avanzo a reported Bonanno Crime Family and Colombo Crime Family soldier who was in prison for his second bank robbery conviction in Season 1. They have two daughters: Aleeya, who was nine in Season 1, and Gizelle, who was three.[16] Lee D'Avanzo, who was 32 in December 2001, is the son of the late Lewis D'Avanzo, an estranged cousin of Rudolph Giuliani.[17] Before marrying Drita, Lee had dated fellow Mob Wives cast member Karen Gravano for 7 years. The couple had even lived together.[11]

Carla Facciolo [edit]

Carla Facciolo grew up in Bergen Beach, Brooklyn,she is the daughter of Gambino crime family associate Louis Facciolo and is also the niece of Lucchese crime family mobster Bruno Facciolo. She was married to stockbroker Joseph Ferragamo, who was convicted of what VH1 calls "a boiler-room scandal". They have twins Joe and Carmen. She is a stay-at-home mother and sales representative for a juice company.[18]

Ramona Rizzo [edit]

Season 2 - present
Ramona Rizzo is the granddaughter of former mobster Benjamin “Lefty Guns” Ruggiero, who was played by Al Pacino in the movie Donnie Brasco, and a childhood friend of Karen Gravano. Rizzo was married for one year to a Jordanian man before divorcing in 2008. They have four children: Giovanni, Anissa, Melina, and Gianna.[citation needed] Episode 2.07 ("Mob Daughters") addresses Ramona's reaction to the arrest and possible long-term incarceration of her boyfriend, Joseph Sclafani, "a reputed Gambino crime-family soldier".[19][20]

Angela "Big Ang" Raiola [edit]

Season 2 - present
Angela "Big Ang" Raiola (born June 30, 1960)[21] is the niece of Salvatore "Sally Dogs" Lombardi, a deceased captain of the Genovese crime family. Raiola co-owns the bar Drunken Monkey. The mother of two has two sisters and four brothers, and is separated from her sanitation worker husband, Neil Murphy, who appears in episode 1 of Big Ang and proposes moving back in. Raiola made an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show on January 28, 2013, and showed her diamond ring with Neil sitting in the audience.

Former [edit]

Love Majewski [edit]

Season 3
Love Majewski is the ex-fiancée of Ray Merolle, Jr., who was the alleged leader of The Untouchables car-theft ring.[22] She appeared in episode 1.9 of the Investigation Discovery television series, I Married a Mobster: "Love Hurts" (7 September 2011), wherein she described her prior relationship with another former member of The Untouchables, Chris Paciello, and explained that when Chris became abusive, Love requested Merolle's protection, "becoming at once his personal property and accomplice to theft".[23] The following excerpt from a 23 June 2011 Daily Mail review of the show describes Love's experiences with the two men:[24]

"Another episode follows the story of Love Majewski, another mob daughter, who fell for Chris Paciello, a member of the Bonanno crime family and The Untouchables, Ray Merolle's car-theft operation which inspired the film Gone in 60 Seconds. She herself became an accomplice to theft though, when Paciello, like Bonina, became violent and [she] needed to call on the protection of Merolle. After their relationship ended, Paciello moved to Miami, where he was arrested for allegedly murdering a porn king's wife. He is now a restaurant owner in LA, while Ms. Majewski lives in Staten Island."

Majewski was let go by the series' production companies, Left/Rright Productions and Just Jenn Productions, and will not be returning for next season nor did she partake in the season three reunion taping.[25][26]

Supporting Cast [edit]

  • Eleanor - Carla's friend and former co-worker.
  • Etty - Carla and Drita's friend. She is a legal jewelry appraiser, as seen in the series.
  • Nikole - Renee's best friend.
  • Janine Detore - Big Ang's sister and niece of Salvatore "Sally Dogs" Lombardi.
  • Anthony "A.J." D'Onofrio - Big Ang's 23-year old son. D'Onofrio is seen attempting to put his life back together in season two by working at a local pizzeria. D'Onofrio was arrested at the end of season two and is incarcerated so far in season three.[27]
  • Joseph "Joe" Ferragamo - Carla's estranged husband. In season two, Ferragamo is released from prison to live in a halfway house. In season three, he lives in his own home with his girlfriend, Racquel.
  • Rana Gravano - Karen's cousin.
  • AJ Pagan - Renee and Junior's son. Pagan is currently attending college and intends to major in engineering.[citation needed]
  • Hector "Junior" Pagan - Renee's ex-husband and AJ's father. Junior's relationship with Renee and AJ is strained due to his cooperation with the federal authorities. Pagan had a recurring role in seasons one and two and is no longer affiliated with the series.
  • Linda Torres- Big Ang's friend.

