Cast Named for VH1's 'Mob Wives' Reality Show


VH1 has picked up "Mob Wives," a new reality series created by Jennifer Graziano, a daughter of Bonanno capo Anthony (T.G.) Graziano (according to Reality Wives). This is Ms. Graziano's first producer/writer credit, according to IMDB.com.


The cast list, as indicated on Bourgy (a website that follows reality shows), is Renee Graziano (another daughter of Anthony Graziano?), Drita D’Avanzo (wife of Lee D’Avanzo), Carla Facciolo (wife of Joey Ferragamo) and Karen Gravano (daughter of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano).

So "Mob Wives & Daughters" would be a better title, no?


(A little nugget we dug up about one of the "mobsters," which, if true, should make for a bit more interesting show: The New York Daily News reported that Lee D’Avanzo was romantically linked to the daughter of Sammy "Bull" Gravano, who, along with her brother, pleaded guilty to their role in the operation set up by their father that peddled drugs to kids.)
"The cameras will follow these four struggling "allegedly" associated women who have to pick up the pieces and carry on after their husbands or fathers face time in prison for Mob-related activities," according to ET online. The site Cast News said the series will consist of 10 episodes.

VH1 states, "The women featured in the series are compelling, real-life characters with amazing stories to tell. Viewers will get a chance to follow them as they enter the next chapter of their lives."

"Mob Wives" premieres Sunday April 17 on VH1.

The daughter of Mob trigger man-turned-goverment turncoat Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano was the first woman cast, according to a post on Reality Wives.

Aside from Gravano, Graziano is the only mobster in the cast list we were aware of.

Law enforcement believes Graziano was a Bonanno captain by the late 1980s, after the imprisonment of longtime family Boss Philip "Rusty" Rastelli, the gangland slaying of Dominick Napolitano. Joseph "Big Joey" Massino was running the show. At the time, Graziano was believed to be operating out of the Staten Island faction of the Bonanno crime family, as well as profiting from labor racketeering, extortion, loansharking, narcotics and murder.

In 1990, Graziano pleaded guilty to tax evasion and was sentenced to five years in prison and fined $250,000.

After his 1994 release from prison, Graziano expanded his operations in Queens and Brooklyn and assumed leadership with Spero of the Brooklyn faction. Graziano continued to maintain a close relationship with Massino, who had become the official family boss in 1991 after Rastelli's death in prison.

In 1994, Graziano ordered his crew to find and kill the infamous John Pappa and Calvin Hennigar, both associated with the Colombo crime family. On one occasion, the two men had fired shots inside a topless bar in Staten Island owned by Graziano, wounding one patron. An enraged Graziano had sent his Brooklyn crew hunting for them. However, Graziano later met with Colombo family representatives and agreed on a settlement to the problem. Graziano called off the murder order, but in 2002 he would be indicted on two counts of murder conspiracy due to this episode.

In early 2001, Massino needed to appoint a new consigliere because Spero had been sentenced to prison for life. On February 15, 2001, Graziano and Massino flew to Mexico for a meeting. The two men took this foreign trip to avoid FBI observation and surveillance. Once in Mexico, Massino appointed Graziano as the new Bonanno consigliere.

In March 2002, Graziano was indicted on separate racketeering charges in New York and Florida. On July 18, 2003, Graziano was sentenced to 11 years in prison on the Florida charges. On November 13, 2003, Graziano was sentenced to nine years in prison on the New York charges.At the New York sentencing, Graziano's lawyer asked for leniency, saying that his client had diabetes and had survived two episodes of bladder cancer.

As of June 2010, Graziano is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution Butner in Butner, North Carolina. He is serving his two sentences at the same time. Graziano's projected release date is January 6, 2012. Just in time for the second season!

From SocialLitelife: Mob Wives focuses on four women from Staten Island who have to carry on after their husbands or fathers go to jail for mob-related shenanigans. One of the cast members is Karen Gravano, daughter of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano ( a notorious mafia informant). From the looks of the trailer, it seems Mob Wives is a smidge more gratuitous with the violence than our New Jersey friends over on Bravo are. Did you really expect the abuse to stop at verbal? There is choking, choking to the point where you’re forced to take a mental snapshot of the victim’s face. It’s terrifying!

"I have one question: How the hell are they getting away with this show? The mafia is historically very hush-hush about their business, so I can’t imagine many mob bosses are eagerly anticipating this premiere."

Comments

  1. To my readers -- be careful with above post. I think you have to sign up to play a videogame in order to get access to the videos, and I don't even know if it is what he says it is. That site is not related to this site in any way, but I didn't want to take it down for anyone who might be interested ... the show is on VH1, a common channel, I would think most of you could view it on TV. But it is up to you....

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  2. VH1 will have the full episodes online the day after the show airs on TV.

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  3. This show is a joke for a multitude of reasons. A lot of "BIG Mouthed" loud women can relate I am sure...

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  4. it should be cancelled

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  5. I LOVE THE SHOW, I THINK IT,S AWESOME IT SHOULD BE ON FOR YEARS,IF YOU DON,T LIKE IT, DON,T WATCH IT..

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  6. This shows suck , they are always conplainig about how life is sooo hard ,
    F --- THEM

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  7. I admit its a train wreck, so I watch it. Unfortunately its not fiction, these people exist. Real people suffered from their fathers/husbands. Now they profit. If you see how sad and pathetic these women are you would not be envious. The nice homes and furs just conceal the ugliness and disfunction.