Wives History [edit]

Housewives Seasons
1 2 3 4
Current
Renee Graziano Main
Drita D'Avanzo Main
Karen Gravano Main
Carla Facciolo Main
Ramona Rizzo Main
Angela Raiola Main
Former
Love Majewski Main

Recurring cast [edit]

Cast Member Seasons
1 2 3
Current
A.J Pagan Recurring
Eleanor Recurring
Etty Recurring
Janine Recurring
Nikole Recurring
Raina Gravano Recurring
Linda Torres Recurring
Joseph "Joe" Ferragamo Recurring
Former
Hector "Junior" Pagan Recurring

Episodes [edit]

Main article: List of Mob Wives episodes
Season Episodes Season Premiere Season Finale Reunion
1 11 April 17, 2011 June 26, 2011 July 10, 2011
2 19 January 1, 2012 May 13, 2012 May 20, 2012
May 27, 2012
3 14 January 6, 2013 April 7, 2013 April 21, 2013

Spin-offs [edit]

A spin-off, Mob Wives Chicago, debuted on June 10, 2012. Also in June 2012, Mob Wives executive producer, Jennifer Graziano, announced that Raiola would be getting her own spinoff show, Big Ang, which premiered on VH1 July 8, 2012.[28][29] Jennifer Graziano announced in October 2012 that Mob Wives Miami and Mob Wives Philadelphia have both been cast but it is unsure if they will air.[30][31][32]

Reception [edit]

The first season of Mob Wives was well received by some entertainment critics. Entertainment Weekly's television critic Ken Tucker praised the show in his review, stating, "As someone who’s watched at least a few episodes of every version of the Real Housewives franchise and feels a bit nauseous about it, I didn’t come to Mob Wives with high hopes. But this floridly funny, vicariously vicious reality series exerts a vulgar charm." He noted the fascination of watching excessively made-up people living in apparent luxury and the authenticity of the drama between the women. "By turns funny, appalling, and frightening, Mob Wives is swiftly paced, reality-TV at its most effusively dismaying."[33] The Hollywood Reporter critic David Knowles felt the show was significantly better than typical reality TV. He found the women's internal conflict between their mob past and their desire to break free from that lifestyle to be the underlying question of the series. Knowles noted that the women's story lines are so tense and engrossing that the surveillance-style effect used to introduce them seemed unnecessarily cliché. "As we learned from The Sopranos, the wives and children of mafiosos can be every bit as compelling as the gangsters themselves... As for those other real housewives franchises, their endless squabbles and social climbing antics are rendered rather trivial after you watch the first five minutes of Mob Wives'."[34]

Some New York critics were less enthusiastic about the show. David Hinckley's New York Daily News review called it a "tired concept, is so bad it should sleep with fishes". The review also said "these are unpleasant people in an unwatchable show". On the other hand, he wrote: "Now it could be added that if this is what you want on TV, Mob Wives is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Imagine the angriest of the "Real Housewives" ratcheted up into overdrive".[35] Staten Island Advance's SILive.com "Entertainment Comment of the Day" said, "Out of interest we only watched about twenty minutes of the first episode and couldn't stomach watching the second. We don't know what's so interesting about a bunch of low-life women (the one pictured is a real piece of work) who think that husbands that go off to prison is like spending a year at college. I bet their kids are real proud of them. Any glorification of a life of crime is pathetic. They all deserve whatever misery that comes along".[36]

The Mafia theme of the show was a concern for some non-journalists as well. Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro stated; "I've seen it – It's disgraceful. It paints Staten Island and Italian-Americans in a bad light. It's detrimental because people will think this is what Staten Island is made of. I'm Italian – and this is bad for our doctors, our lawyers, the people who came from Italy to build their lives".[37] UNICO National, an Italian advocacy group, said the show is tantamount to "trash TV like Jersey Shore. I hope it dies because no one watches it. We were mobsters and mafiosos with The Sopranos, bimbos and buffoons with Jersey Shore, and now we're back where we started. It's a disgrace".[38] Gawker.com said, "This seems like a terrible idea for a reality show! Would anyone watch a show called Mass Murderers' Wives?"[39]