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  8. I agree with this post.

    Anonymous said...
    I admit its a train wreck,

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  9. they don't know what this life is really all about years ago the wives ,daughters could never say a word about anything they had to respect their husbands and fathers

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  10. i would love to see drita talk the way she talksto lala ali lets see who knocks who out

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  11. I love it !!! If you dont like it , dont watch!! Go watch paris hiltons new show you think they'll show her doing coke in vegas and getting caught?

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  12. the show is interesting to say the least but i have no sympathy for the women on the show but their children are the victims they are the ones being forced to grow up without a parent and missing their relatives and that is truly sad

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  13. all you girls that watch the show are very jealous of what the girls have dont watch it you must want to be just like them but cant

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  14. if the girls from the show read theses comments this is for carla your husband is just starting to be nasty wait till he gets home and finds a girlfriend he wll be saying what kids i have been there and done that mostly all of my life with these type of guys they are all the samethey are all selfish

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  15. I'm not sure if Renee looks like more like a dude or a pig with lipstick on, who in their right mind would go out with a woman with a mouth body and attitude such as hers.

    Lee is rough around the edges but she is the realest of them all, she's that chick all guys should have on their team and not too bad on the eyes.

    Carla, is a realist and has done what the other's haven't had a nerve to do, and that's move on, like she said she's HOT as Hell and has the right attitude.... Good for you Carla.

    Karen, are you F-ucking serious, you have spent all this time worring about who your girl hooked up with, does he accept any responsibility for anything. In the life you've lived isn't that part of the game ??? On another note your daughter is beautiful but it seems as if she has some ethnicity in her, is her father a black man ???

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  16. How do these mob wives have these expensive houses and cars.

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  17. hey everyone,
    I was lucky enough to interview Drita and she elbowed my
    face, told me she had to pull a tooth out of her hand and told
    me how all of a sudden she'll come out of a blackout and there
    will be someone on the ground.

    If you want to check it out here is the link-- enjoy
    http://chanceplus1.com/drita-d%E2%80%99avanzo-of-mafia-wives-a-terminator-inside-a-victoria-secret-model/

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  18. OMG!! These people on these blogs are so... how you say, hmmm... stupid!!! Really? You all actually think that the women on the show has anything to do with the murders, extortions, racketeering, prostitutions, drugs sell, and you all are here telling us that these women are making a profits because of their dads, and you all are acting as if therse women commited the murders, it just go to show how stupid dumb azzez you all are, but then again it could be your jealousy, it could be that you don't know shyt and you really don't know what to say, and for those of you who thinks for one minute that these women should be talked down, cursed at, avoided like a plague, you men and/or women don't know shyt don't what you are all talking about, you all think that these women deserve to get punished for something they didn't do all, you stupid low life y'all sound so much like the KKK, always talking about other race, blaming others for their stupidity, their lack of intelligence, that is how y'all sound like, stupid!!!! Get a life, if you don't like the show then don't watch it, stop telling us what to do , guess what we are adults and we can see whatever we like and especially me, I LOVE MOB STORIES, AND THE HELL WITH YOU GUYS WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ANYWAYS,YOU KNOW SHYT....

    Toni

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  19. Ever heard of the jewish mafia??! Italiians dont run the show folks! Funny as hell to watch though. And toni wtf u talkin about yes they are connected. Cruella i mean graziano even said she doesnt date because all the good men are in jail. What are you smoking retard. You think theyare doing this shit for fun? No. Money runs the world. And they would have no name if it werent for theyre criminal lovers. And jealous of what? Being rich off wrecking other lives? Go Fn fundraise or donate some of that dirty money and maybe somebody could respect this garbage.

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  20. Ed L i will go read that blakely interview as well. And my previous post hadnt meant to direct negativity to your blog as it is highly relative to cosa nostra news. Just negativity to the show only. Your blogs are great

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  21. Thank you, anonymous above... I am Ed L., but I use EVL now...

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  22. To the Jewish Mafia poster above, please email me -- I'd like to send you some questions, assuming you are familiar with the Jewish Mafia... Email Cosa Nostra News at Eddie2843@gmail.com.

    I thought the Jewish Mafia is all but gone, with those mobsters using their fortunes to send their children to college to amass their own legal fortunes, unlike the Italian organization...

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  23. I 1st seen a picture of Rene when I was in Rikers Island. She was a friend of my best friend. Rene was smoking hot 20 years ago. They should show some of her younger pics. When I got out we met and dated for a short time. She really was a good girl and nothing like she is on the show. Let me assure you, she is a woman.

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  24. First they put on a show based on a group of young Italians who are depicted as shiftless,unemployed,uneducated,egotiistical,idiots who's main goals in life are to workout,be tan, and have sex called Jersey Shore. Now they give us a show that depicts Group of Italian Women as foul mouthed,unemployed,uneducated,classless,idiots who's main goals in life are to champion"The Life",look good on visiting day,and to not grow old alone.And now to complete the Trilogy next week they are coming
    out with a new show about a group of middle aged Italian men from Brooklyn who still live at home with their parents.It makes me so proud to be 100% Italian American. If we get anymore like these I may have to take the vowel off the end of my name.
    PS I forgot the one about the Italian women who talks to dead people-Long Island Medium.Just call me Carducc

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