Relatives of murder victims killed by the cast members' relatives are not happy about the show. Jackie Colucci, whose brother Joseph was murdered by Sammy "The Bull" Gravano in 1970, stated: "She should be ashamed that her father is a murderer and a drug dealer. I would be ashamed and crawling in a hole and staying out of the limelight".[39]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c Singla, Vinita (May 1, 2011). "Married to the 'Mob'". New York Post. Retrieved June 28, 2012. 
  2. ^ "Mob Wives Renewed, Season Three Will Air In 2013!". Retrieved November 23, 2012. 
  3. ^ "http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/09/mob-wives-renewed-for-a-3rd-season-by-vh1/133170/". Retrieved November 23, 2012. 
  4. ^ "Mob Wives Creator Jennifer Graziano Confirms New Castmembers And New Cities". Retrieved November 23, 2012. 
  5. ^ "Renee Graziano Twitter Status". Retrieved November 23, 2012. 
  6. ^ ""Mob Wives" Season 3 Premieres on VH1 Sunday, January 6th, 2013". Retrieved December 11, 2012. 
  7. ^ "Renee Graziano". Twitter. May 14, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013. 
  8. ^ a b "Renee Graziano: Full Biography". Mob Wives official site (VH1). Retrieved June 28, 2012. 
  9. ^ Lefkowitz, Melanie (May 24, 2011). "'Mob' Mentality: Renee on fight: 'Why didn't I crack her?'". New York Post. Retrieved June 28, 2012. 
  10. ^ http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2011/04/17/mob-wives-renee-graziano-karen-gravano-drita-davanzo-carla-facciolo/
  11. ^ a b "VH1 'Takes It to the Mattresses' with Amped Up Drama on New Series 'Mob Wives'". New York Post. March 23, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2011. 
  12. ^ Wagner, Dennis (March 25, 2001). "Bugging the Bull: Did Ariz. police go too far in Gravano wiretaps?". policeone.com. Retrieved July 9, 2012. 
  13. ^ Flannery, Pat (February 25, 2000). "Some of the principal players in the suspected Gravano drug ring". americanmafia.com. Retrieved July 9, 2012. 
  14. ^ Michele McPhee Police Bureau Chief (October 29, 2003). "Fighting the Rap in Jay Slay: Old pal denies killing Run-DMC star". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 9, 2012. 
  15. ^ May, Allan. "Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano: Final Contradiction". TruTV.com. Retrieved July 9, 2012. 
  16. ^ "Drita D'avanzo: Full Biography". Mob Wives official site (VH1). Retrieved June 28, 2012. 
  17. ^ McPhee, Michele; Claffey, Mike (December 7, 2001). "Drug, Rob Raps Vs. Mob Gang". Daily News (New York City). Retrieved June 28, 2012. 
  18. ^ "Carla Facciolo: Full Biography". Mob Wives official site (VH1). Retrieved June 28, 2012. 
  19. ^ John M. Annese/Staten Island Advance (August 11, 2011 at 1:33 PM, updated August 12, 2011 at 7:00 AM). "Staten Island marijuana, cocaine bust lands 3 mob heavy-hitters in cuffs". Staten Island Live. 
  20. ^ Mitchel Maddus (February 3, 2012). "DEA has uncovered mob-linked drug smuggling ring that bribed doormen". New York Post. 
  21. ^ Lovece, Frank (July 3, 2012). "'Mob Wives,' 'Big Ang' spinoff: Joyful tackiness". Newsday (New York). Retrieved July 8, 2012. "... who turned 52 Saturday [June 30, 2012]" 
  22. ^ Eddie DAnna (May 23, 2008). "Staten Island's 'biggest car thief' headed for Arizona prison". Staten Island Advance. 
  23. ^ "INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY’S I MARRIED A MOBSTER BREAKS CODE OF SILENCE AS THE WIVES OF "FAMILY MEMBERS" SHARE THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY". Investigation Discovery Press Web. June 8, 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2013. 
  24. ^ Tamara Abraham (23 June 2011). "'If you did him wrong he would kill you': The women breaking mafia code of silence to reveal what life is really like for a mob wife". Retrieved 20 February 013. 
  25. ^ "Love Majewski — Twitter Status #1". Retrieved April 8, 2013. 
  26. ^ "Love Majewski — Twitter Status #2". Retrieved April 8, 2013. 
  27. ^ Martinez, Jose (June 6, 2012). "Judge orders 'Mob Wives' star's son held on $200,000 bond for alleged drug peddling". New York Post. Retrieved June 27, 2012. 
  28. ^ "Jennifer Graziano Talks About The Big Ang Spinoff, Mob Wives Chicago, And Changes to the Original Show". Retrieved November 23, 2012. 
  29. ^ "Big Ang Spinoff: 'Mob Wives' Reality Star Gets Own Series". Retrieved November 23, 2012. 
  30. ^ Colagrande, J.J. "Attention All 305 Mobsters, VH1 May Expand Mob Wives to Miami". Miami New Times. Retrieved February 1, 2013. 
  31. ^ SHAIN, MICHAEL. "New molls on ‘Mob Wives'". New York Post. Retrieved February 1, 2013. 
  32. ^ Black, Elizabeth. "Mob Wives Creator Jennifer Graziano Confirms New Castmembers And New Cities". VH1 Blog. Retrieved February 1, 2013. 
  33. ^ http://watching-tv.ew.com/2011/04/17/mob-wives-vh1/.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. ^ Knowles, David (April 15, 2011). "TV Review: VH1's 'Mob Wives' Could Challenge the 'Housewives' Franchise". The Hollywood Reporter. 
  35. ^ Hinckley, David (April 15, 2011). "Black Friday deals for Target, H&M, Forever21, Old Navy, Radio Shack and more". Daily News (New York). 
  36. ^ http://www.silive.com/entertainment/tvfilm/index.ssf/2011/04/silivecom_entertainment_commen.html
  37. ^ http://www.silive.com/entertainment/tvfilm/index.ssf/2011/04/mob_wives_ignites_ire_of_state.html
  38. ^ http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979248381
  39. ^ a b http://gawker.com/5716227/mob-victims-not-happy-with-mob-wives

External links [edit]

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